Could You Deal with the Brewers Re-Signing Betancourt?

Well?  Could you?

Today was the start of General Managers Meetings, which oddly enough are happening at the Pfister Hotel in Milwuakee.  True Story.  If you wanted…you could just…walk down there and check it out.  I’ve been there before, very classy place.

Anyway, the Brewers are shopping for a shortstop…not actively, passively.  Mostly muffin and coffee chatter.

Even before last season started, I knew we would be looking for a shortstop.  The moment we took Betancourt in order to get Greinke, not a one of us thought he would be back for a second season.

Then again, the free agent options at the position are pretty bare.  Your either eating filet mignon, or medium well hamburger at your Uncle Bob’s summer BBQ.  Jose Reyes is not an option.  Believe what you want to believe, but it is not happening.  Jimmy Rollins would be nice, but I doubt very highly that he will leave the Phillies.  They are wealthy enough to outbid the Brewers, so kiss it goodbye.  With those guys off the board, it leaves old stand-bye’s like Rafael Furcal, Clint Barmes, and Alex Gonzalez.

If you are not going to get one of the big boys, then what is the harm in keeping what you had.  Betancourt frustrated me more than probably any other person on this planet…and what I am saying is, maybe it would not be the worst option to bring him back.

Yuni B is statistically one of the worst starting shortstops in the game of baseball.  I’m serious, look.  No one knows this more than I.  However, he played the entire season and hit .250.  The Brewers would bring him back at a reduced price, we all know that to be true.  Today at the meetings, Melvin even told reporters that Betancourt is “very interested” in being a Brewer next season.

Furcal is fresh off of a World Series, but he was terrible against everyone except the Brewers this season, so I think that is appealing to Melvin and Co.  But he is sooo old.  Yes, he is a great defensive player…who can’t hit.  Then again, if the Brewers signed him, I would be okay with it.

And I do not feel like Barmes or Gonzalez are any better than Betancourt.  That is the sad, sad truth.

Let us not forget that Scooter Gennett could be the shortstop of the future.  Maybe another year or so and he will be ready to give it a go.   We should probably not be looking for a long-term solution and I think Melvin and Attanasio know that.

I live by few philosophies.  Mostly I float from rant to rant on a cloud of jibberish.  There is one that I believe to be true, especially in coaching sports: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  Betancourt was bad, but certainly not the worst option either in my opinion.  We needed his bat in the playoffs, let us not be so quick to forget.  The glove will always be suspect, but he can also make some terrific plays.  Sometimes he gets hot at the plate and looks like one of the best hitters the game has ever seen.  Other times he swings at the first pitch no matter where it is thrown.  I KNOW these things about Yuni, with Furcal or Barmes I can only GUESS about how they will play.

The way things are looking right now, we all need to get a little more comfortable with this.  When the Brewers get him for cheap and use that money to sure up the bullpen, I promise we will feel a little bit better about it.  Or not.  Either way, this is probably the end game for our shortstop needs.

I guess the really cliche question is, can we as a fanbase handle the truth?