Yet he still finds himself on the outside looking in on making the Brewers opening day roster. By being a left fielder, a below average one at that, he is unequivocally blocked by Ryan Braun and since Braun isn’t going anywhere for the next seven years, Davis’ future in Milwaukee is blurry. However despite common thought, there is room on the roster for the right-handed slugger, but the Brewers must be willing to part with Taylor Green.

Khris Davis (right) is making his case for 2013. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Right now, I see the bench as follows: Alex Gonzalez, Martin Maldonado, Logan Schafer, and Taylor Green. That’s one sad group. Not one of them is a power threat, which makes Green even more expendable. At 5’11″, Davis certainly doesn’t look like a power hitter, but he is exactly the shot in the arm the Brewers’ bench needs.

Davis is batting .364 with five home runs (six if you count his bomb against Team Canada) and 13 RBI in 15 games this spring. Meanwhile, Green has managed a mere .138 average, zero home runs, and just four runs driven in. Based on those stats, who would you rather see on the Brewers bench?

I realize spring training numbers are meaningless (Corey Hart is a perfect example of that), but we have witnessed Green’s production at the major league level – there is none. He is a lot more versatile and can play more positions than Davis, not to mention a left-handed hitter is a hot commodity, but honestly, what’s the point of having a lefty when that lefty can’t hit?

However, a big advantage that Green has over Davis is his ability to play first base. With Hart recovering from knee surgery, Green, along with Gonzalez, look to be the favorites to fill in.

Davis has already passed the minor league test. In 32 games in Triple-A in 2012, he boasted a .310 average with four home runs and 24 runs batted in. This was after he crushed Double-A pitching and composed a .383 average with eight long balls and 23 RBI in 44 games. Hitting in the minor leagues is no challenge for the 25-year-old; it’s his defense that needs work.

Defense is Davis’ weak point. According to scouts and those in the Brewers organization, he doesn’t have a very strong arm which will limit his chances of being an every day outfielder. Apparently, Davis has already attempted a transition to first base but didn’t fare so well, so we can rule out that possibility. If Davis could handle himself in the outfield, a bench spot would almost be a certainity but as his defensive struggles continue, he’ll have to do his talking with his bat.

After Davis’ two home run day on March 16th, Ron Roenicke spoke about his spring performance via Adam McCalvy:

He’s put us in a position where we’re talking about him and how he fits on the bench, what we can do with our last two [or] three spots. If you need a right-handed hitter, right now he may be the best hitter we have.

Even if the Brewers use Davis solely as a pinch-hitter and never rely on him in the outfield, it’d still be a useful way to fill a bench spot. Heck, I’d take almost anyone over Green.

Davis deserves a roster spot and it would be a major crime if the Brewers decided not to offer him one. Either way, Milwaukee’s bench will be one the worst in baseball but Davis will lighten the burden and will increase Miller Park’s firework output.

Would you like to see Khris Davis on the Brewers opening day roster?

Leave comments and questions below! Follow Justin and @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too.

Much ado about Taylor Green. (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)

Tryna get the Green like I’m waiting at a long light
broke just doesn’t suit me, girl, and every night is prom night

Brewers utility infielder Taylor Green has only played in 78 games spanning two seasons at the Major League level, but it sure feels like a heck of a lot more.

Drafted in the 25th round by Milwaukee in 2005, the former top hitting prospect in the organization broke through with Milwaukee in 2011, hitting .270 and earning a spot on the postseason roster despite only appearing in 20 games. Hopes were high entering 2012 for Green but a .184/.265/.340 slash line over 117 plate appearances didn’t get the job done as he was sent back and forth between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville.

Just a year after it seemed that Green, 26, would be a mainstay in the Brewers infield for years, there is much uncertainty surrounding what, in fact, the organization wants to do with him.

Green watches a three-run homer fly out of Miller Park, one of his three on the year (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)

As for this spring, the British Columbia, Canada, native is in a battle for one of the reserve infield spots available. Unlike much of his competition – Bobby Crosby, Donnie Murphy, and Alex Gonzalez, to be specific – Green has the option of spending time in the minors again if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster. With Aramis Ramirez, Jean Segura, Rickie Weeks, and Mat Gamel (knee withstanding) locks for the 25-man roster and Corey Hart set to open the season on the disabled list, the competition for the other two, maybe three spots (Ron Roenicke’s preference being the independent variable here) are down to the following: Green, Crosby, Murphy, Gonzalez, Jeff Bianchi, and Scooter Gennett.

If the Brewers go with Green, they’ll be adding a left-handed bat to come off the bench in most games. He is a .270/.357/.570 hitter with all three of his career homers coming as a substitute compared to only batting .184 as a starter. Compared to Gamel – Hart’s expected fill-in at first – Green is a plus defender, but, overall, is nothing flashy on defense. He has the versatility to play first, second, and third base at a respectable level, meaning he’ll give you replacement-level fielding and could flash some pop at the plate, but could become a liability in the lineup.

After years of riding the buses, this should all-in-all be Green’s first full Big League season; in addition to that, however, it could be Green’s make-or-break year with the Brewers. He had one of the best seasons by any Brewers minor leaguer in recent memory with Nashville in 2011 (.336 average, .997 OPS, 22 home runs) and has done what it takes to make the majors.

One of the many competitions happening in Maryvale this spring for Milwaukee, the battle for the final infield spots lacks a strong threshold of upside for the most part, and Green gives the Brewers the best chance at having a player to come off the bench and help win games off all the names mentioned. Expect to see him on the Opening Day roster, wedging in a start or two every week.

2013 RtB Predictions: 303 PA, .251/.313/.402, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 30 R, 5 SB, eyes of steel.

Follow @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter and/or the author (and self-proclaimed most active Twitterist of the staff), Curt Hogg. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too, for more Brewers Season Outlook updates.

To view previous season outlooks, click here. To view last year’s previews, go here.

]]> http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/02/17/brewers-2013-season-outlook-taylor-green/feed/ 0 http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/07/11/brewers-promote-jeff-bianchi-and-tyler-thornburg/ http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/07/11/brewers-promote-jeff-bianchi-and-tyler-thornburg/#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:04:41 +0000 Curt Hogg http://reviewingthebrew.com/?p=5515 As they did last season, the Brewers took no time off and made roster moves over the All Star Break. Though the moves may not be as headline-snatching as the trade for Francisco Rodriguez one year ago, the team has announced the promotions of shortstop Jeff Bianchi and pitcher Tyler Thornburg following the MLB All [...]

Brewers Promote Jeff Bianchi and Tyler Thornburg - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

As they did last season, the Brewers took no time off and made roster moves over the All Star Break. Though the moves may not be as headline-snatching as the trade for Francisco Rodriguez one year ago, the team has announced the promotions of shortstop Jeff Bianchi and pitcher Tyler Thornburg following the MLB All Star Game Tuesday night.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke hopes Bianchi and Thornburg can made a positive contribution to the team. (Image: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE)

Manager Ron Roenicke announced the Bianchi, 25, will not assume the role of the everyday shortstop and General Manager Doug Melvin said Thornburg, 23, will assume a role in the bullpen and possibly start for the Brewers later on this season.

Thornburg made his first Big League start on June 19 against Toronto, giving up one run through five innings until hitting a wall in the sixth. He gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs and finished the night with five runs in 5.1 innings with two strikeouts.

He takes the place of reliever Tim Dillard, who was outrighted to AAA Nashville.

A Reviewing the Brew interviewee in April, Thornburg has made his way into Baseball Prospectus’ Top 50 Midseason Prospects. In 14 starts between AA Hunstville and AAA Nashville, Thornburg is 9-1 with a 3.04 era and a WHIP of 1.075.

Bianchi (pronounced Be-YANKEE)  replaces utility infielder Taylor Green, who was optioned to Nashville following Sunday’s victory in Houston.

“He’s versatile, can play anywhere in the infield. They like him down there. They say he’s a pretty heads-up player. Offensively, he can do a lot of things — good hitter, can bunt, can hit and run. So, they liked him,” Roenicke told reporters following the All Star Game.

In a previous article, Bianchi was listed as a Dark Horse to receive a promotion this year and the prediction has come to fruition. He was leading the Southern League with a .351 batting average while in Huntsville before receiving a promotion to Nashville, where he was batting .305 with one homer and 13 RBI in 51 games.

The  former Royals farmhand has never had a Big League at-bat, but expects to receive an occasional start behind Cody Ransom and Cesar Izturis.

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At least lately, Green wasn’t given many chances to play. But when he was used as a pinch-hitter and/or received a rare start, he never really capitalized on the opportunities. The last time Green made a real impact on a game was on June 7^th, when he hit his first Major League home run, in a pinch-hit appearance. A day later, he hit his second career shot in another pinch-hit appearance. But Green cooled off since, and his last hit came on June 26^th in Cincinnati. He saw his batting average sink all the way to .198, which is probably what prompted his return to the Minors.

Obviously, though, the playing time he wasn’t receiving wasn’t helping the cause of his batting average. Green can play third base, second base, and first base (I think he can also play shortstop in emergency situations). But, as of right now, he’s blocked at all of those positions- Aramis Ramirez has played pretty much every day since returning from a quadricep strain, Rickie Weeks is proving that he deserves to stay in the lineup for now, and Corey Hart has played outstanding defense since his move to first base. That left Green in a rare pinch-hit role that was usually given to other lefties on the bench, such as Travis Ishikawa.

So I doubt Green was actually optioned because of his performance, but rather so he can get the consistent playing times he needs. Green has proven that he can hit at the Triple-A level, as he hit .336 with 36 home runs there last year before a late-August call-up. Unfortunately for him, though, he’ll probably be stuck there until there’s an opening somewhere at the Major League level. And with the way injuries have taken their toll so far this year, it could be pretty soon that we see Green back on the Brewers.

Marco Estrada's arm in the bullpen is valuable. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

With all the injuries the Brew Crew have faced this season, we still have shown the drive to go on. We sit at 28-32, four games behind first in the NL Central and have two series with the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, that we should hopefully win. Injuries do not kill a season, but they can hamper it considerably, especially when a few big names on your team are out. Fortunately enough, Marco Estrada looks like he might be the first Brewer to come back. As I discussed in my previous article, we must keep Michael Fiers as a starter and have Marco Estrada help the bullpen settle down. It’s no surprise our bullpen has been unreliable this season and with the idea of breaking even and going higher in the division, that is an issue that must be settled quickly. However, Ron Roenicke believes Marco Estrada benefits the team more as a starter so he is expected to return to the starting rotation when healthy.

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However, one good thing came out of this series. Utility man Brooks Conrad finally sought out the gift he’s been waiting on for so long: a batting average.

Well, sort of. .061 isn’t much of an average, but it’s better than the .000 he wore for the first few months. His first hit of the season came on Saturday, in the game that wasn’t televised. He socked an opposite field home run off of Pirates starter Erik Bedard. After that, I made a joke that he can only get hits in games that aren’t on TV. But sure enough, the next day, that joke became obsolete when he hit another home run, this one off All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan. Coming into the game, Hanrahan’s opponent batting average was .162, so it’s pretty impressive Conrad did that.

June 2, 2012: Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brooks Conrad (14) is congratulated by pitcher Shaun Marcum (18) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

But, as you’ll notice, Conrad’s only two hits so far are home runs. Not that it means anything, I just find it interesting that he has a season-long 0-for and ends it with two blasts. And neither of them were cheap shots; these were legitimate home runs.

It wasn’t just Conrad who broke out this series, however, as there were a few other Brewers players who showed signs of getting their seasons turned around. Nyjer Morgan was one of them, who, following a .304 season in his first year in Milwaukee, didn’t even have an RBI up until this series. But he turned that around in a hurry, hitting two home runs this series, just as Conrad did. The first one came off of Kevin Correia, and the second off James McDonald. Both of the home runs were no-doubt, low line drive pulls into the right field seats. This is the vintage Morgan we’re used to seeing, so if he keeps this up, he might finally become that consistent bat in the lineup that he was down the stretch last year.

Meanwhile, other utility players, such as Taylor Green and Cody Ransom, had their moments during this series as well. Ransom had a two-run single right before Conrad’s home run on Saturday, and Green is hitting over .300 in his last nine games.

But it’s needless to say these guys are heating up at the right time. The Brewers have been barraged with more injuries than the mind can handle, the latest addition to the disabled list being third baseman and cleanup hitter Aramis Ramirez. That means Ryan Braun, who has also dealt with his share of injuries, isn’t going to have much protection in the lineup. That means Green and Corey Hart are going to have to take the bulk of that job. Or even Conrad could do that, if he can start hitting on a consistent basis from here on out.

That, or he’ll maintain his .061 average, and hit a home run or two every 30 at-bats.

Michael Fiers' performance last night went above and beyond. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Seven episodes already? Madness, good madness now. Yet again, Brew Crew Online brings you everything and all things Brewers with a touch of other aspects in the MLB. Episode seven went a little longer than usual (almost an hour), but Colin and I believe it makes up for the previous shorter weeks. As usual, here is our list of topics (oh and believe me, there are a lot) for today’s episode:

-Looking at the past two wins over the Los Angeles Dodgers

-Brewers’ injuries everywhere

-Turning the Brewers’ season around

-Tonight’s match-up. Yovani Gallardo against Clayton Kershaw

-Our nine game home stand

-Long term solutions with our rookies

-Where we are in the NL Central

-Zack Greinke staying in Milwaukee?

-Our opinions on Prince Fielder going to Detroit and Albert Pujols going to Los Angeles (it’s been a long time coming folks)

-Is the NL Central a soft division?

-Not giving up this season (we aren’t dead in the water!)

-Brewers’ replacements getting the job done / our rookies that can come up

-Taylor Green being a versatile player

-The MLB’s injuries in general

-Younger players (Bryce Harper, Mike Trout)

-The Brewers going forward

-The Rangers’ signing of Roy Oswalt

Thank you again for listening and as always, stayed tuned for next week and go Brew Crew!

AAA superstar and 0-22 Brewer, Brooks Conrad. (Image: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE)

two torpid months for the Brewers, but chose against it for the sake of not wanting to jinx anything else and, considering the boys here at RtB have already covered every injury imaginable, any injury summation would simply be me palavering.

After a healthy stretch of a week or so that, miraculously enough, saw no Brewers get hit with injury, a four-game stretch at the end of last week was as painful for fans as it was for the players who hit the disabled list. Three players managed to hit the 15-day DL in a span of four games; starting pitcher Marco Estrada strained his right quadriceps rounding first on a two-run double and won’t be back until late June at the earliest; backup-turned-starting shortstop-because-of-Alex-Gonzalez’s-ACL-tear Cesar Izturis hit the DL on Friday with a strained left hamstring rounding third base; and first baseman Travis Ishikawa was placed on the DL with a strained rib cage before Sunday’s game.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Aramis Ramirez, Kameron Loe, and George Kottaras are all day-to-day with seperate injuries. Awesome.

The 2012 Brewers are showing shades of being the real-life, non-animated, Michael Jordan-less, injury-riddled Tune Squad from the hit 90′s film Space Jam. Don’t look now or Bill Murray may be making an appearance in middle relief, to which Mr. Swackhammer–err…Dale Sveum–calls out, “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn’t know Dan Aykroyd was in this picture!”

At this rate, Murray may actually be making a visit to the home clubhouse in Milwaukee; I mean, if Brooks Conrad can suit up, I’m sure there is cap space for Murray, as well. After batting 0-22, Conrad was sent back down to AAA Nashville, only to be recalled yet again due to the injuries.

Speaking of Nashville, it seems that the entire AAA roster may be called up in the near future. The active roster for the Brewers already has included nine players that weren’t on the Opening Day roster…and we’re not even out of May: Mike McClendon, Juan Perez, Brooks Conrad, Taylor Green, Edwin Maysonet, Cody Ransom, Eric Farris, Wily Peralta, and Vinnie Chulk.

As the season progresses (especially if the injuries continue at this rate), more and more guys from Nashville will be putting on the Brewer blue. In fact, another name (possibly Mike Fiers or Peralta) may be added to that list before Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers, as someone must fill in for what would be Estrada’s start.

Here are some players currently in Nashville that we may see in Miller Park in the near future:

Mike Fiers, RHP

The starting pitcher is not one of the top two or three pitching prospects, but, at the moment, may be the most “Big League ready”. Thus far he holds a 4.42 era with the Sounds in AAA and may be called up to make his first Major League start on Tuesday.

Peralta made his Major League debut earlier this season against Colorado. (Image: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE)

Wily Peralta, RHP

Widely considered Milwaukee’s top prospect, Peralta has been struggling mightily at AAA. He holds a 1-6 record and 6.52 era and is coming off an eight-run shellacking on Sunday, so he is no longer the favorite to make Tuesday’s start, but we will probably see him again this season.

Jeff Bianchi, SS

The name has crept up on us in 2012, but Bianchi has moved his way up from AA Huntsville to AAA and is hitting .350 with the Sounds and .351 between both teams. He is somewhat of a dark horse to be promoted, but may be next in line on the left side of the infield with a solid glove and above-average bat.

Martin Maldonado, C

The starting catcher for Nashville is only hitting .198 this season, but has shown promise in spring training and in winter leagues. He’s also next in line at catcher, and with Kottaras day-to-day, he could aggravate his injury and easily find himself on the DL, thus promoting Maldonado.

Logan Schafer, OF

The speedy Schafer had a chance at making the Opening Day roster until Ryan Braun won his appeal. In the meantime, Schafer has shown surprising power in Nashville with five homers and 12 doubles.

Eric Farris, IF

14 steals in 17 attempts this season for the former Reviewing the Brew interviewee. Rickie Weeks gets injured seemingly every season, so .271-hitting Farris would be the logical replacement there.

Zack Greinke (13) and Jonathan Lucroy (20) came through big today. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Just what we needed, a good ol’ trashing of some team’s pitching staff. After dropping the series to the Twins, today’s potential sweep of the Brew Crew turned into anything but that. Jonathan Lucroy had a huge day at the plate, hitting two home runs (one being a grand slam) and contributing to the trashing with 7 RBIs. Yet again, Zack Greinke showed us another quality which gave him his 5th win of the season. This win, while a small victory, was one that had to happen. Nobody thought we’d lose a series to the Twins in Milwaukee. We still sit well below .500 and losing series like these are crucial because now the schedule becomes tougher with us facing the top teams of the NL West, while mainly on the road too. Sure, we’ll take this game as it is, but things won’t always be there for the taking. That said, let’s look at today’s game.

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