The Brew Haus - Will Geoff Jenkins return?
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by Corey Kempf
Coincidently, this beat will feature a similar theme to the first: a retrospective on a team's long-tenured outfielder. No, Geoff Jenkins may not be as high-profile as Andruw Jones, but the question of whether he will return to the Brewers in 2008 is currently an $8 million question.
It's probably the most important decision of the Brewers' offseason: Will the club pick up Geoff Jenkins' option for 2008? Some might say a bigger question looms ahead for bolstering the bullpen, but I would argue that the Brewers will not be doing anything with free agents unless they find some money first.
According to both SI.com and ESPN.com, the Brewers doled out a club record $71 million in salaries last season, a far cry from the small market days of -- well -- two years ago. Two of the team's top five highest paid in 2006 were Jenkins ($7.3 million) and Corey Koskie ($6.7 million), for whom the team has already decided not to pick up a club option. Another, Francisco Cordero, is a free agent this winter, but said he would like to stay in Milwaukee and the Brewers are prepared to keep him there.
Before we dive too deep into the discussion about whether or not to keep Jenkins, let's look at the man himself.
Jenkins was drafted by Milwaukee with the ninth pick of the 1995 amateur draft out of the University of Southern California, where he helped lead the team to the College World Series championship game. He debuted with the Brewers on April 24, 1998 after beginning the season in Triple-A, where he hit .403 with three home runs in 21 games. In his debut, he became the first Brewer to homer in his first major league game, and four in his first 21 major league at bats, before cooling off and finishing the season with just nine homers and a .229 batting average.
In 1999, his first full season with the team, he finished with a career high .313 batting average while hitting 21 homers and driving in 82 runs. The next season was arguably Jenkins' best with the team. He led the team in both home runs (34) and batting average (.303).
The next few years were rough on Jenkins as he struggled with injuries that limited him to a total of 172 games in a combined two seasons. That, coupled with the arrival of Richie Sexson, put Jenkins on the back burner, despite being an All-Star in 2003, until Sexson's departure in one of the most lopsided trades ever.
Jenkins remained a staple in the Brewers outfield, even when the acquisition of Carlos Lee forced him to switch from left to right field, until Corey Hart was brought up from the minors. It didn't help that Jenkins was struggling through the 2006 season. He then was forced into a platoon role for the first time since his rookie season and remained in that role throughout the 2007 season, despite a quasi-resurgence that saw him take over second place on the Brewers' all-time home runs leaders.
Despite his occasional offensive struggles, Jenkins could play some tremendous defense, evidenced by his perfect 2003 season (0 errors in 233 chances). He has remained a fan favorite throughout the years, due mostly to his longevity with the team.
But is his defense and fan appeal enough to keep him in Milwaukee?
This is the question the Brewers face, especially with the cornucopia of defensive outfielders with more than adequate bats (Aaron Rowand and Torii Hunter come to mind) that awaits on the free agent market, and if the Brewers were cleared of Jenkins' salary, they might have the means to pursue one of them.
Though the trouble with signing Rowand and moving Bill Hall to left is that the Brewers will have one less left handed bat in the lineup, leaving only Prince Fielder and the switch-hitting Johnny Estrada. But according to this rumor on FanNation courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, some teams (like the Chicago White Sox) may be interested in trading for Hall to fill infield holes. Brewers' General Manager Doug Melvin has already stated this offseason he would likely look to trades to improve the team, rather than being a big player in the free agent market.
Before the World Series is over, we should have the answer to the above question, in which case, you'll be receiving the news and the analysis as soon as it happens.
