Jim Goulart

Huh? Ax-Man was 46 of 48 in save opportunities. Kimbrel was 46 of 54, including three blown saves in September, final game among them. I know who Craig Kimbrel is, and John Axford and his 2011 WHIP of 1.14 (yes, a tad higher than Craig's 1.04) is currently the premier closer in the NL, and that includes Mr. $50 million Papelbon. It's amazing how everyone brushes eight blown saves by Kimbrel under the rug as if none of them happened. Now, would more GM's trade for Kimbrel than Axford, perhaps, but you don't see a lot of 5'10" RH closers with sustainable careers. Yeah, probably deserves its own thread, by the way...

WTMJ Interview This AM

Players' Union head Michael Weiner spoke on MLB Network Radio Friday on the Braun situation -- link ; nothing earth-shattering. FYI, I just tweeted two Shaun Marcum audio clips from this AM.

Folks also forget that Hart can refuse any trade until after the 2012 season that moves him to a team that trains in Florida -- part of his contract...

Jon Heyman had projected this on Nov. 21st: Norichika Aoki. Three-time batting champ is supposed to be the best pure hitter to come from Japan since Ichiro. Projection: $10 million posting. $15 million, three years. As some have noted, let's really limit the Ichiro comparisons. However, a seeming bargain thus far...Doug's probably in shock he won out. But at least he was in on the dance, nice.

Ironically, Brewers will be negotiating with Ryan Braun's agent, Nez Balelo, during contract talks for Aoki.

Take care, Casey and family. You guys rock. http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ca/caseymcgeheetalks/caseymcgeheetalks_fullsize_story3.jpg

Bingo!

T.J. Quinn, one of the ESPN co-authors of the article that broke the story, responded to me when I brought to his attention the Brendan Katin updates a bit earlier in this thread -- I'm not sure what similarities there are, other than the fact that Katin initially tested with elevated testosterone levels and he denied any wrongdoing. I don't know if Katin subsequently tested positive for the synthetic test, as Braun did, or what the circumstances were, or any details about Katin's initial positive test. It also appears MLB never proceeded with his case, for whatever reason, which would also make it different than Braun's. But Braun is engaged in an active defense, and an initial positive test does not automatically mean someone has violated the policy. He'll have a chance to make his case in arbitration.

From our Brewerfan September 2007 archives, here's Mark McCarter's article -- pretty fascinating in light of this past weekend. Must reading for the undefeated 13-0 MLB arbitration mantra repeaters: *** Link is no longer active, text follows: Lab rats wore white coats in Katin's nightmare Contact Mark McCarter at Huntsville Times He didn't even get an apology. Not even an embarrassed "Oops!" Just a formal letter that finally tracked down Brendan Katin on a July road trip and told him what he already knew, what he had told people ad infinitum: Not guilty. As if some letter would restore all the shininess on the Huntsville Stars outfielder's reputation. As if a letter would make up for the gnawing feeling in his belly every day that impacted his play and concentration, that had him shrugging an answer every day when somebody would ask, "Have you heard anything about the steroids test?" An early season drug test threw up a red flag. Something was out of the ordinary. Katin was suspended, then immediately unsuspended until the lab-coat guys could review his test again. "There was a lot of weight on my mind," Katin said. A couple of weeks for the review turned into a month. Into a month and a half. "Absolutely ridiculous," he said. Must have been a busy summer down in the labs. What's the rush? Just because a 24-year-old guy's career is twisting in the wind? What? Too busy dealing with beakers and test tubes and shopping for pocket protectors to realize it's a human, not a white rat, you've got running on your treadmill? Ridiculous, indeed. Meanwhile, despite professing his innocence, Katin is employed in a business that has created a guilty-until-prove-innocent culture when it comes to steroids. He's also employed with a minor-league franchise that provided the poster children for performance-enhancing drugs: Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi. Katin's initial test showed a higher level of testosterone than normal. Upon further review, the lab guys "determined that my high level did not constitute a positive result (for steroids)," he said. Brendan Katin was and is clean. Despite the angst, despite a strikeout total he recognizes as "too much," despite a season that he said "had its ups and downs," Katin emerged as a Southern League All-Star outfielder. He led the league in homers (24) and RBIs (94), the first Star to lead both categories in the same year since the late Mike Coolbaugh in 1997. At Wednesday morning's batting practice, he was treating the scoreboard like it was a target. A few minutes later, he was asked to explain what the sensation of a home run was like. You know, for us mortals to understand. "It feels like nothing, I guess. When you really get a hold of one, it feels like you didn't really hit it," Katin said. "It's kind of like you don't hear it, you don't really feel it. It's just perfect." Tonight, Katin can begin to write the ending to the up-and-down season perfectly. He'll be making his Southern League playoff encore, albeit in a considerably different role. He has gone from passenger to pilot, from a cameo actor to the star, from a role player a year ago after his Aug. 19 promotion, to the team's primary run-producer. "It's easier to show up at the ballpark, knowing you're going to be in the lineup." Easier to show up, too, knowing that everybody else knows what you knew all along.

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times reminds us of Braun's former University of Miami teammate and longtime Brewer farmhand, Brendan Katin, who made a successful appeal: *** Braun the latest in long list of former Huntsville Stars linked to banned substances By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Four former Huntsville Stars have been selected Most Valuable Player in the major leagues. All four have now been linked to performance-enhancing drugs. Ryan Braun, the Brewers' outfielder and 2011 National League MVP, is facing a 50-game suspension after reportedly testing positive for a banned substance. Braun played for the Stars in 2006, leading the team to the Southern League finals. Braun plans to appeal and, in a text message to Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, wrote "I can't wait to get that opportunity. This is all B.S. I am completely innocent." Baseball's Steroid Era found other former American League MVP Stars in infamy - Jose Canseco (MVP in 1988), Jason Giambi (MVP in 2000) and Miguel Tejada (MVP in 2002). One of the most high-profile players also linked to steroids was Mark McGwire, who played for the Stars in 1986 and in 1998 broke Roger Maris' season home-run record with 70. Each of those four ultimately admitted guilt. Braun might find some hope in a case with which he also has a connection. Former Stars' outfielder Brendan Katin, a teammate of Braun at the University of Miami, was briefly suspended in 2007 when a test revealed a higher level of testosterone than normal. Katin entered an appeal and was allowed to play while the decision was pending. The findings were reviewed and, more than three months later, it was "determined that my high level did not constitute a positive result (for steroids)," he told The Times in September 2007. Major League Baseball required testing at the minor league level and had jurisdiction over punishments. As Katin said then, with the automatic 50-day suspension for a first-time-offender, "you'd have to be very, very, very stupid" to do anything illegal. There is another University of Miami link. Braun has known Alex Rodriguez, another former Miami player, for a decade. Rodriguez admitted in 2009 to using steroids. Interviewed by mlb.com before Rodriguez's admission, Braun said using performance-enhancing drugs was "never something that I sought" and that "the best thing he can do is come out, admit to everything and be completely honest. The situation will die a lot faster if he tells the whole truth." Braun batted .332 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs in winning the MVP award. It was hardly a spike in power figures: he had 34, 37, 32 and 25 in his previous four years. He never had been associated with any prior controversies, on or off the field. The Milwaukee Brewers are standing by their man. Team president Mark Attanasio said in a statement, "We are dealing with an incomplete set of facts and speculation. Before there is a rush to judgment, Ryan deserves the right to be heard. We are committed to supporting Ryan to get to the truth." Creative Artists Agency, which represents Braun, issued a statement saying there are "highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate that there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program ... We are confident that he will ultimately be exonerated." The former Stars didn't enjoy such exoneration. Canseco admitted first taking steroids in 1984 in his book "Juiced." Former Times sports editor John Pruett reported in 2005 that an owner of a Huntsville gym, now deceased, said Canseco regularly purchased and used steroids while with the Stars in 1985. Tejada was among those listed in the Mitchell Report as having used steroids, then in 2009 tearfully pleaded guilty in a federal court that he had lied to Congress in his testimony about steroid use. Giambi admitted to a grand jury involved in the Bonds-related Balco case that he had taken steroids and McGwire, after years of speculation and reports, admitted in January 2010 he had taken steroids for health reasons, not to improve performance.

T.J. Quinn, ESPN Investigator, audio interview from this weekend Part 1 Part 2

There was that time when Kramer caused the tainting of Guiliani's cholesterol test....

The endorsements, the statue, the Hall, the legacy, the respect. Risked it all away. We need to learn more, hopefully Ryan has the one yet-to-occur believeable, legitimate, provable excuse. That's all we can hope.

Time to resurrect the "I'm devastated" line. For I truly am.

Normally a Dec. 2nd date, midnight Monday night the 12th is the deadline. Eligibles: First time: Casey McGehee, Nyjer Morgan, George Kottaras Second time: Kameron Loe, Manny Parra Third time: Shaun Marcum, Carlos Gomez In terms of predictions, suppose we can all say Marcum ($3.95M in 2011), Gomez ($1.5M), and Morgan are automatics. Probably Loe ($1.25), too, though due for a significant bump, some will debate that. Parra ($1.2M) probably will be tendered, too. With still plenty of room on the 40-man, there doesn't seem to be significant risk or damage in carrying Kottaras through spring training, from where a club in need may come calling if it's obvious Martin Maldonado is ready. I personally don't think the Brewers will tender Casey, because they won't carry him and his salary if an Aramis Ramirez signing is pending. But there is some urgency then to sign Ramirez Monday to assure they have him locked in, allowing them to trade (predicted) or non-tender McGehee. And yes, that's my prediction, a Ramirez signing Monday and a McGehee trade. Post your own thoughts and we'll see where we are 11:01 AM Central Time Monday night.

Thanks for all the (too many) kind words -- as you'll note, I'll be around a bit, just not as excrutiatingly daily in detail. Closing this thread, you've said too much. Until next time, thanks again.

First minor league free agent signing without prior Brewer ties.

Games fielded by position here.

The Red Sox need a closer, probably want to avoid a long-term commitment (Madsen) and have been happy to go year-to-year arby with Papelbon previously. If payroll relief is the primary goal for Doug, he could accept minimal prospects in return.

From Baseball America:The minor league draft consists of two phases, and teams can continue selecting players until their minor league rosters are at capacity. Any player eligible for the draft is not, by definition, held in high regard by his organization. Each club can shield 78 players from the draft altogether—40 on the big league roster and 38 at Triple-A. An additional 37 can be placed on the Double-A roster and be protected from the big league and Triple-A phases of the draft. A drafting team pays $12,000 for a Triple-A pick and $4,000 for a Double-A one, but players are not bound to those classifications. *** In other words, it's a place (normally) to simply raid an organization, no strings attached, to fill a need among the soldiers in your own organization. As for the kid the Crew took today, scroll down to his year-to-year stats -- something sure clicked in 2011, maybe they get an eventual utility guy out of this.

Here's the Cardinals' SS the Brewers selected in the minor league phase of Rule 5 -- a 22-year-old Venezuelan native, RH bat coming off a pretty nice year in the Florida State League / Texas League -- some pop as well: SS Domnit Bolivar (another great name for the system) The Brewers now own him, no restrictions. Hit for the cycle last season In this system, he would immediately jump Josh Prince, for instance.

Cardinals took Erik Komatsu (Hairston trade) from the Nationals.

Jack Z. snags Luetge -- darn. Familiarity, folks.

Rule 5 this morning! Couldn't miss this! McCalvy / Haudricourt tweeted last night that the Brewers expect one of their players to be plucked. Below is the list of Brewer-eligibles. It certainly will be a pitcher if so. With no LH relievers on the 40-man roster save for Zach Braddock (and a potential non-tender in Manny Parra), it was surprising that the Brewers (with plenty of room) didn't protect either of LHP's Daniel Meadows or the aptly named loogy Lucas Lester Luetge. I know RHP Rob Wooten has his Rule 5 predictors here, but I think you'll see one or both of the two lefty's selected. Both southpaws have fantastic size, and Luetge has the Rice pedigree to go along with his excellent recent vs. LH split. Congratulations Brock Kjeldgaard on your 40-man roster placement, but was any team going to carry Brock in 2012? Would hate to lose either of the two relievers predicted, especially when room was available on the 35-man roster (36 when you include suspended Mark Rogers). Why showcase Meadows in the AFL if you're not going to protect him? Last I saw, eight MLB clubs are ineligible to select, their 40-man rosters are full. Current AAA players -- IF/OF Erick Almonte C Patrick Arlis RHP Donovan Hand LHP Daniel Meadows Current AA Players -- RHP Michael Bowman RHP Darren Byrd IF Matt Cline OF Lee Haydel LHP Lucas Luetge LHP Daniel Merklinger UT Sergio Miranda RHP R.J. Seidel RHP Rob Wooten Current A-Level players -- RHP Evan Anundsen OF Chuckie Caufield OF Chris Dennis SS Carlos George LHP Efrain Nieves C Joey Paciorek RHP Rolando Pascual LHP Mike Ramlow C Mike Roberts IF/OF Juan Sanchez