Today is the most exciting day in baseball where nothing actually happens.

Brewers pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training today. It's a symbolically  important day for baseball fans. The off-season isn't entirely over but we're now in the transition period on our way to the preseason. In 4 or 5 days the entire team will report to camp. Just 12 days from now we'll truly enter the preseason. That's the first spring training game (March 4th).

Again, early on it doesn't mean much. It's not that exciting. The games don't really mean anything, though some fan bases are going to freak out because their team isn't winning enough of these meaningless games. The games themselves aren't important, but we as Brewers fans are going to learn the answers to some very important questions.

Will Ryan Braun get the thumbs up?

Everyone knows the problems Braun has had with his thumb and the much discussed cryo-therapy procedure performed on said thumb. No one really knows what to expect for him going forward. The Brewers have been saying they won't truly know if the surgery was a success until Braun is playing the game and swinging a bat with regularity. That moment of truth is fast approaching. By mid-to-late March we should have some kind of answer.

Don't underestimate how important it is for the whole franchise that the answer is a positive one. Ryan Braun is under contract through the 2020 season with a team option for 2021. He's getting paid a pretty penny too. In the current economic landscape it's no longer superstar caliber money. But it's still a lot for the small market Milwaukee club.

In the best case scenario the Brewers are competing and they need Braun to be able to do that. In the Brewers worst case scenario (a complete rebuild) they'd still like the ability to trade Ryan Braun. In both cases they need that thumb to not be an issue.

How quickly will Jonathan Lucroy's hammy heal up?

Jonathan Lucroy sprained his hamstring while running. The recover timetable was set for 4-6 weeks. The time at which this occurred was 7+ weeks before opening day. That's good. Even if Lucroy heals a bit slowly he would seem to find himself in a position to be ready for the first game of the regular season. That's what really matters.

I'm not worried about his bat starting off slowly. He can still take batting practice. I'm not worried about his ability to call a game or frame a pitch. Those would be skills that don't seem to just go away. The one thing he might be worse off at is playing first base.

Lucroy was going to spend a large portion of ST working and playing at first base. However I would be surprised if Lucroy plays more than 25 games there during the regular season. That mitigates any sort of defensive liability he represents at the position. And it's not like he's never played there. He's done so the past 2 seasons.

My real concern would be if he has to start the season on the disabled list. I like this Brewers team. I do think they have a chance to be better than last year. But in addition to that added potential is a ton of added risk. Lucroy is arguably their best player and if they have to lose him for 2 weeks right from the get go that really shakes their foundation and makes it all the more difficult (and possibly unlikely) they earn a Wild Card spot.

Will the Brewers get Papelbon, K-Rod, or just give up?

Even I'm getting sick of talking about this! This is the worst will-they-won't-they/love triangle storyline since the latter seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yeah I watched Buffy. Joss Whedon is a freaking genius get off my back about it! Anyway, it's still an important question and not just for the production K-Rod or Papelbon would bring.

If the Brewers don't get one of those guys it appears likely they'd fill out the bullpen with the currently available in-house options. Here's my expected depth chart if that's the case: Broxton-Perez-Jeffress-Smith-Cotts-Kintzler-Thornburg. Please keep in mind this is what I think the Brewers will do, NOT what I would do.

You'll notice 2 things. I have Chris Perez making the club. I don't have Jim Henderson making the club. The Brewers, right or wrong (probably wrong), seem to really value having veteran relievers with closing experience. That's Chris Perez. That's Jim Henderson too, but until I hear his velocity has returned I can't view him as a serious option.

Will Tyler Thornburg's elbow hold up?

Broxton/K-Rod aside, Tyler Thornburg is the other reliever I'm most curious about. He suffered some kind of tear to his UCL and in the offseason had PRP injections to aid in his healing. Leading up to Spring Training he was said to be throwing bullpens and even ahead of schedule. That's all good news. But I'm still waiting to let the balloons loose until he gets into game action. That's when we'll really know if his elbow is healed or not.

If something happens and Thornburg isn't ready then Rob Wooten probably takes the long relief spot. That's fine, but the bullpen would be much better with Thronburg in that role. I might be alone in this, but I think Thornburg could have Wade Davis/Zach Britton/Andrew Miller/Zach Duke type impact as a full time reliever.

How many Brewers related Spring Training questions can I ask involving the word "up"?

The answer is: No more. I'm done.

Who wins the open bench spots?

I think Gerardo Parra and Martin Maldonado are guaranteed spots on the bench. That leaves 3 spots to fill.

One of them will probably go to either Hector Gomez or Luis Sardinas. I'll bet on Gomez. He is out of minor league options and Sardinas' bat could benefit from more developmental time in AAA.

Another spot will likely go to either Luis Jimenez or Jason Rogers. Both are right-handed hitters that can back up either corner infield spot. Again I'm going to bet on Jimenez for similar reasons. He doesn't have any minor league options. Rogers would definitely benefit for more time at third base in the minors as last year was his first exposure there, ever.

The final spot is much more open. Options on the 40-man roster include: Logan Schafer (LF,CF,RF), Shane Peterson (LF,CF,1B), Matt Clark (1B), Juan Centeno (C), Yadiel Rivera (SS,2B). Realistically, I don't think Clark, Centeno, or Rivera are options for Opening Day. My money is on Shane Peterson because he offers more offensive upside than Schafer. He also adds insurance at first base.

Last minute acquisitions?

To paraphrase Doug Melvin, there's always someone that comes out of nowhere who earns a spot on the roster. Nyjer Morgan, Kyle Lohse, Francisco Rodriguez, and Matt Garza were all players added to the roster rather late in the off-season. Does something similar happen again this year (K-Rod/Papelbon)? Is that player already signed (Chris Perez)? Only time will tell.

Did I miss anything? What are the storylines you'll be following closely this spring?

WOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yadi. Waino. #BaseballBeginspic.twitter.com/4AI0C8e8xs

— MLB (@MLB) February 18, 2015

Waino & Wacha arrive. Greetings from Jupiter, FL pic.twitter.com/cHqxgI5848

— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) February 19, 2015

I don't know about you all, but I'm pumped for the @Cardinals new pitcher @MattCarp13... pic.twitter.com/A7vtFihTGo

— stlCupofJoe (@stlCupofJoe) February 20, 2015

Cardinals spring training schedule, pitchers and catchers, day 1 pic.twitter.com/2mQZrVVxhr

— Charlie Marlow (@CharlieMarlow_) February 20, 2015

#SpringTraining... It's glove at first sight. #STLCards#BaseballBeginspic.twitter.com/H4EGhUbwwr

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 19, 2015

.@Maness_43 and @JasonHeyward in the hot seat this morning at #SpringTraining. #STLCardspic.twitter.com/DKzzT5WUf9

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 20, 2015

Let there be baseball. #BaseballBegins#STLCards#SpringTrainingpic.twitter.com/eu1OWCTsKu

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 19, 2015

Jaime Garcia is in Jupiter ready to make up for lost time in 2015: http://t.co/rZlrOLTLko#STLCardspic.twitter.com/GtTPnEIbRg

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 19, 2015

We've been loving this moment for years. Pitchers & catchers report TODAY! #SpringTraining#CardsMuseumpic.twitter.com/lwvnal3byi

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 19, 2015

what else is going on in baseball...

what the cardinals are up to...

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• The Brewers are planning a "Major League" night at the ballpark when they play the Cleveland Indians this season. - Sports Illustrated
• Johnny Cueto's contract situation. - SBNation

viva el stuff...

• johnjf125 discusses Oscar Taveras and the commemorative patch the Cardinals will wear in 2015. - Viva el Birdos
• guayzimi writes from exile about 2015 over/unders.- Viva el Birdos
• bmarkham thinks the Cardinals shouldn't worry about dingers. - Viva el Birdos
• Ben Cerutti breaks down the NL Central pitchers. - Viva el Birdos
• Episode 16 of the Viva el Birdos podcast is out for the public. - Viva el Podcast
• Craig Edwards will be writing at Fangraphs! - Viva el Birdos
  Here are some things he has written:
  Winter Contract Extensions are Becoming Increasingly Rare
  Contract Extension Season is Here
• The intro for the newest Viva el Libro, Once More Around the Park, will be up next week!

other things...

• Kate Nolan will have a new show premiering March 15. - Awful Announcing
• Tonight (Friday) the Blues take on the Bruins at 7:00pm. All your Blues info and more can be found here. - St. Louis Game Time

Today's lessons include plenty of Spring Training talk as camp opens today.

Pitchers and catchers for the Brewers report today.

Today is finally the day to get back to some baseball. 145 days after the Brewers season came to an end in 2014, pitchers and catchers report today for Spring Training. It's the first step to getting back to baseball in 2015. The first workout will be on Sunday, and the full squad reports on February 25, with a full squad workout the next day. We are 12 days away from the first Spring Training game, which will take place on March 4. This morning, Derek provided a welcome to Spring Training by looking at some of the storylines for the Brewers as they begin. There are a lot of unanswered questions out there right not about the Brewers, but it won't be long before things become a little clearer.

Brewers News and Analysis

• How will Adam Lind perform in his first (and potentially only) season with the Brewers? Jordan continued his series on BCB Community Over/Unders with a look at the new first baseman for the Brewers.
• On Brewers.com, Adam McCalvy asks three big questions surrounding the Brewers at the beginning of Spring Training, which include Jonathan Lucroy's health, the bullpen closer, and the impact of Darnell Coles.
• Also on Brewers.com, Bernie Pleskoff profiles four Brewers prospects who could make an impact on the major league team this year.
• In an effort to provide some depth at catcher during the spring as Jonathan Lucroy recovers, the Brewers signed New Zealand catcher Beau Bishop to a minor-league deal. Reviewing the Brew has a quick profile of the new catcher.
• As pitchers and catchers report today, Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker looks at the 90 win mark, which should be a good goal if the Brewers want to make the playoffs.
• Tom Haudricourt of JSOnline has his Spring Training preview up as well, noting that the Brewers are hoping for a "season of redemption".
• Pete Schwichtenberg of Reviewing the Brew profiles Jed Bradley, who needs to have a good season to avoid being passed up by other pitchers in the organization.  He also has a list of six former Brewers to watch in 2015.
• The Brewer Nation continued their Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers series with #46 Corey Knebel.
• The Brewers are launching a program this year to help combat bullying in schools, Cait Covers the Bases has the details on the Brewers new "Strike Out Bullying" contest.
• If you wanted tickets for one of the theme nights at Miller Park, you may be out of luck. Cait Covers the Bases notes that the Star Wars and Major League ticket packages have sold out, though more tickets have been added for the Major League night.

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• Outfielder Mark Trumbo won his arbitration case against the Diamondbacks, and will make $6.9 million in 2015. The Diamondbacks had filed for a figure of $5.3 million.
• The Dodgers signed reliever David Aardsma to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
• Third baseman Pedro Alvarez won his arbitration case against the Pirates, and will make $5.75 million in 2015. The Pirates had filed for a figure of $5.25 million.

Other Notes

• Over on Beyond the Box Score, Bryan Cole analyzes the Vegas over/unders for each team, looking at which ones match history and which ones have been adjusted due to the offseason.
• In an effort to continue to speed up the pace of games, new rules have been introduced to help shorten MLB games. These include a timer for commercial breaks, requiring managers to remain in the dugout during challenges, and timed pitching changes.
• The bobblehead has become a popular giveaway at ballparks, and teams keep increasing the number of giveaways they have each year. Darren Rovell of ESPN.com notes that there will be 121 different bobbleheads this year, led by the Brewers with 12 bobbleheads.

Today's lessons include plenty of news as Brewers Spring Training had its first weekend.

Brewers News and Analysis

From Brew Crew Ball

• On Friday, MLB introduced some new rules to help speed up the pace of games. Noah looks at these new rules and gives his opinion on why they won't help the pace of a game very much.
• Jordan continued his series of BCB Community Over/Unders with a look at Scooter Gennett.
• Derek kicked off the yearly BCB Community Prospect Rankings this morning with the vote for #1. Make sure to stop in the thread and cast your vote for the top prospect.
• Yoan Moncada officially signed with the Red Sox this morning, meaning that the Brewers did not get the prized Cuban prospect.
• As part of the Brewers pursuit of more starting pitcher depth, Michael Blazek will stretch out as a starter during Spring Training.
• If you missed the sound of a bat hitting a ball, then Noah has the Twitter post for you. Listen in as Martin Maldonado hits a ball during batting practice.

Early Camp News from Brewers.com

• As camp began on Friday, Adam McCalvy put together a list of some of the big stories around the Brewers as camp begins.
• Jonathan Broxton is the assumed closer for the Brewers for now, but the team isn't willing to make it official yet. They plan to evaluate all of their options before making a decision later in the spring.
• Everything will be as normal for Ryan Braun as camp begins. He is not expected to have any restrictions beyond minimizing extra hitting.
• Another player that won't be under restrictions is Tyler Thornburg. After a platlet-rich injection and some rest, he is healthy and ready to go at full strength as camp begins.
• While Taylor Jungmann may be #6 on the starting pitcher depth chart for now, he doesn't plan to take it for granted since he hasn't proven anything yet.
• Pitching prospect Johnny Hellweg is still several weeks away from finishing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. However, he is feeling encouraged by the progress he has seen so far and believes he will make a full recovery.
• Dontrelle Willis has provided a burst of positive energy early in Brewers camp. Willis is trying to make a comeback to the majors after three years of time away from a Major League field.
• There's been a lot of criticism about Doug Melvin's decision to limit the number of moves he made this offseason. However, Melvin strongly defended his offseason plan, noting that the team did more than people realize.
• The new pace of game rules from MLB have resulted in a mix of feeling from players around the league. Many of the Brewers players gave their opinions on the new rules that MLB put in place.
• Brewers.com has a list of notes from Sunday's first official workout, which includes Jonathan Lucroy missing a few days with the flu and Matt Garza's presents to the starting rotation.

Other Notes

• On his Brew Beat blog, Adam McCalvy notes that Jonathan Lucroy is progressing well from his hamstring injury and may get more work than expected this spring.
• The shuffling of rumors between Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez continues. Charlie Wilmoth of MLB Trade Rumors notes that Mark Attanasio has been speaking with Scott Boras about signing Rodriguez to a fourth contract with the Brewers.
• What would happen if Kyle Lohse threw more changeups? That's the question that Justin Schultz of The First Out At Third analyzes over on his blog.
• Over on JSOnline, Tom Haudricourt has his own list of questions facing the Brewers as camp begins.
• Kyle Lesniewski of Reviewing the Brew looks through all of the changes that the Brewers made this offseason and grades what the Brewers have done so far. He also has a profile of infielder Donnie Murphy, who the Brewers signed to a minor-league deal.
• Meanwhile, also on Reviewing the Brew, Pete Schwichtenberg thinks that the Brewers should consider signing reliever Brian Wilson.
• In his first few weeks on the job, Rob Manfred has made some moves and comments that have generated a lot of debate. Enrique Bakemeyer of The Brewers Bar looks at the new rules Manfred has put in places, and notes that what Manfred has said so far does not inspire much confidence.
• The Brewer Nation recently interviewed 2013 top draft pick Devin Williams, and posted a transcript of the interview on their blog.
• Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects has a profile of minor-league pitcher Jorge Lopez.
• Cait Covers the Bases has the first look at the bobblehead of Rob Deer that will be given out on April 12.

NL Central Update

• David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot looks at the lists of non-roster invitees for all five teams in the NL Central.
• Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects put together a list of the top ten prospects from the Chicago Cubs minor-league system.

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• The Blue Jays signed outfielder Chris Dickerson to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
• Starting pitcher Mike Minor won his arbitration case against the Braves and will make $5.6 million in 2015. The Braves were seeking a salary of $5.1 million.
• The Dodgers signed RHP Brandon Beachy to a one-year deal with $2.75 million guaranteed. The contract includes an option for next year worth between $3 million and $6 million.
• The Mariners defeated reliever Tom Wilhelmsen in their arbitration case against him. He will make $1.4 million in 2015 compared to the $2.2 million he was seeking. The Mariners also signed LHP Joe Saunders to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
• The Orioles won their arbitration case against outfielder Alejandro De Aza. He will make $5 million in 2015 compared to the $5.6 million he was seeking.
• The Red Sox extended the contract of manager John Ferrell through 2017 with an option for 2018.

Other Notes

• Charlie Wilmoth of MLB Trade Rumors wraps up the arbitration cases from this year, with players winning six of the fourteen cases.
• Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors has a quick look at trade possibilities for Jonathan Papelbon. One important thing to note here is that Papelbon has not been directly approached about a trade possibility yet, and a team may not be required to pick up the option.
• Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs notes that the Rockies have changed their broadcast camera angle, moving to the center angle that more teams have been moving to in recent years.
• Jim Caple of ESPN SweetSpot put together a countdown of the top ten baseball scenes in non-baseball movies.
• The Simpsons episode of "Homer at the Bat" turned 23 years old on Friday. In honor of that episode, Ian Denomme of Big League Stew updated the team to what it would look like it players from today were chosen.

The people have spoken, and they want an excuse to watch videos of home runs.

Generally speaking, sequels tend to be worse than originals, but they do have one advantage: the ability to keep exposition to a minimum.

If you pick up a copy of Taken 2, you already know that someone is going to go missing and you have an idea of the very particular set of skills you can expect Liam Neeson to demonstrate. As a result, that film doesn't take very long to set up. For the record, Taken 2 did not leverage this advantage into an excellent final product and wound up with a score of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, but that's neither here nor here.

If you read my piece last Friday on Edwin Encarnacion you have idea what's about to happen here. However, for those who missed it and can't take hyperlink hints, the idea is that one of the great joys of baseball is watching impressive home runs and I thought I would take a stab at quantifying which round trippers are most worthy of your attention.

The statistic I came up with, AAI, equally weights four factors: speed off the bat, distance, opposing pitcher quality, and the number of parks the home run would leave. A score of 100 in any of these categories indicates the home run was the best one a player hit, and any score below that is relative to the high-water mark. For now the metric is only designed to judge a player against himself in order to see which of his home runs are the most impressive.

Today's subject is Jose Bautista. The reasons for this are fairly obvious as he is a prolific provider of the long ball and he's not known for wall-scrapers. So, without further ado, here are Bautista's most astounding shots of 2014:

Bronze Medal

Date: July 2nd

Opposing Pitcher: Wily Peralta

Count: 3-1

Men on Base: None

Game Result: Blue Jays 7, Brewers 4

There are a couple of things about this particular home run that stand out. Firstly, the ESPN Home Run Tracker seems to believe there is one ballpark that it would not leave, which seems like it has to be an error with this shot measuring at 434 feet. If you feel like bumping up that AAI to 383 in your head I'm ok with it.

Also it's worth noting that this was hit off a 98 mph fastball. In a 3-1 count Bautista was likely sitting on a fastball and he clobbered one that had elite velocity. Peralta fastball gives him a larger margin for error than other pitchers, but you can't sneak one past Joey Bats.

Lastly, Bautista really took some time to admire this one, as he is wont to do.

There are plenty of differing opinions on Bautista's attitude, but I'm of the opinion that he has every right to appreciate his own artistry.

Silver Medal

Date: September 22nd

Opposing Pitcher: Tom Wilhelmsen

Count: 0-0

Men on Base: None

Game Result: Blue Jays 14, Mariners 4

This home run likely looks slightly more underwhelming than the AAI suggests, but that's largely due to shoddy camera work. The camera focuses on the 100 level seats throughout the shot giving us the impression it's a normal home run, only adjusting up when the ball is about to hit the facing. As a result, we miss out on the arc of the bomb and don't get as good an idea of the distance on a ball that traveled 437 feet.

That being said, working a camera is not as easy as it looks and we're here to celebrate Bautista, not evaluate the broadcast. This was a heck of a home run off a pitcher who excels at quieting right-handed bats in Wilhelmsen.

Gold Medal

Date: August 30th

Opposing Pitcher: Michael Pineda

Count: 0-2

Men on Base: One

Game Result: Blue Jays 2, Yankees 0

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's not where Pineda wanted to leave an 0-2 slider.

What makes this home run special is how fast it got out of the park. The ball was travelling at 115.5 mph off the bat, almost two mph faster than Bautista's second-fastest shot. He also gets bonus points for driving in the only two runs of the ballgame with that swing.

If you prefer a towering fly ball this wasn't the home run for you, but it was an absolute laser beam off a very good pitcher and that's what earns it gold medal status.

Now, one issue with doing this exercise with Jose Bautista is that his home runs don't have a lot of diversity, as shown by the Baseball Savant Heatmap below.

So, in order to show you something other than Bautista pulling the ball a mile, here is his least impressive home run of 2014 by AAI:

35th-Place Medal

Date: September 20th

Opposing Pitcher: Chase Whitley

Count: 3-1

Men on Base: None

Game Result: Blue Jays 6, Yankees 3

Classic cheap Yankee Stadium home run. It's nice to see the Blue Jays get one of those for once, but an underwhelming display by Bautista.

That concludes your tour of Jose Bautista's home runs in 2014, next up is major offseason acquisition Josh Donaldson.

Today's lessons include the Brewers offer to Yoan Moncada, the batting order, and the life of a minor-league baseball player in Spring Training.

Brewers News and Analysis

Stories from BCB

• The Brewers did make a formal offer to Yoan Moncada before he signed with the Red Sox. Adam McCalvy notes on Twitter that the Brewers made an offer that was rejected within 72 hours. McCalvy also noted that the Brewers offer was $15 million.
• Some of the Brewers position players have begun reporting to camp. Noah notes that Carlos Gomez, Gerardo Parra, and Khris Davis have all reported to camp.

News from Brewers Camp

• A lot of action happened over the first weekend of Brewers camp. In case you missed anything, The Brewer Nation blog has a recap of all of the action from the first weekend.
• One of the things that Ron Roenicke will have to figure out this spring is the batting order. Adam McCalvy of Brewers.com looks at some of the questions that Ron Roenicke will have to answer when filling out his lineup card for the first time.
• In his daily notes, Adam McCalvy notes that Carlos Gomez is hungry for success, the status of three pitchers recovering from injury, and a birthday in camp.
• Tim Dillard has a look at Spring Training in the life of a minor league baseball player.

Other Notes

• Jonathan Lucroy is becoming the new face of the Brewers franchise, and it's a role that he's not used to. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel profiles the Brewers catcher as he begins a position-by-position preview of the Brewers.
• Count Pete Schwichtenberg among the believers in Ryan Braun. He thinks that a healthy Ryan Braun will return to his 2011 MVP form in 2015. He also notes that the Brewers losing the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes will end up benefiting the team.
• The Oscars were over the weekend, and it's a big time of year for film fans. Matt Clark made his own Oscars pick, and Cait Covers the Bases has Clark's picks from the big night.
• Cait Covers the Bases also has a first look at the Wily Peralta bobblehead.

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• The Dodgers signed RHP Dustin McGowan to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
• The Rangers extended third baseman Adrian Beltre through the 2016 season with a guaranteed salary of $18 million. They also signed infielder Elliot Johnson to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

Other Notes

• B.J. Upton has decided to "change his name". Starting this season, he will begin using his given name of Melvin Upton Jr. instead of his nickname.
• In his first few weeks as commissioner, Rob Manfred has made some very controversial proposals. His most recent one: reducing the number of games in the season to 154.

The Red Sox signed Cuban free agent Yoan Moncada so we talk about that.

Maybe you saw it coming, but I didn't. Based on all the reports, there didn't seem to be much chance the Red Sox would be the winners when the Yoan Moncada race ended. The Yankees had the money and the need. The Dodgers had money, money, and money. The Brewers had as much or more need as any organization in the game so, sure, why the heck not? The Padres just buy stuff now. Whatever, buy it.

The Red Sox on the other hand are different. They have a good farm system, they have young players locked up long term, ergo they don't need Yoan Moncada. Sure they were over the international spending limit already, so the penalty was going to be incurred either way, but the Yankees are in the same position and they're the Yankee$. Point is, Moncada ain't coming to Boston.

Except yes he is!

So this is a very exciting podcast about a very exciting prospect the Red Sox signed. As when the Red Sox do anything, there are questions. What exactly is Moncada good at? Where will he start in the system? When can we expect to see him in Boston? Where does he fit in their minor league rankings? Does this mean they're trading the rest of the farm for Cole Hamels? (NO!) All these questions are covered in this, the 121st OTM Podcast.

After that, because why the heck not, we talk a bit about the outfield situation, starting right fielder Shane Victorino, what happens to Mookie Betts if Victorino is healthy, and where Allen Craig fits in to all of this.

As always, I welcome your thoughts either here in the comments section or over email (matthew dot kory at gmail). Hope you enjoy the podcast and thanks for listening.

Today's lessons include the results of the #1 vote for the BCB Community Prospect Rankings, position players reporting to camp, and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

From BCB

• The #1 vote in our BCB Community Prospect Rankings was revealed, and it went to Orlando Arcia. There's still time to vote for #2, where Tyrone Taylor has taken a commanding lead.
• Does it count as being in the "best shape of his life" when a player just joined the Brewers organization? It might in this case. Noah found a picture of 2015 Brewers draft pick Jake Gatewood on his Instagram account, showing off the results of his offseason workout plan.

Notes from Brewers Camp

• Today is the day for the remaining position players to report. As of yesterday, only Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez had not reported yet. The first full team workout will be tomorrow.
• Mike Fiers had a rough end to the season in 2014 when he accidentally hit Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton in the face with a pitch. McCalvy notes that he is trying to move on and not let it affect the way he pitches in 2015.
• Though he may not be the face of the franchise anymore, the success of this year's Brewers team will still depend on Ryan Braun. Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com examines how important Braun is to the Brewers success in 2015.
• Jean Segura reported to Brewers camp this year hoping for better days after a horrible 2014 season, both on and off the field. McCalvy looked back at what happened to Segura in 2014 and what's changing for him in 2015.
• As Tyler Thornburg begins camp, his role in the bullpen is not set yet. He is currently being stretched out for long relief, but could end up as as a setup guy or even back in the starting rotation if something goes wrong for one of the other starters.
• The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel continued their preview series with Todd Rosiak's profile of first baseman Adam Lind, who will get a chance vs. left-handed pitchers this spring.
• Adam McCalvy also has a roundup of notes from the day in Brewers camp, including a change to this year's Arctic Tailgate, Adam Lind getting work vs. LHP in Spring Training, and Wei-Chung Wang's goal for 2015.

Other Notes

• Rumors of Francisco Rodriguez getting close to signing are picking up, and both the Brewers and Marlins are the teams listed as the most likely destination. Over on Reviewing the Brew, Pete Schwichtenberg says that fans should root for Rodriguez to sign with the Marlins.
• Chris Cwik of RotoGraphs takes a look at the Brewers outfield and what to expect from them this season.
• While Hank the Ballpark Pup isn't making the trip to Arizona this year, he still made an impact in the area. Supplies were sent to the Arizona Humane Society on his behalf, and Cait Covers the Bases has pictures of them accepting the donation.
• Cait Covers the Bases also has a first look at this year's BobbleHank giveaway for Mother's Day.

NL Central Update

• Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals returned to St. Louis to be examined by a doctor after experiencing abdominal pain during a workout on Tuesday.
• Mike Oz of Big League Stew notes that Manny Ramirez has been hired by the Cubs to be a hitting consultant this season.
• Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker analyzes the weaknesses of the NL Central teams entering the 2015 season.
• Over on Miller Park Prospects, Marcus Young looks at the top 10 prospects in the Cardinals system.

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• The Tigers signed reliever Joba Chamberlain to a one-year, $1 million deal.

Other Notes

• There's not many cases where a player reporting early would cause anger, but this one did. Alex Rodriguez reported to Yankees camp on Monday, a few days ahead of schedule. Israel Fehr of Big League Stew notes that the Yankees management was unhappy that he reported to camp early without notifying them..
• Rob Manfred made some waves again yesterday by suggesting that he could shorten the MLB series to 154 games. David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot says that while a 154 game schedule is a great idea, it will never happen.

The Brewers haven't made too many changes in their lineup or pitching staff this year.

Adam Lind.

For quite some time Adam Lind has been a site meme here. I've actually tried searching for the famous FanPost regarding Lind that was posted here in 2009, but have had no luck. If anyone's got the link, please post it.

Anyway, Lind was having the best year of his career back then, .305/.370/.562 with 46 doubles and 35 home runs. That produced 3.9 bWAR and got him a Silver Slugger and some MVP votes. But even then, he was mostly a DH -- 92 games at DH that year, 55 in left field. He played more games at first base in 2014 than at DH -- barely, starting 43 at first, 36 at DH. He also missed a chunk of 2014 with injuries, playing in just 96 games overall. He hit reasonably well, .321/.381/.479, but with just six homers.

I mention all this because the Brewers acquired Lind from the Blue Jays in exchange for righthander Marco Estrada and are expecting him to be their fulltime first baseman in 2015. The most games he's ever started at first base in a season is 71, in 2013. I watched him play first base in Toronto last September and "adequate" is pushing it.

Good luck to the Brewers with that. Other than that, Milwaukee's starting lineup returns intact from 2014, and what they have to hope for is health and a better performance out of Ryan Braun, who was decidedly mediocre following his return from a PED suspension. In their rotation, they've got a reasonably strong 1-2-3 in Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Wily Peralta, but the No. 4 and 5 spots are a bit weak (Mike Fiers, Jimmy Nelson). Francisco Rodriguez, who did a good job closing for Milwaukee last year, is gone. As of now that leaves Jonathan Broxton in the driver's seat to get the closer's job, but the last time he did that on a fulltime basis was 2012. Behind him they have a collection of guys returning from injury, has-beens and never-weres. Good luck with that!

Milwaukee danced around the edges of the wild-card race last year before fading with a 9-17 September that left them barely over .500 at 82-80. They scored just 36 more runs than the Cubs did in 2014, and if they can't improve their offensive production the Cubs have a chance of passing them up in the division race.

The Cubs will face the Brew Crew 18 times this year, and as seems to happen often, there are big gaps in between series. They'll face each other in back-to-back weekends May 1-3 (Wrigley Field) and May 8-10 (Miller Park), then not again until late July. There's another series in August and a pair in the season's final two weeks, including the last three games of the regular season in Milwaukee. If the Cubs have the year we hope they can, those last three could be quite meaningful.

And as for Adam Lind? He's played just three career games against the Cubs, all in 2014. We'll likely see a lot more of him this summer.

The All-Star closer is among the top free agents left on the market.

Right-hander Francisco Rodriguez is one of the top free agents still remaining, but he may not be for much longer, as CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that Rodriguez is "expected to have a deal soon." The Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins appear to be the two clubs that have shown the most interest in the 33-year-old, per Heyman.

The Marlins are eyeing contention this year, and could use some additional bullpen help. However, thus far, the Marlins seem to have balked at Rodriguez's asking price, instead preferring to land him on a two-year deal in the $10 million range.

The Brewers, who Rodriguez spent all of 2014 with, have been viewed as the most logical landing spot for Rodriguez. He was quite impressive for Milwaukee last season, and with Jonathan Broxton currently slated to be the Brewers' closer, there is a need for some back-end relief help. It seems that Rodriguez also deems Milwaukee a preferable destination, as agent Scott Boras has continuously reached out to Brewers' owner Mark Attanasio regarding Rodriguez, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

MLB.com's Joe Frisaro also reported that a third team was possibly involved with Rodriguez, suggesting the Washington Nationals. However, Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post shot down that notion.

After holding out for a two-year deal that is unlikely to come at this point (unless at a lower AAV), Rodriguez has been reported to be seeking a one-year deal worth $10 million. This late in the offseason, with team budgets already generally set in place, it seems hard to fathom that Rodriguez will receive eight figures.

Rodriguez is arguably the best free agent still on the market, with fellow closer Rafael Soriano being his only true counterpart.

A five-time All-Star, Rodriguez has been a consistently excellent bullpen arm outside of a blip 2012 season (4.38 ERA). In 2014, he posted a 3.04 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 2.91 xFIP, and 4.06 K/BB, while saving 44 games, his highest tally since setting the single-season saves record (62) in 2008 with the Angels.

Today's lessons include the remaining players reporting for camp, the battle for the bench spots, and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

• In the BCB Community Prospect Rankings, Tyrone Taylor took the #2 spot. You have until noon today to vote for the #3 spot, where Clint Coulter has opened up a commanding lead.
• Ryan Braun reported to Brewers camp yesterday, and had a short meeting with the media. Adam McCalvy of Brewers.com has some quotes from Braun, who feels pain-free right now and is ready to get back to work in 2015.
• One of the battles in camp this year will be for the infield bench spots. Adam McCalvy looks at the potential options for the Brewers, with four players competing for two spots.
• In his daily roundup of news from camp, Adam McCalvy notes that Mark Attanasio will speak to the team for the first time in a year tomorrow, Jonathan Lucroy is back in camp, and former Brewer Rickie Weeks got a haircut.
• When Carlos Gomez was not performing well for the Brewers, they decided to stick with him and the decision has paid off well for the team. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel profiles the center fielder as part of their position-by-position season preview.
• After a very unusual first season for a rookie, Wei-Chung Wang will get the opportunity for a much more normal season in the minor leagues this year. Over on JSOnline, Wang discusses how last season prepared him for 2015.
• The Brewers starting rotation depth is thin right now, and any injury could put this team in trouble. Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar has a suggestion to fix this potential problem: Sign Kevin Correia to a minor-league deal.
• The Brewer Nation continued their Brewers by the (Jersey) Numbers series with #40 Johnny Hellweg. They are also tracking MLB Network's Top 100 players as they are released over the next few days.
• The Hardball Times has a list of the five active pitchers with the longest playoff droughts. Non-roster invitee Chris Perez makes the list, as he has been on a few playoff teams but has never made a postseason appearance.
• Images of the Bud Selig bobblehead were released yesterday, and Cait Covers the Bases has pictures of the upcoming giveaway. This is one of the better bobbleheads that they have put together.

NL Central Update

• Starting pitcher Homer Bailey won't be ready by Opening Day for the Reds. He is recovering from elbow surgery and is on track to return in mid-April.
• After leaving the Reds, Mat Latos made some comments about a lack of leadership on the team leading to a laid back atmosphere that hurt them. Joey Votto responded to those comments, noting that there was more that contributed to a losing season than a lack of leadership.

Around Baseball

• LaTroy Hawkins enters the 2015 season as the oldest active MLB player at 42 years old, but is planning to bring his career to a close this year. He plans to retire at the end of the 2015 season.
• Count David Ortiz of the Red Sox as one of the players against the new pace of play rules. Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston reports that Ortiz had some strong comments about the new rules, and may pay the fines to not follow them. Meanwhile, David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot asks how much money this could cost Ortiz.
• Josh Hamilton of the Angels met with MLB officials yesterday about a disciplinary issue. No additional details were given, but Ken Rosental noted on Twitter that this could be about something worse than PEDs. Later reports confirmed that this is a relapse involving drugs.
• When Prince Fielder went vegetarian several years ago, we thought that was a major diet change. Mark Teixeira of the Yankees may have him beat, as he has gone gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free in his new diet, and hopes that diet, along with a new workout program, will get him back to 30 HR and 100 RBI this season.
• If you read Sports Illustrated, you will see a first on this week's cover. Giancarlo Stanton became the first player to be on the cover of the magazine in body paint, and Joe Frisaro of MLB.com has the details on Stanton's photo shoot.
• Is the eight-man bullpen becoming normal for MLB teams? Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com notes that some teams are finding benefits with eight relievers.
• Multiple sources this morning are reporting that Francisco Rodriguez has signed a deal with a team. The team has not been identified yet, but we know it's not the Marlins or Blue Jays.

Today's lessons include plenty of coverage about Francisco Rodriguez's fifth contract with the Brewers.

Francisco Rodriguez is back.

At the end of yesterday's WWL, I noted that an undisclosed team had signed Francisco Rodriguez, and that it wasn't the Marlins or Blue Jays. Many of us hoped that some mystery team had jumped in, but it didn't take long for the truth to come out: The Brewers had agreed to another contract with Francisco Rodriguez.

Jordan first reported the news of the deal yesterday. Instead of another one-year deal, the Brewers guaranteed Rodriguez two years this time, with an option for a third year. They also guaranteed him $13 million in salary, with $4 million of that deferred. It's hard to figure out why the Brewers keep going back to Rodriguez, but Noah has some theories on why the Brewers choose to re-sign him each year. It's pretty certain that Rodriguez does improve the team, but fans tend to not like him due to his off the field issues. In fact, when people were asked if they were glad the Brewers signed Rodriguez again, 41% said yes and 35% said no, with another 24% undecided.

There's a lot of uncertainty about what to expect with Rodriguez entering this season. Some fans are more optimistic than others. We won't know who is right until Rodriguez steps on the field and proves someone right (and someone else wrong).

Brewers News and Analysis

More on the Francisco Rodriguez Signing

• With the details of the Rodriguez contract known, Derek updated his payroll projections to account for the signing. He also notes that this will basically complete the team.
• It could be a little bit before we see Rodriguez in camp. Noah has a FanShot from Tom Haudricourt, noting that Rodriguez still needs a visa before he cam report to camp.
• Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker breaks down how the Rodriguez signing will affect the bullpen, Currently, there are 17 options in camp, with about 11 having realistic chances to make the team.
• Adam McCalvy also goes into detail on how the Rodriguez signing will affect the Opening Day bullpen. With eight names lined up for the bullpen and three candidates on the fringe, some tough decisions will have to be made.
• David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot sees the Brewers signing of Rodriguez as risky, and predicts he won't make it through the 2015 season still in the closing role.
• With Rodriguez set to be added to the 40-man roster soon, a spot will need to be cleared since the roster is full. Pete Schwichtenberg of Reviewing the Brew thinks that Logan Schafer should be the player to go. He also believes that Chris Perez will be better than Rodriguez.

More from BCB

• Clint Coulter took the #3 spot in the BCB Community Prospect Rankings. The vote for #4 is open until noon, and Monte Harrison currently holds a small lead over Luis Sardinas.
• International bonus pool figures have been released, and the Brewers have a smaller pool than last year to work with in 2015. However, Derek explains why that may not be an issue.
• Could the Brewers consider moving to Florida for Spring Training? The Brewers have options to terminate their contract with Maryvale, and Noah notes that a Florida city has approached the Brewers with an interesting offer.

Notes from Brewers Camp

• The aches of Spring Training are starting to hit the team. Three pitchers sat out of workouts yesterday as they were dealing with soreness.
• Mark Attanasio addressed the team at camp yesterday before workouts. Adam McCalvy notes that he expressed confidence in keeping the roster the way it is, and he has gained perspective by waiting to address the team until now.
• This could be the last season for Aramis Ramirez. Charlie Wilmoth of MLB Trade Rumors notes that Ramirez is leaning towards retirement after the season.
• Scooter Gennett will get his shot this year to prove that he can be an every day second baseman. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel profiles Gennett as part of their position by position Spring Training preview.

Other Notes

• Miller Park will offer a special peanut-controlled section for select games again this season. Cait Covers the Bases has the details on which games are covered and how to get tickets.
• If you're at a Timber Rattlers game this year, a new item on the menu may catch your eye. A Grilled Cheese Bacon Cheeseburger has been added to the menu for the 2015 season.
• Pictures of the Carlos Gomez bobblehead are out, and Cait Covers the Bases has the first look at the new bobblehead.
• There will be a fan selected giveaway at the end of the season, and we will get to vote on it at some point. Over in the FanPosts, great198 asks what giveaway you would want the Brewers to select for that game.

NL Central Update

• If the NL introduced the DH, which player on the Brewers would best fit the role? Steven Martano of Beyond the Box Score answers this question for the Brewers, as well as every other team in the NL Central.
• Over on Disciples of Uecker, Nicholas Zettel takes a look at the strengths of each NL Central team entering the 2015 season.
• Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects looks at the top prospects in the Pirates system.

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• The Athletics claimed RHP Chad Smith off of waivers from the Tigers.
• The Blue Jays signed pitcher Johan Santana to a minor-league deal.

Other Notes

• On FanGraphs, Craig Edwards breaks down the payroll of each National League team. This year, the National League has an average payroll of $122 million and a median payroll of $112 million.
• The final results of the "Face of MLB" contest was revealed, and Buster Posey beat David Wright for the spot. Wright won the honor last year, and Posey had beaten Jonathan Lucroy earlier in a vote between the two catchers.
• How will the situation with Josh Hamilton be handled under the Joint Drug Agreement? Nathaniel Grow of FanGraphs tries to make sense of the situation and what could happen to Hamilton. Meanwhile, one of Hamilton's long time friends said in an interview on USA Today that Hamilton should retire from baseball.
• We have our first freak injury of the spring. During a workout on Wednesday, Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders tripped on a sprinkler and tore cartilage in his left knee. He is expected to be out until the All-Star Break.
• After getting hit in the face with a pitch last year, Giancarlo Stanton will wear a special batting helmet with a face guard for extra protection. Mike Oz of Big League Stew has a picture of the new helmet.
• Miles Wray of The Hardball Times followed up yesterday's list of the longest playoff droughts among pitchers with one on the longest playoff droughts among hitters. One recent Brewers acquisition makes this list as well
• Yesterday, the FCC ruled in a 3-2 decision to implement rules protecting net neutrality. David G. Temple of TechGraphs explains how this will protect you as a MLB viewer.

The Brewers' latest commitment to Francisco Rodriguez has by no means driven me off the cliff, but his incremental effect has me wondering about the nature of fandom.

Few things repel me more than a writer who scrawls from atop a moral pedestal---particularly in this medium, where armchair quarterbacking and red-faced, baseless spewing rides along AM frequencies and blog bandwidth throughout the sports talk world. Brewers fans are uniquely aware of this annoyance on account of the Ryan Braun debacle. Of course, a preface such as that is obnoxiously indicative of my own intention to engage in such rhetoric; nothing screams arrogance quite like, "Hey---I'm not racist/sexist/homophobic at all, but I must say, *insert frightening opinion here*."

Old yet new Brewer Francisco Rodriguez's picture splays across your screen just below the headline of this article. He is, no doubt, the inspiration for this commentary; but he is only one example of many athletes who have tested us in the recent past. Their condemnation has been done to death. My aim is not to preach morality or pass judgement here, but to assess their effect on fandom.

By now, most of us are well aware of Rodriguez's several belligerent off-the-field actions; most notably, the assault of his girlfriend's father in 2010 and the assault of his fiance in 2012. For those of you unfamiliar with the 2012 incident, the details are chilling (via Matt Snyder at CBSSports.com):

According to the police report, via Patch.com, police found Rodriguez's fiancee, a 23-year-old female, inside a closet and crying. She told the police he struck her on the head and her nose began to bleed immediately due to a history of physical violence against her.

She said she reached for a sweatshirt to stop the bleeding, and Rodriguez then grabbed her by the hair and threw her down to the ground, where he then allegedly repeatedly kicked her.

Later, police interviewed Rodriguez's maid, and she told them that this kind of behavior was "normal and known" for Rodriguez.

Two days later, Rodriguez's fiance changed her story. She cleared Rodriguez of all blame, and expressed her desire to return to her home country. The charges against Rodriguez were eventually dropped, as his fiance and the only other witness at the scene were in Venezuela, unresponsive to the prosecutor's attempts to bring the case to trial.

I do not know Francisco Rodriguez. I do know that the Francisco Rodriguez in the story above frightens me. However, I believe few souls are completely beyond repair. For all I know, Rodriguez has cleaned up his act. But, the most recent act is not in isolation---Rodriguez has exhibited a pattern of violence that cannot be ignored.

I will skip the macro sermon on the integrity of the game. We've all heard it. Ryan Braun helped to beat that dead horse. I want to attempt to refine my own perspective--to slip beneath the broad conversation and focus on cognitive dissonance concerning the nature of fandom in sport.

I have experienced a non-unique evolution as a Brewers fan. As a kid, Brewers players were heroes. They weren't even human beings. They were something else. Larger than life. The Brewers were absolutely awful when I was young. But, the fantasy persisted. I didn't care much for the pitchers (because they were all brutal), but I idolized some hitters: Jeromy Burnitz. John Jaha. Dave Nilsson. B.J. Surhoff. Kevin Seitzer. Fernando Vina.

Visiting players occasionally stirred my spirit. I recall sitting near the first base side foul pole at County Stadium when the Mariners were in town. Up in the nose bleeds, nearly eye level with the top of the pole. With the bases loaded, Ken Griffey Jr. launched a fly ball down the right field line, heading in our direction. The ball caromed off the foul pole directly in front of me, sending a booming clang echoing out among an awed audience, and a deep vibration up my spine. The grandiosity of that moment epitomizes my early quasi-spiritual relationship with the game. The baseball field was an idyllic playground. The players were, essentially, titanic, incomprehensibly talented children.

Delusions of grandeur trickled away as I grew older. I soon learned the players were humans. I learned that they did it for money. Social media sprung into existence. Exposure swiftly ripped away veils of anonymity, purging my naive mysticism for the game.

Soon enough, baseball players appeared no different to me than excellent computer programmers or air traffic controllers. Still in relative awe, but in a different way---awe in their near-superhuman excellence despite their being a human being. Somewhere along the line, I began to think of baseball players as human beings before baseball players. Because of this tendency, brushing off a Brewer's getting slapped with a DUI or a battery charge becomes a challenge, particularly when the offenses pile up.

Why is this a challenge? The uniform. The ball-and-glove logo on the cap. The name spread across the front of the jersey. If I identify as a Brewers fan, that player necessarily represents my team. Every fan's feeling of "representation" varies. As I've grown older, this feeling of representation has slowly disintegrated. Not only due to the nature of the team's players, of course, but simple questions, such as: Why do I determine my allegiances based on geography?; Why do I continue to follow a team unconditionally, through constant personnel changes?; Why not just follow the team(s) with my favorite player(s)?

Many people are immune to such degeneration: Brewers fans, through and through. They're our guys. Regardless of off-the-field issues, if he plays well, and the team wins, nothing else matters. I envy that detachment, in a way. However, I find myself more and more often glossing over the jersey to the person who wears it.

But most often, the individual recedes into the background entirely. The game itself takes precedence. Nothing is lost there. I prefer the Brewers win, sure, but I find myself softening on that stance. On the fandom spectrum, I have shimmied away from the Brewers' end and toward baseball's. When the Brewers sign a pitcher that inspires me to root for the hitter, I shimmy quicker.

Francisco Rodriguez is not a person for whom I wish professional success, particularly in a vocation which has often had an influence in the incidents which haunt his past. The amateur psychoanalyst in me finds discomfort in encouraging him to indulge in a hyper-competitive activity that demands a determined will to dominate. Selfishly, my retroactive desire for serious formal discipline, such as suspension or banning from the league, burns far less than my desire for the Brewers' exercising of the choice to not employ him, sparing some of their fans persisting irritability. A choice is a statement. If the Brewers had made a different choice, I would more willingly pitch a tent in their camp.

The Brewers' front office doesn't seem to be too bothered. He assaulted his fiance as a Brewer in 2012. The Brewers re-signed him to a minor league deal in 2013. In 2014, the Brewers signed him again.

2015? Same story. This time, a two year deal. Two more years of awkward ninth innings---quietly hoping Francisco Rodriguez loses, and the Brewers win. To my discouragement, I find myself leaning ever so slightly more toward the former, and less toward the latter.

The Brewers' third baseman will likely retire after an eighteen-year major-league career.

Brewers' third baseman Aramis Ramirez is likely to retire as a player following the season, according to a report from Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Ramirez could have tested free agency last winter, but instead chose to exercise his $14 million player option to return to the Brewers for a fourth season.

Ramirez, who turns 37 in June, is entering his eighteenth major-league season since making his debut with the Pirates in 1998. He is a lifetime .285/.344/.496 hitter with 369 home runs in that time, and has been named to the NL All-Star team on three occasions.

Though the Brewers do not currently have a top prospect slated to take over at the hot corner once Ramirez retires, there are a few options for them available on the free-agent market next winter. David Freese, Casey McGehee and Juan Uribe are among the third baseman who will hit free agency after the season.

The Toddfather, at a glance.

Fast Facts:

Did you know that Todd Frazier won the 1998 Little League World Series with his Toms River, NJ little teammates?  You may have heard that Todd Frazier won the 1998 Little League World Series with his Toms River, NJ little teammates in passing somewhere, but now, in this here 2015 preview, I can confirm for you that Todd Frazier won the 1998 Little League World Series with his Toms River, NJ little teammates.

Some twelve years prior to those exploits, Todd B. Frazier was born with a middle name known only to Homer J. Simpson in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, gracing the world with his presence on February 12, 1986.  Todd wasted no time in learning his slugging ways, and after honking legendary dingers in South Williamsport, he matriculated to Toms River High School South and kept right on raking.  He was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 37th round of the 2004 MLB Draft after a stellar high school career, which made him the third player ever selected out of Toms River South along with older brother Charlie (taken by the then Florida Marlins in the 6th round of the 1999 draft) and Milwaukee Brewers 8th round pick in 1973, Jerry Costain.

Todd balked at joining the Rockies, and instead opted to stick around Jersey for a few more years and ply his trade at Rutgers University in the footsteps of his other older brother, Jeff, who was taken in the 3rd round of the 2004 MLB Draft out of Rutgers by the Detroit Tigers just before Todd made his way to New Brunswick.  Todd starred while a Scarlet Knight, earning All American honors, taking home the 2007 Big East Player of the Year Award, and turning enough heads to warrant being selected 34th overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2007 MLB Draft.  At that time, he became the 62nd player ever selected out of Rutgers, with only Bobby Brownlie (taken 21st overall in 1992 by the LOLCubs) having been drafted higher in the program's history.

To date, Todd's 10.9 career bWAR ranks as the 3rd most ever by a Rutgers product, trailing only Eric Young, Sr. (18.7) and long time future Red David DeJesus (22.6).

Todd bazooka'd his way through the lower minors in 2007 & 2008, showing that his lean was gangster enough to land in the thick of the Top 100 prospect lists of both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, but a relative boop of a year in 2010 - his first at the AAA level - rendered him almost an afterthought as a potential impact player in most scouts eyes.  Funny how the "arm bar" in his swing hadn't been a deterrent to said scouts and analysts prior to being 23 in AAA in 2010, but a .190 ISO, 17 dingers in a dinger suppressing park, and solid defense while showing LF, 3B, and 1B versatility did.  Todd was assigned to Louisville again in 2011, and he spent the year bouncing back and forth between the Bats and the Reds following his first career call-up on May 23.

Finally, Todd got a series of breaks in 2012, and he capitalized on them tremendously.  The Reds traded their other top 3B prospect, Juan Francisco, just days prior to the start of the season, clearing the path for Todd to be the primary corner IF on the pecking order, and subsequent injuries to Scott Rolen and Joey Votto opened the door for Frazier to get regular run in the Cincinnati lineup.  A 3rd place finish in the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year voting followed, as did an All Star appearance in 2014 and 12 million guaranteed buckaroos.

Organizational History:

• June 7, 2004: Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 37th round of the 2004 amateur draft, but did not sign.
• June 7, 2007: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round (34th pick) of the 2007 amateur draft. Player signed July 5, 2007.

Contract Status:

(via Cot's Baseball Contracts)

2 years/$12M (2015-16)

Signed extension with Cincinnati 2/8/15 (avoided arbitration, $5.7M-$3.9M).

$1.5M signing bonus.

2015:$3M,2016:$7.5M

Career Stats:

Scouting:

Ratings via The Baseball Cube

Speed: (70)
Contact: (47)
Patience: (65)
Batting: (65)
Power: (82)

2015 Projections:

Defense:

Fan Scouting Report Ratings via FanGraphs (career rating)

Instincts: (60)
First step: (55)
Speed: (49)
Hands: (59)
Release: (59)
Arm strength: (59)
Arm accuracy: (59)
Overall: (57)

FSR: 7

Compare those to the ones listed for Brandon Phillips, and see if you still put any stock in these particular ratings.  They're fan generated, and as far as I'm concerned, they're ridiculously inaccurate and far underestimating Todd's defense.  Either that, or the awful sample size of him playing at 1B has dragged his overall numbers so far down that his stellar 3B play is wholly unrecognizable in these ratings.  Basically, just pretend I didn't populate this section and just know that Todd's an above average defender.  Freakin' fans and their graphs.

Pitch f/x Hitter Profile (2011-2014):

Outlook:

Todd Frazier is the only Reds regular that I honestly hope replicates his 2014 (since as much as I love what Devin Mesoraco did while on the field last year, I'm hoping he can avoid having multiple stints on the DL in 2015).  While that's certainly an indictment of how many players had awful, awful 2014 seasons, it's also an endorsement of Todd putting his sophomore slump behind him and putting together a full season that showed his 2012 breakout was no fluke.  Top flight 3B defense, 30 dinger power potential, and a jovial attitude to keep the dugout warm and fuzzy would once more provide the Reds with exactly what they'd love to see from a lineup cog in his prime, and while Frazier surely hopes to keep improving, even he'd probably take that for 2015, too.  That would be good enough to see him make a repeat appearance in the All Star game, where he'd have a chance to defend his NL title in front of the home fans in Great American Ball Park while putting a few memorable dents into the side of the riverboat above the batter's eye, too.

There's no crazy BABIP spike that makes that unreasonable to hope for, nor is there a crazy HR/FB% that screams regression.  He may not accrue another 20 steal season on deceptive speed and aggressive team tendency alone, but him being more selective and infrequent in that regard may turn out to be more of a benefit than trying it more.  The bottom line, though, is that Frazier is an in-prime player who posted a stock issue in-prime season in 2014, and there's no clear outlier statistic that suggests it can't be replicated in 2015.  If that's the case, the Reds have themselves a heckuva 3B and a player that stands to carve out quite a career peak in Cincinnati.

Today's lessons include how to react to the Francisco Rodriguez signing, more in our BCB Community Prospect Rankings, and more news from Brewers camp.

Brewers News and Analysis

From BCB

• How should fans react to the signing of a player like Francisco Rodriguez? Fred Hofstetter asks that question of what to do when being a fan of the team conflicts with an unlikeable player.
• In our BCB Community Prospect Rankings, you voted for Monte Harrison in the #4 spot and Luis Sardinas in the #5 spot. There is still time to vote for #6, which is currently a close vote between Gilbert Lara and Devin Williams.
• Jordan continued his BCB Community Over/Unders series with a look at Jean Segura.
• On Sunday, Scooter Gennett found a stray daschund on the street, and brought him to a shelter in the area.
• Derek noted that Orlando Arcia was named one of the best shortstop prospects in all of baseball by MiLB.com.

Brewers News from Camp

• Rain cancelled the Brewers workout yesterday, two days before the Brewers first exhibition game against UW-Milwaukee. Mike Fiers is expected to start that game.
• Gerardo Parra will be the Brewers fourth outfielder this year, which is an odd role for a Gold Glove finalist. However, Parra isn't bothered by being the first outfielder off of the bench.
• In his recovery from shoulder surgery, Jim Henderson faced live batters for the first time on Sunday. It's a significant step in his recovery.
• Hunter Morris has a lot at stake this spring as he fights to get back onto the 40-man roster and onto the first base depth chart.
• If you don't like aggressive base running, you probably won't be much happier this season. While the Brewers do plan to cut back on it a bit, Ron Roenicke intends to still be as aggressive as possible on the bases.
• Brewers.com will begin hosting a Brewers podcast starting this week, hosted by new Brewers broadcaster Jeff Levering. Adam McCalvy has details on the new podcast.
• In their spring training positional preview series, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel takes a look at Jean Segura and Khris Davis.

Other Notes

• Will Ryan Braun's inner-half potency return? Alec Dopp breaks down the numbers behind Ryan Braun to see if he can recover.
• David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot notes that the Brewers had one of the better leadoff hitters in the league last year, and looks ahead to what to expect from NL leadoff hitters in 2015.
• Over on The First Out At Third blog, Justin Schultz sees the Rodriguez signing as a mistake.
• Pete Schwichtenberg of Reviewing the Brew notes that former Brewers first round pick Mark Rogers is getting another chance with the Rangers. He also thinks that Scooter Gennett will silence his doubters this season, and Jimmy Nelson will have a breakout year.
• The Brewer Nation continued their Brewers by the (Jersey) Numbers series with #38 Wily Peralta and #35 Dontrelle Willis.

Around Baseball

Transactions

• The Blue Jays signed Dayan Viciedo to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.
• The Nationals signed former Brewers outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.
• The Rockies officially added reliever John Axford to their bullpen, placing him on the 40-man roster. He will be guaranteed a one-year, $2.6 million contract.

Other Notes

• With restrictions to Cuba being lifted, MLB is considering the possibility of playing some spring training games in Cuba.
• In unusual injuries, former Brewer Corey Hart sliced his foot while stepping into a hot tub, requiring three stiches. Also, Chris Sale fractured his foot while getting out of his truck, and Ronald Belisario fractured his shoulder while getting out of a swimming pool.
• The Phillies lost to the University of Tampa on Sunday. It may not seem like much, but it is the first spring training game of the year, meaning baseball games are officially back.

The Marlins reportedly made a two-year, $10 million offer, however K-Rod opted to remain in Milwaukee.

Miami has been interested in adding to its bullpen since the start of spring training, and the club had been linked to Francisco Rodriguez. While Rodriguez ultimately opted to resign with the Brewers, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman notes the Marlins made Rodriguez a two-year, $10 million contract offer.

Marlins made try at k-rod, offering 2 yrs at $10M

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) March 2, 2015

Rodriguez, 33, posted a 3.04 ERA and 4.50 FIP in 68.0 innings pitched with the Brewers a season ago. He also closed 44 games, and would have added an experienced arm to the back of the Marlins' bullpen. However, the Marlins are confident in their bullpen, which will feature Steve Cishek, Bryan Morris, Mike Dunn, and A.J. Ramos in 2015. The Marlins could also look to add another left-handed relief option, although the organization is confident in Rule 5 draft pick Andrew McKirahan.

Although the Marlins did win their arbitration cases with Mat Latos and David Phelps, Rodriguez's desired contract was likely too costly for Miami. The Marlins offered him $5 million a season, though Rodriguez had reportedly been seeking a deal that paid him $10 million for one season. He settled on a two-year, $13 million deal with a club option for 2017 with the Brewers.

Steve Cishek has evolved as one of the best closers in baseball, with a group of productive setup options in front of him. Adding Rodriguez would have given the Marlins depth and experience, however Dunn, Morris, or Ramos could close a game if Cishek were to get overused and became unavailable to pitch in the ninth inning. The Marlins could still look to add to their bullpen. But the unit was efficient in 2014 and is expected to produce consistently again in 2015.

Entire 40-man roster signed

Miami agreed to one-year contracts with 23 players, and after renewing the contracts of Sam Dyson and Adeiny Hechavarria, now have all 40 members of the 40-man roster under contract for 2015.

Today's lessons include the start of spring training games today and more.

Brewers News and Analysis

• In an effort to try to prevent early spring arm injuries, the Brewers have taken an unusual step. They will not track pitcher velocity until mid-March, in hopes that it will prevent players from overthrowing. However, Derek thinks that it will also prevent Brewers staff from seeing potential issues with a pitcher ahead of time.
• In our BCB Community Prospect Rankings, you voted for Gilbert Lara in the #6 spot. There's still time to vote for #7, where Devin Williams has a lead over Jacob Gatewood.
• Meanwhile, in the Community Over/Under vote on Aramis Ramirez, 65% of people think that Aramis Ramirez will be better than the ZiPS projection.
• To clear space for Francisco Rodriguez when his contract is finalized, the Brewers outrighted Brooks Hall to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
• Jim Henderson has been making progress in his recovery, and he will take another step forward today: He is on the list to pitch in today's game.
• The Brewers finalized their last few pre-arbitration contracts yesterday, which means everyone is officially signed for 2015. Adam McCalvy notes that Scooter Gennett and Jean Segura signed one-year deals, and Will Smith's contract was renewed.
• The initial Brewers rotation has been set, and it would appear that Kyle Lohse is in line to start on Opening Day. Adam McCalvy looks at the rotation as spring training games begin today.
• Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker looks back at last year's schedule and all of the winnable games that the Brewers lost, and what this means looking to 2015.
• Over on Reviewing the Brew, Kyle Lesniewski had the chance to interview 2014 Brewers first round draft pick Kodi Medeiros.
• The Brewers have brought back the "Chance 2 Advance" plan this year. Cait Covers the Bases has the details on how this year's ticket package will work.

Today’s Action

Spring training games officially kick off today. The first game is an exhibition against UW-Milwaukee. First pitch is at 3:10 pm, and there is no TV or radio coverage for this exhibition game. Mike Fiers will make the start, and here is today's lineup:

2B Scooter Gennett
SS Jean Segura
CF Carlos Gomez
1B Adam Lind
LF Khris Davis
RF Gerardo Parra
C Martin Maldonado
3B Luis Jimenez
DH Jason Rogers
RHP Mike Fiers

This isn't really news, but it's an interesting discussion topic nonetheless.

Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney made an appearance on 670 The Score Wednesday morning, and the most interesting thing he said was this:

Cubs talked to Brewers about playing entire season in Milwaukee to speed up renovation project. Crane Kenney live on @670TheScore now.

— Mitch Rosen (@MitchRosen670) March 4, 2015

If you think you've heard something like this before, you have. Two years ago I wrote this post which cited a Sun-Times article in which Cubs spokesman Julian Green was quoted as saying:

Cubs spokesman Julian Green said the plan — which called for all home games in April and May in 2014 and 2015 to be moved to Miller Park in Milwaukee — was just one of "a number of different options" being considered and is now "off the table."

For now, the Cubs say they’ll play all their home games at Wrigley Field while the anticipated work is completed.

But the Miller Park plan was considered seriously enough that the Brewers were consulted and at one point late last season Cubs business executives apprised the baseball-operations side about the possibility.

That, of course, was still when the Cubs had hoped to begin their construction project when the 2013 season was over. Crane Kenney's statement indicates that they had considered playing an entire season -- perhaps 2015? -- at Miller Park, which would have given them from September 2014 to April 2016 to do significant work at Wrigley Field.

Logistically, this would have created significant issues for Cubs season-ticket holders who live, say, anywhere south of the Lake/Cook county line in Illinois. Even that line is about 70 miles from Miller Park; those season-ticket holders who live in the city of Chicago would be faced with a 90-mile drive to every game. The Bears did something like this when they played a year in Champaign while Soldier Field was being redone -- but that was just eight games, once a week, mostly on Sundays. Baseball is a daily commitment. Further, since the Cubs and Brewers are in the same division and are often home at the same time, scheduling might have been difficult.

The Cell would have been, in my view, a better answer if the Cubs wanted to vacate Wrigley for a year to complete the project. At least it's in the city of Chicago and accessible by public transit. There is a small subset of Cubs fans who refuse to go there. I know some of these people personally and I simply don't understand that position. It's a major-league ballpark with (mostly) good sightlines and natural grass.

Anyway, none of this is likely ever going to happen but since Kenney said something about this on the radio today, I thought you might want to talk about it.

Today's lessons include the first spring training game, the possibility of the Cubs calling Miller Park home, and the TV schedule.

Yesterday’s Results

Brewers 8, Panthers 0

The Brewers officially kicked off their spring training games with an 8-0 win over the UW-Milwaukee Panthers yesterday. After three scoreless innings, the Brewers got on the board in the fourth inning with a Khris Davis two-run RBI single. The Brewers would end up scoring eight runs on ten hits, while limiting the Panthers to just one hit on seventeen strikeouts. The Panthers did have one highlight moment, as pitcher Joe Pavlovich struck out the side in order in one inning.

Brewers News and Analysis

From BCB

• Renovations are in full swing at Wrigley Field and are expected to take four years to complete. However, a report came out that the Cubs considered playing a full season at Miller Park in an effort to speed up the construction process. It was considered "extensively" before the team decided on the plan that they are going with.
• The Fox Sports Wisconsin TV Schedule for the season was released yesterday, with 150 games covered on TV. Noah went through the schedule and found the 12 games that Fox Sports Wisconsin will not be broadcasting.
• In the BCB Community Prospect Rankings, you voted Devin Williams as the #7 prospect in the poll. You still have time to vote for #8, where Ty Wagner has taken a commanding lead.
• In the BCB Community Over/Unders series, 86% of voters believe that Khris Davis will perform over his ZiPS line in 2015.

News from Brewers Camp

• After dealing with a knee injury for two seasons, Brandon Kintzler is completely healthy as the 2015 season begins. Adam McCalvy notes that Kintzler is ready to prove himself again as he makes his first spring appearance this afternoon.
• Yesterday's exhibition game against the Brewers is one of the biggest moments for the players on the UW-Milwaukee Panthers team. Adam McCalvy looked at how the Panthers savored their one day in a major league camp.
• Jim Henderson made his first appearance since shoulder surgery in yesterday's game. He struck out two batters and allowed only one walk in his one inning of work.

Other Notes

• Ron Roenicke Stole My Baseball is back up, and they are kicking things off with an optimistic preview of the 2015 season for the Brewers.
• Are the Brewers a sabermetric team? That's the question that Justin Schultz of The First Out At Third asks as he looks at evidence on both sides of the argument.
• Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects has a profile of Taylor Williams.
• Limited edition bobbleheads are back in the team store for 2015, and Cait Covers the Bases has the details on this year's batch of bobbleheads.

Around Baseball

• The Tigers released Joel Hanrahan. He had injured his elbow during workouts, and will require his second Tommy John surgery to fix it.
• After a disciplinary panel deadlocked on disciplinary action for Josh Hamilton, his case will go to an arbitrator to decide if he will go to rehab or be suspended for the 2015 season.

Today’s Action

The first "official" game of spring training will take place this afternoon. The Brewers travel to face the Angels in their first Cactus League game of the season. First pitch is at 2:05 pm, and there will be full coverage today. The game will air on Fox Sports Wisconsin and on the radio, and will also be shown tape-delayed on MLB Network. Here is the lineup for today's game:

2B Scooter Gennett
SS Jean Segura
RF Ryan Braun
1B Matt Clark
CF Gerardo Parra
3B Luis Jimenez
DH Jason Rogers
C Martin Maldonado
LF Matt Long
RHP Kyle Lohse