Results tagged ‘ Mat Gamel ’
Gamel a scratch with sore shoulder
Report: Brewers, M's talked Gamel for Morrow
FoxSports.com says that the Brewers and Mariners had discussions this winter about a trade that would send right-hander Brandon Morrow to Milwaukee for third baseman Mat Gamel. The talks didn’t move forward, according to the report, but it cited a source saying the idea could be revisited later.
- The Mariners have needs at first base, third base and designated hitter, and while they could always bring back free agents Russell Branyan for first and Adrian Beltre for third, Gamel could be a fit at any of those spots.
- Gamel had a down year in 2009 as he bounced between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville, but Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is well aware of his offensive talents because Zduriencik is the one who, as Brewers amateur scouting director, drafted Gamel in the fourth round in 2005.
- The Brewers’ need at third base was eased last season by the emergence of Casey McGehee, who didn’t begin playing every day until mid-May but still managed to lead all Major League rookies with 66 RBIs. At the moment, McGehee, who is under club control for five more seasons, is penciled-in as the starter, and Gamel seems more likely to return to Triple-A Nashville.
- The Brewers remainon the lookout for pitching, and Morrow fits the mold of what Melvin might be seeking. Morrow is still one season away from qualifying for arbitration, giving him four years of club control before free agency. The Brewers are running out of payroll space after signing a slew of free agents in the past two weeks, so any subsequent additions would have to be affordable.
- Perhaps Morrow is more available now that the Mariners have acquired Cliff Lee in the blockbuster, three-team trade with the Phillies and Blue Jays. The deal gives Zduriencik a pair of aces — Lee and right-hander Felix Hernandez — atop the starting rotation.
Heether injury is minor
Infielder Adam Heether, who was added to Milwaukee’s 40-man roster earlier this month and will compete for a job as a backup Brewers infielder next spring, returned home from the Venezuelan Winter League this week after he strained a rib-cage muscle. Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash called the injury — an intercostal strain — “very minor.”
The move made sense in part because another Brewers infielder is about to head in the opposite direction. Third base prospect Mat Gamel is getting married on Saturday and is scheduled to travel to Venezuela on the day after Thanksgiving for a stint in winter ball. Gamel will work out with the Caracas team for about five days before debuting in a game sometime in early December.
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Bill James sees solid season for Gamel
Just got an e-mail from stat guru Bill James‘ publisher and thought I would pass it along. It includes a positive prognostication for Mat Gamel — if he plays — but not so much for Rickie Weeks. Another 200-strikeout season for right-hander Yovani Gallardo but only 12 wins, and another struggle for lefty Manny Parra.
They key “if” in these projections is playing time. For example, the release offers projections for Gamel, Weeks and Casey McGehee assuming at least 425 at-bats for each, but it’s difficult to envision that scenario. James explains in his quote below.
Here’s the text:
In the recently-released Bill James Handbook 2010, baseball guru Bill James projects the 2010 seasons for players on the Milwaukee Brewers — and predicts a potentially solid year from third baseman Mat Gamel.
“In any season, the vast majority of players play in a manner that seems a natural extension of what they had done before,” James says in his new book. “When that happens, our projection should be reasonably accurate.”
Although he’s been in the projection business for almost twenty years, one thing James has no control over is playing time. “It is always my argument that we have no chance of figuring out, in October 2009, who will get playing time in 2010,” James says. “But what we should do is try to answer this question: If this player plays, how will he play?”
With this in mind, here are the five key Milwaukee hitters for 2010, according to the new Bill James Handbook 2010:
Key Brewers Hitters (by OPS)
Player At-bats R HR RBI SB Avg. OPS
Ryan Braun 615 112 39 119 17 .315 .972
Prince Fielder 601 103 44 124 3 .286 .967
Mat Gamel 455 65 17 73 3 .277 .817
Rickie Weeks 425 80 16 48 14 .259 .807
Casey McGehee 492 63 15 76 0 .272 .757Projecting stats for pitchers is very different from projecting offensive stats for hitters. “We used to believe that pitching performance was much, much less predictable than batter performance,” James says. “This is probably still true…due to injuries and other factors. Sometimes a pitcher gets hurt, and when that happens our projections for him are knocked into a cocked hat.”
Here are the three key Milwaukee pitchers for 2010, according to the new Bill James Handbook 2010:
Key Brewers Pitchers (by ERA)
Player IP W L K SV ERA
Trevor Hoffman 63 4 3 57 39 2.43
Yovani Gallardo 186 12 8 205 0 3.53
Manny Parra 147 7 9 130 0 4.59The complete projections for the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers can be found in the Bill James Handbook 2010.
For further information on the Bill James Handbook 2010 go to www.actasports.com.
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Gamel commits to Venezuelan winter league
Third baseman Mat Gamel has finalized his plans to play winter ball in Caracas, Venezuela, beginning right after Thanksgiving. It’s going to be a hectic winter, because Gamel also has plans to marry his girlfriend, Julianne, on Nov. 21. The couple had a daughter during Spring Training.
“She understands how important this is, how important in the club’s eyes it is for me to go,” Gamel said. “This game is about sacrifice, and so is marriage. I have to go down there to get some at-bats.”
Among Gamel’s Caracas teammates will be infielder Adam Heether, who spent most of 2009 at Triple-A Nashville.
Hart off DL, Gamel recalled
The Brewers made a pair of expected roster moves on Tuesday morning, activating right-fielder Corey Hart off the disabled list and recalling third baseman Mat Gamel from Triple-A Nashville. Hart has not played in the Majors since Aug. 1, the day before he underwent an appendectomy, but as I wrote in my preview of tonight’s Brewers-Cardinals game, it didn’t take him long to get in the swing of things at Triple-A Nashville.
Gamel struggled for Nashville after a midseason stint in the Majors, but rallied late in the season to finish with a respectable .278 batting average. Brewers officials will have to decide this winter whether he’s ready to make the jump to the big leagues, but fellow third baseman Casey McGehee is playing so well right now that playing time this month could be tough to get.
Hart, Gamel slated as final Crew call-ups
The Brewers are expected to recall third baseman Mat Gamel from Triple-A Nashville after Monday’s game but will wait until Tuesday to activate right-fielder Corey Hart from the disabled list. It appears that righty John Axford, promoted from Nashville on Monday morning, will be the final pitcher called-up.
The team wants to be sure that Hart is OK after a four-game rehabilitation assignment with Nashville. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 2, when Hart underwent an appendectomy in San Diego.
Brewers face decisions on pitching, Gamel
General manager Doug Melvin and manager Ken Macha will have another of their Miller Park meetings on Tuesday, and two questions will dominate the discussion:
- Who will join the starting rotation this week?
- Is it time to send Mat Gamel back to Triple-A Nashville so he can play?
First, the pitching.
Yovani Gallardo will start Tuesday’s series opener against the Cardinals but the Brewers’ could introduce a new arm to the rotation as early as Wednesday. It appears that Seth McClung, who surrendered 10 runs in 7 1/3 innings over his two starts, will return to the bullpen, meaning that Melvin must fill the vacancy either via a trade, a signing or a promotion.
The promotion may be the most likely scenario, and left-hander Manny Parra threw his name back into the hopper when he pitched seven scoreless innings for Nashville on Friday. Parra has been sharp in three of his four starts in the Minors since the Brewers demoted him last month, and his next scheduled start is on Wednesday.
Because of Monday’s off-day, Macha does not need another starter until Saturday. Macha expected to have his decision by Tuesday.
“If we need to make an adjustment we need to let [the staff at Nashville] know by Tuesday,” Macha said.
Then, Gamel.
The emergence of Casey McGehee as an everyday member of Milwaukee’s starting lineup has left Gamel twiddling his thumbs on the bench. He walked as a pinch-hitter on Saturday, but has only four plate appearances this month and 15 plate appearances in the Brewers’ last 12 games.
“I’ve thought about that,” Macha said Saturday. “I thought about playing him today but this guy [Cubs starter Rich Harden] has a real good change-up. They’ve been throwing [Gamel] a lot of slow stuff. Casey’s emergence here has stumped that. It’s something that Doug and I will talk about. We’ve already talked about it.”
They have discussed the same question being asked by many Brewers fans: Would Gamel, considered along with Triple-A shortstop Alcides Escobar to be Milwaukee’s top prospects, be better off playing every day in the Minors?
Melvin was mum on the topic.
“If we have a roster move, we’ll let you know,” Melvin said. “It’s not good to talk about players or roster moves while they are still here. Nobody likes to know their fate ahead of time.”
If the Brewers do indeed return Gamel to Nashville, they would promote another position player, Macha said.
“It is a tough call,” Macha said. “You look for balance in your lineup, and [Gamel] is a left-handed hitter. We’re breaking him into the big leagues, and you don’t want to bury him. You try to pick a spot where he can be successful, get some confidence, and yet you’re trying to contend for a pennant.
“It gets to be a jam. You’re developing a guy, so do you put the pressure on him that he’s going to be up there with guys on base all the time? … In a way, I was put into a little bit of a ‘zim-zam.’ It’s got me flummoxed.”
Adam McCalvy
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