Matt Breen

Castellanos would be awesome, but it's a dream. Detroit is getting him playing time in LF in the minors. And if that doesn't work out, that's okay for them. Next year I wouldn't be surprised if Prince is moved to DH and Cabrerra is moved back to 1B, opening 3B for Castellanos. I know Detroit has another year on the contract of Victor Martinez at DH, but the guy is a shell of his former self. The Tigers might just let him go. Castellanos would be a perfect fit for Milwaukee, but it would likely take a lot more than Aoki and some bullpen arms.

I get a (scary) feeling that the Brewers will try and win next year. That means keeping most everyone. Probably resign Hart as well. They'll hope for bounce backs from A-Ram, Braun, Weeks, Gallardo. And hope for Peralta to keep getting better. Then they'll add a mediocre veteran arm - say a Capuano-like pitcher - for a few million bucks. Combine that with Estrada coming back, and some young arms that could break into the rotation (Thornburg, Hellweg, Nelson), and they'll hope for the best. Gorzelanny is a wild card. If he keeps pitching well as a starter he might become a fixture. Never know. Keeping the team intact, bringing back Hart and maybe a cheap starting pitcher, will cost us in the neighborhood of $95 million. I could see the team doing that. The only trade I see them make this year is to unload K-Rod, since he's a FA after the season. I know it would be a huge risk to try this - and I'm not saying it's a good idea - I just don't see Mark A. throwing in the towel. He doesn't seem the type. If most everything goes right, maybe we have a chance to win the division.

Defensively A-Ram did quite good in 2012, but he's never been that good before, and another year and a knee injury later are likely going to make him worse. Weeks has gone from an okay fielder to plain bad. Again, the ankle injury from 2011 seems to have really affected him. Hart was okay last year at 1B. I had expected him to be better this year with a little more experience. But next year -- who knows. Has he had surgery on both his knees? Outside of Segura, who has been decent, and I think will get better with more experience, this is a poor fielding, aging infield. That's a terrible mix. I hope we do something for 2014 to improve. I don't care who the pitchers are.

Fantastic. I'll take what is, essentially, a supplemental 1st round pick. Nice to have.

It is simply a suggestion. From the snarky and condescending tone and content of your reply, it sounds as if you don't like the idea. Simply mocking someone's comment isn't really productive, and, frankly, not very fun for anyone. It hijacks threads and deters people from participating. My apologies if that was not your intent or I have misconstrued your reply. C'mon man... It was a simple comment, it wasn't meant to stir up a paragraph in return. Sometimes, this board is so ultra touchy, it's hard to reply for fear that someone is going to take something you say the wrong way. How can my comment possibly deter others from participating? Message boards are made for opinions, and someone who has an opinion that does not match yours should not always be considered mockery. Hijacking the thread? Seriously? Braun was so bad defensively at 3B, it seems improbable that he can step in and man any infield position. Not saying it can't be done, but my first reaction was based on how poorly he played in the IF his first time around. Wasn't being snarky or condescending, and there was no tone, it was a simple comment. Thank you for the reply. My apologies I mistook the comment. I don't think anyone is offended when someone disagrees with them. In fact, I think those opinions are vital. When people engage in conversations it is what makes things really fun. Tossing off a sentence or a few words ripping something - without any explanation - just doesn't seem like a great help to the conversation. Again, sorry I misconstrued what you intended.

It is simply a suggestion. From the snarky and condescending tone and content of your reply, it sounds as if you don't like the idea. Simply mocking someone's comment isn't really productive, and, frankly, not very fun for anyone. It hijacks threads and deters people from participating. My apologies if that was not your intent or I have misconstrued your reply. As for Braun, his issues at 3B (errors) were often cited as poor footwork and an erratic arm. If that's the case, playing 1B would make those issues (mostly) negligible. Perhaps I'm wrong about his problems. Maybe there was a lot more. Maybe he had limited range and poor reactions as well. It's been quite a few years, and it's hard to make judgements after so long. But if not, putting him at 1B could help prolong his career as a hitter. He's a guy that gets lots of little injuries - muscle tweaks, etc. Maybe a less demanding defensive position would help him, especially as he gets a little older. That's assuming he can play the position decent. Also, as Braun gets older, his defense in LF could become a liability. If he can play a decent 1B, and we can find a replacement for him in the OF, that certainly helps out.

I wonder about this as well. Perhaps it's a matter of who's available at SS and 2B that drives the decision making. A slick fielding, decent hitting SS is going to cost a bit more than a similar player limited to 2B.

Interesting article at Disciples of Uecker talking about Peralta, as well as the future of the Brewer pitching staff. http://disciplesofuecker.com/wily-peralta-is-turning-it-around/13248 The thing that is interesting is that the Brewers are on track to have a very ground ball oriented pitching staff in the coming years. Peralta, Hellweg, Jimmy Nelson and Jungmann are all ground ball pitchers (see the article for all the numbers). Yet in 2013 we have one of the worst infield defenses in baseball (-25.4 UZR combined - ouch). Our staff has the third worse BABIP for ground balls in all of baseball. At .249, it's 20 points worse than average. On average, we have given up 23 more hits on ground balls than other teams. Pittsburgh has given up 55 fewer hits on ground balls than Milwaukee. This makes me think (as does the author) that the Brewers need to consider revamping their infield, focusing on some good (or at least, better) gloves. It means getting rid of Weeks and A-Ram. And figuring out 1B. Segura is probably average at SS - and will hopefully improve as he plays there more often. I worry that our pitchers are not going to be great - but they can be decent, if backed by a defense that plays to their strength. But if you have a bunch of clods and out-of-position guys out there every day, you'll basically give up any advantage the upcoming pitchers might have. Of course, getting a new, good fielding 3B and 2B (and maybe 1B) isn't exactly a simple thing. But maybe we should consider it a better way of molding the team in the coming years. I don't think we have to go overboard and have a bunch of gold glove type guys - but with the staff we are going to have, it might be prudent to add some better gloves - even if it sacrifices some offense. The only potential replacements in our minor league system are Hunter Morris (1B) and Scooter Gennett (2B). I don't think either is considered a wiz with the glove. But maybe at least one guy could stick, if he can hit okay and field average. I think some trades would be in order to add some additional starting pitching prospects and bring in some young bats. The bright side is that you're not necessarily needing to acquire top 50 type prospects (not that we don't want them, it's just that they are very costly - if even available). You can look to get a 3B and a 2B who are more mid-tier type prospects - good glove guys with passable bats. Those types of guys are probably more readily available. I'd consider trading just about anyone at this time, including Aoki, Gallardo, Lohse, A-Ram and bullpen arms. I also think the Brewers should consider moving Braun to 1B (assuming they feel they have someone who can replace him). I'm just not sold on Morris, and it probably helps Braun long term stay healthier. As a former 3B, I think Ryan would make and excellent 1B.

Winning next season is all predicated on just about EVERYTHING going right. 1. Braun, Hart, A-Ram, Weeks, Gallardo rebound. 2. Lucroy, Segura, Gomez, Aoki, Lohse, bullpen repeat. 3. Peralta gets better. 4. One or two guys starting pitchers - such as Fiers, Nelson, Hellweg, Thornburg - emerge. 5. Perhaps a 1B emerges (Morris) if Hart isn't resigned. 6. Few (or no) major injuries. 7. Other teams (Cards, Reds, Pirates) have injuries/problems. If all those things happen, sure we can compete. If you have Hart on the team, the payroll is over $90 million. We're not signing anyone major. The problem is that most of these things have to go right. That's unlikely. On average, for every good thing that happens, a bad thing happens. Braun, Hart, A-Ram and Weeks will all be over 30. If anything, they'll probably have more injuries. It simply happens as a player gets older (as well as their production declining). When the inevitable injuries/poor play occurs, we really lack depth to fill the holes (thus we have Yuni getting 200+ ABs this year). I just don't think it will happen. It's not impossible - but I think unlikely.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the 'lifetime ban' mentioned by baseball executives so that when they do suspend guys they can say things like they are being 'lenient' - making them look more reasonable. It's like selling something. You start high and go down so the buyer feels like they got out okay. It also might be a simple scare tactic - making players they have to talk with think twice about lying.

I agree with this. It kills me. We aren't going to contend in 2014. Be realistic. A good prospect is a good prospect, I don't care what the level of ball. Quite frankly, at this stage of the franchise, I want to acquire the guy in A ball who has a chance to be great over the guy at AAA who has a chance to be good. Of course, if there's a great prospect at AAA who we can get, that's awesome. But we shouldn't be afraid of grabbing lower level guys if it's in the best, long term interest of the club.

I think Jack gets the axe after the season. That's just my guess. I think the club will just decide to give the club a housecleaning - and Jack and the coaching staff will all be let go. They'll then go into 2014 with new leadership, and all their players will have a clean slate going forward. No one wil be a favorite of the manager or the general manager or whomever. Just my gut feeling.

I thought this was a pretty reasonable look at the whole situation by Ken Rosenthal: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/biogenesis-probe-unseemly-but-tough-to-avoid-tony-bosch-bud-selig-ryan-braun-alex-rodriguez-071013 He doesn't like the whole thing. Buying evidence and striking deals with drug dealers is 'unseamly'. But he understands why it is happening - even if he isn't thrilled by it. He doesn't think 100 game suspensions will happen. He also thinks its going to take a long, long time to sort out. It's a decent read.

Interesting thought. What if the suspensions happen, and the union decides to fight with a walk off. The union can claim, among other things, that: - the Biogensis affair is a witch hunt - that players are being accused and convicted based on the testimony of dubious individuals - that innocent players are going to be tainted - that it sets a dangerous precedent, allowing baseball to suspend players for drug use without actually failing a test Ultimately, the union can say to their membership something like: 'Sure some of these guys are probably guilty. Yes, it sucks that they are cheating and getting away with it - and it affects you. But if one innocent player is suspended, it's a tragedy. Do you want they next suspension to be you?' Just a wacky thought.

I think there will be a lawsuit by the players once this goes down. I'm not defending Braun or any of the guys, but there's a system to test for PEDs and drugs in place. Can you really suspend a player for PEDs when he hasn't actually failed a test? Is there a precedent for this? For instance, did baseball suspend players named in the Mitchell Report? No, they did not. Perhaps the most recent collective bargaining agreement covers this specifically. Maybe it says something like 'buying or possessing PEDs will result in a suspension as if it was a failed drug test'. My problem is that this is going to drag on a long time. Guys will fight it. The union might fight it. Instead of trying to dig up dirt on what has happened, baseball needs to be proactive and go after what is going to happen in the future. They seem obsessed with putting some guys' heads on pikes. Perhaps they think that will prevent future abuse.

Thank you for that painful, but funny, reminder.

Regarding the state of the franchise, right now the club has around $87 million slated for next year's payroll. That includes resigning Axford, Estrada and Badenhop at prices similar to 2013. I guessed Aoki's salary to be $3 million. That does not include resigning any of our impending free agents (Hart, K-Rod, Gonzalez, Yuni). That means if we stay the course, we probably aren't going to be making any major additions in 2014. We could clear some salary by cutting Badenhop and Axford. That would allow a modest free agent signing (or even two), but no game changers. Thus, we would be expecting to win next year with much the same team as this year. 1B is a question mark, but one of Gamel, Morris or Francisco would likely have to get the job. And we'd have to count on rebound seasons from Braun, A-Ram (and hopefully Weeks). The big question would be the starting rotation. You'd simply have to count on guys getting a lot better. Gallardo and Estrada would need to rebound. Peralta would have to mature. Maybe Thornburg and/or Nelson would step up. I'm just not seeing that happen. I know it's possible, but there are too many 'ifs'. And then there's a lack of depth at most spots. Especially starting pitching. An injury or two can just kill a team like ours.

This sucks, simply because it lowers Aoki's trade value. I love the guy, but he's not going to be a part of the next winning Brewer team. We should deal him - along with a lot of other guys.

Losing usually leads to issues such as this. Not always, but often. Good leadership from management and players can help help keep a ship from sinking too much. But sometimes it's very hard. The injuries and poor play from key guys isn't helping. A lot of the guys who should be leading - Braun, Hart, Weeks, A-Ram, Gallardo - are all injured or have suffered from poor play or other distractions. With regard to Roenicke - what players are going to get excited when he gives a sinkhole like Betencourt 61 ABs in June? Yuni was playing OF for us. There is no upside to making decisions like that - and the players know it. That's RRR and Melvin's fault when we are trotting out guys like that. Perhaps I'm wrong, but you have to wonder what the other players on the team think when Yuni gets a start at 3B (just yesterday). Why not Bianchi? Or why not Halton at 1B and Francisco at 3B? I'm not saying they are much better, but guys have to wonder why they aren't given a chance. The players seem to know this is a lost season. It leads to uncertainty as players wonder what their futures are. With all the injuries and the talk of fire sales, it's not a shock certain players have given up or are simply looking to the future. The club simply has to make some decisions. Decide when they feel they can contend, and then move players appropriately, then let everyone in the organization know what their situation is, and what their future is with the team. I'm not a fan of RRR, so I'd rather see him let go.

Olt has always struck out at a high rate. It has always worried some scouts. But he has struggled this year. 51 strikeouts in 140 ABs is struggling. I know there are extenuating circumstances, but that's still struggling. However, the team needs to look at the big picture and remember how good Olt was in 2010-12. If they feel the eye injury is behind him, he's a great 'low buy' guy - as some have pointed out. A guy like Olt is all about trusting your scouts. They have to look at his swing and approach and make up and decide if he's a future big league player.

You got it right. Deal K-Rod while he's hot. He's had great luck so far. He's been great for us, but this team isn't going anywhere. Deal him for whatever you can get. The sooner the better.

The thing is that it quickly becomes more than 'a few AB's'. Through June 20, Yuni had 44 ABs in June. That's 66 in a month. We're talking 200 ABs over a three month period. I'd rather give that to Bianchi and see how he holds up in a semi-regular basis. I totally agree that some guys are better off in the minors. But a guy like Bianchi should just get a little playing time to see if he's part of the future of this club. That's my opinion.

The Brewers simply should not have a 31 year old, bad fielding (at least at SS), bad hitting reserve middle infielder on the team. When a team is contending there is a value and desire for a known quantity. But we are not contenders. Yuni only takes away playing time from guys who could be part of the team in 2014 and beyond. Guys like Bianchi, Scooter and Francisco (and Morris and Halton and whomever the team likes) should be given the chance to show what they can do. I will say that I expect Yuni to get the axe once Hart returns (unless someone else gets hurt). So the team might simply be waiting out the inevitable. Still, I just hate that a guy with no future is taking at bats from other players who could use the playing to time to develop.

This says it all for me. There's not one pitcher I'm convinced is a major league starter. I think Nelson is the guy I'd bet on if anyone. I thought Jungmann was going to be a sure starter, but now, I'm not so sure. Otherwise, Hellweg, Thornburg and Pena all might be best off as relievers (so might Peralta).

General thoughts on the franchise: 1. Recognize that 2013 is a lost year. Between terrible pitching and injuries to key hitters, we aren't going anywhere. 2. This franchise probably can't contend until at least 2015. Probably 2016. 3. Starting pitching is bad, and the farm system lacks high end arms. 4. The franchise has long term holes at 1B, 2B and 3B. Our starters at those positions are a combination of injured, aging and free agents. The replacements available are non existent (such as at 3B), or projected to be average, at best. It should be noted that guys like Scooter and Morris, even if only average players, could be very valuable, especially at low prices. 5. The team needs to consider a fire sale starting now. Anyone who won't be contributing in 2016 should be made available, with an emphasis on acquiring young players - both starting pitching and position players. Aoki, Ramirez, Weeks, Hart, Lohse, Gallardo, Gorzelanny, Badenhop, Axford, Estrada, Gonzalez all should be shopped. The club could get decent returns for Gallardo, Aoki and Lohse. Ramirez might net something, assuming we assumed a chunk of next year's salary (say $6 million). Hart could get something valuable in return if he returns early enough and shows he's healthy. Gorzelanny, Badenhop and Gonzalez might get you something okay. I'd hold on to Estrada and Weeks to let them try and rebuild their value - even into 2014. I doubt anyone would trade for Axford with his salary, but if someone is interested, great. Otherwise, he is gone in the off season (unless he takes a major pay cut). Final analysis: This team has some nice pieces in Segura, Braun, Lucroy, Gomez. It has some arms that could make for a really good bullpen as well. But we need to have 10 or 12 promising starting pitchers in 2015. Not 3 or 4. The simple fact is young starting pitching fails at an alarming rate. Out of those 10-12 guys, we need to hope that 3 or 4 of the young guys can be successful. Maybe even have someone step up and become exceptional. Peralta, Thornburg, Jimmy Nelson, Taylor Jungmann, Ariel Pena and Johnny Hellweg are just an okay bunch, but we need more. I'd love to see a few top 50 type pitchers added to that list. The only way to do that is make some deals. I love Yo and Aoki, but I just don't see this team winning in the next couple of years with these guys. Then age and free agency start to become a concern. Final note: I'm not convinced blowing up the team is the best move. But at this point, I don't see other realistic options. We could keep the offense intact the next year and a half and be above average in hitting. But the starting pitching would really have to rebound in a big way. Lohse is pitching probably how we expected him, but Estrada, Yo and Peralta are underperforming. Perhaps the club feels those guys will rebound and/or breakout next year. But at best, you're probably looking at a staff that is middle of the road. Thus, I keep coming back to the overhaul of the team. I don't like the idea, but it's probably the best thing at this point.