MNBrew

We have middle IF depth in Counsell (solid pro), Cruz, & Farris. Corner IF depth doesn't have the experience (Gamel, Cruz, maybe Counsell at 3B but not for a huge period of time) but at least there are seemingly viable options. Pitching depth is solid, though Parra being the first option for #6/spot starter is a bit scary given his past 2 years. OF depth is scary (minimal experience in Dickerson & Boggs, & huge inconsistency in Gomez) unless you're expecting Katin, Schafer, or Gindl to step in & play like big leaguers. Granted, some of the veteran types that may become solid spring training NRIs likely won't be signed for 3-6 weeks. But as I noted above, if nothing changes, I have scary visions of the Brad Nelson & Chris Duffy experiment.

- Betancourt would be as bad a bench candidate as a starting candidate if everyone's hate for him is that justified. So putting him on the bench, by most people's apparent logic here, weakens the bench. - Sorry, Mr. Southpaw, but I just don't think there's any way McGehee's sitting every third day. Are you saying you'd really want McGehee's .300 BA, 100 RBIs, & .800 OPS out of the starting lineup for 1/3 of the season? Or just that if he were on the bench, he'd strengthen it? If it's the latter, you could say the same thing if Braun & Fielder & Weeks were on the bench more: Sure, you get a stronger bench, but at what cost?

Cappy, I've rooted for you fervently through your comeback process and I was thrilled to see you make it back, not only to the roster but also as a solidly successful pitcher. Huge congratulations! I'm hoping out hope that you end up a Brewer again in '11, unlikely though that now seems based on recent reports. We need a challenger for the #5 rotation spot & and a solid veteran #6 starter for when someone inevitably misses some starts. But I suppose you know that & it's Doug Melvin to whom I should be saying that. So if you don't make it back as a Brewer this year, best wishes for a good landing spot & a long, outstanding continuation to your career (except whenever you might pitch against the Brewers). And I'd love to see you back here once again!

Bench experience & depth (not to mention any power) right now are VERY shaky. Relying fully on Dickerson & Boggs (ea. less than a full year of PAs), or Gomez if he can't hold down the starting spot, brings back to mind WAY too vividly the start of '09 with Brad Nelson & Chris Duffy (at least McGehee panned out!). Pitching depth, I think we're fine. Position player depth, yikes! MLBTradeRumors.com sees the Brewers as basically having no remaining shopping needs. Boy oh boy, would that be bad! I still think we need: - Capuano or someone comparable to challenge Narveson for the #5 starting spot AND be the in-house, in-waiting 6th starter (which, barring a major miracle, we all know they're going to need at some point) - an Edmonds/Podsednik/Inglett type signing, ideally for the OF since a young guy (Gamel? or Cruz?) could complement Counsell as the IF reserve tandem; our 4th OF needs to be less of a pure reserve and more of a 4th starting-caliber OF I've got faith that Melvin's got a Saito-esque move coming on the hitting side before ST opens (meaning a solid, out-of-the-blue veteran signing). I'm very anxious to see who that will be.

Escobar & Cain were already in the bigs as starters -- Escobar since Aug. '09. Jeffress was in the bigs last August and had a good shot of making the roster this spring. So who did our farm system really lose this winter? Only 2 guys: Lawrie & Odorizzi. Granted, they're definitely top-tier prospects, but it's still truly only 2 guys. I suppose you could say that from last year they also lost Salome, but only because he apparently flaked out. There are many, many players who either sniffed the bigs or have the potential to be solid contributors in the bigs, A+ ball & higher: - pitchers: McClendon, Kintzler, Rogers, Rivas, Peralta, Heckathorn, Scarpetta, and SEVERAL other pitchers (even a year ago, you couldn't really say that!) - hitters: Gamel, Schafer, Gindl, Komatsu, Farris, Green (maybe), Luis Cruz, Kentrail Davis, and handful of others So we're thinner on position players. But other than SS, we've got young, under-control big-league talent -- mostly home-grown, as someone else noted -- at about every position on the big-league diamond. . . . The cupboard's not totally bare at all. Then again, what people think "on paper" during the winter -- even generally pretty minors-savvy folks like Callis -- doesn't mean much if the results continue in the right direction and the talent pipeline continues to yield solid prospects.

I'm sure the Brewers called on Fuentes at one point, but I think Heyman's just behind the times on this one.

I'm not sure it'd be the right move, but with Jose Reyes a FA at the end of the year, he might be a worthy target for Axford/plus deal. And the Mets are still the Mets, so they just might do it if the right short-sighted circumstances come into play.

I've been saying all offseason that I want Capuano back, partly to battle with Narveson to be the #5 starter and also to be the #6 starter when someone ends up missing some time, which is virtually inevitable. He'd be the perfect guy to have as a long man. In 6-8 weeks when ST & then exhibition games start, if someone else hasn't been smart enough to snatch him up, I wonder if he'd still consider coming back here for 3 reasons: - It could turn out that he's got as good of a shot at getting starts here as anywhere when all's said and done (maybe not likely, but a possibility). - If a player or two from the fringe of the bullpen (thinking James or Egan or Kintzler or whomever) become(s) so attractive to other teams who'd be willing to offer someone more useful than someone on our roster turns out to be, then maybe there becomes a spot ready-made for Capuano. This might also be contingent upon the circumstances in the 1st point. - Mark Rogers gets hurt again and Manny Parra suddenly becomes the best option for #6 starter, which for the past couple years has proved lethal to the team's well being. I'm being incredibly optimistic, I know, but I still really wish Capuano were the #5/6 starter and already signed on to wear his #39 Brewers jersey come spring training.

I like this move a lot. I see an 11- or 12-man staff to start the year. A 13-man staff seems more than excessive.

I like the idea, but I'll hold off on believing it 'til it's for real. EDIT: Maybe it has happened, per this Ken Rosenthal TWEET.

Marty & Family, God bless & hang in there! Many thoughts & prayers from up here in Twins Territory!

Hate Betancourt all you want, but you still need competent bats on the bench -- and not just a bunch of singles hitters. Right now, the experience factor (outside of Counsell) and the power factor on our bench are extremely low, which could mean trouble when you need to hit for the pitcher with the game on the line. Say what you want about Edmonds, but that guy was a positive difference maker at the plate late in a lot of games.

Augie, the biggest thing working in Narveson's case is that he was lousy out of the bullpen but again got progressively MUCH better (sub-4 ERA over his last 10 or so starts). Also, your 25-man roster has 26 guys (14 position players, 5 starters, & 7 relievers).

There's no need to do that. It would be 100% redundant after the "meet the media" stand-up session they just had in the clubhouse.

Funny that some would be that eager for a new version of Brady Clark since so many were ready to run Brady out of town for a couple years before he was traded to LA. Then again, his skills were slipping and we were able to get a little something for him.

Bumping this up... The 25-man roster thread contains many posts assuming Boggs is on the roster. Checking out his details, though, doesn't he really just size up as a switch-hitting Brady Clark? I only ask because it doesn't seem that he does any one thing especially well. And he's got less than a full season's worth of MLB playing time. Hardly seems a sure thing to me.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/112198079.html In this interview he just says they both live in Orlando and see each other a few times an offseason. Doubt they are neighbors.I read a Greinke quote where he said they lived about five minutes from each other. He also mentioned he occasionally sees Prince, who also lives in Orlando.Greinke went to HS in Apopka (as did Warren Sapp). Weeks went to Lake Brantley HS in Altamonte Springs (as did Jason Varitek & golfer Chris DeMarco). The two towns are adjacent and we'd drive right by Lake Brantley HS on the way to our church in Apopka for over 10 years. Thus, the "5 minutes" Greinke says jives in my book. So at minimum, if Greinke & Weeks (or at least their parents) still live in the same places, that's essentially how they're neighbors. Apopka's NW of Orlando. Altamonte Springs is a little more due north. Lake Brantley was about 5 minutes from our house. About 5 miles in the other direction was Lyman HS, where I thought Felipe Lopez went. But per baseball-reference.com, Lopez also went to Lake Brantley. One other note: former Brewer farmhand SS Wes Weger lived just down the street from us. Seems my younger brother knew him from HS -- I didn't, though, because we didn't move back to FL 'til I was in college.

Unless I missed something, wasn't this the money situation? Or is there something else? Betancourt: $4M salary in '11, $2M buyout for '12 ($6M salary for '12) money: $2M from KC in Greinke deal, presumably to pay for the buyout $1M from Seattle to KC, & therefore to us (right?)

One more (shorter) set of thoughts: Current for-sure bench includes Counsell, a lousy-hitting catcher (take your pick & only Kottaras has even some pop), Dickerson, & Boggs. Another IF reserve will make the roster. - Assuming the current 40-man, we have a potentially VERY lousy-hitting bench with practically no power. - That's also a bench w/ VERY little experience outside Counsell -- much like '09, which was remedied last year w/ experienced guys Edmonds & Inglett. - Defense counts for plenty, but the bench needs guys who can make some impact at the plate, not a collection of punch-&-judy hitters. If all we have are the latter, we'd just better hope no starters ever get hurt & no pitchers ever need to be PH'ed for with the game on the line. Melvin surely must have some other moves up his sleeve, if for nothing else than at least to create some competition for the last roster spots & to improve the current lot.

Would love to see these moves to round out the roster: • Chris Capuano -- Need a legit starter who can also pitch decently in relief 'til needed in the rotation. • Scott Podsednik -- Need some experienced OF depth. Dickerson & Boggs each have less than a full season's worth of PAs, & Gomez is Gomez. (Edmonds = a solid Plan B if his legs aren't still falling off) Other comments: • Unless lightning strikes, Betancourt is assured of being the starting SS and I can give you $4M reasons why he's not going away. • Punto would make sense (great D, shaky O, decent speed). But with Counsell back, the Brewers still need a reserve corner IF with at least some pop (Gamel?), not a 2nd reserve middle IF. • I like Mark DiFelice a lot, but after a year off due to injury, I'd be hugely surprised if he's on the 25-man rather than in AAA to start the year.

This is the exact logic that had me arguing that signing Pavano made good sense, even if for 3 years, because the Brewers still had all their assets except Lawrie. I don't believe the cupboard's bare, but the glaringly positive options aren't quite as abundant as they were before this trade. I do believe Melvin has the wherewithal to pull off something should the need be there. It'll sure be interesting to see how things are progressing come July.

To answer your question up front, yes, I think the net of this outcome is better than just signing Cliff Lee. Now to ramble... - The rotation's now set for a few years. To boot, Rogers, Rivas, & Peralta could all be knocking on the door to challenge Narveson or at least be potentially strong injury replacements starting this year. Nice rotation depth. In the meantime, the low-minors guys (Heckathorn, Scarpetta, hopefully Arnett, and several others) develop at a comfortable pace. - The bullpen always used to be the place for guys who couldn't make the rotation. We have a strong core for '11 to begin with including a proven closer, and decent depth from the farm both ready now and still in the pipeline. Nice bullpen depth. Always room for good competition & injury fill-ins. - CF depth isn't only in the low minors. Besides the 3 potential CFs on the 40-man already, Schaefer would've been at AA or even AAA last year without his injuries. Gindl was the CF in AA (and made BP's Brewers top 10 prospects -- the only non-pitcher to do so), and Komatsu was the team's minor league Player of the Year. Yes, losing Cain stings, but there's still very nice depth of talent up & down the system! - In those 2 trades, we gave up no OFs, no Cs, & no corner IFs -- only 1 2B, 1 SS, 1 CF (yes, that's kick-butt up-the-middle strength), 1 SP, & 1 reliever. No single position got screwed over. Yes, it was lots of high-end talent. But we still have plenty of other recent high picks coming along, plus 2 first-round picks next year. - Finally, the Brewers' farm system itself didn't take the beating everyone thinks it did. Why? Escobar already was a major league SS. Cain was the Brewers' starting CF the last couple months of '10 and was slated to start there again this year. Ideally, his minor league days were behind him, too. . . . So those two guys WEREN'T minor leaguers at all. Jeffress was also on the roster before last September and had a chance to earn a season-long spot in the 'pen again this year. So whether or not he was a minor leaguer could be debated, too, though hardly as convincingly as Cain & especially Escobar. So the only bona fide 2011 minor leaguers the Brewers gave up were Lawrie & Odorizzi -- big losses, to be sure, but the cupboard just plain isn't bare like most national writers seem to think.

The rotation & starting 8 are set. Half or more of the bullpen is set. position reserves: 1 of Kottaras/Nieves/Rivera Counsell & Gamel Dickerson/Gomez & Boggs comments: - I sure hope Gamel earns the spot, anyway, and Melvin went after Hinske because he wanted more pop on the bench - I've been hoping for the return of Podsednik for quite a while now. He's got the speed Roenicke would favor. Boggs doesn't seem to do anything overly well. bullpen: givens -- Axford, Loe, Hawkins, Parra, Braddock my 6th & 7th relievers -- Capuano & well, about anyone from McClendon, Kintzler, Egan, Green, etc. comments: - Between the rotation & Hawkins, somebody's bound to miss some time, which is why I think we need the skills & experience of Capuano (i.e., You need a 6th starter inevitably just like you need your 4th OF to be basically starter-quality, which basically we didn't have once Gomez proved the Emperor wasn't wearing any clothes, so to speak, & Edmonds was the starter.) - Our young guys did well last year. But it's also quite conceivable that Braddock or Axford could almost as easily pitch their way back down to AAA for a time. I want Capuano around in that scenario, too, so our go-to guys aren't all just fellas right up from AAA. (If you're following my posts this winter, it should be quite clear that I'm seriously rooting for the Brewers to re-sign Capuano. I've gotten on a similar kick lately re: Podsednik, who can be a very steady starter but who's also learned better how to come off the bench, too.)

Green is a DM nugget-mining special. Might pan out, might amount to nothing. The former, obviously, would be preferable. I'm still holding out hope for Capuano. Gotta have a long guy who can spot-start, and Cappy's experience to me counts for quite a lot, not to mention his success last year after nearly 2 years off. That guy can pitch well.

Noted elsewhere that I've been hoping for a Podsednik return.