Will Rickie Weeks ever live up to his "potential"
by joltinjoe on Sep 17, 2008 4:56 AM EDT
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So here's the deal. I'm the owner of a pretty successful baseball keeper league team that allows us to keep 12 players. The categories are AVG, OPS, R, HR, RBI, SB and 6 pitching categories (that part doesn't really matter).
My offense is stellar and my only real question mark is 2b. I have Rickie Weeks, who I've held onto the last three years after trading a couple of pretty good players for him. I keep waiting for him to bust out and live up to his potential. However, he's about to finish his fourth full year and is batting around .230, which would be the the third year he's done so with one .270 a couple years back.
I like to think I have a lot of patience (I'm still giving Delmon Young the benefit of the doubt). Anyway, what I wanted to ask the community is how much more patience should I use with Weeks?
I'm starting to question whether he'll ever live up to that potential that I've heard so much about. I see him hit and he seems to the bat speed that would make him a star. Yet all he's done is struggle, get hurt and it looks like lose his job down the stretch to Ray Durham.
So should I continue to hold onto him or is it time to cut my losses and work on finding a new 2b for my team? Is he ever going to live up to his potential or is this what he is, a low avg, decent power and speed guy?
I appreciate any thoughts any of you may have.
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I've lost faith
I cut my losses a couple months ago. I rode it out with him for a many years. I drafted him over Chase Utley way back (Chase needed to repeat AAA – it wasn’t so obvious he would be a phenom). I passed on drafting a replacement several times including Uggla, Cano, Kinsler and Pedroia (who had tanked AAA the year we drafted). Sometimes it seems every top shelf 2B prospect but Weeks has come around. Ugggggh. Despite bat speed he doesn’t have the swing mechanics to be the power threat of an Uggla, Utley or Soriano. He doesn’t make nearly enough contact to be a Pedroia or Kinsler. What a shame… I’m play DMB so we’re a year behind – I’m playing Upton at 2B now but will need to fill the void next season.
Rickie Weeks is about to turn 26, Young 23. Weeks already has pretty decent secondary skills – career 158 ISO, BB in 11% of PAs, 85% steal rate – his problem is a lack of ability to hit for contact and that’s not really a learned skill for guys who already have his skill set. He can have a career as a 750 OPS 2B with maybe average defense, maybe even as an undervalued asset because of the AVG, but to reach his 2nd overall potential, not much of a chance.
re
lost time to injuries has certainly hurt his development, but I agree that he will never be the uber star that many predicted. I’m guessing if he can shake the unjury bug once and for all he’ll be a .250-.270 hitter with 20 HR pop and good plate discipline.
will jemile weeks?
most had hm slated to be piked in the 20’s or so…A’s overdrafted him since he was one of the few middle infielders available.
they couldve taken wallace but apparently were not convinced about his position…since A’s already had solid depth at 1b…either way he might have been the BPA at the time
they missed out on SMoak a pick earlier to Rangers, and probably were very disappointed
they like Aaron Hicks, but as a pitcher
Average
The bizarre thing is that he was a college batting champion in college and then batted .289 in the minors. If I were to have picked Weeks’ most likely weakness when he was drafted, it definitely wouldn’t have been keeping his average above .250.
I think he might really need a change of scenery. Considering that Escobar looks like he’s just about ready, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Weeks moved over the winter, with Hardy sliding over to second. That’s what I would do at least.
whats his value?
i believe he’s arby eligible soon, so even though he’s disappointed he wont be cheap either.
i would think brewers would want some type of pitching in return
last winter meetings beane asked weeks for street, but was both turned down.
both could use a change of scenery
i could see brewers trying to dump bill hall too this offseason
by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 17, 2008 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Low
I don’t think he has a ton of value on his own, but he could be worth something if packaged with Hall. Perhaps Hall and Weeks plus a prospect could get Garrett Atkins? If they move Hall they’re going to have to find a third baseman somewhere, and it’s hard to see Weeks on his own bringing back a reliable reliever. If you package him with Hall, however, you’ve got no one to play third. I can see a deal like this making sense.
Meh
I really don’t see why the Rockies would want Hall. The reason they want to move Atkins is to make room at 3B for Ian Stewart. There OF is currently crowded with Holliday, Hawpe, Taveres, and Fowler so there is no room in the OF as well. Perhaps Weeks and something for Atkins would make sense but I really doubt they would do this deal with Hall involved.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Sep 17, 2008 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
True
I was trying to think of a potential fit, and that was about the best I could come up with.
That said, I do think that Hall is the kind of hitter who could go to Coors and be a monster, and I think you’re overstating their glut of outfielders. Taveres shouldn’t be a regular. Fowler could falter. Holliday could well be traded. Hall can play the left side of the infield and all over the outfield. It’s not that crazy.
I agree
With injuries, days off, etc, Hall could be a fit for good playing time there. You don’t want Taveras being your everyday leadoff/2 hitter, or even an injury replacement. He’s like Endy Chavez these days.
Not sure why the Brewers would want Atkins, though, unless they’re going to make a few more trades.
Who's on third?
If the Brewers were to trade Bill Hall, who is their third baseman? Mat Gamel? I don’t think so. Casey Blake and Joe Crede are the only half-way credible third basemen on the market, with the possible exception of Blalock if his option doesn’t get picked up. In any case, Blake is the only guy who inspires any confidence in terms of hitting and health.
I will say that I didn’t realize how godawful Atkins has been away from Coors, and that makes this a less sensible proposal.
Still, to get back to the topic at hand, Weeks is quickly running out of time in Milwaukee, and would likely benefit from a change of scenery. There are a bunch of teams out there that he could be fairly useful for, even if he never gets his average above .250. Like the Yankees, after they trade Cano.
Hall's salary
Hall’s salary makes him extremely unattractive for a guy who would be a 4th OF or backup IF. He is due to make 6.8 million in 2009 and 8.4 million 2010. That is much too much money for a player of his limited skills.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Sep 17, 2008 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Why would the Brewers want Atkins?
Atkins is really not a very good baseball player at all.
by thejd44 on Sep 18, 2008 3:50 AM EDT up reply actions
simple answer no
he had a lot of hype when it came to potential. I see him getting another chance somewhere, but not in Milwaukee.
"If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself?"
Skills
He has shown good baseball skills, in terms of discipline, stealing bases, some power, etc. If he got his average up to .260, he’d be a pretty solid offensive second baseman.
He's a league average offensive 2B right now
Don’t know about his defense
Why not?
He is still young, he still has the talent. He’s kinda lost his way through the injuries, but I think that 2B who was OPSing over 1.000 in AAA at 22 is still in there. I think it is unlikely that he peaked at 23. One of these years, I think he’ll still put it all together.
That’s what I think, at least.
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