MLB FanHouse

Footprints in the Snow: Brewers

Pat Lackey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

If I wanted, I could copy and paste the main points of the Brewers "Footprints in the Snow" from last year and they'd still be valid. After losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers failed to address their pitching woes and dropped from 90 wins and the wild card to 80 wins and a long winter.

Their offseason this year should follow a similar track, only now with the added pressure of Prince Fielder's ticking free agency clock. The Brewers are experiencing the worst feeling a small-market club can; that of the window closing. What can (or will) GM Doug Melvin do to avoid squandering his team's chances?

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Felipe Lopez, 2B; Craig Counsell, IF; Mike Lamb, IF; Jason Kendall, C; Mike Cameron, CF; Braden Looper, SP

Shopping List

The Brewers have already gotten a start on their shopping list by sending J.J. Hardy to Minnesota for Carlos Gomez, who should fill in for Mike Cameron nicely in center field. The problem is that Hardy was their best trade chip, which means that while they did fulfill a need by trading him, they failed to address their biggest need.

That, of course, is pitching. I think that secretly Doug Melvin dreams every night of getting to call a press conference to announce John Lackey's signing, but I'm just not sure how realistic that dream is. There is a decent amount of secondary talent on the market for them, as I discussed when they announced they wouldn't pick up Looper's option last week. If Lackey's not an option, Jarrod Washburn and Joel Piniero make good fall back plans, though the Brewers really could use both of them and those two guys will be the second option of every team that comes up short in the Lackey sweepstakes.

From there it's a pretty big dropoff. Carl Pavano is still a big question mark, Doug Davis isn't quite what they need, and there are lots of question marks out there, from injuries (Justin Duchsherer) to ineffectiveness (Jason Marquis, Brad Penny, Vincente Padilla).

Money Matters

The Brewers also have quite a few arbitration-eligible players, which could hamper their pitching spending spree. Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart, the newly acquired Gomez, Todd Coffey, Carlos Villaneuva, Seth McClung, Jody Gerut, and Dave Bush are all up for arbitration this winter. Gerut seems like a non-tender candidate (due for a raise on his $1.775 million) and they may not offer contracts to all three of their relievers. Bush is now in his third year of arbitration and will probably be expensive, though it's hard to believe they'd cut ties with him and leave only Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, and Jeff Suppan in the rotation without knowing how free agency will pan out.

The big, overarching question of the offseason, though, is what to do with Prince Fielder. He's theirs through the 2010 season, but he and agent Scott Boras have made it clear that he'll be dipping his toes in the free-agent market after that. He could be a huge trade chip at this year's deadline or even this winter. Dealing him, though, would throw an immediate white flag up on the present, and with Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, Alcides Escobar, Mat Gamel, Weeks, and Hart, it's understandable why Melvin wants to first focus on winning now and worry about Fielder later.

Offseason Goals

I feel like a broken record, but the goal here is pitching, pitching, pitching. If Melvin can acquire two mid-rotation starters, they can probably slide Jeff Suppan into the bullpen and rely much less on Bush and Parra at the top of the rotation. If he can't, the 2010 season will probably be a rehash of 2009, and that could end with Prince Fielder in a different uniform.

Footprints in the Snow: Brewers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Decline Option on Looper

Pat Lackey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Transactions

The Brewers will not pick up Braden Looper's $6.5 million option for next year, Tom Haudricort of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting. They'll have to buy his deal out for $1 million, and it's all being done in the name of financial flexibility for the team to pursue more pitching on this winter's free agent market, according to GM Doug Melvin.

That's an understandable stance since Looper wasn't great in Milwaukee in 2009 (he won 14 games, but had a 5.22 ERA and poor peripherals) but it really leaves the Brewers with Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, Jeff Suppan, and probably Dave Bush (he's seen by some as a non-tender candidate now that he's entering his last year of arbitration and will likely be due a raise on his $4 million 2009 salary, but that seems unlikely with Looper's salary off the books) as starting pitchers right now. Melvin better have some plan in mind or things are only going to get worse for the Brewers' pitching staff.

Of course, the offseason is young and so its a bit early to judge, but so far the Brewers have already used their best trade chip (J.J. Hardy) in a move that didn't obtain any pitching, so free agency seems to be their best route to remedying the problem that kept them out of the NL Central race in 2009.

The question now is whether or not that plan will yield more fruit than it did last winter. The Brewers tried hard to keep CC Sabathia in Milwaukee, but couldn't match the Yankees' enormous offer and instead they ended up with Looper. It seems like a long-shot for them to keep up with the bidding for John Lackey, so they'll probably shoot for picking up two guys in hopes to build a deeper rotation behind Yovani Gallardo.

So which two guys on this list would help the Brewers out? Jarrod Washburn and Joel Piniero? Maybe take a flier Carl Pavano hoping that health and the National League perk his numbers up? Or is it too late already for the Brewers?

Brewers Decline Option on Looper originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alcides Escobar's Estranged Wife Says He Abandoned Daughter

FanHouse Newswire — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in Spanish on Fanaticos.com

By SERGIO MACHADO, Special from Fanaticos.com

Gabriela Escobar faces many challenges. She is not even close to beginning to understand the difference between right and wrong and yet she's touched by adversity. She is at the center of a situation created by adults, but luckily she has no idea of what's surrounding her. She hasn't even had her first birthday yet.

Leury Escobar is Gabriela's mother. She lives in Panamá and is the daughter of Sandra Taveras and Omar Moreno, who was a big leaguer from 1975 to 1986, playing his best years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, stealing 96 bases in 1980 and winning the World Series in 1979. He was part of that magical Pirates team known as the 'We Are Family' Pirates.

Read the Original Report on Fanaticos

Ironically, "family" has been both torture and peace for Leury, who told Fanáticos her story from her parents' home in Panama City. She talked about everything that has happened to her since first meeting Alcides Escobar, the highly-touted Milwaukee Brewers shortstop prospect.

Gabriela lives with her mother Leury in her grandparents' home. The pure love and affection she gets from them is evident and, much different from what she receives from her biological father, Alcides Escobar, who "has seen her only once, for a few minutes," according to Leury.

Fanaticos the Spanish-language sports blogging site, went to Panama to hear first-hand from Leury, who has compelling evidence to support her case against Alcides, who she claims owes child support.

At the time of the posting the original Spanish-language story, Alcides Escobar couldn't be reached for comment. Fanaticos reached out to the Milwaukee Brewers as well as to his team in Venezuela, Cardenales de Lara, but neither was able to help in contacting Escobar.

Paul Kinzer, Alcides Escobar's legal representative, was contacted and told Fanaticos: "[Alcides] doesn't want to talk about that. [Leury] has an agenda. She's been talking to the media. She's been talking a lot of trash. First I get a call from another guy and now you call me. ... Just be careful [with] what you write."

Kinzer also referred Fanaticos to another attorney, Jay Reisinger, who still has not responded to emails or calls.

A representative for his Venezuelan team has since responded to Fanaticos.

"Alcides Escobar denies everything", said Cardenales de Lara media relations director Richard Gómez. "He says his lawyer pays for monthly support for the child and she is protected by MLB insurance policy. He assures [us] that he doesn't have anything to do with Leury but he's paying attention to his daughter."

'Everything Just Switched ...'

"I married Alcides Escobar. I'm still married to him," says Leury, who showed Fanaticos her proof -- licenses, certificates and more paperwork, all stamped and duly signed. "We have a daughter and when I was six months pregnant he (Alcides Escobar) went to Venezuela to play winter ball and then abandoned us. He completely abandoned us. And the reason why I want to tell my story is not for me, because I know that I am neither the first nor the last wife that's being left by the husband. But for my daughter, because he has not taken responsibility for her. It's just not right."

Escobar went to play winter baseball with Cardenales de Lara in Venezuela around October 2008. According to Leury that's when everything changed.

"I was going to go to Venezuela with him, but they had a problem with the government and Hugo Chávez I think. I was pretty much advised not to go to Venezuela. Especially being five months pregnant," said Leury, who was born and raised in the United States, where she earned college degrees in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing.

"When he went to Venezuela, everything just kind of switched. It went from living happily to non-existent. Usually, during that time, it was his mistress calling me, insulting me. ... I started getting pictures via email of his mistress and she started texting me and calling me. He started calling me and telling me he didn't want to be with me because I was fat and he had found someone better. ... Just so many things. It was emotionally abusive, as at the time I was pregnant and these things started escalating."

Speaking to Fanaticos, Leury's father, Moreno, who is also the Sports Secretary of Panama, said: "I suggested that she not go to Venezuela, I told her: 'You decide, but with everything that's happening there, and being seven months pregnant, I'd suggest you come and stay here in Panama.' But he (Alcides Escobar) never came to Panama. He just left her here."

Gabriela Is Born

Gabriella Michaelle Escobar was born six weeks premature, on Dec. 11, 2008. Leury gave birth to Gabriella with an emergency C-Section, blaming it all on all the stress and pressure she suffered through her pregnancy. If she had to give names to her suffering it would be Alcides Escobar and his mistress.

"She was born here in Panama. She's a born-abroad U.S. Citizen", says Leury of her daughter. "She's pretty much had no contact with Alcides. He's seen her once. He saw her in May of 2009 when he made us go to the United States to try and trick me into a convenient divorce for him."

Leury has legal and official documents that state that Alcides is the father of her daughter. She even had to turn in an affidavit to the U.S. Embassy in Panama, swearing that Alcides Escobar is the father of Gabriela Michaelle.

Still a rookie in the major leagues, Alcides, who played 38 games in Milwaukee this season, made some portion of the league-minimum salary, which was was $390,000 this year and will be $400,000 in 2010. What the player makes depend on how many days he stays in the league, minus various deductions such as taxes, agents, insurance and more. Leury speculated that Alcides made about $30,000 a month at some point in 2009.

"When I came [to Panama] he gave me $3,000," says Leury. "That money was to buy a bedroom set and for anything else I needed. I had a credit card also with $2,000. With that I bought a ticket for his mother to come visit Panama. He then gave $1,000 for me to travel with Gabriela when he tricked me into getting a divorce. After that, when the divorce attempt was dismissed, I get an email with the subject 'Requested Child Support for Gabriela Escobar'. I thought that was very weird because we never discussed child support in court. It never got that far. I had filed a motion to dismiss the divorce proceedings and and they filled it in. According to what I've heard from his family, his lawyer set up that amount. There's no justification for it. It pretty much is a number that they made up out of the blue. I don't know how his lawyer came up with that number, if she's the one responsible for it. According to what I think, in the United States, for someone who's making $30,000 a month, $700 is ... pretty much the lowest child support in history."

'I Want a DNA Test'

"I want a DNA test!", says Leury almost jumping out the couch. "I've asked him for a DNA test. I've told his lawyers that I will be more than glad to give him a DNA test. My conscience is very clear.

"I know who Gabriela's father is. I know who it is, I know it's him and his family knows it's him because even though he denies it, he doesn't deny it to his family. His mother and father, his cousins, everybody knows that she looks just like his side of the family. So I don't have a problem with a DNA test. I want a DNA test!"

What Leury Escobar Also Wants

Leury went to college and was starting to blossom in her chosen career as a fashion designer in South Florida.

Before meeting Alcides, she recounts having a good life. She worked in her "dream job," had a car and lived comfortably in a rented apartment. She also didn't have the responsibilities that come with motherhood and didn't depend on her parents. She met Alcides and heard all the promises of a better life that have since faded away.

"All I want is for my daughter to be supported the way she's supposed to be. Many people are trying to say ... I'm out there trying to destroy his reputation. I'm not destroying his reputation, he did that on his own," says Leury.

"I'm not here -- like everyone says -- to destroy Alcides, because I very well know that if Alcides does well, so does my daughter. Obviously he needs to give her child support. What I want is for him to support his daughter. For him to give her the life that she deserves. For him to get her a house where she lives. Not me living off my parents. People may say 'oh she wants to take half his money,' but we weren't together for that long. Courts are not going to give me half of his money, I don't need his money. I'm a hard worker, I've worked before, I'm not afraid of working and I intend to do that. All I want is for him to support his daughter, that's it."

Omar Moreno's words reinforce his daughter's.

"I don't want to jump over to what could happen. He can run as much as he wants, but the time will come. We're preparing ourselves. This will go to court. He needs to get ready," Moreno said.

"He can have 500 lawyers, but he needs to know that the laws in the United States are not the Venezuelan laws. We'll wait. He has to support his child. That's his daughter."

Alcides Escobar's Estranged Wife Says He Abandoned Daughter originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hermida Could Pay Off Big for Red Sox

Frankie Piliere — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:49:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Marlins, Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, MLB Transactions, Scout's Eye View

In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down offseason moves from a scouting perspective.

It hasn't taken long for the Hot Stove to get heated up as we roll past the World Series. Some key players have already been locked up and some high upside trades have already gone down. What do these moves mean for each club involved and how will the players dealt respond to their new homes? Just as significant, how important will the prospects dealt turn out to be?

From Mark Teahen headed to Chicago, to the Carlos Gomez for J.J. Hardy swap, to Bobby Abreu's new deal with the Angels, each move had a distinct impact. Perhaps the most interesting of these, however, was Jeremy Hermida being shipped to Boston. For the price of a pair of young lefties, the Red Sox took a gamble that may prove very worthy.

There was a time when Jeremy Hermida was a can't-miss outfielder, considered pretty much unanimously to be one of the top prospects in all of baseball. For the former Marlin, those days were many setbacks ago. But make no mistake, there was good reason he was held in such high regard on his way up through the minor leagues. The raw power potential is still very much there and he has the skills that any scout points to with excitement.

On the other hand, the story of a player with physical skills that doesn't pan out has been retold many a time. So, did Boston get the player who never reaches that high ceiling or one it can help turn the corner?

There's no clear answer here, but it's safe to say that Boston has a good track record with left-handed hitters in recent years. Giving a guy like Hermida something to shoot for with that inviting Green Monster in left field will be fascinating to watch. It could very well put him in a better frame of mind at the plate. If they can get him confident in his ability to drive the ball to the opposite field, he could still blossom into the .300-hitting, 20-homer bat scouts envisioned a few years ago.

Considering his contract, his injury trouble and his failure thus far to reach his potential, Hermida is most definitely a gamble for the Red Sox. That only leaves the issue of the players that Boston sent to Florida in return.

First, there is lefty reliever Hunter Jones. With a fastball hovering around 86-88 mph, Jones is not a guy who figures to ever be a key setup man in a major league bullpen. If he's going to have a career, it's going to have to be against left-handed hitters. He relies heavily on his sweeping breaking ball and has shown he can have some success against tough lefty bats, but all things considered, this isn't a player Boston fans need to be concerned about dealing for a high-upside player like Hermida.

Jose Alvarez, the second and even lesser known of the two lefty arms Boston sent to the Marlins, also does not profile as a savior in this deal for Florida. After scouting him back in spring training, my impression of Alvarez was not an uncommon one. This isn't a pitcher with standout skills or projectability. There are some things to like about the 20-year-old southpaw, who finished the season at advanced Single-A, but he is not going to wow anyone with his raw stuff.

He's a feel pitcher with plus command of his pitches, and that control is going to need to remain for him if he's going to have success at higher levels. His fastball sits at 86-89 mph and he relies heavily on his two average secondary pitches. He has confidence in his changeup and has proved he could locate his 74-77 mph breaking ball against lefties.

The main concern with Alvarez is his over-aggressiveness in the zone. He gets too much plate when he's ahead in the count for a pitcher with less-than-electric stuff. Overall, there is enough there for him to have a role in a big-league bullpen, but given his smallish frame and current stuff there isn't a lot of upside.

If there is gamble for Boston in picking up Jeremy Hermida, it is not because it gave up high upside talent to get him. Clearly this was about dumping salary from the Marlins' perspective, and that is the positive they must take from this, because the talent they received doesn't come close to equaling Hermida's upside.

Quick Hits

o. We've yet to see how this year's market will take shape, but Bobby Abreu will not be left hanging like he was last year as it evaporated before his eyes. The pairing of him and the Angels is a perfect one, as his patient approach brings a balance to their aggressive lineup. With potential losses of key players elsewhere on its roster looming, this was a big move for Los Angeles. You know what Abreu will give you going into a season, and the Angels can now plan around him when constructing their 2010 lineup.

o. Carlos Gomez was one of the centerpieces of the Johan Santana trade, but things just never got off the ground for him in Minnesota. It was evident at times that both his attitude and careless play did not mesh with the hard-nosed, mistake-free brand baseball the Twins like to play. In that regard, you have to credit the Twins for being unafraid of dispatching a player for whom they clearly had high hopes. From a Brewers perspective, it can not hurt to give a player with physical gifts like Gomez a fresh start. Despite his struggles, there is still tremendous upside there. Of course, if J.J. Hardy can return to his peak offensive form, we might look at the Twins' side of the deal as one of the steals of the offseason.

o. He's never had overwhelming numbers, but from a scout's perspective there are a number of reasons Mark Teahen could continue to develop offensively. He's shown some of his best power to the opposite field, but it would be nice to see him learn to spin on the good fastball inside. That is about the only thing that's prevented him from taking off at the plate, and that's how opposing pitching will continue to try to get him out. The White Sox obviously hope he puts it all together with them.

Frankie Piliere spent the last three seasons working as a scout, most recently in the professional scouting department for the Texas Rangers in 2009. He now serves as the National Baseball Analyst here at FanHouse.

Hermida Could Pay Off Big for Red Sox originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.J. Hardy Traded for Carlos Gomez

Matt Snyder — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Twins, AL Central, NL Central, MLB Transactions

It was no secret J.J. Hardy was likely going to be traded this offseason, but most believed the Brewers would use him to acquire some desperately needed starting pitching help. Instead, they have opted to move him to Minnesota for a young center fielder -- Carlos Gomez.

Hardy, 27, fell out of favor with the Brewers this past season as he failed to meet his previously set offensive standards. He ended the season with an abysmal .659 OPS and the Brewers have uber-prospect Alcides Escobar waiting in the wings (he hit .304 in 38 big-league games last season). Thus, it made sense to move Hardy, who did hit 50 home runs in his previous two campaigns, for help elsewhere.

Hardy will slide into the starting shortstop role for the Twins, who are now almost certain to allow Orlando Cabrera to walk as a free agent.

With the emergence of Denard Span in center for Minnesota, Gomez -- who came over as part of the Johan Santana trade -- became expendable for the Twins. The 23-year-old speedster hit just .248 with a .293 on-base percentage in his two years for the Twins. He flashed some promise at times, racking up impressive stolen base totals and several triples, but he largely disappointed at the plate.

Still, he's only going to be 24 on Opening Day, 2010, and the Brewers can plug him into center field in place of most-likely-departing Mike Cameron. Gomez makes much more sense for the Brewers than Cameron anyway, considering his age and the fact that the Brewers already have enough power. They need table-setters. If Gomez can find a way to work his OBP up to the .350 (or more) range, he'll be a very valuable cog in the Milwaukee lineup.

Both teams have a bit more work to do, but the World Series just ended Wednesday. For now, this is a good, mutually-beneficial trade to kick off Hot Stove season for each.

J.J. Hardy Traded for Carlos Gomez originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Hot in Pursuit of Rick Peterson

Matt Snyder — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Rumors

Only the Washington Nationals had a worse team ERA than the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL this past season. Brewers' starters were the worst in the entire major leagues, sporting a pathetic 5.37 ERA. Obviously, something needs to be done for a team with such a high-powered offense, in order to remain competitive.

Thus, the Brewers are reportedly making a strong push for respected pitching coach Rick Peterson. Peterson has worked with former A's and current Brewers manager Ken Macha in the past, as he was in Oakland from 1998-2003, where he oversaw the development of All-Stars Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. He then took a job with the Mets -- which didn't turn out near as well and concluded during the 2008 season.

The Brewers lost former pitching coach Mike Maddux to the Rangers prior to 2009, and the results for both the Rangers' and Brewers' respective pitching staffs was evident. Thus, the Brewers are reportedly strongly zeroing in on bringing in Peterson to help shore up the staff -- namely the starting rotation. They appear confident the signing will take place very soon.

Despite the tumultuous ending in New York, Peterson is still known to be a solid developer of mechanics in young hurlers, so his hiring would be a good one for Milwaukee. Yovani Gallardo, the 23-year-old ace of the Brewers, has the stuff to be an elite pitcher. Manny Parra, 26, endured an awful 2009 after a promising 2008. He's far too young and has far too much talent to not benefit from the presence of a pitching coach like Peterson. Even the veterans could use a hand, as Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Braden Looper (after leaving St. Louis and the tutelage of Dave Duncan) were all drastically worse in 2009 than they were in 2008.

Brewers Hot in Pursuit of Rick Peterson originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trevor Hoffman Re-Signs With Brewers

Matt Snyder — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Transactions

The ageless closer has at least one more year in him -- and maybe even two. Multiple outlets are reporting that Trevor Hoffman has signed a new contract to remain with the Milwaukee Brewers.

According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the deal will pay Hoffman $8 million in 2010 and has a mutual option for 2011. The option contains escalators involving Hoffman's 2010 stats and could pay him up to $8.5 million in 2011. There is also a $500,000 buyout -- which grows to $1 million if Hoffman reaches 40 saves in 2010 -- should the Brewers decide not to retain Hoffman's services for 2011.

Hoffman saved 37 games in 2009 after beginning the season on the disabled list. He put up a 1.93 ERA and 0.91 WHIP, which were his lowest figures since 1998. He also qualified for his seventh All-Star game. There definitely appears to be some gas left in the tank of the 41-year-old.

Trevor Hoffman Re-Signs With Brewers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Bring Macha Back, Close to Extending Hoffman

Pat Lackey — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central

Despite a disappointing 2009 season, the Brewers confirmed Sunday that they will bring manager Ken Macha back in 2010 with a team option for 2011. In fact, most of Macha's staff will be back, with only interim pitching coach Chris Bosio and bullpen coach Stan Kyles not being offered contracts.

That's not the only news out of Milwaukee on the last day of the season. The Brewers are also apparently close to re-signing closer Trevor Hoffman, who pitched exceptionally well in his first season in Milwaukee, saving 37 games with a 1.70 ERA and a 4.27 K/BB ratio. He's 41, but the all-time saves leader certainly didn't pitch his age this year.

Bringing Macha back isn't surprising, even if he did find a way to work Corey Patterson into 10 games at the end of the season. The Brewers did fade in the second half, but there wasn't much for a manager to do with that pitching staff. And extending any player at Hoffman's age is going to be a risk, but the Brewers don't have a whole lot of choice, especially given how good Hoffman was for them late in games this year.

This is an incredibly important offseason for GM Doug Melvin because, as Ryan Braun pointed out, the window of opportunity for this group of players in Milwaukee is only so big. Melvin may be forced to trade Prince Fielder after 2010 due to salary concerns, and even with huge attendance numbers, Milwaukee's payroll can only grow so large. Bringing back Hoffman is a good start, but Melvin has much, much more work to do this winter.

Brewers Bring Macha Back, Close to Extending Hoffman originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Owner Unsure What to Do With Prince Fielder

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:42:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Rumors

A year ago at this time the Milwaukee Brewers were wrapping up their first postseason berth in 25 years, and even though they were knocked out of the Division Series by the Phillies, expectations were raised in Milwaukee. Those expectations weren't met this season as the Brew Crew is battling just to finish .500.

So it's no surprise that the team's owner, Mark Attanasio, is disappointed with this year's results, but he's focused on the future of his club and how it can get back to the postseason. Obviously changes will need to be made in Milwaukee if the Brewers are going to contend in the NL Central next season, and that means there are some tough decisions to be made.

There's a particularly big decision to be made with first baseman Prince Fielder. Fielder has one year remaining on his two-year, $18 million deal and is eligible for one more year of arbitration in 2011. Considering that he's hit 43 home runs and driven in 137 runs this year while putting up an OPS of 1.002, he isn't going to come cheaply. So the biggest question on Attanasio's mind is that even though the Brewers have control of Prince for two more seasons, is it better to trade him now while his value is at its highest, or continue building around him.

"I don't like thinking about the Milwaukee Brewers without Prince Fielder, I'll tell you that," Attanasio said. "It's a challenge, because on the other side, if you concentrate too much on one player. . . . It's not like basketball. If LeBron James or Michael Jordan is on your team, you can dominate. Prince could not have been more of a dominant player and we're scuffling to get to .500 with the challenges we've had with starting pitching. What do you do?

"If you play that player too much you have to surround him with good enough players to win. On the other hand, players like Ryan Braun and Prince, they come along only every 10 years or so. Believe me, I think [GM Doug Melvin] thinks about that every day."

While Brewers fans may not like the idea, it really does make more sense for the Brewers to move Fielder this winter than to bring him back.

He's a big presence in the middle of their lineup, but the team has a lot more holes to fill if they want to get back to the playoffs -- holes that could be filled by trading Fielder while his value will be at it's highest.

Brewers Owner Unsure What to Do With Prince Fielder originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brewers Considering Hiring Rick Peterson

Pat Lackey — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central

With a full week of baseball left in the 2009 season, the current edition of the Milwaukee Brewers have already allowed almost 100 runs more than the playoff-bound 2008 edition. While a large amount of that difference can be chalked up to losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, a more abstract difference for this Milwaukee team is the absence of well-regarded pitching coach Mike Maddux, who left Milwaukee for Texas after last season.

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported that the Brewers are interested in trying to bridge that gap by hiring Rick Peterson. The rumor shouldn't be surprising; Peterson worked both with Brewers' manager Ken Macha in Oakland and bench coach Willie Randolph in New York before being fired by the Mets along with Randolph last summer.

Peterson is of course famous for his work in Oakland, where he was pitching coach from 1998-2003 and where he mentored Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. His work with the Mets, however, is not quite as well-regarded. Still, he'd probably be an upgrade at the spot over the tandem of the now-fired Bill Castro and Chris Bosio.

Still, as much as Peterson may be able to help someone like Manny Parra, the Brewers need a significant personnel upgrade to their pitching staff to jump back in to the NL Central race in 2010. I know I probably sound like a broken record on that point, but they don't have one remotely reliable starter besides Yovani Gallardo right now and soldiering onward with guys like Braden Looper and Jeff Suppan just isn't going to cut it. Even the best potters need clay to work with.

Brewers Considering Hiring Rick Peterson originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Phils No Closer to Solving Closer Problem

Ed Price — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Phillies, Rangers, Twins, White Sox, AL Central, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Brad Lidge problem is back again.

Lidge on Wednesday blew a save for the 11th time -- most in the NL in 11 years -- as the Phillies lost 7-6 to the Marlins.

He entered for the bottom of the ninth, after Ross Gload's leadoff double, got two outs. But Hanley Ramirez walked, Jorge Cantu singled and Brett Carroll singled to hand Lidge the loss.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Manager Charlie Manuel acknowledged the Phils' dilemma: With so many other contingency plans thwarted by injuries, [Ryan] Madson and Lidge are forced into the setup and closer roles. If those two succeed, the Phillies are a dangerous team. If they perform as they did last night, the team will not win another World Series.

"It's hard for us to close a game out," said Manuel, who conceded that the Madson-Lidge combination "is kind of what we've got."

Lidge spoke with a flat voice and glassy eyes. "It's incredibly frustrating," he said, clearly struggling to explain another loss. "I'm disappointed."

Lidge, who didn't blow a save all last season, has failed on five of his past 15 save chances. He has eight losses and a 7.48 ERA, worst ever for a closer (20 or more saves).

Only one pitcher ever, according to STATS LLC, has had 11 blown saves, eight relief losses and an ERA greater than 7.00: Norm Charlton for the 1997 Mariners (11 blown saves, eight relief losses, 7.27 ERA).

From the Trainer's Room ...
Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has made 97 starts this season, was found to have no structural damage in his sore left wrist, but he will sit out another three-five days after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection. Philadelphia needs Ruiz in the postseason; 37-year-old backup Paul Bako is a career .230 hitter with a .194 average in 17 playoff games.

Numbers Game ...
Milwaukee's Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer to take sole possession of the major-league lead in RBI, with 131. He can become the first Brewer to lead the NL in RBI and the first Brewer to lead the majors outright since Cecil Cooper in 1980. Another Cecil and another Fielder -- Prince's father, Cecil Fielder -- led the majors in RBI in 1990-92 for Detroit.

In Their Own Words ...
"We won our ballgames, but we also got a couple of guys hot so they can go play Detroit. I think Dye, we put him on the right track. Maybe he can take care of the Motown boys." -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team (2 1/2 games out in the AL Central) overcame two Jermaine Dye homers for an 8-6 victory over the White Sox, who face the first-place Tigers this weekend

Advance Scouting ...
Scott Feldman needs a win this afternoon at Oakland (3:35 PM ET) if he is to become Texas' first 20-game winner in 11 years. Feldman is 17-5 with, likely, three starts left. The Rangers' three 20-game winners were Ferguson Jenkins in 1974 (25-12), Kevin Brown in 1992 (21-11) and Rick Helling in 1998 (20-7). With a 12-1 road record, Feldman can become the first pitcher with 13 wins away from home since CC Sabathia in 2001.

Starting Five: Phils No Closer to Solving Closer Problem originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Peavy Wins in Sox Debut

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, White Sox, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the White Sox may be out of the playoff race, but Jake Peavy still gave them something to get excited about. Peavy made his much-anticipated White Sox debut, pitching five effective innings to beat the Royals.

Peavy gave up three runs and his command was shaky, but he consistently threw his fastball in the low 90s. He threw 73 pitches, only 20 in his last two innings.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"Once you get out there, it's like riding a bike. It comes back to you," said Peavy. "You certainly are comfortable in that surrounding. I did some things well and some things not so well. I got a long way to go to be where I want to be."

Peavy had not been in a game since he hurt his ankle with the Padres on June 8. The White Sox got him in a shocking deal just before the July 31 deadline. Although he came back too late to help them get to the playoffs in 2009, he is signed through 2012.

From The Trainers' Room...
For the second game in a row, the Phillies' starter had to come out of the game with an injury. Fortunately for the Phillies, both pitchers say they will be OK. A day after J.A. Happ was pulled as a precaution because of a lingering side injury, Pedro Martinez came out with a neck injury. Although there may have been some concern that Martinez, who threw 130 pitches in his last outing, had been overworked, Martinez said that he actually tweaked his neck swinging the bat. He said his arm is fine.

By The Numbers...
Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder set the franchise record for RBI in a season with his 127th. Coincidentally, the man whose record he broke was in the ballpark. In the other dugout, actually. Astros manager Cecil Cooper had 126 RBI for the Brewers in 1983.

In Their Own Words...
"Wow," -- Rangers closer Frank Francisco, who could hardly believe the way his ninth inning unfolded in a victory Texas desperately needed. The Rangers led the Angels, 3-2, in the ninth, but the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Francisco went to 3-0 on Howie Kendrick, but he eventually got him to hit into a game-ending double play. The Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak and pulled within 6 1/2 games of the Angels. The Rangers have only 15 games left, but five of them are against the Angels, so they have a heartbeat. Barely.

Advance Scouting...
The Dodgers and Giants will meet for the final time this season (4:10 PM ET). The Giants, who can't afford to lose more than a couple games the rest of the way to have a realistic shot at the postseason, send Tim Lincecum to the hill against the Dodgers' Randy Wolf. The Dodgers' magic number for clinching a playoff spot is six. Depending on what the Marlins do on Sunday, the Dodgers could cut it to four.

Starting Five: Peavy Wins in Sox Debut originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doug Melvin's Job Not in Jeopardy

Pat Lackey — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:28:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central

After winning the NL wild card last year, the Brewers have taken a step back in 2009. They're six games below .500 and well out of both the NL Central and wild card races. Despite that, team owner Mark Attanasio went out of his way to endorse general manager Doug Melvin in 2010, saying that he has faith in Melvin fixing the holes the club currently has.

Since taking over as Brewers general manager in 2002, Melvin has turned what was one of the worst franchises in baseball into a competitive team with a slew of young talent. There's no denying the Brewers have regressed this year, but it'd be foolish to show Melvin the door so quickly when he's the main reason they actually have somewhere to step back from.

Still, Melvin's work is cut out for him. He's got a very good, very young core in place with Ryan Braun (25), Prince Fielder (25), Yovani Gallardo (23), and Alcides Escobar (22). Their offense is in good shape, but the pitching staff is barren behind Gallardo. After CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets left Milwaukee via free agency last winter, Melvin had hoped they could solve their rotation problems internally, but with Manny Parra's poor season, Jeff Suppan's continued aging and Dave Bush's injury problems, Braden Looper is probably the team's second best starter.

Melvin should have some options this winter, though. Both Mike Cameron and Jason Kendall will be free agents, which should open up some payroll for a free-agent starter. Melvin will also be looking to deal shortstop J.J. Hardy now that Escobar has arrived in Milwaukee, and he'll almost certainly want a starter in return.

Of course, as I said before, Melvin's earned the chance to try and patch these holes up. If the Brewers are still stuck in this rut in a year or two, maybe the story will be different.

Doug Melvin's Job Not in Jeopardy originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Giants Did Not Appreciate Prince Fielder's Theatrics on Sunday

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Giants, MLB Rumors

I'm sure you've seen the highlight already -- and if you haven't you can here -- from Sunday afternoon when Milwaukee's Prince Fielder hit a walk-off home run to give the Brewers a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. As Fielder rounded the bases he untucked his jersey before reaching a home plate that was surrounded by his teammates.

Once Fielder got there, he jumped into the air and, as he landed on the plate, the rest of the Brewers all fell to the ground as Fielder stood there arms extended in the air. It was a creative celebration to say the least, but, as you'd expect after pulling a stunt like that, the Giants aren't too happy with Fielder.

The Giants are keeping their mouths shut on the subject for now (though the Angels aren't), but it was obvious in the reactions of some Giants coaches in the third-base dugout. Pitching coach Dave Righetti stared so hard at Fielder as he gave a post-game interview I kept waiting for Prince's head to explode.

I can understand why the Giants would be upset. I know if I was on the team and had to see that, I wouldn't be very happy about it. Still, San Francisco can take some solace in the fact that they did take two of three from Milwaukee in the series and that, unlike the Brewers, they actually have something left to play for.

Besides, do we really know that this was all planned? I mean, it is possible that the entire Brewers team just lost their balance when Fielder hit the ground. In case you haven't noticed, he's not exactly a tiny man.

If anything the Giants should probably just be happy that Miller Park didn't cave in on them and everybody else in it.

Though, even if it was an accident, I don't think Fielder should be all that surprised when he finds a fastball in his ribs when the Giants and Brewers meet next season (they are done playing each other in 2009).

The Giants Did Not Appreciate Prince Fielder's Theatrics on Sunday originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rays' Season Slips Away

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Brewers, Marlins, Rangers, Rays, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Rays left their magic in 2008.

Fading Tampa Bay wasted a dazzling major league debut by Wade Davis, who allowed one run and struck out nine over seven innings, in a crushing 5-3 loss to the Tigers.

Davis' pitching helped the Rays carry a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, but then the bullpen came unraveled. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon used five relievers in the ninth, three of whom -- Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell and Russ Springer -- failed to record an out in succession.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Springer surrendered a grand slam to Detroit's Brandon Inge that turned a two-run lead into a two-run deficit.

"It's difficult, because if you lose games late like that, that's more difficult to take," Maddon said.

The Rays now sit a full seven games behind wild-card-leading Boston in the standings with 26 games to play, making them an extreme longshot to return to the postseason.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Bad news for two teams desperately trying to hang on in the playoff race. Chipper Jones missed Atlanta's 4-2 loss to the Reds Sunday with a sore abdomen. He's hoping to return to the lineup on Tuesday, but with Jones' injury history, you can never be sure.

Meanwhile, the Rangers will be without Josh Hamilton indefinitely. The Texas slugger missed the entirety of this weekend's series in Baltimore with a pinched nerve in his back and is expected to have a cortisone injection in the area in the coming days.

Numbers Game ...
Hanley Ramirez hit his 100th career home run Sunday, becoming the fourth-fastest shortstop to reach that threshold in major league history by hitting it in his 595th game. Only Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra and Ernie Banks reached the century mark faster.

"I didn't even know it was my 100th home run,'' Ramirez said, not in the mood to dwell on his accomplishment after Florida's 5-4 loss. "After the game, they gave me the ball and told me it was my 100th home run.''

In Their Own Words ...
"That was fun. Especially the way our season is going now, it's always good to have some fun." -- Prince Fielder, whose 37th home run of the season gave the Brewers a walk-off 2-1 win over the Giants in 12 innings. Milwaukee also turned a 5-4-3 triple play in the game.

Advance Scouting ...
Two of the hottest team in baseball hook up for a Labor Day matinee, and one of them has plenty on the line. The Rockies -- winners of five of their last six and leaders in the NL wild-card race -- host the Reds (3:10 PM ET), who have won 12 of 14. Per FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher, this is Cincinnati's best 14-game stretch since 1998, when it won 13 of 14.

Starting Five: Rays' Season Slips Away originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.J. Hardy Knows It's Just Business

Pat Lackey — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central

On the surface, the Brewers' handling of shortstop J.J. Hardy seems strange. They sent their veteran shortstop to Triple-A Nashville early in August, saying at the time it was being done to make room for top prospect Alcides Escobar. Then Tuesday they called up Hardy and said he'd be playing shorstop for the rest of the season. What gives?

When Hardy was sent down, Dave Cameron at FanGraphs wrote a post detailing how any lengthy demotion of Hardy would delay free agency for him by a year. That means that Hardy, now under team control for two more years, is a much more desirable trade target in the offseason. And Hardy himself seems to know it, saying that the move "makes sense."

Regardless of the ethics of such a move (and really, given Hardy's production in the past, this sort of thing is very, very shady), it means that Hardy has one month to make up for his currently dismal 2009 showing (he's hitting .229/.300/.365 with just 11 home runs, a far cry from the 50 he bashed in 2007 and 2008 combined) and try to show teams he's still got some semblance of the form that made him an All-Star in 2007.

One would think that even without a huge month, Hardy would still be worth something to someone. In the two years prior to this one, the combination of his bat and his slick fielding made him among the most valuable shortstops in all of baseball in both seasons. In fact, only Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, and Jose Reyes had more Wins Above Replacement (WAR) over the two seasons.

Despite his bad bat this year, Hardy's glove has still been very good and with the extra year of arbitration that he now has, the Brewers will almost certainly be able to find him a new home.

J.J. Hardy Knows It's Just Business originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Phillies' Howard Making MVP Case

Ed Price — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Phillies, Pirates, Rays, Tigers, Twins, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Ryan Howard is trying to challenge Albert Pujols for National League MVP.

Howard homered twice, doubled and drove in three runs Friday in the Phillies' 4-2 defeat of the Braves. Philadelphia now has an eight-game lead in the NL East.

"It makes you feel good when he starts hitting," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's amazing. He'll take two swings and not look too good, then all of a sudden he stays on a pitch and smokes it out of the yard. He's a tremendous hitter."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Pujols, who hit a walk-off homer Friday, has 41 home runs, 108 RBI, a .440 on-base percentage and a .666 slugging percentage.

Howard has 37 homers, 111 RBI, a .352 on-base percentage and a .572 slugging percentage.

But Howard is heating up as the September nears. Over his past 15 games, Howard is 20-for-59 (.339) with 11 homers and 29 RBI.

He has also excelled in divisional play, with 19 homers and 46 RBI in 51 games against NL East teams.

Howard leads the NL in go-ahead RBI (36) and game-winning RBI (17), and the Phillies are 25-7 when he homers.

From the Trainer's Room ...
After a defeat of the Rangers, the Twins put third baseman Joe Crede on the disabled list because of his chronically bad back. Crede is hitting just .229 but he has 15 homers and 48 RBI in 328 at-bats while other Minnesota third basemen have combined for one homer and 16 RBI in 172 at-bats.

Numbers Game ...
Pittsburgh lost for the 19th straight time in Milwaukee, tying a major-league record. Toronto lost 19 straight at Baltimore in 1978-81. One player, Ryan Doumit, remains from the Bucs starting lineup on May 3, 2007 -- the last time the Pirates won at Miller Park. Chris Duffy, Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Jose Bautista, Ronny Paulino and Tom Gorzelanny have all since departed.

In Their Own Words ...
"Timmy showed what he's about. He's a guy you want on the mound in a game like this. He knew how big this game was." -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy on ace Tim Lincecum, who threw a season-high 127 pitches while holding the Rockies to four hits in eight scoreless innings, enabling San Francisco to get within two games of the wild-card lead

Advance Scouting ...
There's only a game difference in their record, but the Rays and Tigers, who meet today in Detroit (4:05 PM ET), are in much different situations. Tampa Bay is 4 1/2 games out in the AL wild-card race and sends the the mound lefty David Price, who is 0-4 with an 8.07 ERA on the road. Meanwhile, Detroit enjoys a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL Central and turns to lefty Nate Robertson, who makes his first big-league appearance since June 26. Robertson missed two months after surgery for a mass in his elbow.

Starting Five: Phillies' Howard Making MVP Case originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Hall Shipped to Seattle Mariners

Matt Snyder — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:53:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Mariners, AL West, NL Central, MLB Transactions

Last Wednesday, after enduring three pretty disappointing seasons, Bill Hall was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers. This means they had 10 days to trade him before having to decide whether or not to cut him or send him to the minors. A week later, the Brewers found their suitor.

Milwaukee traded Hall and cash considerations to the Mariners for Ruben Flores, a minor-league relief pitcher. Hall has experience almost everywhere on the diamond, but he'll likely get a chance to immediately contribute at third base. The Mariners have been using Jack Hannahan at the hot corner as the cupless Adrian Beltre recovers from a testicle injury.

Of course, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik didn't offer any initial plans with Hall, other than giving a polished, positive statement.

"We value Bill as a versatile player who can play the outfield and three infield positions," said Zduriencik. "Billy has been a starting shortstop, third baseman and center fielder in his career. He has been a very solid Major League player who brings you experience and versatility. We look forward to Billy's contributions as he starts a new page in his career."

Hall was hitting a paltry .201 with 72 strikeouts in 214 at-bats for the Brewers this season. The .606 OPS was easily the worst of his career. In 2006, Hall hit 35 home runs and had an .899 OPS. He's gradually regressed since then and the Brewers finally just gave up on him. Still, Hall is only 29, so there should be something left in the tank. Perhaps a change of scenery will rescue his career. A Milwaukee-to-Seattle shift seemed to work wonders for Russell Branyan (though it's more likely he is just flourishing with an everyday job).

The 25-year-old Flores doesn't appear ready to help the Brewers' bullpen just yet. He was having a great season, saving 18 games with a 2.30 ERA, but that was only in Single-A. He has struggled since moving up a level there.

Bill Hall Shipped to Seattle Mariners originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disappointing Brewers Shake Things Up Before Facing Soft Part of Schedule

Matt Snyder — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB Transactions

The Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs last season for the first time since 1982, and their foundation of youth seemed to indicate they would at least be in the race for 2009. Sure, losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets would hurt the pitching staff in a big way, but the Crew would have a full season of Yovani Gallardo. And they were in the thick of the race for a while.

Since July 1, though, the Brewers are 12-23 and have fallen 6 1/2 games out of first place in the mediocre NL Central. Wednesday morning, Brewers brass finally decided enough is enough and made three pretty significant transactions:

1. Pitching coach Bill Castro was fired and replaced by Triple-A pitching coach Chris Bosio -- who won 67 career games for the Brewers.

2. J.J. Hardy was sent down to the minors, while big-time prospect Alcides Escobar got the call to the majors.

3. Bill Hall was designated for assignment.

It would appear the relatively embarrassing 13-6 loss to the Padres Tuesday night was the straw that broke the camel's back as general manager Doug Melvin sent a clear message to his team. He's not messing around. Obviously, their starting pitching leaves much to be desired, but the team as a whole has too much talent to be under .500 this late in the season.

Castro's firing is basically window-dressing -- just like when the Cubs fired Gerald Perry earlier this season. I'm not sure Bosio can all of a sudden make Manny Parra fulfill his potential and I know he can't wave some wand and magically make Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan into decent starting pitchers.

Hardy has been a colossal disappointment this season. After a 2008 season that saw him hit .283 with 24 home runs, 74 RBI and an .821 OPS, he has failed to live up to those standards. He's hitting just .229 with an abysmal .667 OPS. His power is down, but his plate discipline has been worse. His extended hot streaks, which were a signature of his in both 2007 and 2008, haven't shown up yet. He's still only 26, so a look in the minors could easily get him back on the right track.

Escobar will get a good look at short. The 22-year-old has a .353 on-base percentage and 42 stolen bases in Triple-A in 2009. He could be a better fit for the Brewers powerful lineup than Hardy, considering they could use a few more table-setters. He also figures to be a much better defensive player, considering his superior range. If he sticks, the Brewers would have offseason trade bait. Someone would surely take a shot at Hardy, considering his age and how well he hit the ball his first two seasons. Maybe they could get some starting pitching in return.

As for Hall, his 35-homer season (2006) is a distant memory. He's hitting .217 with a .660 OPS in the past two seasons, which isn't even remotely close to being usable in a major league starting lineup. It's doubtful the Brewers can get anything of value back in a trade within the next 10 days, and they are already stuck with his sizable salary. Therefore, I expect him to accept his assignment to minors. The real question is if the Brewers will want him to take it, or if they'll just wash their hands of Hall by releasing him.

These moves could help, but what really needs to happen is for all the players to just start playing better. If they do, they still have a shot to climb back into the race. The rest of their August schedule is as weak as one I've ever seen at this point in the season. They have 18 games left against the Padres, Astros, Pirates, Nationals and Reds.

Time will tell if these moves propel the team, but for now, everyone in the organization should be put on notice: Melvin is not tolerating failure.

Disappointing Brewers Shake Things Up Before Facing Soft Part of Schedule originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guillermo Mota Hits Prince Fielder; Fielder Attempts Retaliation

Pat Lackey — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:34:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Dodgers, NL Central, NL West

Keeping track of beanball feuds can be complicated. Tuesday night, after the Dodgers finished drubbing the Brewers, Prince Fielder walked off the field and directly toward the Dodgers clubhouse, intent upon committing some unspecified act of violence against Guillermo Mota (or perhaps just yelling really loudly at him). This was a result of Mota's plunking of Fielder in the ninth inning of a 17-4 Dodger win, which was actually preceded by the Brewers' beaning Manny Ramirez in the seventh.

Mota has made a career of throwing at sluggers and getting chased around the field by them, as with his beaning of Mike Piazza in spring training 2002 led to Piazza leaping out of the Mets dugout and choking Mota, which led to a follow-up incident in spring training 2003 in which Mota fled the mound after an enraged Piazza charged him following another beaning.

The Brewers, meanwhile, completely overreact to even the smallest perceived slights and are known to carry grudges across the better part of a season for issues that most would've forgotten. Combining Mota with his former team has apparently created a perfect storm.

The instinct in this situation is to take sides. You might want to say that Mota's shown a clear pattern of throwing at people and ducking the consequences. You might say that Fielder would pick a fight with a hotel attendant if said attendant tossed a room key softly at him.

The truth is that there are no sides to pick here. Mota's a hothead. There's no reason to throw at anyone in a 17-4 game. But then, the Brewers are brats. Why should Fielder be surprised he got beaned when Ramirez was plunked two innings before, after a homer and three RBI? The game wasn't close in the seventh, either, and it seems pretty obvious the Brewers were sending a message.

There's no right and wrong in a situation that's slightly less mature than a playground fight between fourth graders.

Guillermo Mota Hits Prince Fielder; Fielder Attempts Retaliation originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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