JohnBriggs12

While Zaun hasn't performed poorly after the first week, his signing was really unnecessary. I can understand holding Lucroy back a couple months in AAA, but couldn't they just as well have gotten similar production with a Rivera/Kottaras combo until then and saved more than $1 million? Yes there's a bit of hindsight now that we've seen Kottaras, but isn't that what Melvin is getting paid to see ahead of time? Now Zaun is being paid on the DL. This is not an unexpected development when you play a 39 year old as your regular catcher.

As the Brewers begin to rid themselves of under-performing veteran pitchers, I find it an interesting contrast that the Cubs are ready to sign 36 year old Bob Howry, he of the 6 HR allowed in 14 IP and ERA over 10 prior to his release by the D-Backs. Will the Cubs show interest in the guys the Brewers cut loose?

This could be the day the charade of Suppan and Vargas ends. You can't have 2 guys on your staff you can't use in close games much less 3 and it's not getting value paying $14 million for mopup innings here and there. I think they're both gone. It may have taken a 9 game losing streak for management to see what should have been done earlier. Hopefully Axford, Braddock, Estrada, and Villanueva will stabilize the pen to the point where Hoffman too becomes an afterthought and he's let loose. With the aged Edmonds and Zaun both on the DL, will Melvin finally have learned a lesson that in the post steroid era you can't count on 40 year olds to be any more than pinch hitters? They break down playing 4-5 times a week.

The job Axford and Estrada have done must have increased the confidence to go with more youth. Vargas has to be toast. Interesting that Lucroy is in the lineup in Fresno. He's not on the 40 man either. Longshot prediction on the catching if they wanted to play Kottaras mostly full time: Brewers make a cash deal with Dodgers and pick Mike Rivera up. Rivera's been toiling in AA in Chattanooga. He does have knowledge of the staff.

College basketball fans will recall the Northern Iowa player with the mutton chopped sideburns named Lucas O'Rear. O'Rear was also a pitcher on the Northern Iowa baseball team until this season because Northern Iowa dropped baseball after the 2009 season. The Chicago Sun-Times had a blurb that the 6'6" 255 lb. O'Rear threw for scouts recently at a pre-draft showcase, and was hitting 91 on the gun. The article notes that scouts told O'Rear that he could hit 95 with a few mechanical adjustments.

Morneau already has one MVP trophy, was 2nd another time and if the voting were held today, he have another as he's currently leading the AL in batting, OBP and slugging. It's hard to imagine a 2 time MVP winner won't be a strong HOF candidate. He doesn't hit as many HR as the others but he could. More so than any of the others, Morneau will cut down his swing in situations where a single is needed. I'd put him at the top of my list.

When one goes down, the other is going with him so this is not really news. The man in charge is Attanasio.

I don't think you can rule out "old" as the cause. His joints could be losing some of their elasticity that enabled him to get his arm in proper position day after day. Some days he may have it, some days he may not.

Escobar's up to date in the 2 hole (19 PA): .412/.444/.588. An argument can be made that he actually should be leading off because here's his splits leading off an inning: .480/.519/.800. Compare that to Weeks leading off an inning: .200/.309/.300. TooLiveBrew is as off base on Escobar as Braun was last night. Escobar is not really stinging the ball consistently yet (though he will), but because he sprays the ball all over, he's not easy to defense. He also has the speed to beat out slow rollers on the infield. Escobar's hit since he was signed at age 17. He's going to hit. Once Braun and Fielder both have it going behind him, he's going to really take off. Batting Escobar in the 8 spot hindered him. He belongs at or near the top of the order.

Smith may end up being a short term fix but I'm not sure if he is much of a long term solution given his 17 home runs allowed in 64 career ML innings. His 4.11 ERA was fortunate if you ask me (without looking at any advanced metrics). He may be better than some of what we've currently got (and I realize that is the topic at hand here) but if we are ever going to build a decent bullpen, Chris Smith needs to be behind a wall of glass labeled 'Break In Case of Emergency' instead of being a key cog. Smith's BAA last year was .232. His OBP against was .317. His K rate per 9 innings was respectable at 6.8. He's definitely a flyball pitcher much like Dave Bush, and that's dangerous in late inning relief, but in his first 32 outings last year his ERA was 3.07. So he can get major league hitters out and he's got 13 saves in AAA already despite allowing 3 HR in14 2/3 innings. In those 14 2/3 innings, he's also tallied 20 K's. By contrast to the garbage we've seen out of Vargas, Hoffman etc, this year, Smith's 2009 numbers look sparkling.

It's not in Kenny Williams DNA to give up on the season this early. Besides, the Sox need hitting and AJ is still one of their better hitters. I still think Zaun would be a good option for them. But instead of a young pitcher, maybe the Brewers would be looking at their relief corps in return. Francisco lost his closer's job, is a FA after this year. He started horribly this year, but has been a little better of late. Chris Ray is another guy with closing experience who seems to have rebounded from an awful 2009. Texas is getting great relief work from Neftali Feliz and Darren O'Day, so perhaps Francisco or Ray could be had.

It wasn't so much that they re-signed Hoffman, it was when they did it. It was 2 days after the end of last season that he agreed to terms. That was before they knew what else was out there, or what the market was. It was completely a knee-jerk reaction and not thought out. There's validity to the argument that you don't dump players after a couple rough weeks. There is also validity to not getting carried away with a guy's positive performance that you run out there and set a market price on your own. It was almost as if a guy got a date with a girl who was way above his level, and because the date worked out so well, and he was afraid to "lose her", he called her back the minute he got home to ask her out again. It's foolish. As for now, anytime you commit money to a 42 year old, in any sport, you have to be aware it could blow up and be prepared to cut your losses. It's not April 19th, it's May 19th and Hoffman has an ERA over 13. The White Sox pulled Jenks from his closer role and his ERA is less than half of what Hoffman's is. Melvin's grand plan for this year is in shambles. Hoffman, Hawkins, and Davis were 3/4 of the significant offseason signings. Bringing back Vargas and Gerut were lesser signings but not totally insignificant. All have been abject failures. It's time to admit your mistakes and start the implementation of plan B. That should start with the dumping of Hoffman. He's embarrassing himself and the organization. They also need to dump at least one more reliever, either Vargas or Suppan, to create two more spots in the pen for Braddock and Smith. Davis and Hawkins need to earn their way back with rehab performances worthy of their veteran status. If not, dump them too.

Really, it's very close to that time right now. Braun came up on what the 25th of May?

Rivas, 86 pitches in 8 innings? Best stat of the night. Hopefully, somebody in the organization is taking notice.

Inglett has pop. No need to use the backup catcher to DH.

This prognostication should win a prize if we had one to offer. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gifUnfortunately the game is 9 innings. Who starts Saturday, Estrada or Parra? My vote would go to Marco. So I predict they'll start Parra. Maybe they'll have Estrada close.

Inglett should be the DH.

Forget Sunday, batting practice pitchers can get 3 outs by accident too when hitters aren't zeroed in. It happens. He can't get 1 out when hitters are bearing down.

He doesn't belong on a major league roster. Period.

Release Hoffman now. While you're at it, fire Macha. Fire Peterson. Release Vargas. Release Suppan. Fire Melvin. Bring up Braddock. Bring up Smith. Pick a closer among Villanueva, Smith, Braddock or Axford. Macha should be fired for letting Hoffman pitch to Votto. Where was Stetter?

You don't solve the problem of an overworked bullpen by adding more short relievers. You solve the problem of an overworked bullpen by having starters that can get beyond 5 innings. The Brewers have an opening in their rotation right now. Parra's filling it today, but his track record is spotty at best. I'm all for a fresh face getting a look. Estrada is not an over the hill AAA roster filler the way Mike Burns was last year (though Burns wasn't as bad as some Brewer starters have been this year).. He's got some upside. Keep in mind he's over a year younger than Parra. In 2008, he posted a 2.66 ERA at AA at age 24. What age are Rivas and Rogers, considered the best Brewer prospects currently at AA? You guessed it, they are also 24. If Rivas and Rodgers finish the year with ERAs of 2.66, everyone will consider them viable rotation options by 2012, when they will be the age Estrada is now.

Possible scenario: Estrada piggybacks Parra today with each going 4 innings. Remember Parra's no longer fully stretched out. Whoever does the best job gets the start the next time around. In theory, it would save the bullpen.

Haudricourt confirmed in his blog that it's Estrada. No corresponding roster move announced. TH guessed Stern, but I think it might be Edmonds to the DL myself. The bench would be really short if Stern if back down and Edmonds still can't go for several more days. I think Stern sticks around until Gomez returns on Friday. Haurdicourt also posed the possibility of Estrada starting on Thursday, though he was just speculating.

Hart for Carmona? I completely take back what I posted in January. I'd make that deal in a heartbeat. Carmona doesn't run up pitch counts like every other Brewer starter. He's averaging 6 1/3 per start. He keeps the ball in the park too. He's only allowed 2 HR in 51 1/3 innings His GO/AO ratio is 2.38 for his career. He's fully capable of making even his option year numbers be very reasonable. He's much, much better than Bush, Davis or Parra and maybe Wolf too.

The Rays can't afford Fielder's salary this year either. The Rays are already the best team in baseball. They don't need to add salary.