Papelbon may head to Milwaukee, though it is unknown if the Brewers are on his no-trade list.

The Brewers and Phillies are engaged in "serious discussions" about a trade that would send Jonathan Papelbon to Milwaukee, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. As Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reported, the Brewers are one of the seventeen teams on Papelbon's no-trade list, with Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com adding that Papelbon would likely only be willing to waive his no-trade clause if his 2016 option was guaranteed before the season.

As our Justin Millar wrote yesterday, the Brewers are working hard to add pitching in the wake of the Yovani Gallardo trade, with a back-end bullpen upgrade being one of their main goals. The team was reportedly showing interest in free agents Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano, though a trade for Papelbon would likely put them out of the running for either of the free agents.

Papelbon, 34, is due to earn $13 million next season, and his deal includes a $13 million vesting option for 2016 if he finishes 48 games next year. His high salary may mean that the Brewers will have to pay a low price in terms of prospects, with the Phillies gaining salary relief in a way similar to their trades of Marlon Byrd (Reds) and Jimmy Rollins (Dodgers) earlier this winter.

In 66 games for the Phillies last season, Papelbon posted a 2.04 ERA while notching 39 saves in 66.1 innings of work. The five-time All-Star has 325 career saves over ten major-league seasons with the Red Sox (2005-2011) and Phillies (2012-2014).

The Texas Rangers bring in RHSP Yovani Gallardo from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for three prospects.

Every season team's have to have a Plan B ready to go, because injuries can strike a club at anytime. I can't say many teams have a Plan Z, but that's close to what Texas resorted to last season. They set a record in early September for the most players used in a single season in baseball history with 60 different players spending at least a day on the Major League roster. Their starting pitching was hit hardest, and they've made their second move of the offseason to address their depth in that area.

They acquired left handed pitcher Ross Detwiler in a December trade for Chris Bostick and Abel De Los Santos, bringing in a capable back end starter with experience. Now they've added right handed starter Yovani Gallardo to solidify the heart of the rotation, along with $4M from Milwaukee to help pay his upcoming salary. To add him, they had to give up a trio of prospects, two of which are Major League ready and have already been under the bright lights and third decks. Lets take a deeper look into the two that are still technically prospects, then the MLB assets involved.

Corey Knebel

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

Less than a year after being drafted, right handed pitcher Corey Knebel made his Major League debut for the Detroit Tigers in late May. His first crack at big league hitters didn't go his way, but he whizzed through the minor leagues very quikly after being selected with the last pick in the supplemental first round back in 2013. Going 39th overall from the University of Texas, Knebel signed with Detroit and received a $1.43M bonus. He was the closer for the Longhorns and remained in that capacity once turning pro.

After signing, the Tigers sent Knebel to Low A West Michigan of the Midwest League. The 21 year old right hander completely overwhelmed hitters, allowing just three earned runs in his debut over 31 innings for a 0.87 ERA, a 1.66 FIP, and 0.77 WHIP. He struck out 41 hitters (35%) while issuing 10 walks (8.6%), just 14 hits, and one home run. A beneficial .212 BABIP helped him limit Midwest League hitters to a paltry .133/.209/.152 line with just two extra base hits and a 83.3% strand rate. Right handed hitters went to the plate 65 times and got four singles, a double, five walks, and struck out 23 times. That translates to a Bartolo Colon-esque .083/.154/.100 line. Left handed hitters looked like Ted Williams in comparison(oh, the hyperbole!), hitting .200/.280/.222 with five walks and 18 punch outs. He racked up a 1.36 GO:AO ratio and 51.5% ground ball rate in his debut season and also induced 10.6% infield flies, which are as good as a strike out in the grand batted ball scheme. Despite the limited experience, the Tigers send Knebel to the Arizona Fall League where he held his own through nine appearances, striking out 11 and walking three with seven hits, one homer, and four runs allowed in 8.2 innings of work.

Knebel was put into the hyper-express lane in 2014, getting jumped a level to AA to begin the year. He surrendered two runs and just eight hits while striking out 23 and walking eight in 15 innings with Erie before being promoted to AAA Toledo in May. Less than two weeks later he made his Major League debut on May 24 against the Rangers. He shuttled between Toledo and Detroit until late July when he was packaged with right handed pitcher Jake Thompson and sent to the Texas Rangers for reliever Joakim Soria. He finished the year with the Rangers AAA affiliate in Round Rock. In his time spent with Detroit, he threw 8.2 innings with 11 strike outs, three walks, and 11 hits with a 6.23 ERA, but a 1.63 FIP, a 2.57 SIERA, and 2.92 xFIP. A .440 BABIP and 50% strand rate account for the major discrepancies between the ERA and advanced metrics. His time spent in AAA with both Toledo and Round Rock, both PCL teams, resulted in 30.1 frames with a 2.67 ERA, a 3.39 FIP, and 0.96 WHIP to go with a .217 BABIP and 78.8% strand rate. He struck out 40 (33.6%) while walking 14 (11.8%) and limiting PCL hitters to a .147 average. For the entire year with all four teams, he limited hitters in general to a .182/.286/.267 line with 74 strike outs to 25 walks with a 2.83 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Knebel held right handed hitters to a .190/.299/.260 triple slash over 118 plate appearances. Lefties didn't do any better with a .172/.270/.276 line through 101 PA's. He racked up worm burners in 45.7% of plate appearanes in the minors and 56% of the time in Detroit. This jives with his 1.30 GO:AO ratio in the minors this year.

Knebel has the prototypical relief profile with two plus pitches, shaky command, and a max effort delivery with some funk to it that won't allow him to last more than two innings. The fastball sits comfortably in the mid 90's with tailing action that can reach as high as 98 mph, but straightens out in the higher registers. He generates good plane on the fastball from his 6'3 frame and adds the illusion of sinking action that helps his excellent curve play up. Speaking of the big breaker, Knebel gets excellent 12-6 break on it in the 80-83 mph range. He'll mix a mid 80's change up in on occasion, but very rarely as its a below average pitch and the curve is very effective against lefties anyway. When you see the video below, you'll understand the term "max effort delivery" as he abruptly breaks his hands to start his arm swing before he literally rocks back and fires.  The control is decent enough though could use improvement, and he has the bulldog mentality you want to see from a potential closer.

When healthy, Knebel has shown to be a legitimate force at the back end of a game. The key word in there is healthy, which he is not. The Rangers put the kiebosh on his season in late August as he suffered a sprained right UCL ligament. They went the rest and rehab route (not very effective) and he hasn't pitched competitively for the last four months. If the rest took care of the issue, the Brew Crew can jot him down as a middle relief piece that will eventually take over the 9th inning at some point in 2015 or 2016. The flip side to Knebel is he may end up having to go under the knife anyway, eventually losing an entire year in the process. That would push his timetable back by a year, and even though Tommy John surgery has a great success rate, it's not 100%.

Video courtesy of MLB.com Video Archives

Marcos Diplan

Photo courtesy of Scott R. Lewis

One of the biggest international free agent signings of the 2013 signing period, putting his name on the dotted line for a $1.3M signing bonus. The industry consensus back then was that Diplan was the top arm available with Baseball America slotting him as the only pitcher in their Top 10 rankings of IFA's. He also garnered the third highest bonus given out by the Rangers, only trailing outfielder Jose Almonte ($1.8M) and SS Yeyson Yrizarri ($1.35M).

Diplan made his eagerly awaited professional debut this past year with the Rangers' Dominican Summer League affiliate. He made 13 starts that spanned 64.1 innings while striking out 57 (22.4%), allowing 36 free passes (14.1%), 32 base hits and a pair of home runs. The generously listed 6'0 160 pound right hander posted a 1.54 ERA, a 4.05 FIP, and 1.06 WHIP with a .197 BABIP and 79.2% strand rate which tells part of the tale of the ERA-FIP discrepancy. Opposing hitters in the DSL hit .155/.302/.213 against him with seven extra base hits and neither side posted an OPS above .536. His batted ball profile, which should be taken with a grain of salt like all DSL stats, showed a propensity for infield flies and inducing ground balls.

The 18 year old Dominican native works with a low 90's fastball that has peaked at 96 mph already, along with a developing curve and change up. The hook is the better of the two offspeed pitches, showing the potential of being an above average offering while the change looks to top out as just an average pitch. He doesn't have the ideal delivery, showing more effort that you'd want, but he shows a decent idea of where the pitches are going. Reports have said the elevated walk rate was due to nibbling and being too passive on the mound rather than an inability to find the zone. A more aggressive plan of attack could do wonders for him as he has the pure stuff to overwhelm teenage hitters. Prior to signing, scouts praised his feel for pitching at his age with an electric arm. As his body fills out and he puts on some (preferably good) weight, he may have a few more mph's left in the tank, putting it in the plus range. If he develops even average command of his pitches, he could be a valuable mid-rotation starter that sits in the mid 90's with an above average hook and average cambio.

Milwaukee could follow the more traditional route of bringing Diplan stateside to the complex leagues to acclimate him to American life and culture. His talent would say push him to the Pioneer League and see what happens. A lot of that depends on Diplan as a person and whether he could handle a transition like that, things people outside the organization are not privy to. I think he starts the year in the Arizona League and continues to develop consistency in his secondary pitches.

Video courtesy of FanGraphs via YouTube

Luis Sardinas

Photo courtesy of Jesse Johnson/USA Today Sports

Back in 2009, the Rangers went a little crazy in the international free agent market, snatching up middle infielders like they were going out of style. They handed Venezuelan short stop Luis Sardinas $1.2M to sign and had him debut the following year in the Arizona League. He made his full season debut in 2012 at the tender age of 19 years old and held is own offensively hitting .291/.346/.356 while providing excellent defense and some speed (32 SB).

He cracked the A+ Myrtle Beach roster for Opening Day and stayed there through the trade deadline, amassing a .298/.358/.360 triple slash over 432 plate appearances. Sardinas stole 27 bags while smacking 15 doubles, three triples, and a homer with 32 walks (7.4%) to 54 strike outs (12.5%). This came out to a 104 wRC+, a .337 wOBA, and he benefited from a .339 BABIP. He spent the last 29 games with AA Frisco where he stepped to the plate another 141 times. The going wasn't as easy as the 20 year old struggled with a .259/.286/.311 line to finish out the year with four doubles, a home run, five stolen bases, and he worked four walks to 21 punch outs. For the year as a whole, he hit .288/.340/.347 for a 95 wRC+ and .321 wOBA. The switch hitting short stop was more comfortable in the right handed batters box, posting a .298/.338/.403 line with both homers, six free passes and 20 K's in 134 PA's. As a left handed hitter, he made 439 trips to the box, resulting in a .284/.341/.330 line with 30 walks and 55 punch outs. It's also worth noting he did not take a single plate appearance against a pitcher younger than he was, which was almost three years younger than the Carolina League average and four years for the Texas League. The batted ball data shows a distinct lean toward the ground game, putting it on the turf 56.8% of the time in 2013, which was 12 points higher than either league average. He also only managed a 12.9% line drive rate, but only popped out to an infielder 3.8% of the time. Sardinas made 31 errors at short, giving him a .941 fielding percentage and a 4.07 range factor.

Ideally, I don't think the Rangers wanted to bring Sardinas up to make his Major League debut, but as mentioned before, injuries just would not allow them that courtesy. The 6'1, 150 pound switch hitter only made 90 plate appearances with AA Frisco before getting the call to join the big club. The Rangers only used him for three games before sending him back down to Frisco for another week. He hit just .253/.278/.333 in his time in AA with six extra base hits, three walks, and 12 strike outs. Texas kept him on the roster for a month and a half before sending him back to the minors, this time with AAA Round Rock. He got 273 plate appearances with them, hitting .290/.310/.374 in the PCL with 15 doubles, two triples and a bomb. Sardinas also stole nine bags, walked only eight times (2.9%), and struck out 39 times (14.3%) for a 76 wRC+ and .305 wOBA despite a .336 BABIP. With the Rangers, he made 125 trips the plate and hit .261/.303/.313 with six triples, five stolen bases, and five walks to 21 strike outs. Sardinas put the ball on the ground 56.5% of the time during his minor league stint with a 19.9% line drive rate and absurdly low 0.3% infield fly ball rate. He hit ground balls in 61.7% of his MLB plate appearances as well. Between Frisco and Round Rock, Sardinas made 12 errors for a .964 fielding percentage with a 4.03 range factor. In Texas though, he cost the Rangers two runs at second base in 19 games, where he had 16 career games played in the minor leagues, and one run at third base in seven games which he was playing for the first time ever. He did save one run in 13 games at short stop, his natural home.

Any scouting report on Luis Sardinas starts with his leatherwork. An excellent defender with a plus arm, excellent footwork, and hands like cashmere, he is a true short stop in every sense of the word. Even at his young age, he could provide above average defense if he were to get a starting gig. His issues show up on the other side of the ball where he has zero power whatsoever, but he's shown solid contact ability and plus speed. The high contact approach he uses results in very low walk totals which will limit his ability to get on base. In the future, his batting average will be heavily tied to his average on balls in play and will be pretty empty with his lack of thump. Sardinas' off the field attributes like work ethic and makeup are off the charts and he would certainly fit the bill as a "baseball rat". If the bat doesn't play, he will always be able to find a roster spot with his defensive skills, but if he maxes out, he could be a starting short stop with excellent defense and could hold down the eight spot in the lineup.

Heading into the 2015 campaign, the lithe Venezuelan will look to break camp with Milwaukee as a back up infielders. Because Sardinas technically exhausted his rookie status in the 2014 season, the Brewers will have him under team control for another five years and have two more options. With Jean Segura and Scooter Gennett already established as starters, Sardinas will have to put up a monster Spring while one of the two completely bombs or is injured for him to take a starting spot on the roster. They could always send him down to AAA Nashville to work on his approach and get a little more seasoning, but I don't think he has any projection left in him and more time in the minors would be a waste.

Video courtesy of Nathaniel Stolz via YouTube

*****

The name Yovani Gallardo used to carry a lot more weight when he was almost a lock for 200+ K's, an ERA between 3.50 and 4.00, about 190 innings pitched, and an ERA+ around 110. This was between 2009-12 and his age 23-26 seasons, before his strike out rate tanked over 5% in 2013. Last year, he threw 192.1 innings and maintained the lower strike out rate of 17.9% by punching out 146 with 54 free passes (6.6.%), 195 hits, and 21 long balls with a 3.51 ERA and 3.94 FIP.  He induced ground balls at a 46.3% clip with a 1.75 GB/FB ratio, a .294 BABIP, and 74.7% strand rate. His arsenal consists of a low 90's fastball that averaged 91.4 mph while being used 55.7% of the time. This encompasses both the four and two seam fastball with Gallardo going to the two seam more than ever at 30.5%, which probably accounts for the jump in groundball outs. He uses a pair of breaking balls - a high 80's slider and a high 70's curve. The slide piece averages 87.4 mph and he goes to it 24.5% of the time while the curve averages 79.1 mph and is thrown 19.1% of the time.

Lamborghini Gallardo is still a very capable mid-rotation arm that has shown great durability, taking the bump at least 30 times every year since 2009. Because he's been around for so long, its easy to forget that he's only going to be 29 next year. The Rangers will have him under contract for one more season before he hits free agency, and is taking home a $14M salary with the Brewers covering $4M of it.

All in all, the Rangers ended up surrendering a back up, slick fielding middle infielder, a Major League ready bullpen arm that has the potential to close with an unresolved elbow injury, and an 18 year old bonus baby who could develop into what Gallardo is now, for just one year of a #3 starter. I think it's a high price to pay though, especially with the upside of Knebel and Diplan. I'll side with the Brew Crew on this one.

Philadelphia came close to sending the 34-year old closer to Milwaukee, but the deal ultimately fell through.

As of Friday, it appeared the Brewers were interested in and were aggressively pursuing Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, as was first reported by Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan. But according to Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, while there is a chance a deal can still be completed, Papelbon to Milwaukee is "on life support."

Papelbon, 34, posted a 2.04 ERA and 2.53 FIP in 66.1 innings pitched with the Phillies in 2014. While the club appears to be in rebuilding mode, Philadelphia has been actively trying to trade Papelbon this offseason. However the veteran reliever is reportedly not drawing a notable amount of interest. He saved 39 contests in last season, ten more than he closed in 2013.

Passan confirmed the two sides engaged in a conversation with regard to Papelbon, although Papelbon's salary moving forward could have been the reason a deal was not completed immediately. He will earn $13 million in 2015, and since the Brewers are listed on his no-trade clause, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Papelbon would receive an extra $13 million for accepting a trade to Milwaukee. Heyman also notes that while Papelbon has said he would like to play for a competitive team, Papelbon's desire to have the 2016 vesting option picked up early makes him hard piece to move.

Philadelphia is prepared to move on without Papelbon because of the internal expectation that top closing prospect Ken Giles will be ready to pitch at the major league level in 2015. CSN Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury reported the Phillies are still looking to move Papelbon in order to create payroll flexibility moving forward.

The expectation is that the Phillies would be willing to include a significant amount of cash in a deal that involved Papelbon, however the Phillies and Brewers were not able to agree on the amount involved.

While the Phillies are confident Giles will be closing in 2015, Milwaukee may look to add free agent Francisco Rodriguez, who had a solid first half with the Brewers. Haudricourt notes that adding a late-inning reliever with closing experience is the club's goal, with Rafael Soriano and Carl Janssen also among possible alternatives.

Today's lessons include several updates from the Brewers on Deck event.

Brewers News and Analysis

• After an aggressive initial push, it appears that the rumors of Jonathan Papelbon coming to Milwaukee are near dead. Scott Gelman of MLB Daily Dish has an update on the discussions, which are currently "on life support". Meanwhile, over on Reviewing the Brew, Kyle Lesniewski believes that money shouldn't stop the trade from happening
• With the Papelbon rumors nearly dead, the new rumor is that the Brewers are looking at Francisco Rodriguez again. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, has been trying to convince Mark Attanasio that a return would be good for the Brewers. Meanwhile, Matt Goldman of Beyond the Box Score put together a defense in support of Francisco Rodriguez.
• Yesterday's Brewers On Deck event also provided us with some updates on injured players as we approach the 2015 season. Ryan Braun, Tyler Thornburg, and Jim Henderson are all making progress as the start of spring training approaches.
• With Yovani Gallardo gone, the pressure is now on Jimmy Nelson to perform as the #5 starter in the rotation. Tom Haudricourt also has quotes from Jimmy Nelson from yesterday, who is preparing to step into a full-time starting role.
• Over on Brewers.com, Adam McCalvy talked about the state of the team with Mark Attanasio, who says that the roster is not set and there will be another signing.
• The Brewer Nation blog was at Brewers On Deck yesterday, and posted several interviews in audio form following the event.
• Cait Covers the Bases has a list of the t-shirt winners for the all-fan giveaways.
• David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot has a list of breakout candidates for 2015, with Khris Davis among the candidates he lists as a "long shot".

Around Baseball

• Rob Manfred officially took over as MLB commissioner on Sunday, and it didn't take long for him to say something controversial. After making a comment that he is open to eliminating defensive shifts, Noah posted a very strong opinion of his take on that possibility.
• As he stepped down as MLB commissioner on Saturday, Bud Selig mentioned in a report to the Associated Press that he could see MLB expand internationally one day.
• We finish today with some some sad news from over the weekend. Hall of Fame player Ernie Banks died on Friday night at the age of 83.

Today's lessons include more on the Papelbon rumors, the bright side of a potential reunion with Rodriguez, and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

• Despite talk on the topic going quiet, the rumors around the Brewers looking to acquire Jonathan Papelbon are not dead yet. Derek looked at the current rumors yesterday, as well as the potential hurdles that need to be cleared for a deal to happen.
• Meanwhile, rumors about a possible reunion with Francisco Rodriguez continue as well, and Derek tries to look at the bright side of him returning to the team.
• Over on Reviewing the Brew, Jeff Servi has his own thoughts on who the Brewers should sign, thinking they should go after Phil Coke. Meanwhile, Kyle Lesniewski looks at the possibility of signing Rafael Soriano.
• Is this the first "best shape of his life" stories for the Brewers going in to spring training? Adam McCalvy recently talked to Kyle Lohse, who is feeling great as spring training approaches.
• The Brewers announced their broadcast schedule for spring training this morning, and Cait Covers the Bases has the complete list for you.
• The Brewer Nation blog continued its Brewers by the Numbers series with a catch-up post covering 75-70, and then yesterday's post on Ariel Pena.
• After sponsoring the Jonathan Lucroy Baseball-Reference page for a year, The Brewers Bar's sponsorship of his page came to an end on Tuesday. Nick Michalski looked back at the bargain he got last year, as well as the cost of sponsoring some other Baseball-Reference pages.
• If you were at Brewers On Deck on Sunday, you may have been interviewed by an undercover reporter that you may have recognized. Reliever Will Smith went undercover on Sunday to interview unsuspecting fans, and Cait Covers the Bases has video of his interviews. There's also a complete wrap up of the event on the blog.

Around Baseball

Transactions

• The Braves signed Cuban outfielder Dian Toscano to a four-year, $6 million deal.
• The Marlins signed outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to a one-year, $2 million deal.
• The Mets avoid arbitration with reliever Jenrry Mejia and signed him to a one year, $2.595 million deal.
• The Nationals signed reliever Casey Janssen to a one-year, $5 million deal.
• The Orioles acquired outfielder Travis Snider from the Pirates in exchange for RHP Stephen Tarpley and a PTBNL.
• The Red Sox acquired RHP Anthony Ranaudo from the Ranged in exchange for LHP Robbie Ross Jr.
• The White Sox signed infielder Gordon Beckham to a one-year, $2 million deal.

Other Notes

• For those of you who subscribe to ESPN Insider, Keith Law's top 100 prospect list was released this morning. There's also his list ranking all 30 farm systems, which came out yesterday.
• After some outrage came out about his comments about possibly banning defensive shifts, Rob Manfred backtracked on his comments a little.

Re-visiting the Rays' backup catcher options

In late December, our fearless leader Danny Russell and Dock of the Rays' Jason Hanselman each took a look at the possible catching options for the Rays behind Rene Rivera and Curt Casali in the last month. Since then, Ben Zobrist was traded to the Athletics (Eliminating our chances of landing catching phenom Andrew Susac), and Geovany Soto was signed to a minor league deal with the White Sox. The options are wearing thin.

The Rays may believe that they don't need to add another catcher, but Rene Rivera started 103 games for the first time in his journeyman career in 2014, after only starting in 23 games in 2013. The Rays do have Curt Casali, but he only started in 30 games last year, and isn't a very good replacement option if Rivera becomes injured.

Earlier in the offseason, the Rays signed Bobby Wilson to a minor league contract, but he has started less than 200 major league games total since 2008.John Jaso could catch in emergency situations, but as Matt Silverman has already said, Jaso will join the Rays as the "third catcher" to keep him healthy and to avoid concussions.

With the free agent market quickly drying up, let's take a look at other possible catching options that might be available for the Rays.

Wellington Castillo - CHC

With the trade for Miguel Montero, and now the signing of David Ross, Castillo seems like the odd man out. Even with a down year, Castillo posted a .302 wOBA and a 91 wRC+ for 2014. Jason Hanselman from Dock of the Rays noted that Castillo could hit at an average rate for the catching position, which would be an improvement for the Rays at that position.

However, according to Baseball Prospectus, Castillo is one of the worst at pitch framing. He rated 102nd at framing pitches for extra strikes, costing the Cubs 9.2 framing runs in 2014. StatCorner doesn't like Castillo either, only converting 6.8% of pitches outside the zone into strikes, totaling about 2 calls per game that went against the Cubs while he was catching.

Framing is something that the Rays could work with him on but I wouldn't expect a great increase, and it is a glaring issue that cannot be overlooked. Based on the Rays' high value of defensive metrics, I can't see them trading for Wellington Castillo.

Martin Maldonado - MIL

This is one of my favorite targets, but also might be one of the toughest to pry away from the Brewers. Maldonado just signed a two year deal with Milwaukee for $1.95 Million to avoid arbitration and doesn't become a free agent until the 2017 season.

In 52 games, Maldonado posted a .316 wOBA and a 97 wRC+, although this is due to a small sample size. Steamer does  project Maldonado to regress a bit, playing in only 44 games with a .283 wOBA and a 75 wRC+.  Power-wise his numbers are pretty good, having never posted an ISO lower than .142 for every year of his MLB career except 2013, where he posted a .115.

Maldonado also posts above average defense, scoring 8.4 framing runs for the Brew Crew, and gaining an extra 56 strikes over 2014, according to Baseball Prospectus. StatCorner agrees, saying he saying he was able to convert 9.4% of balls outside the strike zone into strikes, which is good for sixth among all catchers in 2014 with a minimum of 1000 pitches received. The others above him include former Rays beaconJose Molina, and current Rays starter Rene Rivera. Additionally, StatCorner believes that about 1.64 calls per game went in favor of the Brewers when he caught, and Maldonado was rated as a slightly above average blocker per Baseball Prospectus.

The biggest obstacle with the Rays acquiring Maldonado from the Brewers would be a lack of depth on Milwaukee's side at the catcher position. Besides Johnathan Lucroy and Maldonado, the next catcher they have on their 40-man roster is Juan Centeno.

Centeno has played a total of 14 games in the MLB for the Mets, and was claimed by the Brewers this past October off waivers. The only piece the Brewers have been looking for is a bullpen upgrade, and I think the asking price may be too high for the Rays' liking.

Sandy Leon - WAS

Sandy Leon might be the most realistic trade option for the Rays as a second or third catcher. He posted unimpressive numbers in 2014, with a .210 wOBA and a  27 wRC+ in 20 games for the Nationals, but that is with an absurdly low .209 BABIP. Washington already have a solid back-up in Jose Lobaton, and they recently acquired David Butler from the Red Sox. Leon is the odd man out.

Leon was pretty average in framing pitches according to Baseball Prospectus, not adding or taking away any framing runs for the Nationals last year, but that is due to a very small sample size.

Leon has great upside in his contract, controllable through the 2020 season, and doesn't become arbitration eligible until 2017. Leon is no guarantee, and isn't highly touted on MLB.com or Baseball America. Furthermore, he has yet to be really proven at the MLB level, but FanGraph's Marc Hulet had this to say about Leon in 2012:

Leon is known as a glove-first catcher but his bat began to show signs of improvement at high-A ball in 2011 and that continued over into 2012 with his assignment to double-A. He posted a wRC+ of 89 in 2011. Leon is a switch-hitter and he offers more potential while swinging from the left side.

There is not much that Leon doesn't do on defense. He is a great receiver, he calls a solid game and he isn't afraid to get down and block pitches. The young catcher has an average arm in terms of strength but it's accurate and he does a nice job of controlling the running game.

The fate of Leon comes down to the confidence that the Nationals have in Wilson Ramos' health. If Ramos can stay healthy in 2015 (the last time he had more than 400 Plate appearances was 2011), then I can see the Nationals parting ways with Leon for cash considerations or a low end prospect.

Erik Kratz - KC

Erik Kratz was already mentioned in the links above, but I think is worth mentioning again. Kratz has bounced around the league between the Phillies, Blue Jays, and just recently the Royals, but his contract is choice.

A big upside is that Kratz is still controllable through 2018. Steamer projects a 88 wRC+ for 2015 with a wOBA of .297, and that is only with 122 PA and a .262 BABIP. He has pretty good framing and receiving skills according to BP, adding 3.8 framing runs for the Royals last year. StatCorner is a little bit down on Kratz, having a little under 1.0call per game go against the Royals while Kratz was catching in 2014. He is 34 years old, which might play to the Rays advantage if they decide to work out a deal with the Royals.

J.P. Arencibia - BAL

I am also going to bring up J.P. Arencibia. He just recently signed a minor league deal with the Orioles even though they already have FIVE catchers on the 40-man roster. From the report:

His low-OBP, high-strikeout approach yielded a steady diet of ~20-home run campaigns, but reached an extreme in his final year in Toronto, when he managed only a .227 on-base percentage while striking out 148 times and walking only 18 times in 497 turns at the plate.

It was much the same last year in Texas, where Arencibia scuffled to a .177/.239/.369 slash with ten long balls in 222 plate appearances.

From a defensive standpoint, Arencibia has prevented base stealing at a roughly league-average clip throughout his career (26 percent). He's also typically graded out as a plus pitch-framer, according to both Baseball Prospectus and Matthew Carruth's Framing Report at StatCorner.com.

That last slash line resulted in a measly .270 wOBA and a 77 wRC+. Not impressive at all, but if he does not make it on the 25-man roster come Opening Day, the O's might look to shed one of their five catchers at a low price for the Rays.

Is there anyone else you would like the Rays to go after?

You can follow Jared on Twitter @Jaredsward.

Welp.

because... real estate didn't really work out.

this idiot can't even figure out a double switch and he now wants to work on my furnace? pic.twitter.com/xSSPp261hS

— alex fritz (@boxcar_fritz) January 29, 2015

what else is going on in baseball...

• You may not like Alex Rodriguez, but you would miss him if he were gone. - SBNation

• Ben Revere only had 76 total swings & misses last year... There were 121 players who had 76 or more strikeouts last year.

  — Daren Willman (@darenw) January 28, 2015

• Are they any advantages to the Philles keeping Jonathan Papelbon? - The Good Phight

• Saw this today and apparently it's easy to be a pro baseball player compared to other sports. pic.twitter.com/4aZQmXDMtL

  — Shane Robinson (@SUGASHANE43) January 28, 2015

• Has the expanding strike zone led to a decline in offense? - Grantland
• The PECOTA projections are out! - SBNation
• Never too early to look at the next free agent class! - Sports on Earth
• So... uh... Jayson Werth is in jail. - Sports Illustrated
• 2014 Minor League WAR leaders. - Fangraphs
• With the Super Bowl media day fresh in everyone's minds, here is a look at some of the best baseball interviews of all time. - Cut4
• Shifts are not cause of the offensive decline. - Just a bit outside
• Will any of these players reach 3,000 hits? - Sports on Earth
• Bill James on Fielding, Catcher Edition. - Just a bit outside
• Could Tom Brady have chosen a different career? - MLB
• While baseball seems to have mostly stayed the same, it continues to slowly evolve and change before our eyes. - Sports on Earth
• Keith Law reveals his top 100 Prospects (ESPN Insider subscription needed). - ESPN
• Together, we will get through Snowmageddon. - Cut4

what the cardinals are up to...

• #NSFW 
  

  Is @Cardinals flame-thrower @Tsunamy27 bound for starting rotation? @LangoschMLB weighs in: http://t.co/AIb6zq54sipic.twitter.com/XQTVRCulXI

  — MLB (@MLB) January 29, 2015

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• Will Smith interviews Brewers fans about Will Smith. It is cute. - Cut4
• A little bit more on Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. - Sports on Earth
• The Reds and Devin Mesoraco come terms to a four-year, $28 million deal. - MLB

• #PiratesAndrew McCutchen is the only player in baseball history with 200+ TB, 50+ BB, & 15+ SB in each of his first 6 seasons.

  — Ace of MLB Stats (@AceballStats) January 29, 2015

viva el stuff...

• doreedo1420 attempts to predict how many games the Cardinals will win in 2015. - Viva el Birdos
• The Tewk is bothered by something the new commissioner said. - Viva el Birdos
• The thrilling life of a baseball blogger: 
  

  @emjohnson17 This is what I've done all night: pic.twitter.com/P8wYhdlV2G

  — stlCupofJoe (@stlCupofJoe) January 28, 2015

other things...

• Hockey is back! The Blues defeated the Nashville Predators in overtime 5-4 Thursday night. - St. Louis Game Time
• The St. Louis Game Time paper, of which the SBN site gets its name, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year! Congrats guys! - St. Louis Game Time
• The Super Bowl is this Sunday. Watch Jon Stewart's take on the NFL and the media's handling of Marshawn Lynch. - SBNation
• Sowed in? Try this delicious hot cocoa recipe! - Food Network
• Check out this cool aerial video of St. Louis! - Youtube
• Tickets for the U.S. Women's national team's soccer match against New Zealand go on sale today (Friday)! - MLB

Today's lessons include an unexpected bullpen signing and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

• In the Brewers quest to improve the bullpen, they signed a reliever yesterday, but not one you were expecting. Yesterday, the Brewers announced that they had signed left-handed pitcher Neal Cotts to a one-year, $3 million contract.
• To make room for Cotts on the 40-man roster, infielder Elan Herrera was designated for assignment this morning.
• While Francisco Rodriguez has been a good pitcher for the Brewers over the last several years, his character issues have made people uneasy throughout that time. Noah echoed these thoughts yesterday, saying that despite Rodriguez's talent, the Brewers should not sign him because of his character issues.
• Over in the FanShots, airfigaro notes that Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs has a Brewers prospect in one of his top ten lists.
• Rickie Weeks is still a free agent, and is running out of time to find a team to play for in 2015. Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar looks at the possible destinations remaining for Weeks at this point in the offseason.
• The Brewer Nation continued their countdown of Brewers by the (Jersey) Numbers with #67 Nevin Ashley.

Around Baseball

Transactions

• The Blue Jays signed infielder Ramon Santiago to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training.
• The Braves signed LHP Eric Stults to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training.
• The Phillies signed RHP Chad Billingsley to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.

Good things, man.

Baseball Prospectus released its PECOTA projections this week. PECOTA is a projection system initially developed by Nate Silver, who has subsequently gained greater notoriety due to his work at 538. It has since been tweaked over the years by Silver's successors at Baseball Prospectus. For over a decade, the dead of winter has been livened by the release of these projections. PECOTA day is perhaps my favorite day of the year. I write perhaps because it's a tossup between the day Baseball Prospectus releases the PECOTA projections and when Dan Szymborski releases the St. Louis Cardinals ZiPS projections. While I have no children, I understand a parent's dilemma when asked to choose between his or her favorite children when I'm asked to choose between ZiPS and PECOTA for my favorite projection system. When it comes down to these cold, hard formulas, I'm a rank sentimentalist.

Along with the release of individual player projections, Baseball Prospectus puts out team projections. You can view them free of charge on BP's wonderful site. They include team batting and fielding. Best of all, though, are the projected standings.

For those of us concerned about the Cardinals' aging core and frustrating lack of offense in 2014, we can take heart. Kind of. Last year, the Cards hit a collective .253/.320/.369, for an OPS of .689 that ranked eighth in the National League.

BP has developed a stat called True Average (TAv). Here's the explanation of Tav from the BP glossary:

True Average (TAv) is a measure of total offensive value scaled to batting average. Adjustments are made for park and league quality, as such the league-average mark is constant at .260.

True Average incorporates aspects that other linear weights-based metrics ignore. Reaching base on an error and situational hitting are included; meanwhile, strikeouts and bunts are treated as slightly more and less damaging outs than normal. The baseline for an average player is not meant to portray what a typical player has done, but rather what a typical player would do if given similar opportunities. That means adjustments made for parks and league quality. True Average's adjustments go beyond applying a blanket modifier-players who play more home games than road games will see that reflected in their adjustments. Unlike its predecessor, Equivalent Average, True Average does not consider baserunning or basestealing.

Here is an example of the True Average spectrum based upon the 2009-2011 seasons:

Excellent - Miguel Cabrera .342

Great - Alex Rodriguez .300

Average - Austin Jackson .260

Poor - Ronny Cedeno .228

Horrendous - Brandon Wood .192

Last season, the Cardinals' collective TAv of .255 placed 10th in the NL.

PECOTA sees a brighter 2015 for the Cardinals offensively, thanks to an increase in power-hitting. Next season, PECOTA forecasts a St. Louis team BA of .255 and OBP of .322 that are nearly identical to the club's 2014 production. However, PECOTA projects a a nearly 30-point increase in slugging, from .369 to .396. That's a 25-point improvement in Isolated Power (ISO)—a stat that measures only extra-base hits and excludes singles—from .116 to .141.

Axiomatically, the Cards' TAv is forecast to improve from .255 to .265. They've leapfrogged Austin Jackson, in the BP glossary sense, from below average to above average. The St. Louis projected TAv for 2015 ranks third in the NL, per PECOTA.

PECOTA also likes the Cardinals' fielding. Fielding Runs Above Average (FRAA) is a stat that measures exactly what its name states. From the BP glossary:

Fielding Runs Above Average is Prospectus' individual defensive metric created using play-by-play data with adjustments made based on plays made, the expected numbers of plays per position, the handedness of the batter, the park, and base-out states.

The biggest difference between Fielding Runs Above Average and similar defensive metrics comes in the data and philosophy used. Whereas other metrics use zone-based fielding data, Fielding Runs Above Average ignores that data due to the numerous biases present. Fielding Runs Above Average instead focuses on play-by-play data, taking a step back and focusing on the number of plays made compared to the average number of plays made by a player at said position. The pitcher's groundball tendencies, batter handedness, park, and base-out state all go into figuring out how many plays an average player at a position would make.

Here is an example of the Fielding Runs Above Average spectrum based upon the 2011 season-for the sake of consistency, the players featured below all play the same position (center field):

Excellent - Jacoby Ellsbury 11.6

Great - Nyjer Morgan 5.5

Average - Marlon Byrd 0.6

Poor - Roger Bernadina -5.2

Horrendous - Melky Cabrera -13.2

St. Louis is forecast to to defend its way to save 20.4 runs above average. The Cardinals are projected to have not just an excellent defense, but the best in the NL.

The St. Louis Cardinals are just the best in the NL Central. Their projected 89 wins are seven more than the second-place Cubs, per PECOTA, and nine more than the system projects for the third-place Pirates. That PECOTA sees the Pirates winning just one more game than the Reds and Brewers surprised me, given Steamer's rosier outlook for Pittsburgh. The only NL clubs forecast to win more games that the Cardinals are the Dodgers (97!) and Nationals (91).

Correction: The original version of this post incorrectly stated that PECOTA projects the Cardinals to have the best defense in baseball. It actually forecasts the Cardinals' fielding to be the best in the NL. (PECOTA projects the Royals, A's, and Rays to have better defenses.)

The 21-year old shortstop may be a nice fit in San Diego, however a deal is not close to getting done.

San Diego General Manager A.J. Preller has been notably active this offseason, and despite the fact that pitchers and catchers report at the end of the month, he may not be done yet. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Padres have internally discussed trading for Brewers shortstop Luis Sardinas, however the two clubs have not spoken recently.

Sardinas, 21, appeared in 43 games for the Rangers last season and posted a .261/.303/.313 batting line to complement eight RBIs and five stolen bases in 125 plate appearances. He was versatile defensively for the Rangers, seeing time at shortstop, second and third base in his rookie season. Sardinas' age could account for some of his offensive troubles in 2014, and he is regarded as a solid defender who has notable speed.

Sardinas, along with right-handers Corey Knebel and Marcos Diplan, were sent from Texas to Milwaukee two weeks ago in the Yovani Gallardo trade. Preller is familiar with Sardinas, as he worked for Texas before accepting the Padres job.

NBC Sports' D.J. Short notes that it is unclear whether the Brewers would consider trading Sardinas this quickly. However, Milwaukee is seeking bullpen depth, and the Padres may have a few arms to offer. The Brewers are also confident in their middle infield, with Scooter Gennett expected to be the starting second baseman and Jean Segura the starter at shortstop.

If they are unable to add a shortstop before the start of the season, the Padres are expected to use both Alexi Amarista and Clint Barmes at short.

In addition to looking for infield depth, the Padres have also been linked to Cole Hamels and James Shields. Rosenthal notes that he does not believe the Padres have the prospects necessary to complete a deal for Hamels, while he reported the organization is on the periphery of the Shields sweepstakes earlier this week.

Today's lessons include more on the Neal Cotts signing, a new star on the Brewers Walk of Fame, and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

• The Neal Cotts signing is bringing the Opening Day roster closer to completion. On Friday, Derek looked at the updated Brewers roster projections following the signing.
• Over on The First Out At Third blog, Justin Schultz looks at who the Brewers are getting in reliever Neal Cotts.
• Meanwhile, on Reviewing the Brew, Steven Jewell is disappointed by the Neal Cotts signing.
• Even with the Cotts signing done, the Brewers are still looking for more bullpen help. Adam McCalvy of Brewers.com looks at some of the options the Brewers are still looking at.
• This morning, the Brewers Walk of Fame votes was announced, and Teddy Higuera will be inducted to the Walk of Fame this summer. Adam McCalvy has the details on his Brew Beat blog.
• Luis Sardinas hasn't been a Brewers prospect for long, but he is already drawing interest. Over in the FanShots, tdgbp has a link to a rumor about the Padres interest in Sardinas.
• Could the Brewers be better without Yovani Gallardo? Jeff Servi of Reviewing the Brew makes the case that the Brewers will be more competitive without him.
• MLB.com released their list of the top 100 prospects on Friday, and the only Brewers prospect on the list is Orlando Arcia at #88.
• The Brewer Nation continued their countdown to Opening Day with their Brewers by the (Jersey) Numbers series. Over the weekend, they had profiles of #66 Juan Centeno, #65 Yadiel Rivera, and #64 Shane Peterson.

Around Baseball

• The Rays signed reliever Ronald Belisario to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training.
• The Reds signed LHP Paul Maholm to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training.
• The Red Sox signed reliever Alexi Ogando to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
• The Rockies signed reliever Rafael Betancourt and shortstop Omar Quintanilla to minor-league deals with invites to spring training.

With the National League Central being so competitive of late, how do the Cardinals starting pitchers match up against the hitters within the division?

The National League Central has been both internally and externally competitive in recent years—providing down-to-the-wire divisional races and placing at least two teams in the playoffs and one team (the Cardinals) in the NLCS in each of the last four seasons. Since 2011, the starting rotation has been the backbone of continued success for the Cardinals as they have the fourth highest fWAR in the National League with 52.6, and they are at least eight wins higher than the rest of the Central (the Brewers are second with 44.6).

As we look toward 2015, it appears that the starting rotation will again play a pivotal role in the overall success of the Cardinals. With ~47% of games being of the divisional variety, how does the projected starting rotation match up against NL Central hitters? Thanks to the wonderful Brooks Baseball, we are able to find out.

As a whole, the starting rotation goes with a "hard" pitch (fourseamer, twoseamer, cutter) ~73% of the time, with Lynn and Lackey significantly raising the staff average, at 82.94% and 77.21%, respectively. Each pitcher has a breaking ball (three curves, two sliders) that he throws at least 12% of the time, with Wainwright's likely being the best on staff (but don't forget about Martinez's) and a pitch he uses once in every four pitches. Each pitcher has the ability to flash a changeup. However, at present, Wacha is the only starter that uses the change regularly. Yet, a few weeks ago, I made my case for Martinez's, and I strongly believe that he should go to it more often in 2015, especially as a starting pitcher.

So, how does the NL Central perform against "hard," "breaking (curveball/slider)," and "offspeed (changeup)" pitches? Let's have a look:

In terms of batting average and ISO, NL Central opponents have predictably enjoyed their most success against "hard" pitches. Of note, I only included the players from Roster Resource's projecting starting lineups to calculate the averages included in the table above. In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo (.268 BA/.212 ISO) and likely Jorge Soler (.339/.323; "likely" because of a small sample size from 2014) enjoy "hard" pitches most, and in Milwaukee, it's Ryan Braun (.317/.238) and Khris Davis (.265/.277). In Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen (.321/.210) and Pedro Alvarez (.287/.242) have had the most success against "hard" pitches, and finally, in Cincinnati, it's Joey Votto (.346/.256) and Devin Mesoraco (.267/.215).

When looking at breaking balls, the projected starting lineup of the Brewers is the class of the division (.258/.160), and it's no surprise that the lineup has had a decent amount of success against Wainwright in the past, producing an overall slash line of .284/.321/.448. Breaking balls appear to be an issue for the Cubs (sample size is an issue here, though, with the sheer amount of rookies set to make an impact on their big-league roster), so it might be prudent for Lynn, Lackey, and Wacha to throw theirs more often when facing the North Siders. Both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are more successful against breaking balls than Chicago, but their numbers don't necessarily set the world on fire, and they're considerably lower than what they are against "hard" stuff.

Finally, it's time to discuss how the NL Central has performed against changeups. Well, each team, except the Pirates, has experienced more success against changeups (in both BA and ISO) than they have against breaking balls. While the Pirates saw a bump in batting average, they have been especially powerless against them, compiling an ISO of .115 (in between "poor" and "below average" according to Fangraphs). Despite having more success against changeups than breaking balls, there is still a considerable drop-off in performance when compared to how the NL Central has done against fastballs, so it's appears to be a pitch the starting rotation can look to more often in divisional matchups.

Bottom line

Success against "hard" pitches by the NL Central doesn't seemto bode well for the starting rotation as they are fastball/cutter heavy (~73%), but this was the case with last year's starting rotation as well (and possibly even more so given Shelby Miller's propensity to throw fastballs). Thus, as long as some minor adjustments are made (i.e. more changeups for Martinez, more breaking balls by the staff as a whole against the Cubs), I envision continued success for the starting rotation. I realize that pitchers, especially at this point in their respective careers, are going to stay in their comfort zone by going with their strengths (i.e. Lynn's heavy use of fastballs) and that is a perfectly logical thing to do, but any possible advantage, however slight it may be, can be influentially beneficial in a tight divisional race, that may or may not happen in 2015.

Credit to Fangraphs and Brooks Baseball for the data used in this post.

Rumor has it Shields may have to settle for a much lower contract than was originally expected. That could be good news for Brewers fans who hope to see him in Milwaukee.

Since the Brewers traded Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers, there have been several people around the baseball world to wonder if that would put Milwaukee in position to sign a top free agent remaining on the market. Shortly after that trade, Max Scherzer signed a huge deal with the Nationals, but James Shields remains available.

Whether the team has any actual great interest in signing Shields or not is still questionable. The team has room in future payrolls to fit him in, but a, say, $100+ million deal would still be tricky to accomodate.

The James Shield Fit

Fred takes a deeper look into how Shields fits in as a possible Brewers acquisition.

However, there's now speculation that Shields might need to settle for less. According to Buster Olney, other agents around baseball seem to think Shields may have to jump at a three-year deal with a fairly reasonable annual value. That could bring him around, say $50 million for three years. Ken Rosenthal notes that similarly-aged pitchers have also struggled to find big deals in free agency.

Last off-season, players like Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez couldn't find the big contracts for which they were hoping. Matt Garza signed just before spring training to a moderate contract. Nelson Cruz settled for one year. This late in the off-season, it's rare to see teams cough up huge deals.

And with James Shields contract expectations getting lower and lower, this seems oh man exactly like the type of move Doug Melvin would make. It's the same as him signing Matt Garza in late January last year. It's signing Kyle Lohse in late March two years ago. Melvin and the Brewers seem to have a consistent strategy to wait out free agency and look for deals late in the off-season, and it's served them pretty well.

James Shields could very well be the next deal. The Brewers haven't necessarily needed to sign a starting pitcher each of the last two years, but they did with Garza and Lohse. Trading Gallardo allows the Brewers to start both Jimmy Nelson and Mike Fiers, and they could get away with that. But just like the last two years, they could prefer to sign someone who gives them an even better shot to win, if the price is right.

Shields would certainly make the Brewers better: He's as durable as they come and has posted a 3.17 ERA, a 3.49 FIP and an 8.0 K/9 over the last four seasons. If his price is coming down to the range where a three year, $50 million or four-year, $65 million deal could sign him then it's almost identical to what Milwaukee has done in recent years.

The Brewers do indeed have room in future payrolls to accommodate this contract. They're still likely around the top of their salary range for 2015, but could push over and would see big expiring contracts like Aramis Ramirez, Gerardo Parra and Kyle Lohse after 2015, then Carlos Gomez [ :( ] after 2016. Milwaukee could have a lot of payroll flexibility in the coming years, though possible extensions for players like Jonathan Lucroy and Jean Segura could come into play.

Of course, it's also worth noting that the Brewers say that they dealt Gallardo to open a spot for Nelson while also freeing up payroll for a reliever (though signing Shields could indirectly also benefit the bullpen), as Jayson Stark writes. But Doug Melvin is a filthy liar and I refuse to believe a damn word he says.

The big question has been what Shields is looking for in a contract. If recent reports are true and he may have to settle for less than expected, Shields could be another surprising Brewers rotation addition. Spring training is just two weeks away so a resolution could come sooner than later.

Today's lessons include rumors about Yoan Moncada and James Shields, your Walk of Fame ballot, and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

• Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada is expected to be cleared to sign with a team soon, but will the Brewers have a shot at acquiring him? It's a long shot if there is one, and Noah looked at the obstacles standing in the Brewers way if they want to sign him.
• Could the small market for James Shields make the Brewers contenders for him? Noah notes that James Shields is pushing his asking price down, and that could put him back in the Brewers range.
• If you had a vote for the Brewers Walk of Fame, who would you elect? That's what airfigaro wants you to consider, as he puts together a BCB Brewers Walk of Fame ballot.
• With the Brewers making a few roster moves in the past few weeks, Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker revised his organization depth chart.
• Kyle Lesniewski of Reviewing the Brew put together some projections for Jonathan Lucroy in the 2015 season.
• Corey Knebel didn't need to join the Brewers to call himself a brewer. One of his hobbies is making his own beer, and Adam McCalvy of Brewers.com recently talked to him about this new hobby.
• When asked what he would like to change in the past, Cecil Cooper had one answer: If Rollie Fingers had been healthy at the end of the 1982 season, the Brewers would have won the World Series.
• The Brewer Nation blog continued their countdown to Opening Day with their Brewers by the (Jersey) Numbers series, covering #63 Brooks Hall yesterday.
• Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects put together a mailbag post, answering some questions about the current state of the Brewers farm system.

Around Baseball

Transactions

• The Rockies signed reliever (and former Brewer) John Axford to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. He will earn $2.6 million if he makes the team, with an additional $1.5 million available in incentives.
• The Padres signed catcher (and former Brewer) Wil Nieves to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. He is expected to compete for the backup catcher job.
• The Giants avoided arbitration with first baseman Brandon Belt and signed him to a one-year, $3.6 million contract.
• The Mets avoided arbitration with first baseman Lucas Duda and signed him to a one-year, $4.2 million contract.
• The Diamondbacks signed catcher Gerald Laird to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training.

If you had the ability to go back in time and watch one Cardinals game, which would you pick?

If you could go back and see any Cardinals game ever, which would you pick? This is the question the wonderful writers over at Cards Conclave attempt to answer with news of the Brewers selling their $1000 Timeless ticket - a ticket that can be used for ANY game in the future. It is a great question, especially for franchise with a rich history encompassing some amazing games such as the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a question that required much thought on my part. Being fairly young, there are many games I wish I could go back and see that I missed due to not yet being alive: Chris Von der Ahe's Browns, the Gas House Gang, Bob Gibson's no-hitter, Whiteyball... I missed it all. Then there are games I did see, but would like to re-see in person, like 2004 NLCS Game 6, 2006 NCLS Game 7, 2011 NLDS Game 5, of course, 2011 World Series Game 6, and then May 31, 2014 - Oscar Taveras's debut home run in the rain.

It was tough to choose, so to narrow it down, I came up with some criteria:

1) It HAS to have Stan Musial and

2) It has to have some cool historic moment

BONUS: A great opponent.

After that, the choice was obvious.

- Cards Conclave

what else is going on in baseball...

• Will Edward Mujica be on the move? - Hardball Talk
• Which teams are leading the way in scouting? - Fangraphs

• Maybe Prete Rose can get in here. pic.twitter.com/QMKsqiKTFk

  — Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) January 31, 2015

• MLB's top 100 prospects. - MLB
• Is Madison Bumgarner a top ten pitcher? - Sports on Earth

• The Tony Gwynn Memorial Painting at @SDSU today At 11:00 #SDSU#SanDiegoState@sandiegonewz@News8@News8#viralpic.twitter.com/j29etd8i3V

  — Michael Rosenblatt (@RosenblattArt) January 31, 2015

• #SpringTraining first workout dates for each club: pic.twitter.com/40tqwANxU0

  — MLB Public Relations (@MLB_PR) February 2, 2015

what the cardinals are up to...

• What will 2015 have in store for Rob Kaminsky? - MiLB
• Will Michael Wacha be an ace? - Cardinals Farm
• If you read the Viva el Libro The Summer of Beer and Whiskey then you should recognize Chris Von der Ahe's name. Here is his grocery store. - This Game of Games

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• Fans pay tribute to Ernie Banks. - Cut4

• .@TheCUTCH22 leads warm-ups at his youth camp this morning in Fort Meade, Fla. pic.twitter.com/MfhxlxTemM

  — Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) January 31, 2015

• Reds sign LHP Paul Maholm to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League spring training camp.

  — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) February 1, 2015

Have links to share? Send them my way! Tweet me @lil_scooter93 or e-mail me at lil_scooter93@msn.com.

An approaching milestone provides an interesting measuring stick for the aging third baseman's 2015 season.

While cruising Baseball Reference the other day, I stumbled across a couple of interesting notes:

• Back in June, Carlos Gomez passed 2000 career plate appearances as a Brewer and now qualifies for the team's Wall of Honor outside Miller Park. He'll be inducted post-retirement.
• The next Brewer to reach 2000 could be Aramis Ramirez, who currently sits on 1512 plate appearances over his first three seasons in Milwaukee (Jean Segura is another interesting candidate, but would likely need to bat high in the order and play every day to get all of the 657 PAs he'd need in 2015).

LOS ANGELES -- The Brewers have signed former pitcher Chris Perez to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp in spring training, the team announced on Wednesday. Perez is the latest Dodgers free agent to sign a minor league deal elsewhere.

The contract can earn Perez up to $3 million if he makes the club out of spring training and reaches every performance bonus, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Perez was 1-3 with a 4.27 ERA in 49 games for the Dodgers in 2014, including 39 strikeouts and 25 walks in 46⅓ innings, after signing a one-year, $2.3 million deal as a free agent.

Perez began the year as a setup man, but like many best-laid plans in the Dodgers bullpen last year, that didn't work out so well. By May he was mostly pitching in low-leverage roles, then was sidelined for nearly all of August with bone spurs in his right ankle.

He finished in a three-way tie for second on the Dodgers in saves. With one.

In addition to his base salary, Perez earned $1.5 million more in performance bonuses, but he topped out at 49 appearances. A fully healthy Perez did not pitch in the final six games of the year, denying him another $500,000 bonus for reaching 50 games pitched.

Despite pitching relatively well down the stretch, pitching seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts with just six baserunners allowed in September, Perez was left off the Dodgers' playoff roster for the NLDS against the Cardinals.

To date, among Dodgers free agents only Hanley Ramirez and Chad Billingsley have secured major league contracts for 2015, and it doesn't bode well for the remaining quartet.

The reliever will compete for a spot in the Brewers' bullpen.

The Brewers have signed reliever Chris Perez to a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to a team announcement. As Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported, Perez can earn a maximum of $3 million on the deal if all incentives are reached in the major-leagues.

Perez, 29, will compete for a spot in the Brewers' bullpen during spring training, joining Neal Cotts as recent additions for a Milwaukee club that is said to still be searching for back-end bullpen help and has been linked to Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez in recent days. The team currently has Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith ahead of Jonathan Broxton as late-inning options, but Perez may be able to step in and help with a solid spring training.

Perez spent last season with the Dodgers, posting a 1-3 record and 4.27 ERA in 46.1 innings in his first season outside of Cleveland since 2009. In parts of seven major-league seasons with the Cardinals (2008-2009), Indians (2009-2013) and Dodgers (2014), Perez has posted a 3.51 ERA while notching 133 saves and has been named to the AL All-Star team on two occasions (2011, 2012).

Plus, a history of the mascot

Tribe Related

No charges will be filed against Cleveland Indians' Danny Salazar in Jan. 22 Hustler Club incident | cleveland.com - Danny Salazar will not be charged in connection with a Jan. 22 incident at the Hustler Club in the Flats.

Brandon Moss ready to return to form - New Indians player Brandon Moss is ready for a return to form after hip surgery in 2014.

Around the Horn

Milwaukee Brewers sign reliever Chris Perez to minor-league deal | FOX Sports - The Brewers have signed LGFT right-handed pitcher Chris Perez to a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league camp, adding a reliever with closing experience to their bullpen mix.

How a French Opera and Sesame Street Inspired the Birth of the Philly Phanatic - The idea of the mascot came to America by way of a popular French opera from the 1880s called La Mascotte. The opera is about a down-on-his-luck farmer who’s visited by a girl named Bettina; as soon as she appears, the farmer’s crops start doing well, and his life turns around.

Full Count " Why Wednesday was so important to Justin Masterson - "Nothing hurts," he said when asked about the difference in throwing his second bullpen, compared to his initial time off the mound with the Indians last season.

Solution to MLB draft dilemma: Don't have one | FOX Sports - So what if there was no draft? Instead, what if we just lumped all new players -- foreign or domestic -- into a single acquisition system where each player was free to sigh with the team of his choice, only with firm spending caps in place to ensure that young talent flows more freely to clubs that can't compete on major-league payroll alone?

Is the strike zone to blame for decreased offense? | SportsonEarth.com : Anthony Castrovince Article - We can certainly point to issues in approach or bullpen usage patterns as contributing factors in the offensive decline. Those are worthwhile topics to tackle. But let's not lose sight of one culprit in the rise of the K: The strike zone itself.

Junior college to sign daughter of former major league reliever to its baseball team | HardballTalk - She has an 82 m.p.h. fastball, two offspeed pitches and is working on a cutter.

Rangers sign former All-Star Ryan Ludwick | HardballTalk - LGFT Ludwick will get $1.75 million if he makes the Opening Day roster out of spring training.

White Sox release Dayan Viciedo, eat $733,000 after failing to find a trade | HardballTalk - How to flush $733,000 down the toilet.

Orioles reunite with Nolan Reimold on minor league deal | HardballTalk - Apparently, the Indians were not interested enough.

Today's lessons include another minor-league signing, the start of single-game ticket sales, and the bounce back year of Mike Fiers.

Brewers News and Analysis

• Yesterday, the Brewers sign Chris Perez to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Derek wrote about Perez yesterday, and is a little worried that the Brewers may put him on the roster for his "closing experience".
• Over on The First Out At Third Blog, Justin Schultz looks at exactly who the Brewers are getting in Chris Perez.
• Details on this year's Arctic Tailgate were released this morning. The Brewer Nation blog has everything you need to know about the start of sales for single-game tickets.
• How did Mike Fiers have a bounce back year in 2014? Eno Sarris of FanGraphs breaks down the changes that Mike Fiers made and why he was able to bounce back.
• While the discussions for Jonathan Papelbon have not ended yet, there also hasn't been any progress towards making a trade yet. Jon Heyman notes that the Brewers are still the favorite to acquire Papelbon, with compensation being the major gap in the discussions. Heyman also notes that the Brewers are still considering re-signing Francisco Rodriguez.
• Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com notes that the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inducted three players and one sportswriter this year. One of those players was former Brewer Corey Koskie.

Around Baseball

Transactions

• The Cardinals signed former Brewer Carlos Villanueva to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.
• The Marlins and starting pitcher Mat Latos had the first arbitration hearing of the year, and the Marlins won the case. Mat Latos will make $9.4 million in 2015.
• The Rangers signed outfielder Ryan Ludwick to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. Ludwick will make $1.75 million if he makes the team.
• The White Sox released outfielder Dayan Viciedo. He signed a one-year, $4.4 million contract last month to avoid arbitration, but was then designated for assignment last week.

Other Notes

• There's still no favorite for James Shields, but we gained a little more insight into where he prefers to pitch. Scott Gelman of MLB Daily Dish notes that James Shields has a preference to pitch on the west coast, near his home in San Diego.
• Does baseball have an image problem in regards to domestic violence? Jason Linden of The Bardball Times discusses the growing perception that MLB is gaining because of how they handle domestic violence cases.