Yardbarker: Rickie Weeks

Back on the Job

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:56:30 -0500

The All-Star break was last week, but several players are finally getting back to work. Troy Percival and J.J. Putz came off the disabled list over the weekend while other closers are having their own injury issues. And what does the presence of Ray Durham in Milwaukee mean for Rickie Weeks?

I’m Rick Weeks, B*tch!

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:39:10 -0500

Just when the various beat-writer types had decided Rickie Weeks was one of the Brewers' biggest liabilities heading down the stretch, and collectively pronounced that the Ray Durham acquisition proved their point, Rickie Weeks made a return trip to St. Louis' left-field upper deck "Big Mac" land, validated Ned Yost's patience (at least for now), and bought himself [...]

Hall's tenth inning homer ruins Cards' comeback

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:02:06 -0500

Bill Hall took Cards' closer Ryan Franklin deep to bring the Brewers back from the deadlocked ninth. (photo by Barbara Moore)

Fantasy Trade Analysis: Ray Durham to the Brewers

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:57:12 -0500

On the surface this looks like a trade to bolster the Brewers bench, which it probably is, but look deeper and there just might be some big fantasy implications.

Brewers stay hot and a trade is in the works

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:52:47 -0500

The Brewers beat the Giants on Saturday, 8-5, to win their third straight game and take the series from the Giants. Carlos Villanueva picked up the win in relief of Ben Sheets. Salomon Torres picked up his 16th save of the season.

AccuScore: Waiver Wire Wonders

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:06:04 -0500

We are now in the post All-Star break portion of the season, which means it's that magical time where guys like Paul Konerko and Adam LaRoche turn things around.

The 'Sabathia Got Traded' Post

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:54:18 -0500

The whole world is reporting that the Indians have traded C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers, so even though the specifics of the deal are unclear, I guess it's time for a post.

There have been strong rumors about a trade between these two teams for awhile now, and for good reason. Both teams are, essentially, trading from a position of excess. The Indians are giving up a 2008 asset (expendable when you're 14 games out of first in July), and the Brewers are trading a potent bat that comes with a questionable glove (valuable, but less so when you're in the NL and already have Braun, Fielder, and Mat Gamel).

The Brewers are seizing their opportunity this season, as it looks to be their best in the near future. Although they will likely benefit from Yovani Gallardo's return next year, ace Ben Sheets will be a free agent this winter; combined with Sabathia's expected departure, the 2008 Brewers rotation is looking a whole lot more formidable than next year's staff.

By acquiring Sabathia right now, Milwaukee is maximizing his value, as he'll be able to make two starts before the All-Star break. That means he'll make approximately 15 regular season starts as a Brewer. Either Dave Bush or Seth McClung will be moved out of the bullpen; it doesn't particularly matter, as an ERA of about 4.60 would be expected out of either. In the NL, the over/under on Sabathia's ERA would likely be around 3.10. Over half a season, that upgrade is worth about 1.5 wins, plus the substantial value he'd potentially provide in the playoffs. Add to that the two compensation picks Milwaukee stands to receive if they don't re-sign Sabathia, and it's easy to like this deal from their perspective.

In terms of impact on the National League pennant race, the team most adversely effected by this trade is likely the Cardinals. Sabathia makes the Brewers the clear frontrunner for the Wild Card (not that they weren't already), and possibly even the second most likely NL playoff team.

It would be a mistake to not mention Sabathia's hitting prowess, as he boasts a career line of .300/.317/.475 (in an outrageously small sample size of 42 PAs, of course). His 440-foot bomb against the Dodgers provided one of the few highlights of Cleveland's 2008 campaign.

Sabathia's departure probably won't register to Indians fans until he takes the mound in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Ever since his debut at the age of 20, he's been a valuable member of the rotation, posting at least average ERAs in each of his eight seasons. His value as an Indian peaked last year, both in reality (241 IP, 143 ERA+, both career highs) and perception (Cy Young award).

Sabathia's poor performance at the outset of the season (18 IP, 27 R, 14 BB, 5 HR in four starts) made headlines and, other than in trade talks, he hasn't been in the news much since. However, he's been as good as anybody since mid-April, posting a 2.16 ERA and 109:20 K:BB ratio in 104.1 innings. His 2008 QERA--even including those first four starts--is an impressive 3.44.

Unfortunately, this is how a team with the Indians' resources is forced to do business. From a business perspective, drafting Sabathia is likely one of the smartest things the organization has ever done. They turned a #20 pick in the 1998 draft and about $30MM into 1,528.2 innings of a 115 ERA+, and the four prospects they'll receive from Milwaukee.

The headlining prospect is Matt LaPorta, a 23-year old out of the University of Florida. Last winter, Kevin Goldstein ranked him as the #1 prospect in the Brewers organization, and Keith Law had him 37th in all of baseball. This year, he's hit .291/.404/.584 in 296 ABs at AA Huntsville. He'll likely report to AAA Buffalo, and could contribute to the big club as early as August. He'll likely end up at first base, a position that has emerged as a weakness for the Indians in 2008, as Ryan Garko has managed only a .243/.324/.342 line.

The details beyond LaPorta are not entirely clear, but reports indicate the Indians will be receiving LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Rob Bryson, and a PTBNL.

Jackson doesn't look to be anything to write home about, as he's a 25-year old with a 7.83 ERA at AAA Nashville, with 33 Ks and 9 HRs allowed in 56.1 IP.

Bryson is a 20-year old currently a single-A West Virginia, with a considerable amount of upside. He was moved to the bullpen after five starts, and has recorded 73 Ks in 55 innings, while walking 20 and giving up three homers. Back in February, Goldstein described him as "[offering] plenty to dream on."

The fourth prospect sounds like it may end up being 21-year old Taylor Green. He primarily played second base in 2006, but was then moved to third, apparently because of Rickie Weeks' presence presence on the Brewers. The thinking is that the Indians would like to get a good look at him at second before committing to him, as he'd theoretically be more valuable there. In 2008, Green has put up a line of .297/.381/.452 with Brevard County, with 10 homers in a park that significantly suppresses power.

The Indians and Brewers matched up very well, which of course is why this deal happened in the first place. The Indians got a high impact bat that will be able to contribute to the 2009 club. They also received potential long-term solutions for second base and the rotation, although the probabiliity of those two is significantly lower. I'm in no real position to value prospects, but this seems like a pretty decent haul, especially considering the heightened (perceived) value of prospects over the last few years.

Related:
The Big Trade, Part I [Let's Go Tribe]
Meet Matt LaPorta [The Cleveland Fan]
Keith Law [ESPN]
All about LaPorta [CastroTurf]

Brewers walk-off on a beautiful Saturday night

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:43:26 -0500

Dave Bush pitched his second consecutive gem at Miller Park on Saturday night in a 2-1 Brewers win. Bush went eight innings giving up only one run on four hits while striking out seven. He took a no-decision but he has now made back-to-back starts at Miller Park going eight innings and giving up only a single run.

Ben Sheets and Brewers bats ineffective in a dome

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:09:03 -0500

Sunday was a day that nothing went right for the Brewers in a 5-0 loss to the Twins. Ben Sheets got rocked for five runs in seven innings pitched. All of the runs the Twins scored came with two out, never a good sign for a pitcher that he's unable to finish an inning. Sheets struck out seven but gave up nine hits, including a two-run home run to Delmon Young in the sixth inning. Sheets fell to 9-2 on the season and his ERA rose to 2.83. Brian Shouse worked a clean eighth inning to finish the game for the Brewers.

Dave Bush pitches another gem; Brewers continue to roll

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:12:38 -0500

Dave Bush continued one of the best in-season turnarounds in recent Brewers' history. After being sent down to Nashville earlier in the season, Bush has now pitched two great games in a row. Bush shut down the Braves offense allowing only one run and four hits over seven innings Tuesday night. He walked just one and struck out five to pick up his fourth win of the season.

AccuScore: The Need for Speed

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:23:54 -0500

Fantasy expert Tim Williams reviews AccuScore's top 20 stolen base options for the remainder of the season, and gives you five teams who can't stop people on the base paths.

Ben Sheets continues to make his case for the All-Star Game start

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:44:24 -0500

It's getting old to say…Ben Sheets made another great start in a Brewers' win on Monday night. No, I lied. It doesn't get old at all. Sheets may be pitching as well right now as any time in his career. Sheets pitched his third complete game of the season to pick up his ninth win of the season. Sheeter only needed 106 pitches to finish off the Braves by a score of 4-1. He gave up only four hits on the night while striking out seven.

Top 10 Most Disappointing MLB Players of 2008

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:18:20 -0500

With the first half of the 2008 Major League Baseball season drawing to a close it's time to take a look at the most disappointing players so far. It was hard to narrow the list to just 10, but I did it. Names you won't see on this list include Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. Want to know who is number one? Check it out.

2008 All-Injured Team

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:10:45 -0500

Frustrated with all the MLB players hurt? Here is a great article looking at the All-Injured Team so far in 2008...

MLB Injury Extra: Replacements

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:22:44 -0500

Screaming Sports' Drew Thibodeau breaks out another Screaming Sports original. With so many valuable fantasy studs going down with injury, Drew decided it was time to take a look at several replacements. So if you're one of the many fantasy GM's who have been ravaged by injury, then this piece is exactly what the doctor ordered.