The Brewers signed Mark Kotsay to a Major League contract, according to the team. Kotsay will earn $800K plus a $100K roster bonus and $350K in performance bonuses, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The 35-year-old Legacy Sports client will provide the Brewers with another option in the outfield and at first base.
Kotsay hit .239/.306/.376 in 359 plate appearances for the White Sox last year. The left-handed hitter clubbed eight homers while playing first base and right field.
Between Carlos Gomez, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, Chris Dickerson, Jeremy Reed, Brandon Boggs, Caleb Gindl and Logan Schafer, the Brewers have lots of outfield options. Jim Edmonds, Casey McGehee and George Kottaras backed up Prince Fielder at first last year, but none of them have as much experience at the position as Kotsay and Edmonds appears to be close to retiring.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the deal (on Twitter).
Major League Contract?
Cant think of a more pointless signing. Cant you just grab an AAA veteran to put up a 650 OPS in limited playing time?
While I’m not all that familiar with the Brewer’s needs, I really don’t understand why they did this…..
Possibly just to drive up OF/1B bench competition.
That’s great, but he doesn’t need to be signed to a Major League contract to do that.
I’m just guessing. Go knock on Doug Melvin’s door.
I already did. He didn’t answer.
the only difference between a major league contract and a minor league contract is that if he doesn’t make the team out of ST, he has to get released or DFA’d rather than start in the minors outright. Hell, I would be surprised if he made more than Freddy Garcia does.
Because in the NL you need solid, preferably experienced, pinch hitters and Dickerson, Boggs, and Gamel are all unproven as bench options and Counsell lacks even marginal power especially at age 40. Kotsay has a lifetime .312 average as a PH. He also has postseason experience and is a good clubhouse guy that will accept a bench role.
He’s not likely to be used like Macha used Edmonds last year. Edmonds, at 40, still could hit, but he couldn’t run any more and had a balky shoulder. Kotsay is 5 years younger and still can play the field in a pinch.
Kotsay’s not a great hitter. He’s had somewhat of an up and down career, but when he’s up, he’s a quality major leaguer.
I don’t worry so much that Kotsay didn’t have impressive numbers for the Sox last year. He’s been up and down before and there’s no reason to think he can’t do well in a little different role for the Brewers.
Yeah, why would you worry about a guy who had a 618 OPS in arguably the easiest place to hit in the AL? Mat Gamel is forever a better option.
Ugh….waste of money and roster spot
Good Move Doug Melvin
They would have been better off with Edmonds again.
Edmonds couldn’t stay in one piece last year. He had numerous injuries typical of a 40 year old. He had a strained shoulder, strained knee, you name it. He was a complete wreck at times. He jogged on the bases because if he went all out, he’d pull something.
I like it. Veteran bat, can play first or OF if Prince gets hurt or when Gomez starts sucking in mid-April.
This obviously makes Braun expendable, so how about Alex Gonzalez and Brandon Beachy for him?
A major league deal? Wow. That is a stretch for this kind of player in February, no less. Kotsay couldn’t have had any less leverage in this situation.
Russell Branyan was the bat they needed. I wish DM was concentrating on getting a real SS and gritty veteran filler.
They should bring back Felipe Lopez. He’d be a good utility man and could take some SS starts away from Yuni. They are each horrible fielders at short, but Felipe has a better bat.
Yeah, if they sign Lopez they may as well make him the primary SS.
They already have Counsell as a utility guy, if they were to sign Lopez, I assume they’d cut Betancourt.
thank you lord someone else signed him and he is no longer on the whitesox…He was one of the worst players i have seen in a long time. Everything he hit was right at a guy or a soft grounder. The single worst decision of Ozzies career was to choose him over thome for DH…thank you god…
no range at 1st, no range in the out field, no arm, no bat speed, bad eye, no power and cant run the base paths at all…i truly wonder how guys like him are still in the bigs
Granted he’s an upgrade to Edmonds, but Mark Kotsay must have had other minor league contract options out there. Giving him an MLB deal had to be done for a reason…
how at all is mark kotsay an upgrade over edmonds? .239/.306./.376 8hrs -.7 war ……… .277/.342/.504 11 hrs 2.8 war….just guess who is who? I’ll give you a clue, edmonds is the better one
Not only is he not an upgrade to Edmonds, he’s likely not an upgrade to several players in the minors.
Hardly anything to whine about. He won’t play much if he makes the team. Definitely not as crusty as Edmonds. Edmonds was barely average with the Crew.
All those proposing lame Braun trade scenarios: Just Stop.
this isnt a minors league deal its a major league deal..he already made the team
He did not make the team already that is an outright lie.
There is plenty to whine about. Melvin’s love of old players is over the top. How much money has he thrown away on his beloved old relievers? Given the choice between better players in the minors and old, broken down veterans, he’ll take the old guy most every time. How many guys does he have for the bullpen? How many outfielders does he have rattling around? I can’t wait for Weeks giant extension.
There’s really no backup for Prince. He’s expected to play every game and if he doesn’t, they’ll just throw somebody in there for the mean time.
mat gamel clearly couldn’t play first in case prince goes down…. it’s such a difficult position like left field.
mat gamel clearly couldn’t play first in case prince goes down…. it’s such a difficult position like left field.
Casey McGehee says hi.
this is funny. really? there wasnt anyone else? nowhere? maybe he is being brought in cause he is a good clubhouse guy? don’t know whether or not this is the case but it is all i got…
russel branyan.
I think people need to relax a little. I’m guessing the Brewers will just see how he plays in spring training as a possible back-up option for Fielder/Gomez. I don’t know the contract details, but I’m guessing they can cut him by a certain date in Spring Training…so it’s relatively low cost. They are possibly looking for a veteran player help out a very young team (minus Counsell).
And I’m sick of people who are still constantly hating on DM. Nobody will hear you complaining when the Brewers throw Greinke/Gallardo/Marcum out on the mound the first three games.
Gallardo/Greinke/Wolf
Nothing against Randy Wolf, but Shaun Marcum is the Brewers third best starter. He has posted much better numbers than Wolf, and he did it in the AL East and not the NL. Only way Wolf is the third starter is if they want to split up the lefties at the back of the rotation.
to add to this greinke was also listed as opening day starter
Finally, someone that actually makes some sense. People act like this is the worst deal ever the Brewers ever gave out, and that Doug is trying to destroy the team. I heard this same stuff with Edmonds last year, and he turned out to be a gem. You never know if a vet is going to turn it around.
Edmonds had either been decent, very good, or all-star caliber for years. Kotsay has been a bum for a decade.
Finally, someone that actually makes some sense. People act like this is the worst deal ever the Brewers ever gave out, and that Doug is trying to destroy the team. I heard this same stuff with Edmonds last year, and he turned out to be a gem. You never know if a vet is going to turn it around.
you had to have it going in the first place to be able to ‘turn it around’ 😀
He got fleeced by Dayton Moore. That’s hard to do. He gave up the top hitting prospect in the system, one that was coveted by other teams as well, for 2 years of a pitcher. If they don’t win the WS, his entire tenure will be a failure. The reason they are shoveling prospects out the door, is because he spent so much money on players like Suppan, Hall, Riske, Gagne and a variety of other dreck. Draining the farm because he’s backed himself into a corner isn’t a reason to praise him.
Quit bitching….. this guy was signed over Jim Thome last year cause his “VERSATILITY”. (To Suck)
Today marks the day Mark Kotsay joins a team other than the White Sox. Praise the baseball gods!!!
Although I am gonna miss his wife.
any pictures?
Hawk Harrelson is in mourning today. I swear Hawk thought Kotasy was an MVP candidate if not for all the tough luck he hit into.
he did have some tough luck — he was a better player than his stats indicated, in my opinion. not great but serviceable enough, at times.
Yeah, I wouldn’t have minded him at all as a bench player. It’s the whole “starting DH” thing that ruined him.
Now if I’m Jermaine Dye, this is the type of move that would get under my skin. Kotsay has been washed up for years but keeps getting big league contracts. Not that the Brewers have any need for Dye, but Dye should be able to get a big league deal if a turd like Kotsay can.
Brewers offered Dye last year, but he wanted more $$. Dye isn’t playing because he wants millions to walk out there.
Big problem with your logic, Kotsay keeps signing small contracts. I believe last year Dye turned down any contract less than $4M and anything that required him to be on the bench.
Dye turned down 4 times as much money last year. Dye is also completely useless defensively and has never been used primarily off the bench.
I could be grasping at straws here, but is it possible that DM is trying to butter up Greg Genske for a possible Weeks extension by employing another client of his who is more or less useless at this point in his career?
that’s actually a great suggestion. It makes more sense than the brew crew expecting production from Kotsay.
Genske should just maintain his price. Melvin will pay whatever eventually. They’ve probably already decided to pay whatever and are just trying to work the price down. Giving a chance to some talented kid in the minors would be too painful for Melvin.
This guy gets paid to give major league outs to the opposing pitcher. As a fan I think it is more fun to let prospects or fading stars to do the same thing.
You would have liked to seen Melvin add the cherry on top of his fine offseason, but instead he gave us a lump of coal. This is inexcusable and a waste. Mat Gamel cant gain value having PA’s taken away by washed up losers like Kotsay.
Does anyone know what Kotsay hit vs left handers last year… I will give you a hint its HILARIOUS!!!!!!