Ransom Out, Farris Up

Cody Ransom is going home. Well, sort of.

In late May, with injuries piling up for the Milwaukee Brewers, Doug Melvin and company claimed the 36 year-old shortstop off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks to add infield depth.

Yesterday, the Diamondback returned the favor, and brought him back to Arizona off said waiver wire to finish out the year.

It left Milwaukee one man shy of a full roster, but today that gap is closed as Eric Farris joins the team as a utility infielder.

Cody Ransom was never supposed to be the answer in shortstop. Ransom brought some defensive stability there and a little versatility as he slid into the third baseman’s spot on days that Ramirez needed a rest, but he was never a permanent option.

Ransom hit .196 with the Brewers over 168 at-bats, and found the most consistent playing time of his journeyman career in Milwaukee. He also hit a career high six home runs with the Brew Crew – one of them being a grand slam.

The truth is, there just isn’t much to say about a player like Cody Ransom. He’s been around a long time, and just never caught on anywhere. He can be a reliable defender in a pinch, but his hitting just isn’t strong enough to justify him as an everyday guy. With the waiver deadline closing and rosters expanding for September, there isn’t anything he has left for the Brewers’ plans in 2012.

We should still thank him, however, as he cleared the way to make the call-up of Eric Farris possible.

Eric Farris was drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 draft by Milwaukee, after declining to sign with Atlanta in the 2004 draft. He made his Major League Debut against the Cubs in 2011 – a game flirtation with the bigs that left him with a career .000 BA. Don’t let that fool you, however. In Spring Training results for Milwaukee – of which he has three year’s experience – he has a cumulative line of .295/.348/.410. Farris has the goods to be a regular player for Milwaukee, and has had them for some time.

Farris is a lifetime .289 hitter in the Minor Leagues. This year, in Nashville, just might be one of his best years yet. He’s hitting .286 and striking out only 11% of the time. He was approaching his career best with 21 doubles, and hit a career high seven home runs on the year.

Farris is a contact hitter with decent power potential and good speed on the base path. He also has a deft

glove with the versatility to play multiple infield and outfield positions – he has recorded outs as a left and center fielder, as well as second base and short. This makes him a vital asset for Milwaukee not only now, at the end of 2012, but going forward as he settles in to regular playing time.

With Milwaukee’s front office content to take their time with Scooter Gennett and others like first base prospect Hunter Morris, Eric Farris makes the perfect choice to call-up and keep in Milwaukee for some time. His versatility and natural baseball talents should allow the coaches to feel comfortable shifting players around slightly, giving some veterans a rest and watching how he and newly-minted shortstop Jean Segura can work together – a sign of the future in Milwaukee.

So today, we say a solemn goodbye to Cody Ransom and make way for the age of Eric Farris. Here’s to hoping all’s well that ends well in Milwaukee.