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Milwaukee Brewers Decline Rickie Week’s 2015 Option

By Ed Carroll

Jul 30, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks (23) forces out Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist (18) and throws the ball to first for a double play during the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 30, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks (23) forces out Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist (18) and throws the ball to first for a double play during the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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In two expected moves, the Milwaukee Brewers have declined a $14.5-million option on infielder Rickie Weeks for the 2015 MLB season, and have exercised a $13-million option on starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo.

The Milwaukee Brewers formalized two expected housekeeping moves for next season, exercising a team option on right-hander Yovani Gallardo, and declining the option on second baseman Rickie Weeks, making Weeks a free agent:

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Gallardo had a good season despite a slight uptick in home runs allowed (0.98 HRs allowed per nine in 2014, 0.9 HR/9 in 2013) and a decline in his strikeout totals (146 Ks in 2014, just two more than his 2013 total despite pitching nearly 18 more innings this season). Gallardo still had a 3.51 ERA and Fangraphs placed him at a solid 1.7 WAR, and it’s unlikely the Brewers could find close to Gallardo’s production at a $13-million-dollar cost in free agency, so this was not a

surprise

.

Weeks actually had a nice rebound season in 2014, and his weighted on base average (wOBA) was .359, or 60 points higher than his 2013 total. He was worth 1.3 fWAR, though his defense has been on a steady decline for years, and he might have been helped by a high batting average on balls in play (.355, highest of his career). But Weeks lost the starting job to Scooter Gennett, and he’s had a history of injuries throughout his career. He can still help out an MLB team off the bench, but he will almost assuredly be signing a contract for less than $14.5-million next season.

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