Scooter Gennett waived by Brewers, claimed by Reds

PHOENIX - Scooter Gennett knew this might happen but when his time with the Milwaukee Brewers came to an abrupt end Tuesday, he admitted there was a shock factor.

"It definitely was in the back of my mind," Gennett said after being informed he had been claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. "Obviously, I wasn't getting the starting second base job this year. With what I'm making, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for an organization like Milwaukee to have that kind of money on the bench.

"But it wasn't like I was always thinking about it. It's something you deal with. Unfortunately, I have to say goodbye to some guys you've been around for a while, and that's tough. It's part of the job. I'm just fortunate that the Reds value me and they see me fitting on their team. That's awesome."

The Brewers had looked for a trade partner for Gennett since the end of last season, when the decision was made to move Jonathan Villar to second base, where Gennett had played regularly since late in the 2013 season. When no trade was made before spring training, Gennett volunteered to try to become more versatile by playing other infield positions as well as the outfield.

Still, there was no real fit for Gennett on the roster, so the Brewers exposed him to waivers to see if another club would claim his $2.525 million salary. General manager David Stearns could have optioned Gennett to Class AAA Colorado Springs, but his salary would have been quite high for that level and there was no real future for him at the big-league level with Milwaukee.

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"It comes down to the fit within the organization as a whole," Stearns said. "Ultimately, we decided that we didn’t see Scooter – especially this year – as a great fit for us, and we didn’t think we were a great fit for him. So we thought if there was a better opportunity for him, it probably made some sense for both sides."

Gennett, 26, had been the second-longest tenured Brewers position player behind Ryan Braun, a sign of the significant personnel turnover during the organization's massive rebuild. He was a 16th-round draft choice in 2009 who overcame questions about his size (5-foot-10, 193 pounds) to play in 456 games for Milwaukee, batting .279 with 35 home runs, 160 runs batted in and .318 on-base percentage.

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Despite his attempts to become more versatile this spring, Gennett would have had to fight for playing time.

"Ultimately, we looked at our roster this year and we didn’t see the type of at-bats for Scooter that frankly probably he needs to get into his groove to contribute at the major-league level," Stearns said. "So, when we evaluated the trade market, there wasn’t the type of return from a trade perspective that we thought made sense, and so the next step after doing that is putting a player on waivers and seeing if anyone will assume his contract. The Reds decided to claim him.

"We could have optioned him down and have him play every day at Triple-A. As we thought through the likely outcomes of this season, even with injuries, having someone like Hernan Perez on the major-league roster, it seemed challenging where Scooter was going to get consistent playing time at the major-league level. With some of the other in-house infield options that we have – some of whom are still in camp – we think that we’re well-covered in that space should a team have claimed Scooter."

Asked if he expected Gennett to be claimed, Stearns said, "I didn’t know. I’ve done this long enough to know that handicapping waiver claims is really tough. He’s had a very productive spring, he’s an established major-league hitter, so I certainly thought he had a chance."

Gennett was born in Cincinnati and lived there until he was 9, so it wasn't the worst news in the world to be claimed by the Reds. With the Brewers and Reds playing in the National League Central, Gennett said he knew he'd be seeing plenty of his former teammates and Milwaukee fans going forward.

The Brewers play their first series against the Reds at Cincinnati from April 13-16 and play at Miller Park on April 24-26.

"It’s kind of ironic, being born there and being a big Reds fan growing up," Gennett said. "So, it’s a little surreal. But it’s a big league ballclub and there’s a job to do, so that stuff’s cool, but it’s, ‘How can I help the team?’ "

As for the challenge of trying to learn new positions this spring while also wondering if he'd end up with another club, Gennett said, "It’s been definitely a different spring for me. Different off-season, too, just what to expect and stuff like that. It was challenging, but I did the best I could with my attitude and my focus. I want to be a good clubhouse guy, whether you’re a starting guy or not.

"No move is made without a lot of thought and a lot of research and a lot of information. You understand it’s not like the Brewers hated me and they want me gone. It’s just a part of the game. It kind of sucks I’m not going to be seeing those people a lot, but I’ll be back at Miller Park. It should be a fun entrance there."

Gennett's departure opens a 40-man roster spot, which the Brewers could use to keep a non-roster player. One of those players is utilityman Ivan De Jesus Jr., who unlike Gennett has experience playing multiple positions and is having a strong camp.

"I think our overall middle infield depth and utility depth helped make this decision easier," Stearns said.