Matt Breen

I don't know if this is the best place to put this, but Jack Clark is accusing Pujols of doing steroids. Here's the link: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/08/former-mlb-player-accuses-pujols-verlander-of-peds/ Here's a quote: “I know for a fact he was (taking roids). The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that’s what he did.”

I'm on record to liking Braun at 1B. Keep him healthier I'd then look at a platoon of Gindl/Davis or Schafer/Davis in OF (for the latter platoon, I'd move Aoki to LF when Schafer is playing, because Aoki's mediocre arm plays better in LF. Schafer would be an awesome fielder in RF - better arm and cover more ground than Aoki). Assuming you don't resign Hart, I guess the Braun at 1B idea comes down to the following configuration options: 1B: Braun OF: Gindl or Schafer / Davis platoon OR 1B: Morris or Gamel or Francisco (maybe platoon with a right hander - Halton?) LF: Braun I like Braun at 1B. I love the idea of Schafer getting more playing time. I think his defense is special. Of course, if the team doesn't want Braun at 1B, that negates the entire idea.

It is not uncommon for high on-base, power hitting types to age rather quickly (or early). While Rickie is a 2B, and was never slow, his numbers look more like a corner IF or OF. I have not watched that many games the last couple of years, but I'm wondering if Rickie is simply aging quickly. The ankle injury, the hard play, etc., saps him of some of his speed. The walks are still there, but he's lost a little power, lost a little quickness. It ads up. We're left with a guy with declining skills. Like I said, I haven't watched him that much, so I'm just sort of playing along with some theories on why he has struggled this year. I do think that his play at 2B has gotten really bad - especially after the ankle injury. I love Rickie. I like that he plays hard, never makes excuses. But I just have to wonder if he's lost it. Maybe losing some weight would help him. He always was kind of a big guy for 2B.

Brewers should deal Gonzalez for whatever they can get for him, then move Narveson to the bullpen for the rest of the year and see how he does in a loogy role. I just don't see how the guy factors in as a starter for 2014. But he could reinvent himself in a bullpen role. From 2010-12 he gave up an OPS of .640 versus lefties - not bad. It was .783 vs right handers.

Nice article about Luc's success at Disciples of Uecker: http://disciplesofuecker.com/jonathan-lucroy-near-elite-catcher/13764 Nice praise: "Even as it stands, he already has the eighth-best single season by a Brewers’ catcher. And if he can continue to produce past this season — and there doesn’t seem to be any reason why he shouldn’t be able to produce — he may finish his career as the greatest catcher to ever don a Brewers’ uniform."

Just wondering what people thought about bringing back Axford in 2014. After the terrible start, he's pitched pretty well (although not tonight). You figure he'll make at least $4-5 million (he makes $5 million this year). I just don't know if he's worth the hassle with his inconsistent play the last two years. He can be brilliant - then maddeningly frustrating.

Totally agree. Everything should be about next year. Get guys healthy. Evaluate young players. I think Mark A. and Doug Melvin believe we can compete in 2014. They'll reboot things fresh and hope that Yo, Braun, A-Ram and others can come back and be productive, like in 2012. I wouldn't be surprised if Hart is brought back on a one-year deal for around $4-5 million with incentives. I'm skeptical that we can be more than a .500 team next year, but there's always hope.

Luc is a very good player. I don't know if 'star' is there - at least not yet. He doesn't have an elite skill(s) either as a hitter or receiver that makes him great. That said, he's a heck of a player, and I'm thrilled we have him. Above average catchers aren't easy to come by. The scouting department nailed this one right when they picked him.

I remember watching Boomer as a kid. HRs are cool - and he provided them. His 1975 season, when he hit 36 HR, was awesome (hitting 30+ HR back then was a pretty big deal). I think he lead the league that year. I didn't realize he won 7 gold gloves - including five straight with Milwaukee. RIP George. Thanks for the memories.

Yo have thrown the 9th most pitches in baseball over the last five years. He's got a lot of miles on his arm. More than half of the top 10 pitchers on that list have also experienced similar some sort of reduced effectiveness: Cain, Lincecum, Jimenez, Sabathia, Lester (as well as Yo). It should be noted that these guys didn't necessarily get hurt - but they simply have not been as effective. Verlander, Kershaw, King Felix and Shields have stayed pretty consistent. I guess the point is that throwing 15,000+ pitches over the past five years may simply be taking a toll on Yo's arm.

Atlanta is reportedly looking at starting pitchers as well. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/braves-considering-trades-for-rotation-help.html Supposedly they are interested in Bud Norris. Maybe Lohse would be a match - along with a bullpen arm.

I don't know much about Wooten, but he's had a good year, and he could, potentially help out the team next year. He's EXACTLY the kind of player we should have on the team. Bring him up and let him get in 15 games or so. Just get some experience. Let the major league staff see if he's got something that could make him part of our future. Sanchez and Heckathorn might get a shot next year as well. I'm not saying call them all up, but if the opportunity arrives, we should look at the young guys.

Not a bad idea. He certainly seems like he's not a full strength. You're right, he's thrown a lot of pitches the last 4-5 years.

What happened with regard to the WBC? I've seen that mentioned for a few players. I guess I just didn't pay much attention. Was it that players didn't get any playing time? What? thanks.

Rosenthal is reporting that Lohse and Gallardo will likely stay put, even in the wake of Hudson's injury: Two previously available starting pitchers — Milwaukee Brewers righties Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse — now figure to stay put. Both could have greater trade value in the offseason, when different dynamics will be in play. At that point, Gallardo will have two years and $24.25 million left on his contract, Lohse two years and $22 million. Both of their average salaries will be lower than the amount of the qualifying offer, which is likely to be more than $14 million. And both will be more affordable than free agents like Santana, who likely will seek three-year deals at bigger numbers. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/tim-hudson-broken-ankle-surgery-atlanta-braves-must-scramble-for-starter-ervin-santana-jake-peavy-bud-norris-072413

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/crain-will-not-be-activated-prior-to-trade-deadline.html Crain had a set back in his rehab, so he won't be available to trade for prior to the deadline. This should help the stock of other relievers on the market - including Axford, Gonzalez, etc.

It would have defused none of the anger. He said the same thing before so nobody would have believed him. Glad to here Mark say it since that carries a lot more weight. I actually think it would have helped a lot. He never said anything about not being able to talk (or if he did, I missed it) because of the ongoing investigation. He never gave any indication that he would have more to say and more to do. Perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe nothing would have helped. I just think it would have given people a moment of pause before they went ballistic on him.

Silver lining for 2013? Let the young guys play. Schafer, Davis, Francisco, Bianchi, Thornburg, etc. Let them get some steady playing time and get a feel about them and see if they are a legitimate part of the team's future. High draft pick. I'm excited about that.

Braun could easily have said at the beginning of all this: "I know people are going to have questions. But because of the ongoing investigation, I have agreed not to discuss my situation. I know I have a lot of apologizing to do. I know I have a lot of people to talk to. I know I have a lot of questions to answer. I'm sorry I can't say more at this time, but I'm doing what baseball has requested. When the time is right, I'll speak more about what has happened." I just find it amazing he didn't say something like this. It would have defused so much of the anger. Oh well, too late now. He's let the national media establish the tone and scope of the narrative. He's let others within the organization answer for him. I'm just stunned at how poorly he's handled the situation. I thought he started out so good by coming out first, making a statement. But he's dropped the ball from there.

Barnes would be awesome. I just wonder if Boston would be willing to make the move. I guess now is the time to strike with regards to Barnes. He's been mediocre this year.

I have to say that I think Braun is being stupid by not directly addressing things. I figured the standard 'I made mistakes' speech would be followed something more... silly me. He's allowed the national media to set the tone and message of this conversation. Foolish. And if he and his people thought it would go away after his initial apology, foolish thinking. Sure others will eventually cop pleas and shift the spotlight. But to think what he said was enough is plain foolish on his part. As people have pointed out, there are some things he might not be able to talk about. That's fine, but say that. But there's plenty he can say. At this point it might be too late to even try and manage the damage. But he certainly can't hurt himself more in the eyes of the public and media.

Nice article. Guys like Passan and Morosi are acting like Braun murdered someone. As the article says, I'm not defending Braun. He has a lot of fence mending to do. But some people are going overboard on the reactions, in my opinion.

I think the best quote about this whole thing came from Tom Verducci at SI.com: "Braun will never be able to move on even somewhat comfortably until the force of his admission rises to the level of those dramatic denials. There is no advancement for him without real contrition and accountability." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/20130723/ryan-braun-suspended-biogenesis/ I think it nails it best as to why people are so upset. Braun worked so hard, made so many people want to trust him, and he failed them. He's going to have to work just as hard to win back their trust. And for many, it will never come. But he needs to try. I realize that there are things he can and cannot say regarding this whole thing. But I hope he just comes out and says as much as he is able. Drop the legal speak. Drop the 'I made a mistake' approach. And acknowledge that he duped people (the team, teammates, other players, everyone). Just say, "I did something wrong. I did this because (insert reasons). I lied. My lies dug me into a hole and I lied more to try and get out of it. It was selfish. It was dumb. I'm embarrassed. I'm sorry. I'm sorry to the fans. I'm sorry to my teammates. I'm sorry to the Brewers. I'm sorry to my fellow baseball players. I'm sorry to my family. I apologize to everyone. I promise, going forward, I will do what's right." Then get on the phone - or better, see face-to-face - anyone he might have wronged and offer a personal apology. Finally, going forward, any player, any fan - anyone - who comes up to him, he should nod, let them have their say, let them vent - whatever. Then just nod, apologize personally, and move on.

Assuming Braun knew he was going to get nailed, he's smart to get out in front of things now. The team sucks, so him missing the rest of 2013 hurts the team less. Also, if he waited until next year and missed an equal number of games, his salary is quite a bit larger. So taking the hit now saves him money. Finally, and most importantly, I'm going to go on the assumption that a bunch of guys are going to get nailed for the Biogenesis stuff. Braun's smart to be the first to get it done, get it out of the way, and try and put it behind him. Other guys will start getting suspended. Let them make the news. This will NEVER be forgotten by people. Never. But if he knew he was going to get suspended, he did the best thing. He just acknowledged it and said he was sorry. A lot of people will probably wish he said something about the previous incident, but legally, it's probably not in his interests to admit anything about it. The only thing that might help Ryan is to fess up what he did with the Biogenesis stuff. Otherwise, people will continue to speculate. If he said something like, "I was looking for an edge. I've had some injuries. I took some stuff to help. I'm sorry I lied about it. I got caught in a trap and did what ever I could to get out. It was dumb. I know better, but you get in the situation and you do dumb things. I take responsibility for the wrong things I have done." I hope he avoids saying he 'made a mistake' or crap like that. Fess up and be a man. Just say what you did. You cheated. You lied about it. I hope he says those things instead of trying to diminish things. I hope he adds he wants to come back, be positive, be willing to do whatever it takes to prove he is clean, be willing to do whatever he can to make up for his mistakes. We'll see.

Great deal for Chicago. They weren't going to sign Garza, and for a couple of months of the guy, they net a few guys with some decent upside - all for a pitcher that would have gotten them, at best, a supplemental pick in next year's draft (or whatever they call it). None of the players Chicago got is a sure thing. Olt and Grimm have struggled this year - but you could say the same thing about Peralta up until a month ago. Edwards has been great (albeit in A ball). John Sickels had him the 71st best minor league prospect in his mid-season report (Olt was not in his top 75 list).