Results tagged ‘ Caleb Gindl ’

Narveson to DL, Position Player Coming Tomorrow…But Who?

It was announced just after today’s win over the Chicago Cubs that LHP Chris Narveson was placed on the 15-day Disabled List with a sprain of the middle finger on his left (throwing) hand.

After retweeting my announcement of the status change, Narveson added a little bit more…

Then, in the post-game media availability, manager Ron Roenicke stated that it would be a position player to replace Narveson on the active roster but that the specific player in question would be announced at a later time.

Naturally, the gears began to grind in the Brewer Nation thinkspace as people tried to come up with the name of who will be on their way to join the parent club in Chicago for Game 2 against the Cubs on Tuesday.

Here are some possible candidates, listed in alphabetical order by last name, with reasons for and against them getting the call.

Scooter Gennett

  • Pros
    • On the 40-man roster
    • Infielder
    • Hitting just under .500 on the young season
    • Left-handed hitter
    • Could option back to minors later
  • Cons
    • Limited to second base defensively
    • Not a power bat off the bench
    • Basically no time above Double-A
    • Would only play off the bench

Caleb Gindl

  • Pros
    • On the 40-man roster
    • Left-handed hitter
    • Some pop in a pinch-hitting role
    • Could option back to minors later
    • Seasoned minor leaguer
  • Cons
    • Corner outfielder defensively
    • Off to a very slow start offensively
    • Would only play off the bench

Blake Lalli

  • Pros
    • Plays some first base (an area of need)
    • Plays catcher allowing for additional flexibility and allows Roenicke to play Maldonado at 1B more
    • Left-handed hitter
    • Cup of coffee in the big leagues (with the Cubs in 2012)
  • Cons
    • Not on the 40-man roster
    • No minor league options

Hunter Morris

  • Pros
    • True first baseman
      • Allowing for Alex Gonzalez or Yuniesky Betancourt to start at 3B assuming Jean Segura is healthy
    • Had breakout season in 2012
    • Defensively sound though not spectacular
    • Left-handed hitter
      • Would help add a touch more balance to the Brewers every day lineup
    • Would likely become the starter at first base
    • Has played a little third base in his pro career
  • Cons
    • Not on 40-man roster
    • Has only played a handful of games above Double-A

So, who got the call?

lalli

Blake Lalli, who nearly made the 25-man roster out of spring training in the first place, had his contract selected the Brewers following Nashville’s 1-0 victory on Monday evening.

This will give Ron Roenicke some flexibility to utilize Martin Maldonado as he chooses, including playing him more at first base like I reported was part of the plan back in Spring Training before Alex Gonzalez took to the position so easily.

Lalli will wear uniform number 50 and will join the team tomorrow in Chicago.

Congrats and welcome back to the Show!

The move required a corresponding 40-man roster transaction to clear a spot. To that end, Corey Hart was transferred to the 60-day DL. A source told me back on Opening Day a week ago that Hart’s projected return date had been pushed back to June 1st anyway, so this move makes perfect sense in that regard.

The move is retroactive to March 31st (the earliest is can be) so Hart is now eligible to be activated off the disabled list on May 30th.

Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers – #15 Caleb Gindl

BBtJN Logo

Two more Sundays until Major League Baseball celebrates Opening Night and annoys the rest of us by making far too big of a deal of one game instead of simply letting everyone open the season together on April 1st.

Well, the Brewers open on April 1st and we’re 15 days away from that oh so glorious Monday.

Today we profile a player who was added to the 40-man roster before last season but ended up spending all of 2012 in the minor leagues.

CalebGindl

He is…

Caleb Gindl.

Caleb Charles Gindl was a 5th round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers back in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He was drafted out of Pace High School in Pace, Florida and signed almost immediately. He reported to the rookie-level Helena Brewers for almost three months in 2007, getting a jump on those that waited until the last days to sign.

Gindl has been a steady riser in the Brewers organization, playing one full season at each stop along the organization ladder. 2008 was with the West Virgina Power (this was back before the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were the Class-A affiliate), 2009 was at Class-A Advance Brevard County, 2010 with Class-AA Huntsville, 2011 with Class-AAA Nashville. When 2011 ended with Gindl being added to the 40-man, 2012 should have been his chance.

The problem with that was how the Brewers had a full outfield contingent entering the 2012 season. Gindl would repeat 2012 as a result.

He started the season slowly, as did many of the Nashville Sounds players. Gindl was only hitting .208/.252/.347 at the end of April. May wasn’t much better. Gindl was .232/.318/.351 in May, but at least his on-base was starting to rebound. That was a good sign. In 107 plate appearances in April, Gindl only walked five times. In 220 PA in May, Gindl walked 25 times. July ended up at Gindl’s best month at .337/.396/.532 though his August and September numbers were very good and June wasn’t bad at all.

Despite average corner outfield defense, much of Gindl’s value comes from his bat. At the big league level, he’s a bit of a man without a position. His bat isn’t quite what you want out of a corner outfielder and he doesn’t play center well enough from a range standpoint where his bat would play better.

Still, Gindl should eventually offer plenty of value as a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter. He’s hit for a good average all along the way and should continue to provide the same once he adjusts to the pitching at the highest level of the sport.

The problems for Gindl this year though are three-fold. First, the team doesn’t need to carry five outfielders because of the versatility of some of the options. Secondly, Logan Schafer is clearly the better option as fourth outfielder as he plays superior defense. Third, despite solid numbers so far this spring, another outfield prospect has been on fire this spring in Khris Davis.

Still, Gindl is only 24 years old and has two options remaining so even if the organization decides to start him at Nashville again this year, Gindl has time to still contribute as a Brewer down the road.

Gindl’s stature also works against him in the eyes of several scouts as he is only 5’9″ but the skills have proven themselves to be contained in the frame he has. He can hit, and if you can hit, you tend to find work.

There are a couple of decisions which the Brewers need to make in the next two weeks. Will they carry a fifth outfielder and, if so, who will it be?

I think Gindl is in the conversation for sure. Where he ends up though is anyone’s guess at this point. His change to number 15 this year though speaks well to his potential at some big league service time in the near future.

Then again, and more importantly, so does his bat.

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Miss anyone along the way? Catch up on the Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers profiles to this point:

Official Release: Brewers On Deck To Feature Over 50 Players, Coaches

brewersondeck2013

Thirty-two current Milwaukee Brewers players from the 40-man roster plus a host of alumni, Minor League prospects, coaches, front office executives and broadcasters are scheduled to participate in Brewers On Deck, which is set to take place Sunday, January 27 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Delta Center.  The event is presented by Time Warner Cable.

Brewers On Deck is the annual Fan Fest that bridges the gap between winter and Spring Training.  Players, coaches and alumni scheduled to attend include the following (all subject to change):

PLAYERS

COACHES

  • Ron Roenicke
  • Joe Crawford
  • Marcus Hanel (@Markoos55)
  • Garth Iorg
  • Rick Kranitz
  • Jerry Narron
  • Johnny Narron
  • Ed Sedar
  • John Shelby
  • Lee Tunnell

MINORS

ALUMNI

  • Jerry Augustine (@jaugie46)
  • Jim Gantner
  • Larry Hisle
  • Gorman Thomas
  • Bob Uecker

Tickets for Brewers On Deck are currently on sale.  Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for children ages 14 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the Miller Park ticket office, by calling the Brewers Ticket office at 414-902-4000, or online at Brewers.com/ondeck. On the day of the event, only cash will be accepted for purchases made at the door.  Tickets the day of the event are $20 for adults and $15 for children 14 and under.

Brewers On Deck will feature a number of activities for the entire family.  Autographs and photos from Brewers players and coaches, interactive games in the Kids Area, Q&A sessions and game shows with coaches, players and staff, vendor booths with baseball memorabilia, the Brewers Community Foundation Treasure Hunt and many other activities will all be a part of Brewers On Deck.

The same system for autographs will be used for Brewers On Deck that was used last year.  Recipients of any “PREMIER” autographs (players to be announced at a later date) will be chosen through a random selection process. Numbered coupons to be entered into the random selection process will be available the day of the event only and will be distributed beginning at 8 a.m. at the Delta Center. Coupon distribution will be available up to an hour before each designated autograph session. A schedule of players, their session times, and distribution info will be posted later this month.

Fans can receive one coupon per event admission ticket and can use that coupon to enter the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding coupons that are chosen must pay $25 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the PREMIER autograph sessions.

Players and staff not included in the PREMIER autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of these players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10. The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia.  For additional information regarding the lottery process, visit Brewers.com/ondeck.

All autograph proceeds benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs.  The Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player.

If The Season Started Tomorrow…

It’s the final day of 2012.

This was a year which saw the Milwaukee Brewers attempt (unsuccessfully) to defend a division championship for the first time since 1983. It was the first time that the Brewers featured their very own defending league Most Valuable Player since 1990. They entered the season with an intact rotation which used the fewest different arms (6) to make all 162 starts. Arguably the league’s most fearsome bullpen back-end was returning as well with only a couple of key veterans taking jobs elsewhere. And sure, Prince Fielder followed the money to Detroit but this was going to be Mat Gamel’s breakout year and Aramis Ramirez would pick up most of the slack…at least once May rolled around, he would.

Alas, we all know how things turned out in 2012 so I shan’t recap the trials, tribulations, trade, and triumphs that resulted in 83 victories a year after winning a franchise-record 96 games.

No, for this column we look forward. We look forward to 2013. We look forward to P&C. We look much too far forward to Opening Day with this set of projections.

If the season started tomorrow, the following things would be true:

  • I’d be extremely happy that I wouldn’t have to still be counting down to Opening Day (91 days as of this writing).
  • I’d be extremely cold while tailgating outside of Miller Park for a few hours on my wife’s birthday.
  • I’d have failed miserably in posting my season preview “Brewers By the Jersey Numbers” articles.

But really, I’m posting today to take a look at how the current roster stacks up and what I think a 25-man roster would look like when the games started counting.

dougmelvinI gotta tell you all that I would normally not make this projection for quite some time but with Doug Melvin’s declaration that they were “coming to the end” of acquiring free agents (or however he exactly worded it), chances are the majority of options at the team’s disposal today are going to be the same options they are presented with in 43 days when Pitchers and Catchers officially report.

Of course, and it should go without needing to be said, a ton can change between now and then anyway despite appearances. Somebody could be traded. Somebody could be signed as a veteran backup where currently only inexperience resides. Somebody could injure themselves in a pickup basketball game. Et cetera. But if we accounted for every “if” that we could, nobody would ever project anything. That’s simply not much fun.

Assuming everyone is through rehab successfully, here is how my 25-man roster would look if the season started tomorrow. (Players listed alphabetically within their position group.)

Starting Pitchers (5)

  • Marco Estrada
  • Mike Fiers
  • Yovani Gallardo
  • Chris Narveson*
  • Mark Rogers

Gallardo

I know what you’re thinking. “Free Wily Peralta!” I agree that he’s likely one of the best five options available to fill a spot in the rotation but based on the necessary evil of depth maintenance and with respect to the rules on minor league options, this just feels like the rotation that will head north from Arizona. Gallardo is a lock. Estrada was mentioned more than once this off-season as having an advantage in the competition. (He also isn’t hurt by the fact that his manager really likes his pitching.) Fiers did more than enough throughout most the season to be given a shot from the get. After adding two left-handed relievers to the bullpen, sticking Narveson in there doesn’t make sense anymore (if it ever did). Rogers is out of options and I really want to see him get a shot to contribute as a starting pitcher. He won’t make it through waivers to Nashville. Peralta has options remaining and that’s what this should come down to. Don’t doubt for a minute though that if Fiers struggles for a few starts early and it appears that the end of 2012 was due to being “figured out” more so than simply fatigue, he’ll be optioned down to Nashville in favor of the young Dominican.

Tyler Thornburg will get a look this spring but I feel like they don’t want to mess with him as a reliever this year at all. They’ll give him a full season starting in Triple-A. Hopefully with the regular and steady work he was used to, he’ll be able to avoid the arm fatigue that slowed his development in 2012. Hiram Burgos, just added to the 40-man roster, should also pitch in games in big league camp to start the spring, but after skyrocketing through the system this year, he’ll be in Nashville’s rotation when camp breaks.

Relief Pitchers (7)

  • John Axford (Closer)
  • Burke Badenhop
  • Mike Gonzalez*
  • Tom Gorzelanny*
  • Jim Henderson
  • Brandon Kintzler
  • Michael Olmsted

axfordaction

One open spot for competition. Many feel that the aforementioned Peralta should be in the rotation and that either Narveson or Rogers will become the default long reliever as a effect. For me, the final spot in the ‘pen will come down to one of the recent high-ceiling additions which Melvin and his staff have picked up this off-season. If I had my druthers, Michael Olmsted gets first crack at it. Spring Training performance might dictate that he isn’t ready for the jump over Triple-A, and this might be specifically adjusted in March, but based on minor league numbers, projectability, and stuff, Olmsted appears to be at the top of the influx of opportunity-seekers. Olmsted is already on the 40-man roster too, something that would come into play should someone like a Jairo Asencio continue to impress.

Last year’s swingman Josh Stinson has an option remaining so he’ll head to the minors. Likewise Miguel De Los Santos. One other note, as of this posting the Mike Gonzalez deal still hadn’t been made official. When it is, someone must come off the 40-man roster. I think that will be Fautino De Los Santos. So, if he’s even still with the organization, he’ll be tucked away in the minors to begin the year.

Catchers (2)

  • Jonathan Lucroy
  • Martin Maldonado

lucroy-bunting

Need there be a lengthy explanation? How’s this: no other catchers on the 40-man; these two played very well all year (when healthy); next best options coming to camp are Blake Lalli and Dayton Buller. Next!

Infielders (7)

  • Jeff Bianchi
  • Mat Gamel**
  • Corey Hart
  • Donnie Murphy
  • Aramis Ramirez
  • Jean Segura
  • Rickie Weeks

segura

A “traditional” roster usually consists of six infielders and five outfielders. I’ve split this roster differently for a couple of reasons though. First, Mat Gamel and Jeff Bianchi are both out of minor league options. Bianchi performed okay last year in his first big league action, but really what the Brewers will be holding onto is depth at shortstop. Sure, they wouldn’t have to add Donnie Murphy to the 40-man roster at all and could just stash him in the minors to begin the year but he is the superior defender to Bianchi and can more capably cover defensively at the hot corner. Furthermore, the team has made no secret of the designs to have Gamel play in the corner outfield spots this spring along with Corey Hart’s obvious ability to fill in should an emergency arise.

Taylor Green will once again be the victim of circumstance, but he is more valuable to the organization playing everyday anyway even if that’s at Nashville. He can stay ready at the plate and be called upon if an injury creates a need.

Outfielders (4)

  • Norichika Aoki**
  • Ryan Braun
  • Carlos Gomez
  • Logan Schafer**

braunaction

To elaborate a bit on my point from above, Logan Schafer can play all three defensive outfield positions very well. He can take over for any of the regulars when they need a day off and can be utilized in double-switches late in games. It’d be the same way that the Brewers played the majority of 2012 defensively once Hart moved to first base. Assuming that day’s starting outfield was Braun-Gomez-Aoki, Nyjer Morgan was the only “true” outfielder remaining on the roster. Schafer can do more than Morgan could defensively and still brings at least as much at the plate from the same left side.

For the record, if the Brewers did decide to carry five outfielders, I’d guess that Murphy would begin the season in the minors for depth and the extra outfielder would be Caleb Gindl. This seven IFs and four OFs configuration can work, though, with the proper personnel. The Brewers would have that group in 2013 should they choose to go that route. I would.

Opening Day Lineup

  1. Rickie Weeks
  2. Norichika Aoki
  3. Ryan Braun
  4. Aramis Ramirez
  5. Corey Hart
  6. Jonathan Lucroy
  7. Carlos Gomez
  8. Jean Segura
  9. Yovani Gallardo

On Opening Day I foresee manager Ron Roenicke looking to do a couple of things with his lineup. I think he’d like to have Weeks back up near the top and despite how Aoki performed so well while leading off in 2012 I think he’ll play the same card he did once he moved Weeks down the lineup last year to justify the order I have listed. You may recall that on days when Carlos Gomez started in center, Aoki batted second because Aoki handled the bat better to move the leadoff hitter over should he reach base. When Morgan started in center Roenicke felt that Aoki’s patience resulted in a better chance to get on base for the rest of the lineup. As we know, despite typically low batting averages, Weeks gets on base. His .350 career OBP is 99 points higher than his career batting average and only .005 lower than what Aoki did in his rookie season. What’s more, despite the struggles Weeks had for a majority of 2012, he still managed to walk 74 times (and reached based 13 more times after being hit by a pitch).

That being the situation near the top, I think it affords Roenicke the opportunity to begin with Gomez further down the order where he won’t hurt the Brewers early on in the season should he regress from last year’s breakout. If Gomez proves that 2012 is the baseline going forward then Roenicke will have a good problem with which to deal.

Segura is still young, still growing into his skills and performed well enough in the oft-dreaded “spot before the pitcher” that he could flourish there to begin the year. His winter league numbers are also encouraging regardless of the competition level. If he can develop more patience, he’ll be contributing plenty out of the 8th spot all season.

* - Throws left-handed
** - Bats left-handed

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So that’s how I see things shaking out if the season started tomorrow.

And you?

Roster Expansion Allowed, Here’s Who Could/Should Fill In

On September 1st each baseball season, teams are allowed to carry a MLB roster of up to 40 players. This is as opposed to the standard 25.

Teams almost always promote at least a player or two though the outside amount seems to have something to do with their postseason aspirations. If you’re in the hunt for October you don’t want several inexperienced hands trying to find their way during a pennant race, for example.

The Milwaukee Brewers aren’t exactly in that position this season.

Sure they opened the day 7.5 games behind the brand new second Wild Card berth, and start things have happened as recently as last year, but to call it “unlikely” is quite fair.

In part due to their record and in part because of the situational circumstances for certain player (i.e. shutting down Mark Rogers due to an innings limitation), the Brewers will probably be calling up a healthy group of their higher-end minor league talent.

Infielder Eric Farris was a lock to be recalled in my opinion but was already called up to the 25-man roster yesterday after Cody Ransom was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. I also expect the Brewers to help out all three areas in a couple of days when the Triple-A regular season has concluded.

For the bench I would be shocked if infielder Taylor Green and outfielder Logan Schafer weren’t recalled. I do think they’re likely to call up outfielder Caleb Gindl as well.

In the pitching side there is an opening in the starting rotation with the aforementioned exclusion of Rogers. Not coincidentally at all, right-hander Wily Peralta made his final start of the season for the Nashville Sounds on the same night Rogers was making his last for the Brewers in 2012.

Along with Peralta, you can expect Tyler Thornburg to come back up and start once or twice add the season winds down.

I would normally expect Mike McClendon to be rewarded for a long season with a recall but he was taken off the 40-man roster the most recent time he was sent back to Nashville.

Any other bullpen help would likely come from outside the current 40-man composition but the Brewers can add as many as three players to it right now should they choose to do so.

I do think they’ll add coverage though so perhaps someone will get an add. Maybe Brandon Kintzler, Donovan Hand, Rob Wooten, John Lowe, maybe even Hiram Burgos…just some names to think about.

Regardless of who gets to don a Brewer uniform for the rest of the year, there should be plenty of reasons to continue to pay attention if only to see these guys get some playing time.

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So, those are my thoughts. Anybody I forgot about? Who do you think should come up? Why?

How I’d Have the Brewers Finish Up the Season – Guest Blog

It’s been quite a while since someone wrote on the blog here other than me, the primary author. This was submitted by my podcast co-host for your enjoyment back near the beginning of August. My crazy schedule led to my forgetting to get it posted until now.

With that said, certain information is “as of writing” and should be taken as such (i.e. Izturis wasn’t yet traded).

By: Cary Kostka

The Brewers were selling in the days leading up the non-waiver trade deadline sending us all on a “what now” path for the rest of this season, as well as what to look for next season. Although this is largely seen as a step backwards for the organization, I see this as an opportunity for the team to be better down the road.

The Brewers have the next couple of months to evaluate their current roster and newly acquired players, and like most Brewer fans I have my own theory as to how the next couple of months should play out.

I broke it down into the following categories: starting pitching, bullpen, catching, infield, and outfield.

Starting Pitching:

The injuries we have seen over the course of the season have given us long looks at Marco Estrada and Mike Fiers, as well as a touch of Tyler Thornburg mixed in.

The Brewers acquired a couple of arms in the Zack Greinke deal, and a bullpen arm in the George Kottaras deal. But what will the rotation look like for now?

Below I have two rotations: one for August, and one for September. You will notice that the September rotation has six pitchers listed. This is not a mistake on my part…I see a 6 man September rotation as a great way to take a look at some additional young arms. With Shaun Marcum’s impending free agency and Randy Wolf’s option possibly not being picked up, the make-up of the 2013 rotation is in the air.

So, here are my projected rotations (not in any particular order) for the rest of 2012.

August rotation: Yovani Gallardo, Wolf, Estrada, Fiers, Marcum/Mark Rogers.

Marcum is still a question mark at this point, and him being moved to the 60-day DL means that he will not be available until the last third of August. He has been feeling good in simulated outings, so I would imagine he would be back in time for a late August start.

September rotation: Gallardo, Wolf, Marcum, Estrada, Fiers, Rogers/Wily Peralta.

Go to a 6-man rotation in September, and in the 6th spot, alternate starts between Peralta and Rogers. Peralta has been pitching much better lately for Nashville (5-2, 3.06 ERA in his last 10 starts).

With his arm fatigue, Thornburg would be best served spending September on the bench or in limited bullpen duty.

Bullpen:

What a thorn in the side of the 2012 season this bunch turned out to be. Let’s face it; the bullpen was a heaping load of mediocrity this year.

Try to deal K-Rod if you can…if not, park him at the ass end of the bullpen. I think John Axford will be fine, and a new bullpen coach will help here. The loss of veterans LaTroy Hawkins and Takashi Saito hurt him this year, as he leaned on both of them for advice and instruction (Hawkins in particular).

Below is how the roles should shake out for both August and September.

August:

Closer: Axford and Jim Henderson. Keep throwing Ax out there, but let Henderson continue to get work in as a closer.
Setup/General Relief: Whatever the situation dictates.
Lefty Specialist: Manny Parra Longman/mop-up: Livan Hernandez

September:

Same as August, except you add Rogers and Peralta to the bullpen mix when they are between starts. Park K-Rod and Hernandez on the bench, and let’s see what our newly acquired arms (Pena, Hellweg, and De Los Santos) can do. Thornburg could help here as well, but that depends on how his arm is responding to rest. I’d like to see how Rogers would do in the setup role.

Catchers:

Ok, so this one is easy.

Lucroy is back, but I say split his playing time with Maldonado 60/40. Catchers are the baseball equivalent to NFL running backs; they have short shelf lives due to constant wear and tear. There is no sense in “using up” Lucroy in a non-playoff season. Also, this gives Maldonado a great chance to continue his growth. This pair will be one of the best catching tandems in baseball next season.

Infield:

Corey Hart is here to stay as our first baseman at least for this season. With Aramis Ramirez entrenched at third, the big questions arise in the middle of the infield.

Rickie Weeks has had just shy of two months of production this year, and shortstop had been ok defensively but a black hole in the lineup, sans Cody Ransom’s innate ability to seemingly make every one of his few and far between hits a game changer.

My thoughts on this are to send Izturis packing…he is not a long term option, and the team would be better off if newly acquired Jean Segura was promoted and started. Jeff Bianchi would be called up on September 1st, and would see some time at short as well.

At second, we’re basically stuck. Would the team be able to find a place on the 25-man roster for Eric Farris? I’d like to see what he’s got, though he projects as more of a backup type player. I would like to see Taylor Green get more playing time to get a better feel for what he is capable of, or not capable of doing. I feel this is something the team needs to know going into next season.

Mat Gamel will be a question mark next season, and if Green shows he can hit, 1B could be a little less of a question mark in spring training, and would allow the team to confidently move Hart back to right. Hart has done pretty well at first, but next season will be the final year of his contract. It would be good to know our other options at that first.

I have heard speculation about giving Green more time at second, but that would be a mistake given his concrete boot like range at second.

Travis Ishikawa maintains his current role on the team.

Outfield:

Trade or waive Nyjer Morgan. He does not have a place on this team at all. I would much rather see Caleb Gindl or Logan Schafer get some MLB trigger time.

Ryan Braun is a lock in left (duh).

The mechanical adjustments Carlos Gomez made recently have upped his game to a new level. Make him the sole starter in center and see where this takes him.

Norichika Aoki has played great and is a lock in right. Call up Gindl as a reserve outfielder, as he has logged double digit games in all three OF spots. Schafer gets the call up on September 1st.

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So, Brewer Nation, what say you?

Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #54 Caleb Gindl

After a two day break because of coach Joe Crawford and bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel, Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers is back as we sit 54 days away from Opening Day 2012!

The owner of jersey 54 is none other than recent 40-man roster addition and outfield prospect:

Caleb Gindl.

Caleb Charles Gindl was drafted by the Brewers out of high school in the 5th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He has risen steadily through the minor-league system.

After signing in 2007, Gindl spent the balance of the year in the Pioneer League with the rookie ball Helena Brewers. Gindl started 2008 in Low-A ball with the West Virgina Power and played the entire season there. 2009 was spent entirely in High-A as a Brevard County Manatee. Double-A was Gindl’s home for all of 2010. In keeping with tradition, Gindl spent one full season with only one club and at a level higher than he player the previous year. In other words, Gindl’s 2011 season was as a member of the Nashville Sounds.

Chances are that 2012 will break Gindl’s streak. Even if there happens to be an open spot in the outfield at Miller Park for a while to begin the season, and even if Gindl wins the 5th outfielder spot on the 25-man roster, there will be five outfielders on the roster for the majority of the season which means that Gindl will assuredly see time in Nashville this year. (I personally believe that any opening in the outfield will be filled by Logan Schafer, but that’s neither here nor there for the purposes of this article.)

Gindl stands 5’9″, a height that has many scouts questioning the chances for his game to translate to a big league level. Then again, that same stature had people questioning his ability to succeed at Triple-A, and at Double-A. Gindl has proven the doubters wrong at every step, even to the point where national baseball writers are taking notice and saying that he stands a good chance to win the top backup outfielder spot, whether that’s with Milwaukee or not, to begin the season.

The major thing working against Gindl is that he doesn’t really have a fit right now in a major league outfield. His offense profiles as a center fielder but his defense will probably restrict him to playing the corners. His professional career batting average rounds up to .300 and he sports an .845 OPS. Gindl hasn’t been very consistent over his minor league career year-over-year, but some of that is to be expected since he’s spent each year in a different league and against different pitchers.

Gindl has been said be without good stolen-base speed but is a fair base runner that can stretch some long singles into doubles. He has been improving his contact and walk rates and I’ve read plenty about how he possesses enough arm to play right field at the big league level.

If Gindl does break camp with the Brewers, it’ll be interesting to see how he is utilized off the bench. He bats left-handed so there’s no real platoon advantage to be had should they shift Corey Hart to first base against a tough left-handed pitcher later in the season.

The bottom line for Gindl is that barring something catastrophic, he’ll break his advancement streak this year. Another round of seasoning at Nashville can only benefit the Florida native and, like Logan Schafer before him, even if nothing opens up all season in Milwaukee a strong effort could definitely earn him a September call up for his first taste of the show.

Without question is that Caleb Gindl is a name to keep an eye out for when you’re reading through Spring Training reports over the next few weeks.

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