The Brewers will press ahead with their unconventional plan for Mike Moustakas. Skipper Craig Counsell says the long-time third baseman will indeed line up at second base in Milwaukee, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel was among those to tweet. The move from the hot corner to second isn’t particularly common. And it’s all but unprecedented for a player to be handed the keys to an up-the-middle defensive position that he has never before played professionally. (Moustakas does have minimal experience at shortstop dating to his first two seasons as a pro.) The Brewers obviously feel the tools are there to allow Moustakas to succeed — once he has been positioned optimally, at least.
More from the central divisions:
- Royals reliever Brad Boxberger was kept out of spring action with an unspecified leg issue, Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star reports (Twitter link). Manager Ned Yost would say only that the hurler had “tweaked” something. Fortunately, Boxberger was able to get back on the bump last night and now seems on track to be ready for the start of the season. Boxberger, who is earning $2.2MM on a one-year deal with the Royals, has been expected to serve as his new club’s closer.
- The Reds trotted out Michael Lorenzen as a two-way player in Cactus League action today, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. Dual deployment has long been anticipated, though it was — and remains — unclear how frequent he’ll be called upon to line up in the outfield. Lorenzen was in center field today. The 27-year-old hit a robust .290/.333/.710 with four home runs in 34 plate appearances last year, so it’s understandable that the club would like to see what he can do with more opportunities.
- Baseball decisions can be tough to understand at times. Cameron Rupp’s recent history presents a bit of a puzzle, as Chris McCosky of the Detroit News explores. The Tigers’ newly added backstop played in at least half of the Phillies games annually from 2015 through 2017, producing just-below-average, power-driven offense. Rupp’s framing fell apart in 2017, but he had been a decent performer in that metric previously and otherwise was not a problem behind the dish. Despite being relatively youthful and continuing to turn in solid work at the plate, though, Rupp never got a call to the big leagues last year and is already on to his second organization this spring.
An earlier version of this post mistakenly indicated that Boxberger had not yet returned to game action.
My biggest question is what happens if Dubon and Huira start out of the gates hot up through April. Then Arcia and Moose are struggling? Then what are we going to do with Thames, Anderson and Davies? If Brewers are serious they gotta consider optioning Anderson and Davies which I believe they both have. The rotation should be Chacin, Nelson, Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta. I could see Nelson starting on dl to lighten his workload for the year. That still gives you with Anderson, Tomlin, Davies, Derby, Houser, and Brown at AAAs starting rotation.
Thames was a favorite in Korea for me but too bad he couldn’t stay. Would love him for an everyday player. Smash mash 40+ dingers. Move him to a Blue Jay, throw in prospect, get back Stroman.
Thames does absolutely nothing for the Blue Jays who already have a terrible DH in Morales, and wouldn’t give up Stroman unless it was for prospects or a young, controllable player.
And Milwaukee doesn’t have the level of prospects Jays would be looking for in order to move Stroman. Jays don’t have to move him
I disagree with the Brewers not having the prospects to get Stroman. But I do agree that Thames certainly wouldn’t headline the package nor likely even be part of the package. I like Thames, but he wouldn’t get the Brewersxa lot in return. 1B/Corner Outfield/DH are all saturated markets. If he would have hit around .300 last season giving him power and average, he’d have a market. But .240 hitters with pop are easier to come across than having to pay up in a trade for.
You won’t be able to keep Tomlin won’t be in AAA long. I’m sure he has an opt out.
Davies and Anderson will be starting this year along with Nelson. No need to worry about those 3
Seems a bit redundant to have despite and though in the same sentence like that.
Oh good the grammar police are here, we are saved!
Two of my most unfavorite things: “grammar” and “police.” Despite being put together, it doesn’t make it any more unfavorable to me, though I digress!!!!!
Signed, The Punctuation Party
Do people get a kick out of these poor jokes?
They are a notch below Dad Jokes.
I haven’t found one of them funny yet. Just making sure I wasn’t the only one.
You are right. He added “though” with commas as an attempt to make it seem like he understands grammar, but he obviously doesn’t and neither does the person who edited this.
bklynny67
As the writers have stated before there is no editor. They write on the fly and self edit. That is the nature of the beast when compiling stories from multiple sources.
We don’t have editors, friend. Our editorial process is different from that of even a newspaper that functions on a tight deadline.
I’m happy to receive corrections. (In this case, suggestions.) But the sense of moral superiority of some grammar freaks is truly astounding.
My use of “though” in this sentence is redundant. Dreadfully sorry. It was most certainly not the product of me thinking about how to “make it seem like [I understand] grammar” when I wrote the post late last night. (Seriously man?)
Since you have highly developed sensibilities in these areas, would you please provide me with a detailed explanation of what other aspects of the sentence are grammatically incorrect and/or reflect a lack of grammatical understanding?
Jeff Todd with the mic drop. BOOM!
The writers at MLBTR are so sensitive. Why do you care if people point out your poor writing?
As I said, I’m happy to be corrected or receive suggestions. I often thank those that do so in a reasonably friendly manner. I also occasionally explain our process, push back, or ask for clarification.
I’ll admit I get annoyed at times at holier-than-thou grammar policing. It’s not that I’m afraid to be called out. But those who hold such lofty grammatical standards probably ought also to appreciate the function of an editorial process and the limitations inherent in what we do here.
Perhaps I still suck, even within the constraints of this style of publication. I certainly want to do better. Since I like to engage in the comments a bit rather than pretending they don’t exist, some sensitivities no doubt do shine through at times.
Not being open to constructive criticism is an unattractive quality. The grammar folks bug me too sometimes, but no need to call them freaks.
Although I don’t think you “suck” by any means
As I’ve said, I am open to and grateful for criticism — including of the grammatical variety and even if it’s not particularly constructive.
I also believe in proper use of words and punctuation. That said, there are some who elevate (their version of supposed) grammatical perfection to rather absurd levels.
Too bad we arent all as great as you. Now, for the second time, I would like my coffee served with 2 packets of splenda. Do I need to call the manager over??
Yay!!!!
Michael Lorenzen is the real deal. He should have been a two way player for several years. At Cal State Fullerton he was the starting CF, best hitter and would close the game on the mound. This is nothing new for Michael. Why wouldn’t the Reds let him do this? He is a beast and a Titan.
Anerican Otani-sun.
* -san
Unless you’re saying they are juice boxes
Agreed. That’s such an amazing athlete. Hitting and pitching are hard enough on their own, and he’s shown he can excel at both. If the batting does work out, he just became exponentially more valuable. One guy doing two jobs while only taking up one roster spot? Yes please.
J.D.Davis is gonna grab that title!
Also another former Titan.
Rupp is another example of how framing is an inconsistant “stat.” Did he suddenly just forget how to catch? More likely the umps behind the plate just randomly were the ones with tighter strike zones. If he can call a good game, block balls in the dirt, and throw out a few runners, the Tigers may have a nice depth piece. Unless injury occurs, I just don’t see them needing him.
Play through injury? Cause framing to suffer. Rupp is example of Tiger rebuild prayer answer if he regains pitch beautification skill. Hoping him healthy spring, summer, and fall. Get extra strikes for help rotation surprise.
I was suggesting since they have Greiner and Hick and Wilson, it is unlikely he makes the ML roster unless an injury happens.. SMH. A strike is whatever the Umpire calls it. Some umps shrink the zone. Some expand it. Have yet to see that taken into consideration with Framing.. Yes, sometimes pitches outside the zone are called strikes. I’m not convinced that should be attributed to the catcher rather than the umpire..
I’ve always thought it more has to do with who you’re pitching. If you’re catching guys with pinpoint accuracy, you’re going to steal a few more calls. If it’s a wild guy, it’s going to be harder to turn balls into strikes. I wonder if they use heat zones specific to each ump to determine what he would normally call a ball or strike.
Mike Moustakas can’t get a break. Maybe if he’s a good soldier at second base, the brew crew will *allow* him to happily clean the toilets in the visiting club house. Or maybe *help* him succeed by playing a little shortstop too.
He would have been a good 3B for the Yanks or the Mets.
Yeah, the Mets could’ve had 4 3B on their 25 man roster. Who needs anything else?
Well, if you signed Moose, then no need for the other 20 third basemen on your roster, eh?
Moose “badly” wanted to re-sign with the Brewers. “Moustakas, for his part, informed agent Scott Boras early in the offseason he’d like to prepare for a change to second in order to make himself more attractive on the open market”. His decision fit for both him and the club
mlbtraderumors.com/2019/03/nl-central-notes-brewer…
Thank you. Was just about to point out the same. He obviously enjoyed it in Milwaukee and also is willing to try to add value for his next contract. It’d of been easy for him to tell teams “Hey, I’ll even play corner outfield!”, but instead he chose to try out second base. I’m sure he could already play corner outfield in a pinch, and likely handle 1B. So now he’s making himself a utility player, which adds value.
That’s if he “can” play second every day. Rightward shifts along the defensive spectrum almost never work. I saw Bill Madlock try to play second base for the Giants in 1978. He could sure hit, but a cardboard cutout would have had as much range, and the club was next to last in DPs.
Considering Moose volunteered to make the position change and wanted to resign with Milwaukee it’s hard to say he hasn’t caught a break
Everyone is so nitpicky these days. I was referring to his inability to get a favorable contract and to play his natural position. geesh.
It seems to me that the hardest part of Moose’s transition to 2nd base would be the footwork required on a double play.
It must be tough on him to make so much money and be asked to learn something new. I’ll be praying for him.
I’ll clean every toilet in the stadium for 10 million bucks.
Boxberger pitched last night….
That is a notable detail that I overlooked! Will edit.
I’m going to guess they rethink this experiment by the all-star break.
On the subject of framing I think it’s a somewhat useful statistic but I agree that catchers don’t suddenly forget how to do their job. I would agree that lack of command on the pitchers’ part would decrease the effectiveness of framing and vice versa. As a former pitcher I never blamed the catcher for not getting calls as my command was not great. I did have umpires apologize to me for missing calls but I took the responsibility on my part for not throwing to the target. Analytics are fascinating to this mathematician but they need to coexist with good old fashioned informed observation. My guess is that Rupp is better than his latest bad numbers.
In regard to catcher framing, it seems like the catchers motion and height can have a significant impact. What I took away from the article I was reviewing a couple years ago was:
Taller catchers are more likely to get high/borderline pitches called strikes.
Shorter catchers are more likely to get low/borderline pitches called strikes.
Arm movement of from the shoulder to the elbow reduces a pitch’s chance of being called a strike.
Head bobbing while receiving reduced the chances a pitch would be called a strike.
It seemed like catchers who used their wrist or forearm for all motion needed to receive the pitch and who didn’t make any head motion were the best framers.
That makes sense as movement would be perceived out of peripheral vision and could distract focus even slightly. My guess would be that umpires have to be sure to call a strike. What’s kind of fascinating is that good technique generally requires the least possible wasted motion. Maybe Rupp got into some bad habits (those are sure easier to form than good ones) and didn’t even realize he wasn’t being as still as possible.
It’s less movement, but probably requires a lot more control, finesse and a very sure glove as there are limited planes of movement to compensate for where the catcher can let the ball hit the mitt.
It would also vary based upon pitchers a lot. Pitchers who hit their spots are much less likely to require big movements from the catcher making it a lot easier to frame.
Maybe Rupp has really bad body odor.
Yeah, I do think that the less movement a catcher makes the better the framing numbers look. Grandal is a pretty good example, Molina as well. But there’s a ton of new data that is coming down the pipeline that’s changed the way we look at framing, and if we ever had a robotic strike zone it would stop being a valued skill altogether.
+/- 1.5 more middle infielders added by the Brewers by September 1st.
Another reason the shift is hurting the game is you don’t need a secondbaseman. Shortstops are less valuable, hits are less valuable. The game is less exciting. I’m really looking forward to another season with a rover. Oh boy.
The shift is awesome. Complaining about the shift is like complaining about blitzes in football.
Why not have a pitcher scuff a ball? Why not remove the catcher when there is no one on base and put him in the field until there are two strikes.
Why not give everyone a mirror and shine it in the hitters eyes.
The shift makes the game worse and it’s not remotely debatable.
Not debatable? Well then, I guess that settles it.
The shift is good for the game. I’m sorry that teams don’t want to give up 20 hits a game. You shouldn’t help players who strikeout, hit a ground ball into the shift, or hit a home run (the Joey Gallo hitter). They should either adapt by learning to hit against the shift, or get left behind. Taking out the shift takes out a large part of baseball strategy. Also, I haven’t seen shortstops being devalued by the shift. Right now, I’d say shortstop is the second most valuable position on the field outside of catcher.
Actually, it is debatable. That’s why the discussion is happening. Making the game “worse” is an opinion, not a fact. I personally love the shift. What I find astonishing is how players fail to adjust to the shift! Robin Yount recently was speaking about the shift in a conversation with Bob Uecker. According to Uecker (during a game-day radio broadcast) Yount figured he’d hit over .600 if they played the shift against him like you see in today’s game. Point being – batters should easily be able to eliminate the shift without a rule change, by simply getting base hits in the other direction.
Yount: The older he gets, the better he was.
In what other sport is strategy outlawed, though? I mean, I know in basketball you are allowed to play more than one kind of defense; I don’t know much about football but from what I do know the only rules about defense are a certain number of players on the line when the ball is snapped. The shift (“or overshift”) has been around in baseball in some form or another since the 1870s. Babe Ruth once talked about it, because he was shifted all the time.
The other things you mentioned are rules for a reason; the silly one about the catcher obviously isn’t allowed by the rules, which state only 8 defenders are allowed between the foul lines. The scuffed ball and mirror thing are deception that isn’t noticeable (or at least, if done right, shouldn’t be). The shift is pretty obvious to everyone in the ballpark to see. As someone else noted, batters could take a different swing path or approach to beat the shift, and eventually they will, and then things will basically go back to normal, like they always do in baseball.
I don’t see the 2nd baseman and shortstop tackling a hitter as he walks to the plate. So, no, it’s not the same.
The shift is legal, but it does take some of the excitement out of the game. Kinda the opposite of the blitz.
I’m not for certain, but I’m thinking their logic was this:
Taking out blitzing would make life easier on the quarterback, while taking out the shift makes life easier on the hitters. The point I think they’re making is that the removal of either would be essentially to make life easier on the offensive side of life. No blitzes= Less pressured quarterbacks, no shifts=less pressured hitters.
The shift isn’t hurting the game – batters who allow it to work are hurting the game. Ask guys like Pete Rose & George Brett what they think about it – it’s like a free pass to first base !
Joey Gallo could basically get at least a single, maybe even a double every time he came to the plate if they shift on him.
I think you don’t understand the shift.
Complaining about the shift is like complaining about pitchers pitching to a hitters’ weakness. If a right hand hitter can’t hit a low inside pitch, how do teams pitch to him?
Should they stop stealing bases on catchers/pitchers that can’t throw a player out that steals bases?
Do you complain about teams that bring in a left handed relief pitcher to face a few lefties?
Do you complain about teams having a closer that can handle high leverage situations?
The shift is for players that aren’t dynamic. If they can’t learn to lay down a bunt down the third bad line, or slap a hit to the normal spot a 3rd baseman stands, the teams should exploit it. Just as they exploit any other weakness.
Change the angle at home plate from 90 degrees to 120 degrees, introduce ground rule singles and ground rule triples. Pitchers mound as good as first base. Every team has to have one fan selected by the other team to bat in their lineup. For hit by pitch the other team loses all their fielders for the next at bat and if the pitcher doesn’t get to the batted ball before the batter circles the bases then he has to run laps around the field for the whole next inning. Managers race from home plate to the center field fence and back to determine who gets last licks. Anyone spiking the second baseman has to stand ten feet in front of home plate and underhand toss the pitch when that second baseman comes up next time.
I would watch the heck out of your version of baseball. Is it practical…of course not, but would it be fun….quite possibly.
Each batter should get to decide in which order they want to run the bases as soon as their at-bat starts.