The Brewers are still trying to sign second baseman Rickie Weeks to a long-term extension, reports Anthony Witrado of The Sporting News. We heard last month that the two sides had set aside the extension talks to focus on Weeks' 2011 contract, but given that Weeks set the start of Spring Training as his deadline for any negotiations about a multiyear pact, the Brewers were no doubt interested in revisiting the topic given that their camp opens next week.
"We'll get a better sense of where we are in the next couple of days," Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin tells Witrado. "We still have a little bit of time. We're always optimistic we can get something done, and we're still engaged in multiyear talks. If we don't (get that done) then we have to focus on this year."
Weeks' arbitration hearing is set for February 17, which Witrado notes is also the same day that the Brewers' pitchers and catchers hold their first spring workout. Weeks filed an arbitration number of $7.2MM, while Milwaukee has a counter-offer worth $4.85MM. This is Weeks' last year of arbitration eligibility and he'll be a free agent after the 2011 campaign.
Milwaukee assistant GM Gord Ash has handled negotiations with Greg Genske, Weeks' agent, and Ash tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he and Genske "are still talking" but gave no further comments. In a separate piece, Haudricourt reports that Ash and Genske have found "it difficult to find a common ground" about Weeks' value given the second baseman's injury history before his breakout 2010 season. A team source tells Haudricourt that the Brewers don't want to lose both Weeks and Prince Fielder to free agency next winter, and an extension for Weeks will be much less expensive than the $200MM contract that Fielder reportedly wants.
If they offer him 6/80MM, I’m sure he’ll promise to stay healthy
he’d better stay healthy for that kind of money. they only way I could see him getting that kind of extension is if it was a 6/60mm with PA incentives
I wouldn’t give more than 6/50 with PA incentives
Oh I wouldn’t either. I was just saying that that’d be the only way he reaches 6/80. And I know you weren’t serious about that either hahaa
Good. I’d rather keep Weeks, if at all possible.
Also, our GM is Doug Melvin, not Bob Melvin haha
Brewers Again Negotiating Deal with 2B Rickie Bobby.
6/80… I’ve never heard you talk like that… Are we about to get it on? Because I’m as hard as a diamond in an ice storm right now.
-Brewers 2B Rickie Bobby
Turn two? Shake n bake.
0 chance Prince lands a 200 mil. contract. I see 20mil AAV, maybe 22, but never would go 200 with him.
Seems like it’s almost time for the Cubs to load down their payroll with another bad long-term contract.
10 years, 250 million – then move him to centerfield and bat him leadoff, because that’s what he demands. Go Cubbies.
I’ve got a feeling they will end up over paying him, nice insurance for when prince leaves or gets traded. Just hope they don’t end up haveing Bill Hall 2.0.
Even while slumping, Weeks actually knows how to take a walk. Bill Hall, not so much. If anything, Weeks and Hall are quite opposite – Weeks can get passive and watch too many balls, while Hall is overaggressive and attacks junk out of the zone.
I hope Mustache makes a deal and we keep him in Milwaukee. It’s hard not to love Rickie Weeks. He is and always has been the polar opposite of the Top 10 draft pick who feels that he can get by on talent alone and doesn’t have to put in the work. I’ve heard teammates and coaches say that he brings a football mentality to the game, is the first one on the field taking grounders and the last one out of the film room, and is as good a teammates as you can ask for approximately 6,428,916,830 times in the past 5 years. He is one of the most exciting players I’ve seen in Milwaukee in my 25 years. This is exactly the type of player, and person, that you should do whatever needs to be done to keep in your clubhouse.
That being said, and with his injury history, I say 4 Years/$48 Million with some incentives and a mutual option is fair. I also think that even if a deal doesn’t get made before spring training, it will at some point, even if he gets to free agency. I feel like he’s more valuable to the Brewers than anyone else, and we can’t afford to lose both pieces of the ultra-productive right side of our infield.
I agree gw. Rickie is extremely valuable to the Brewers especially with Prince leaving next year. Loosing the whole right half of the infield would be tough to replace especially with the amount of pop they both have. A Weeks signing should be a priority for the Crew as we can’t get many 2nd baseman with Weeks unique caliber for that position.
Couldn’t have said it any better myself. These are my sentiments, exactly. Rickie is worth much more to this team than he would be to other teams, and we need to re-sign him. He should be the top priority.
200 million for fielder………dream on fatty.