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Getting better while facing harder leagues?  I guess I'm just biased because I watched it happen.
 
Wlad Balentien:
A: .16 eye, 3.4 AB:K
A+: .22 eye, 3.2 AB:K
AA: .50 eye, 3.2 AB:K
AAA: .52 eye, 4.7 AB:K
 
He made the bigs, got sent back down (now on a team that obviously is a playoff contender and didn't have a place for him) and after a terrible first half (.706 OPS while in a funk about the demotion) he roared back in the second half (1.148).  I still say he's liable to Brad Hawpe his way to a few success years between 27 and 30.
 
If you don't like him, then how about Adam Jones:
 
A: .27 eye, 4.1 AB:K
A+: .45 eye, 4.2 AB:K
AA: .46 eye, 4.8 AB:K
AAA: .35 eye, 4.3 AB:K
Bigs: .25 eye, 4.6 AB:K
 
Adam does all right in the bigs, and he never walked more in his minor or major league career than Chavez did this year.
 
Chavez:
A#1: .20 eye, 3.2 AB:K
A#2: .29 eye, 3.7 AB:K
A+: .40 eye, 4.1 AB:K
 
And again, it was .49 and 4.7 in the second half.  I'm not asking him to do anything he's not already doing - get a little better each time around. If he can keep that at the next level, he's got a shot.  If he falls back down against tougher breaking balls, it'll be hard for him to get a serious look.
 
But if Wlad can more than double his eye ratio at a harder level (and hold it) and then add 50% to his AB:K ratio the next year, why is a slight improvement for Chavez beyond the realm of reason?  From what I hear he has a better work ethic and attitude than most of our K-challenged bats.
 
I think Chavez HAS to improve to have a shot at the bigs.  This year is nice confirmation that he can, but it's not enough by itself.  But I think MLE conversions get wonky sometimes.  You can't just say "oh, 5:1 AB:K in the minors = 4 in the bigs, so we need more margin."  I'd like it, but some guys walk better in the bigs than in the minors.  Some strike out less in the bigs than in the minors, or at least don't drop like you'd expect. 
 
Yes, Chavez's identified skillset should give some pause.  But 10 more walks and 10 less Ks a year gives him a .5 eye and a 4.5 AB:K.  Just 10 more walks and 10 less Ks.  That's better than Hawpe in AAA, or Geoff Jenkins, or Cliff Floyd, or Raul Mondesi.
 
He's already done it for half a season.  Now I need to see him do it for a full season in a harder league....but it's not an impossible task.
 
~G