The Brewers have until 5 days after the World Series to pick up Mike Cameron's option, according to Buster Olney (via mlbtraderumors.com).
Here's what Tim Dierkes, who runs mlbtraderumors.com, had to say about exercising Cameron's option:
Cameron, 36 in January, hit .243/.331/.477 in 508 plate appearances. He also saved eight runs defensively compared to the average center fielder. After such a fine year, he's an easy choice at one-year, $9.25MM.
While I know a lot of Brewers fans would quibble with calling Cameron's season a "fine year" I have to agree with Dierkes. They have no adequate replacement for Cameron at present, and his defense along with intangibles would seem to make it an easy choice to bring him back. Though I'll admit it's not my $10 million.
For those of you tempted to suggest Tony Gwynn Jr. as a Cameron replacement, just stop right now before you say something silly.
Friday, October 10, 2008
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21 comments:
Matt hits on the exact issue here. There is no replacement. They have to keep him.
Keith Law of ESPN fame keeps advocating for Rickie Weeks to move to center like BJ Upton did for the Rays. He'd be cheaper and there would still be as many bad at-bats.
Any plans on who fills the hole at 2B then? Escobar to SS and Hardy to 2B? I could (would rather) see that happening before JJ going to 3B. There has to be some LH 3B FAs out there that can be more effective than Hall.
How about Milton Bradley? He made 5.2 this season and is a FA. At 31 he's younger than Cameron, and his defense is on par (though with slightly poorer range and ZR), and his offensive numbers destroy Camgoo's. I know the knock is health and attitude, but we signed Camgoo with a 25 game suspension...
Also, with regard to Hardy moving to 2B...how about Escobar to 2B? Hardy is an established major leaguer who is a very good SS. Why should he have to make room for some minor leaguer?
Whoops, had more to add.
How about Casey Blake to fill the void until Gamel (if that is indeed the direction the club wants to go at 3B) has time to let Don Money fix the hole in his glove?
I know the guy's 35, but he plays solid defense and will probably hit around .270 with 15-20 HR and 60-70 RBI.
This is another effect of the Sabathia trade (one that's ok in my mind).
We lost LaPorta in that deal...who by all accounts, would have been our starting RF in 2009 (Hart to center). Cameron would have been let go.
That can't happen now. Cameron (who in my mind anyway had a "fine year") has be resigned for this 1 year...it's a message that they are trying to remain competitive next year.
We can move Corey Hart to center and pick up someone via free agency. Corner outfielders are like packs of gum, you can pick one up at every store in town. Cameron is past his prime and not worth that dough.
no way JJ stays at SS and escobar plays 2B. JJ's range sucks and escobar is a natural SS....he won't play anywhere else.
And everyone just thinks JJ is going to jump for joy simply to have a job with the Brewers? Heck, we should move Prince over to RF this season, shift Braun over to 1B, Hall to LF, Hardy to 2B, Weeks to CF, Kendall at SS, Kapler to C, Hart at 3B.
That way they're all more well-rounded and can sub in more easily.
Plus, there are only 4 SS in the NL with better RF than Hardy: Izturis, Y. Escobar, Rollins, Guzman. Only Peralta, Young and O. Cabrera in addition to those NL 4 rank above him in all MLB for RF.
FPCT is 8th in MLB, and 4th in NL.
So...range sucks I can't accept as an excuse.
And don't get me wrong, I was preaching the move JJ to 2B thing for a long time. Its just not a good morale building thing.
Needed to delete previous to edit for clarification.
Marlow - where did you get your range factor from? Just curious. I dont know anything about this stat, but baseball-reference.com has JJ at 8th in the NL, and 15th overall. And he was last in 2007
http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2008_field.shtml#SS
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?groupId=8&season=2008&seasonType=2&split=82&sortColumn=rangeFactor
For NL (only qualified players as well)
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?groupId=9&sortColumn=rangeFactor&sortOrder=true&split=82&qualified=null&season=2008&seasonType=2
For MLB.
ESPN stats come from STATS, Inc. So I guess that would be the original source.
As for Camron you can’t discount the “club house guy” factor also. He was a good vet to have around this year. Plus isn’t there some crazy stat about every team he goes to ends up in the playoffs?
Hardy to second? He has to good of an arm I’d rather he stay on the left side of the infield. I can see 3rd but is Escobar ready or just better in theory because he isn’t Bill Hall or JJ?
What is your guys take on Coach Dale? Do you care what Terry Francona thinks (personally I don’t). And I must be wrong but I thought Dale was let go from Boston? Not he chose Milwaukee over the Red Sox.
Also, you could look at something like this:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/ESCOBAR19861216A.php
and this:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/hardyjj01.php
Of particular note are Hardy's VORP and WARP vs. Escobar's.
Cameron will be back. Unless the orginazation trips over a rock and finds a suitable replacement they didn't know existed.
Again, I believe Escobar (or Gamel) is not in the plans for opening day 2009. If he's here at all next year it would be around June when he gets called up at the absolute earliest. Essentially, Escobar is blocked by Hardy and Weeks. There's no hurry to start his service time clock.
I like the idea of moving Weeks to CF myself. The problem is that:
A)Melvin is deathly afraid of giving up on Weeks. I've heard him say as much in interviews, that with Weeks' "tools" you'd rather give up on him a year or two too late than a year or two too early.
B)Melvin's focus is to try to get power/production out of spots that you usually don't. (2B, CF, etc.) That's why there was no hesitation to move Hall to CF. Does anyone have any confidence that Weeks would outperform Cameron at CF in '09? Would it even be close?
Move Weeks to CF and get Orlando Hudson to play 2B (with Cam's money).
Does anyone think that with those extra 25 games in the Bigs for Cameron he would have been more productive over the course of the year? He had a pretty slugish start but so does everyone.
I know thats why you have averages. But does a 80-90 April ABs make a guy better down the strectch?
Well...considering he had 142 Ks in 444 ABs for a ratio of 31.98% of ABs equaling strikeouts...no. I don't think 80-90 more ABs would have helped. Because 25-29 of those would have been Ks.
But, apparently, that's a 'fine year'.
Its fine that you lead your club in strikeouts while playing 25 less games?
Escobar = SS. Hardy = 2nd or 3rd. DONE DEAL.
CamerOON is a joke. His so called "Golden Glove" possibly cost us a playoff game + other games this season. He's past his prime and a pile of shit. As far as a replacement.. Umm. How about a balloon animal I fasion while hammered?!
As far as Hardy not wanting to switch positions: Are you serious? Who gives a shit? Go count your money! He's not gonna care. I happen to have inside information from people in the know that Hardy wants a long term deal and to live on a lake up here.
Weeks? Are we seriously still talking about him? Yost, his "protector" is gone. Weeks is done. Move him to the outfield? So that he can tank more balls? So that he can still bat .230? The Dick Reeks experiment is OVER. O.V.E.R.
Don't even get me started on Bill Hall. Bundle him and Weeks together like Time Warner ad and ship them to Siberia.
Hey dude, like I said, I'm on the Hardy to 2B bandwagon. I'm just saying he may be irritated about it. I understand professional athletes make significantly more than you or I, but that doesn't mean they're happy campers all the time.
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