Rumorville: Kevin Mench

by nmc on May 7, 2007 10:10 AM CDT Comment 29 comments

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that with injuries to Howie Kendrick and Garrett Anderson and poor performance by Shea Hillenbrand, the Angels are stepping up their efforts to improve their anemic offense via the trade market. Reportedly, the Angels are kicking the tires on several players, including "Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins and outfielders Brad Hawpe and Jeff Baker, outfielders Kevin Mench (Milwaukee), Jacque Jones (Chicago Cubs), Pat Burrell (Philadelphia) and Emil Brown (Kansas City), and third basemen Morgan Ensberg (Houston) and Edwin Encarnacion (Cincinnati)."

Trade Rumors suggests they'd be up to moving Santana, which I don't think would make that trade fair.

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Mench for Santana?

It doesn't exactly fill a need, but I'd take it...and throw in a middling prospect or two, to boot!

by Jeff Sackmann on May 7, 2007 10:24 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The Time is Ripe

Unless you believe that Mench is able to sustain this level of production, now is the time to move him. His line against righties remains awful, and the lefties aren't really trembling any more, either.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 7, 2007 10:32 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Pull the trigger!

Time to sell high on the Head. I think we need 13 pitchers, and this would allow for more PT for Gabe Gross, and Corey Hart for that matter.

by John Brew on May 7, 2007 11:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I dunno...

I'm thinking I don't want to mess with success. We have a really solid team right now. I wouldn't move Mench; cause I know Geoff will slump bad at some point. The Brady/Elmer trade doesn't make me wanna trade Mench for middle relief... we already have Carlos V.

by engbjm06 on May 7, 2007 11:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Lost me

But Mench isn't very good. If you could make the case that the Brewers are winning because of his contributions, I might be able to get behind this line of thinking, but I think that's a tough case to make.

No matter how well the team is doing, Melvin has got to be out there looking for ways to improve. Dealing an outfielder on an apparent hot streak is a good way to make it happen.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 7, 2007 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

well...

I'm not saying that he is god's gift to outfielders; i'm saying that i like him on this team right now. i like the depth. i would move gross before mench; to give tgj more pt.

i'm not saying that guy is untouchable; i would be for trading him if it made the team better.

by engbjm06 on May 7, 2007 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

understatement

At an OPS+ of 97 so far this year, he's actually a touch below average. My thinking is that Melvin needs to move him while the consensus perception seems to be that he's better than average.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 7, 2007 1:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trust

I really trust Melvin. He knows what his players are worth. If someone offers him something for Mench or anyone else that he'll really likes, I am sure he will make the move.

by stork02 on May 7, 2007 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trade

If they are willing to give up Santana (which I don't think they are, they wern't willing to do it last year for C. Lee) I would do it.

I don't think it is smart to make a trade just to make a trade. The Brewers have good depth right now, and I don't think they should mess with that.

by stork02 on May 7, 2007 12:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The question I have to ask...

is Ervin Santana significantly better than what we currnetly have? Does he improve over Bush, Vargas, or even Villanueva to the point where we can give up our platoon, and suffer with Jenks against lefties?

In my opinion, no.

That's not the Chirizo, It's Enrico Polazzo!

by hyattff2003 on May 7, 2007 1:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Mench for Santana?!

If the Angels had offered Santana for Mench, I don't think we'd be debating this right now. Of course you'd take the deal. I can't imagine the Angels would do that.

Don't try to do too much with it. Just take the ball the other way.

by shooty babitt on May 7, 2007 1:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's more likely...

That the Angels are going to offer Joe Saunders or Dustin Mosely. Neither are an upgrade.

That's not the Chirizo, It's Enrico Polazzo!

by hyattff2003 on May 7, 2007 1:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd take Saunders

in a heartbeat. Five pre-FA years of another back-end rotation guy? No-brainer.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 7, 2007 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

With Saunders you get

Jenkins playing against lefties.

That's not the Chirizo, It's Enrico Polazzo!

by hyattff2003 on May 7, 2007 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So

You like Mench? You think the Brewers should keep trotting him out there nearly every day until he reverts back to his awful-against-RHP, pretty-good-against-lefty career numbers?

Ned's going to keep starting him against RHP, for as long as his performance against lefties prop up his overall numbers. Is that good for the Brewers?

Oh yeah, they're winning now. Sit tight and wait for the team to tank before doing anything. It's like Yost managing the 6th inning in here.

I don't think it can be any clearer. Mench is probably as good as he's ever going to be right now, and the perception is that he's on a hot streak. The value the team can get in return is not likely to ever be this high. If there aren't any offers, then so be it, and we'll continue to trot him out there. It's poor strategy to want to sit tight just because we happen to be winning now, though.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 7, 2007 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

brings up a question...

is Yost's inability to use Mench properly (i.e. only against LHP) part of his "value" as a player?

I'd posit that a properly used Mench is more valuable than nearly anything the Angels are likely to offer us. After all, who do you want to trot out as the third outfielder against lefties? Jenkins and Gross are nearly useless against them. Tony Gwynn? Vinny Rottino? It's not like we have any lefty-masher sitting around twiddling his thumbs in AAA, unless you're willing to move Ryan Braun to the outfield.

by Zeyes on May 7, 2007 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is that

I do view Mench's value through the lens of how Yost uses him, and so I don't think much of him at all. Used properly, I would definitely have another opinion.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 7, 2007 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So wouldn't we want something we could actually

use instead? For example, a good prospect or 2. How many young, back of the rotation guys do we need? We have 3 already between Villanueva, Bush, and Jackson, and not to mention Yovanni will be taking up a spot shortly as well. I'm not a Mench fan, but I'm wondering if we need what they are offering.

That's not the Chirizo, It's Enrico Polazzo!

by hyattff2003 on May 7, 2007 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Saunders

is a step ahead of Jackson, and at least the equal of Villanueva (I think). I'm a firm believer in the 'you can never have enough pitching' mantra, especially when that pitching is young and at least somewhat proven. Worst case scenario, we pile up something everybody else needs for the time when we actually need something. What if (heaven forbid) Prince or Billy went down in July? ...if we had eight legit healthy starters, we could get a deal done in hours.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 7, 2007 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

kinda off-track

Opinions of Mench as a player and Yost's use of him aside, I think we're all on the same page here. No one wants to be on the bad end of a deal. For my part, I don't think Brewers will ever get as much value for Mench in trade as they can get right now. To my mind, that means they should be scrambling to see what they can get. If it ends up being less than we're giving up in his LHP performance, then don't pull the trigger.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 7, 2007 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I totally agree with Jeff

I just don't get it...2 months ago everyone would've jumped at the opportunity to trade mench for a bag of potatoes. Now he's some sort of prized commodity??? OPS+ of 97. One walk in 87 at bats. He's stealing playing time from Corey Hart, who also happens to be a better fielder. If Hart see regular playing time, his numbers will be there at the end of the year. There is no reason to keep Mench here.

by conan for president on May 7, 2007 5:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Were I the GM

And I'm not, I'd try to get another team into the action. We toss Mench + crap to LAA, they send Santana to Team C, who would send us something we could use.

by Acheron on May 7, 2007 6:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I would love Santana

and I would use him. Santana to the rotation, Vargas to middle relief, Spurling to Nashville. Then wait until some team is desperate and/or a need arises for us. That's the big issue making these discussions difficult: what on earth do we need? A good middle reliever would be nice, but that would basically mean trading for somebody's setup man, and no team is about to give that up right now.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 7, 2007 6:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget

The Angels got to see Mench for years, too, so that lessens the "wow, he's good all of a sudden" vibe.

by TheJay on May 7, 2007 10:33 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Enough about Santana

I think it's time to stop bringing him up. The Angels aren't trading him for Kevin Mench. What a ridiculous rumor.

Now, would they offer Saunders? Maybe, but I doubt that, too. Would that even make the Brewers better this year? No. Next year? Probably not. Stockpiling pitching is great, but I don't think it's worth exposing Jenkins or Gross to lefties again, especially when the team is a contender.

Someone mentioned that Gross is a more likely trade candidate. Well done. I bet Gwynn's strong play is making him expendable in the Brewer's eyes.

No matter what, it's going to be weird being buyers for once.

by BroadwayJoe22 on May 8, 2007 2:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't see them trading Gross...

with his profile he has to be looked at as the likely Jenkins replacement for next year and beyond by the Canadian braintrust. On the other hand, Gwynn only has value as a 'utility outfielder' or in centerfield, in my opinion, so these two aren't exactly interchangeable parts for the long haul.

Anyway, if Mench won't get us anything that will make the team appreciably better this year (and I'm inclined to agree, even taking the "pitching pitching pitching" mantra into account), neither would Gross, and you'd additionally make the team weaker in subsequent years by trading him away. (Unless you see Melvin picking up Jenkins' option, perhaps, or even signing him to an extension. I doubt he will do either.)

by Zeyes on May 8, 2007 6:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

by hyattff2003 on May 8, 2007 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

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