So what is satisfactory for Rickie Weeks?

by KLSnow on Sep 4, 2008 3:18 PM CDT Comment 18 comments

A lot has been made over the course of the season about Rickie Weeks and whether or not he's qualified to lead off and play every day for the Brewers. Today, in a quick glance at his numbers, I discovered the following:

Before May 20: .193/.323/.331
Since May 20: .254/.344/.422

So my question is this: If Weeks can continue to produce at his since May 20 clip as a middle infielder, is that good enough? Or does the position still need to be upgraded?

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If...

Weeks can continue to put up an OPS in the mid .700s I’m fine with him at 2nd. If there is an upgrade out there for next year I’m fine with it, however they better make sure its a significant one (and not a stop-gap who only puts up marginally better numbers) since Weeks is still only 25 and under team control for 3 more years.

by Supertramp on Sep 4, 2008 3:40 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Also, he'll probably make around $1 mil next year

Sat: George 2 (37, missed catch, fielding) Fri: George (35, throw) Tues: George (34, throw)

by Jordan M on Sep 4, 2008 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know

He’s arbitration eligible for the first time, so that should bump him up from the $1 million he’s making this year.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Sep 4, 2008 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you sure on that?

I’m not worthy to question you, but I that he was in arbitration last year, too. I must be wrong. Still, why would he make almost $500,000 more than Fielder in the same situation?

Regardless, he’d get a bump in salary, but it’d probably be around $2-3 million. Considering the highest is about $10 mil and Weeks hasn’t performed well in the traditional statistical categories, I wouldn’t expect him to get a huge raise.

Sat: George 2 (37, missed catch, fielding) Fri: George (35, throw) Tues: George (34, throw)

by Jordan M on Sep 4, 2008 6:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He wasn't in arbitration last year

But he signed a Major League contract when drafted, and that ended in 2007. That contract paid him $1.32M in 2007, and teams can only reduce a player’s salary a certain amount (10%?) from year-to-year. He’ll probably triple his salary in arbitration next year.

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Sep 4, 2008 6:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

OK, thanks

$3 mil sounds about right, and I don’t think you’re going to find much of an upgrade in the free agent market or trade for any less money, though.

Sat: George 2 (37, missed catch, fielding) Fri: George (35, throw) Tues: George (34, throw)

by Jordan M on Sep 4, 2008 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Salary reduction

I think it’s 20% of the previous year or 30% of the year before that, whichever means more money for the player.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Sep 4, 2008 7:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's hard to get over the disappointment

but I second this opinion

by keephopealive on Sep 4, 2008 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's true

Once you get over the 40/40 expectations, a .750 OPS isn’t awful for a second baseman.

Still, going into the offseason, assuming we pick up Cameron’s option, the only “holes” in our lineup are second base (I know, I know, he’s a run-scorer, I have no concept) and third base. I can’t imagine Moustache won’t take a peek and see if something better is available.

Speaking of Rickie, here’s a trivia question for you: how many members of the first round of the 2003 draft have been selected to the All-Star game? Winner gets a picture of Dancy Nancy.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Sep 4, 2008 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What a weak class.

2! Chad Cordero and Carlos Quentin.

by zsattler on Sep 4, 2008 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tolerable

The offense would certainly be good enough but his defense still would be a big minus. I think if you have a reasonable shot to sign a player like Orlando Hudson (who has similar offense but spectacular defense) I think you take it and try to move Rickie. Otherwise, he’s decent enough at that clip to be a second baseman on a playoff-caliber team.

by kingcharlesxii on Sep 4, 2008 4:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The Rickie Weeks Express

Next stop, centerfield in 2010.

Mike Cameron can teach you everything you need to know in 2009.

(I’m kidding. Well, half-kidding.)

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Sep 4, 2008 4:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Week's defense

He obviously still makes those mistakes in the field that make you shake your head, but he has improved steadily in the field and his metrics actually look ok this year.

In the NL amongst those 2B that have played 500 innings:

Field%: .982 (6th out of 17)
Range Factor: 5.06 (6th of 17)
Zone Rating: .817 (7th of 17)
Defensive win shares: 4.1 (5th).

If someone has Pinto’s ratings, which are pretty good, I would like to see those too.

Bottom line is that he has gradually improved from a butcher, to just plain bad, to now, where he is by all measures, a solid average defensive second baseman.

(FWIW, Weeks’ numbers are better than Hudson’s this year in some areas….equal at worst.)

by badgermaniac on Sep 4, 2008 11:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It’s tolerable. Would like .270/.360/.450, as he SHOULD be able to do that.

I mean, really, he should be at .275/.400/.500. Him not being anywhere close to that is why I want Skaalen gone.

by HRF on Sep 4, 2008 11:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Why should he be at .275/.400/.500?

Yeah, he eclipsed those numbers in the final two months last year, but I don’t get why he should be hitting that well all the time.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Sep 5, 2008 12:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

.275/.400/.500 may have been a bit of a stretch.

by HRF on Sep 5, 2008 1:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looking at his PECOTA, his 50th is: .262/.364/.446. I stand by my first line… I kind of got a little fired up the second time there. My bad.

by HRF on Sep 5, 2008 1:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If we can get an .810 OPS from Rickie

I’d be very happy.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Sep 5, 2008 6:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

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