It's not Carlos Lee the Brewers should worry about
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by user Coreyisarealboy
Two weeks ago, I posted this article, which detailed the options the Milwaukee Brewers have with their slugging left fielder, whose contract expires after the season.
Well, after some deliberation and the viewing of some nauseating at-bats (not by Carlos), I have come up with a solution:
Geoff Jenkins needs to go, preferably before the trade deadline.
Forget the $10 million-plus the Crew will most likely have to dish out to afford Lee's services over the next few years. They should be much more worried about the $7.5 million--which (luckily) drops to $7.0 million in 2007--the Brewers are forking out to their bumbling right fielder.
In fact, Jenkins woes have become so bad, manager Ned Yost expressed an interest in platooning Jenkins with 24-year-old Corey Hart, as reported on milwaukeebrewers.com yesterday.
Heading into Monday, Jenkins is batting .250/.316/.396 with seven home runs, 37 RBI, 14 doubles, 21 walks, and 73 strikeouts in 60 games. Jenkins has been struggling mightily with left-handed pitching mostly, hitting just .131 against lefties this season. Hart, who has been used primarily as a pinch hitter, is batting .417/.481/.500 in 24 at-bats this season.
What's more, right field prospect Nelson Cruz is batting .305/.384/.564 with 14 homers, 48 RBI, 15 doubles, 29 walks and 61 strikeouts in 61 games for AAA Nashville.
This topic was discussed in further detail today by Brewers' beat writer Adam McCalvy in his mailbag:
- "I would argue that the reason the Brewers 'live with' Jenkins' current slump is not just his defense, but his career-long track record of going on ridiculous hot streaks that can carry the team. The reason manager Ned Yost has not dropped Jenkins from the starting lineup, like he did with Brady Clark for a few days earlier this season and Bill Hall more recently, is that you never know when Jenkins is going to get on one of those runs, and the only way to get him out of a slump is to let him hit his way out."
The article also touches on the fact that general manager Doug Melvin has no interest in moving either Lee nor Jenkins until the Brewers are clearly out of contention for a playoff spot.
With all that being said, Jenkins is a ridiculously streaky hitter, more so than almost anyone else in the major leagues. When he's hot, he has the ability to hit for a .350 average, but how much is a team on the verge like the Brewers willing to take the good with the bad?
How long can they afford to use their No. 3 spot in the lineup as an almost automatic out? The problem became apparent last season, when Jenkins went 0-for-29 at one point. Despite the absence of such statistic this season, the problem has seemed to escalate.
With consistent, top tier prospects behind him, I'm willing to part ways with Jenkins, even though he has the longest tenure with the Crew than anyone else on the team, dating back to his rookie year in 1998.
However, the question becomes, who in their right mind would want to pay $7.5 million for a strikeout prone outfielder? The answer: not many teams. The market is almost nonexistent, and, thus, the Brewers would likely be stuck paying a portion of his salary just to take him off their hands.
But how long are they willing to look at a box score and see an 0-4 in the three-hole? I can tell you that my patience is certainly running thin, although I could very well be singing a completely different tune if he decides to bust out anytime soon.
But as far as I'm concerned at this moment, keeping El Caballo and dumping Jenkins will enhance the Brewers' chances of being competitive.
Date
Mon 06/12/06, 12:45 pm EST
