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Day To Night At Wrigley: A Photo Montage

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Photographer Stephen Wilkes created this fascinating montage of Wrigley Field last July 30.

If you've received the current issue of TIME magazine, you found within some fascinating day-into-night photos of various locations around the country. One of them was at Wrigley Field last summer, and the photographer, Stephen Wilkes, explains how this concept came about:

"I've been a baseball fan my whole life; I've followed the Cubs and always wanted to make a photo of Wrigley Field," explained Wilkes. "Finding out that the ballpark will look different by this time next year, with the addition of Jumbotrons, was the impetus ... I wanted to shoot the stadium before it undergoes any changes. From there, it evolved into a bigger article," showcasing half-a-dozen of the photographer's other "Day to Night" pictures that span Coney Island to the Western Wall. Writer Josh Sanburn thoroughly described Wilkes's process: He narrows down 1,500 frames to the 50 that he layers to form one seamless picture.  

Wilkes learned that the Cubs would be playing a rare double-header, which would prove to be the perfect opportunity for the Wrigley Field image: "I could have the players' warm-up on the 'Day' side and for the 'Night' side, the game would still be going on." He returned to Chicago two weeks later and positioned himself atop Wrigley View Rooftop, a brownstone close-by. "Cub fans are unbelievably loyal and what fascinated me is the neighborhood camaraderie surrounding the games ... that's why I worked outside the stadium looking in," he said. "It's more than a picture of a great ballpark; it tells the story of a great neighborhood."

The day-night doubleheader was the one against the Brewers on July 30. I've found myself in this photo, and for those of you who know where I sit, you can see that as well. It's a fascinating look at how a well-known location looks during the day and at night. The link above shows several other locations where Wilkes did the same thing, including Washington, D.C. and Times Square in New York City.

Here's the TIME magazine article, which helps explain how Wilkes set up and did these photos; here are more of Wilkes' photos and here's his website. Finally, here's a larger version of the photo at the top of this post (opens in new window/tab).

Enjoy. Even if you're not big on print media, it's worth getting a copy of the magazine for the print version of this cool photo.


Mariners near Rule 5 roster deadline

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The Mariners have six open spots on the 40-man roster before tomorrow's Rule 5 deadline. Who should they add?

Tomorrow is November 20th, and you know what that means:

  • Universal Children's Day
  • AFI singer Davey Havok's birthday
  • Wedding day of Elizabeth II
  • Date by which all MLB teams must finalize their 40 man rosters for the Rule 5 draft
  • New Comic Book release day

While I'm excited about all of those things, this is a baseball blog, and I suppose we should talk about the baseball thing listed above. The Rule 5 Draft! Everyone's favorite part about baseball!

The Rule 5 Draft follows the same draft order as the regular-season amateur draft (the M's pick sixth this year), and takes place during each offseason's Winter Meetings. Anyone who is not on a team's 40-man roster by November 20th (College draftee in 2010, High School draftee 2009) is eligible to be stolen by another team for $50,000 and a shrug of the shoulders when it doesn't end up working out. That player must stay on the team that took them--and on that team's 25 man roster--or else they go back to their originating teams for half-price, if they clear waivers.

The Mariners picked up Lucas Luetge from the Brewers in the 2011 Rule 5, and he ended up being a pretty solid case for the utility of the whole idea. Of course, the recent diamond case of all this was Johan Santana, picked by the Marlins in 1999 after the Astros left him off their 40-man roster. But Luetge seems a much more reasonable goal--if such luck is even likely to be repeatable.

Of course, after the Major League Rule 5 draft, the Minors get their share and it starts to get crazy confusing. The 40-man rule still applies, but now any eligible player must also be off a team's AAA reserve roster of 38 players. AA again trickles this down to anyone not on the AA reserve of 37 players. Wow this is reductive. I'm glad I don't work in a front office. The implications of the Minor League phases of Rule 5 aren't as severe, according to Baseball America's J.J. Cooper:

In other words, a player selected in the Triple-A phase does not rank among his organization’s top 78 talents, and a Double-A selection does not rank among its top 115. In these cases, players are not required to remain on a particular roster. The player’s contract is irrevocably assigned to the drafting team and the drafting fee ($12,000 for Triple-A, $4,000 for Double-A) is paid.

I'm not a huge prospect guy (Look for our very own Rick Randall's top 50 prospect countdown at SeattleClubhouse in the next couple weeks), so to pretend I can even name someone outside of the 115 top prospects would be nuts. And while there have been notable AAA draftees, the real meat comes from the Major League portion--the eligibility of which is decided tomorrow.

As of today--November 19th---the Mariners have only 34 names on their 40-man roster, leaving six spots for anyone they might want to protect. The only players in need of protection are those who either signed in 2009 at 18 or younger, and those who signed in 2010 and were 19 or younger. And amongst those, it's whoever needs protecting in the first place.

There are already a few names on the 40-man roster who would be unfamiliar to the casual fan. Amongst these--Anthony Fernandez, Xavier Avery, and Travis Witherspoon--the Mariners seem to be doing just what every other team does around this time of the year. They weren't active in last year's draft, and who knows what they plan to do this year, but it will be interesting to see if they add anyone to the roster before tomorrow's deadline--and who.

Tomorrow will bring us a little clarity on this, but until then they need to get adding. Who would you put on the roster?

More from Lookout Landing:

Wednesday's Frosty Mug: Rule 5 day of reckoning

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We're looking at candidates to be added to the 40-man roster and more in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

Some things to read while not being sorry.

We're 86 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and today is the deadline for teams to add minor leaguers to their 40-man roster to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft. Players who signed at age 18 and have five professional seasons or signed at 19 or older and have four pro seasons are eligible to be selected if they're not protected by their organization. Brewerfan.net has the full list of Brewers who project to be eligible.

The Brewers have four open spots on their 40-man roster, but I'll go out on a limb and predict a relatively quiet day today. The two near-locks to be added to the 40-man are Hunter Morris and Jason Rogers, and I think they'll leave the other two spots vacant.

For what it's worth, Adam McCalvy disagrees with me on that assertion and suggests (on Twitter) that the Brewers will consider adding pitchers Kevin Shackelford and Tyler Cravy. McCalvy also has a story on Shackelford, Cravy and David Goforth celebrating an AFL championship a year after winning the Midwest League together with Wisconsin in 2012.

If the Brewers do fill up their 40-man roster today, then they'd need to free up a spot later if they decide to re-sign Corey Hart. Hart talked to MLB Network Radio yesterday and revealed that he's had discussions with the Rays, Red Sox, Rockies and Brewers about a possible contract.

The biggest story from the Hart interview, however, might be the fact that he still won't be medically cleared until December 3 at the earliest. Rubie Q reacted to that news in our Tweet of the Day:

With or without Hart, the Brewers chances of competing in 2014 likely rely on the assumption that many of their young players will continue to develop at the major league level. Unfortunately, sometimes that plan doesn't work out. Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar argues against counting on improvement from your existing players.

If the Brewers invite him back they'll be hoping for big steps forward from Juan Francisco, who showed a power bat but also some real offensive and defensive deficiencies in his first season as a Brewer in 2013. Yesterday Noah profiled Francisco as part of our player-by-player look at the 2013 season. Check back this afternoon to see who we're profiling today.

Meanwhile, it's probably safe to assume that Michael Gonzalez will not be invited back for 2014. Bryan Grosnick of Beyond the Box Score singled out the lefty reliever in his piece on shutdowns and meltdowns, noting that he "had 18 meltdowns to go with only 10 shutdowns, making him more of a cautionary tale than a major-league pitcher. For a guy with 75 appearances and 50 innings pitched, that's not a great track record."

In the minors:

  • Juan Francisco went 2-for-6 with an RBI but also struck out four times as Licey beat Oriente 3-2 in 13 innings in the Dominican Republic last night (box score). Alfredo Figaro pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in relief in that game, and Elian Herrera went 4-for-6 with an RBI for Oriente.
  • Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has a look at four pretty impressive patterns mowed into the field at Fox Cities Stadium in 2013.

Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers are getting ready for their annual clubhouse sale. Adam McCalvy has details on the event, scheduled for December 6-7.

Around baseball:

Angels: Hired Rick Eckstein as their new "player information coach."
Indians: Signed outfielder David Murphy to a two-year, $10 million deal.
Mets: Signed first baseman Brandon Allen to a minor league deal.
Nationals: Hired former minor league coach Bob Henley as third base coach and signed pitcher Chris Young to a minor league deal.
Padres: Signed pitcher Josh Johnson to a one-year, $8 million deal.
Phillies: Signed infielder Reid Brignac to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Re-acquired pitcher Duke Welker from the Twins for pitcher Kris Johnson.

Today in former Brewers:

Today is the 24th anniversary of Robin Yount winning the 1989 AL MVP Award and the 44th anniversary of the Seattle Pilots firing Joe Schultz, the first manager in franchise history, in 1969. We covered those events in Today In Brewer History two years ago and last year, respectively.

Finally, with help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:

  • 2013 Brevard County Manatee Chad Pierce, who turns 26.
  • 2001 Brewer Brandon Kolb, who turns 40.
  • Milwaukee native and 1901 Milwaukee Brewer George McBride, who would have turned 133. McBride went on to play 13 seasons with the Washington Senators from 1908-20.

Plunk Everyone notes that McBride's 64 career HBP are the most ever for a player born on November 20.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my head hurts.

Drink up.

Lesser Brewers: Chris Narveson

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Nearly two years out from a torn rotator cuff, this lefty is looking for a place to continue his comeback attempt.

Before 2012, Chris Narveson was a pretty great story. A former second round pick in the 2000 draft, he needed nine years and four organizations to get his first full-time opportunity in the majors. Despite the long wait, though, he made 28 starts for the Brewers in 2010 and again in 2011. He even appeared in six postseason games for the Brewers' first division championship team in nearly three decades.

On April 20, 2012, though, Narveson got the news that every pitcher has to dread. He had a torn rotator cuff. He was done for the season, and there was no guarantee that surgery and rehab would get him back to his previous strength.

A year later Narveson was back with the Brewers on Opening Day, but didn't last long. He made just two appearances before going back on the DL with a finger injury, made five rehab starts for AAA Nashville and posted a 7.00 ERA over 18 innings. Instead of bringing him back to the big leagues, the Brewers removed Narveson from the 40-man roster.

Narveson continued to struggle after that, finishing with a 5.14 ERA over 15 starts in AAA. He also finished the season on the DL, appearing in his last game on August 12. The Brewers opted not to put him back on the 40-man roster, so he's a minor league free agent this winter.

Narveson's comeback attempt continues this winter in the Dominican Republic, where he leads Licey with 27.1 innings pitched in winter ball and has a 1.98 ERA, striking out 27 with just four walks. If he continues to perform at that level, he's a near lock to get a major league camp invitation from someone. He could be an interesting low-risk option for the Brewers, but it'd also be understandable if he's ready for a change of scenery.

Best Game

Both of Narveson's MLB relief outings in 2013 were largely inconsequential, so we'll dig deeper into the archives for a reminder of what he can do when he's healthy. He dominated the Diamondbacks over seven scoreless innings on July 20, 2011, holding them to four hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

Here are the highlights from that game:

Contract Status

As mentioned above, Narveson is a minor league free agent this winter. He also has slightly more than four years of MLB service time, so if he catches on with a team this winter he'd be arbitration-eligible in 2015 and a free agent for 2016.

Previous MVBrewers posts can be seen at the links below:

#1: Carlos Gomez
#2: Jonathan Lucroy
#3: Jean Segura
#4: Kyle Lohse
#5: Norichika Aoki
#6: Jim Henderson
#7: Brandon Kintzler
#8: Yovani Gallardo
#9: Wily Peralta
#10: Scooter Gennett

Honorable mentions: Marco Estrada, Ryan Braun, Khris Davis, Tyler Thornburg,Aramis Ramirez, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Bianchi, Caleb Gindl, Logan Schafer, Rob Wooten

Lesser Brewers: Burke Badenhop, Francisco Rodriguez, Jimmy Nelson, Donovan Hand, Sean Halton, Martin Maldonado, Hiram Burgos, Alfredo Figaro, Michael Blazek, Mike Fiers, Juan Francisco

SportsNet NY: Brewers more likely to trade Ryan Braun than Norichika Aoki for Ike Davis

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Is it that time of year already? The time for rampant speculation about screwing over other teams because you don't know what you're talking about?

This is a headline:

Brewers more likely to trade Ryan Braun than Norichika Aoki

That is an actual, honest-to-goodness headline on a fairly reputable site. I did not make it up, it is out there. It is real. It exists. I'll link to it in a bit, when it goes over the top ridiculous. Right now, that headline is just silly. This discussion has been had before.

The Brewers aren't going to trade Ryan Braun. Not unless they get something beyond his value. That's not happening, especially in light of recent events. No team will offer fair value. GM Doug Melvin has his faults, sure, but trading is something that he has done an excellent job of in recent years. Melvin also wants to compete, and seems to always ask for a lot for a trade. Aoki is much more tradeable. He has a year remaining on a moderate contract, is a nice player, isn't key to the Brewers future. Aoki makes sense in a trade.

But, sure, in the right kind of trade, maybe Braun could be traded quicker than Norichika Aoki. This is from SportsNet New York's Mets section, so I'm guessing this is a pretty big deal. We know the two teams have had discussions. The Mets need an outfielder. OK, so what would New York give up? Zach Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard or something? That's a lot, but it's Ryan Braun and...

There is a better chance the Brewers trade OF Ryan Braun for Mets 1B Ike Davis than deal OF Norichika Aoki, according to people familiar with the team’s thinking.

...........Now it's absurd. Here is the link, now that you can fully grasp how insane Matthew Cerrone of SportsNet New York is. As you can see, that bold quoted mess is his first line. That's what he led off with.

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, ohdeardeardear.

Poor, sweet, Matthew Cerrone. I understand page views are important. I do. We, the viewers, are the product being marketed to those advertisers. I love page views! But oh my god you aren't going to get more page views by making stupid articles like this (well, maybe you'll get a job with Yahoo).

He says the Brewers are trying to make room for Khris Davis. They probably are. That they are looking for a power bat at first base. They probably are. But, no, the Brewers aren't going to trade an MVP winner signed long-term for Ike Davis. And I like Davis! If David Wright were suspended for PEDs, the Mets wouldn't trade him for Juan Francisco. Same thing applies to Braun and Davis.

Ryan Braun was suspended for 65 games due to a connection to Biogenesis. He won his first appeal when he tested positive for elevated testosterone. Someone lost their job because of it. Ergo, according to so many people, Ryan Braun is an evil person and the Brewers will trade him for pretty much nothing. Or salary relief that they don't really need because they would want to spend that salary on someone like Ryan Braun.

Knock it off with this, sports writers. It makes no sense. Stop making fans who read your site stupider by writing about inane things like this. Whoever these people familiar with the Brewers thinking are, next time they come up to you, just pretend your listening next time while writing about something that might actually have a grain of truth to it.

Or maybe I'm just reading this article the wrong way. Maybe the Brewers are just SUPER DUPER likely to keep Norichika Aoki.

More from Brew Crew Ball:

Hunter Morris, Jason Rogers, Brooks Hall, and Kevin Shackelford added to 40-man roster

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Brewers fill 40-man roster to protect four minor-league players from the Rule 5 draft.

With the deadline approaching to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft, the Brewers elected to fill their 40-man roster with four minor league players.  Late this afternoon, they added Hunter Morris, Jason Rogers, Brooks Hall, and Kevin Shackelford to the 40-man roster to keep them protected in the organization.  The addition of Hunter Morris and Jason Rogers isn't a surprise, as both were expected to be added today.  Over on Twitter, Adam McCalvy also mentioned Kevin Shackelford and Brooks Hall as possible candidates, and both were added as well.

Hunter Morris is 25, spent the year with Nashville, and is seen as a potential future first baseman for the Brewers.  Taking the step up this year, he struggled a bit.  He posted a batting line of .247/.310/.457/.766 over 134 games, with 24 home runs and 73 RBI.  He also has a high strikeout total, with 122 in 2013 compared to 43 walks.

Jason Rogers is 25 and spent the entire 2013 season in Hunstville, playing in 133 games primarily at first base.  He finished the year with a batting line of .270/.346/.468/.814, along with 22 home runs and 87 RBI.  Because of his great season, he was named the Brewers minor league player of the year for 2013.

Kevin Shackelford is 24 and started the year in Brevard County, posting a 5.06 ERA but also a 3.36 FIP, along with a 6.47 K/9 and 1.13 BB/9 in 24 relief appearances over 32 innings.  He earned a promotion to Huntsville at the end of June and was stellar for the rest of the year, putting up a 0.92 ERA and 2.76 FIP, along with a 7.69 K/9, 2.15 BB/9, and 6 saves over 20 apearances.  He had also been playing for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, with a 3.09 ERA and 2.26 FIP in 11 appearances there.

Brooks Hall is 23 and also pitched for both Brevard County and Huntsville in 2013.  He spent the majority of the year as a starter but did make a few relief appearances.  In two months at Brevard County, he posted a 2.78 ERA and 3.18 FIP, earning him a promotion to Huntsville.  He got hit hard early in Huntsville and posted a 9.60 ERA in June, but settled down and had a 2.14 ERA over the last two months of the season, with a 28/12 K/BB ratio.

With these additions, the 40-man roster is now full.  The Brewers will have to make some more changes to it if they decide to sign any free agents this offseason.

Mets Morning News: PEDs, a fake trade, and a real trade

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Your Thursday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets

Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog reported that the Brewers were more likely to trade Ryan Braun than Norichika Aoki for Ike Davis, and that the Mets had discussed Braun internally. However, Andy Martino of the NY Daily News says that the Brewers aren't looking to trade Braun at the moment. Predictably, Brew Crew Ball didn't take too well to the rumor.

Wednesday was the deadline for teams to add players to their 40 man rosters ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. The Mets decided to protect four minor-league pitchers: right-handers Jacob deGrom, Erik Goeddel, and Jeff Walters, along with left-hander Steven Matz.

In their hunt for a free agent starting pitcher, the Mets are more likely to go after Phil Hughes than Bronson Arroyo.

Once again, the Mets have found themselves surprised by the prices on the free-agent market.

Around the Majors

The Tigers and Rangersmade a stunning trade on Wednesday night, with Detroit sending first baseman Prince Fielder to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler. The Tigers will eat $30 million of the $168 million still owed on Fielder's contract. It's a trade that makes sense for both sides. The Tigers will now be able to move Miguel Cabrera back to first base and have more money to re-sign Max Scherzer, while Fielder will provide a large upgrade over the .223/.295/.405 line the Rangers got from their first basemen in 2013.The trade has implications for the Mets, as it likely ends any chance of the Rangers trading infielders Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar.

Alex Rodriguez decided to employ a scorched earth tactic after finding out MLB commissioner Bud Selig would not testify at his arbitration hearing related to his 211-game suspension for PED use. Rodriguez walked out of the hearing, saying he was "disgusted" with the process and called it a "farce." He later appeared on the Mike Francesa show on WFAN. Among other things, Rodriguez vehemently denied using any PEDs or obstructing any investigations, and said that he believes Selig has a personal vendetta against him.

At a press conference, the Cardinals announced a three-year extension for manager Mike Matheny. They also announced the retirement of long-time ace Chris Carpenter. The right-hander finishes his career with a 3.76 ERA and 38.9 fWAR in 2219.1 innings.

The Dodgers have shown interest in righty Dan Haren.

Marlins fans may be able to do Jazz Hands in 2014, as Miami has contacted third baseman Juan Uribe.

Gwen Knapp of SportsonEarth examinedBarry Bonds' life after baseball.

Baseball Prospectus highlighted 10 free agents who will likely be overpaid this offseason.

Yesterday At AA

Jeffrey Kopman looked at five players on the Mets roster and gave his thoughts on what must be done with them.

On this date in Mets history, Tommie Agee became the first Mets player to ever win a Gold Glove.

If you read an article or find a link that you think would be a great addition to a future edition of Mets Morning News, please forward it to our tips email address tips@grission.com and we'll try to add it in.

More from Amazin' Avenue:

Ryan Braun rumors: 'Absolutely nothing' true about Mets trade talk

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin has quashed the Braun trade rumors, stating that the team's intentions are not to trade the outfielder.

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has put an early end to the rumor that all-star outfielder Ryan Braun might be traded to the Mets, saying there is "absolutely nothing" to the speculation and that the team has no intention of dealing him, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The Braun rumor mill started churning Wednesday when Matthew Cerrone at Mets Blog reported that the Brewers were more likely to deal the former MVP for Mets first baseman Ike Davis than slap-hitting right fielder Norichika Aoki. A follow-up story about New York was having "internal discussions" in regards to Braun only fueled the hype machine further, but it's all now debunked.

Even if the deal had been something on the table, it's unlikely the Mets would have surrendered the players necessary to land Braun. Mike Puma of the NY Post reports that any deal for the troubled left fielder would have likely included top Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, whom GM Sandy Alderson has said is off-limits.

A Braun-for-Davis+ deal made a certain amount of sense on its face. The Brewers are in dire need of first-base help and are looking to free up room for Khris Davis, while the Mets are on the prowl for outfielders. But, alas, it appears there's destined to be only one blockbuster trade this week.

More from SB Nation MLB:

A-Rod storms out of hearing | Proclaims innocence to WFAN’s Francesa

Tigers, Rangers swap Ian Kinsler and Prince Fielder | Explaining the deal

Baseball Nation: Yasiel Puig for Chris Sale -- who says no first?

MLB trade rumors | Yanks eye Joe Nathan | Brian McCann meeting teams soon

Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison


Thursday's Frosty Mug: Four more

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We're talking about the latest 40-man roster additions and more in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

Some things to read while hanging on.

We're 85 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and four new members of the 40-man roster will have lockers in the major league clubhouse. Yesterday as expected the Brewers added first basemen Hunter Morris and Jason Rogers, and also pitchers Kevin Shackelford and Brooks Hall. JP has more on all four players at the above link.

Morris, by the way, made his winter ball debut in Venezuela a few weeks ago but appeared in just three games. Adam McCalvy reports that Morris returned to the US after twisting his knee, and the injury is not believed to be serious.

Despite having protected four more players yesterday, the Brewers still have a handful of minor leaguers in the organization that could be selected in next month's Rule 5 draft. Tom Haudricourt (on Twitter) listed Kentrail Davis, John Prince, Tyler Cravy and Kyle Heckathorn as possibilities.

You may look at yesterday's transactions and think "no big deal," and there's a chance you'll be right. It's worth noting, however, that last year at this time the Brewers added five players to the 40-man, and two of them ended up making a major impact in 2013: Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett. Hiram Burgos and Josh Prince were also on that list and made their MLB debuts this year. Only Nick Bucci, who was injured, didn't make an MLB impact.

Davis and Gennett both received a lot of MLB playing time partly due to injuries. Jeff Zimmerman of FanGraphs looked over the numbers and says the Brewers finished tenth in DL time in 2013.

Chris Narveson was one of the Brewers responsible for a fair portion of that DL time. Yesterday we looked at his year as part of our player-by-player look at the 2013 season. Stop back this afternoon to see who we're profiling today.

Jimmy Nelson would've needed to be added to the 40-man this winter if he hadn't pitched his way onto the roster during the season. Jim Owczarski of OnMilwaukee.com talked to Nelson about trying to win a rotation spot in 2014.

The 2014 Brewers bullpen, meanwhile, remains in a state of flux. David Schoenfield of ESPN notes that Brewers relievers had the NL's third-best ERA in 2013, but still only gave them a C for their overall performance.

Today in free agency: Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated says the Brewers should re-sign Corey Hart to fix their first base problem. (h/t BBTF)

Meanwhile, we have an early nominee for this winter's most ridiculous trade proposal. A rumor made the rounds yesterday that the Brewers are "more interested" in trading Ryan Braun than Norichika Aoki in a deal for Mets first baseman Ike Davis. Don't hold your breath. Rob Neyer also noted this rumor and wondered why the Brewers wouldn't just move Braun to first base instead.

In the minors:

  • Juan Francisco went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in Licey's 4-2 loss to Oriente in the Dominican Republic last night (box score). Elian Herrera went 1-for-4 with a run for Oriente.
  • Francisco's hot bat has cooled in a big way recently. He's 6-for-40 with no extra base hits and 19 strikeouts in his last ten games.
  • Hiram Burgos started and pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts in Mayaguez's 3-1 loss to Ponce in Puerto Rico last night (box score).
  • Mike Fiers pitched a perfect ninth inning for Caracas in their 8-2 win over Aragua in Venezuela (box score).
  • The Brewers were left off of MLB.com's list of the top 20 prospects in the Arizona Fall League.
  • I'm a couple of days behind on this one, but Scott Leber of Mystateline.com has a story on Cody Scarpetta, who continues to work to come back from missing much of 2012 and 2013 due to Tommy John surgery. (h/t @Mass_Haas)

Back in Milwaukee, congratulations are due out to the Brewers' marketing department for recently winning four awards for promotional campaigns.

Around baseball:

Astros: Claimed infielder Ryan Jackson off waivers from the Cardinals.
Cardinals: Extended manager Mike Matheny's contract through 2017 and announced pitcher Chris Carpenter's retirement.
Diamondbacks: Designated reliever Tony Sipp for assignment.
Giants: Designated pitcher Guillermo Moscoso for assignment and signed pitcher Javier Lopez to a three-year, $13 million deal.
Indians: Designated infielder Cord Phelps for assignment and hired former Rays minor league coach Matt Quataro as their new assistant hitting coach.
Nationals: Designated pitchers Fernando Abad and Tyler Robertson for assignment.
Orioles: Signed pitcher Edgmer Escalona to a one-year deal.
Padres: Designated pitchers Brad Brach, Miles Mikolas and Jose De Paula and outfielder Jaff Decker for assignment.
Pirates: Signed pitchers Seth McClung, Jake Brigham, Jay Jackson and Josh Kinney to minor league deals.
Rangers: Acquired first baseman Prince Fielder and cash from the Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler and claimed pitcher Shawn Tolleson off waivers from the Dodgers.
Royals: Designated pitcher Noel Arguelles and second baseman Irving Falu for assignment.
White Sox: Claimed infielder Jake Elmore off waivers from the Astros.

Today's big story is the Fielder trade, of course, but today's most unusual story comes from new Indians outfielder David Murphy. News of his new two-year deal with Cleveland broke after his daughter told people about it at day care.

Today in former Brewers: Henry Blanco is 42 but says he wants to play one more season.

Finally, with help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd like to wish a happy birthday today to:

Today is also the sixth anniversary of the Brewers signing Jason Kendall as a free agent in 2007. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the cat got out.

Drink up.

The Thursday Thinker: 25 and over

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Carlos Gomez led the Brewers with 24 home runs this season. Can you name the Brewers who have hit more?

Carlos Gomez finished his breakout season with 24 home runs in 2013, leading all Brewers. That ended a pretty impressive streak for the Crew, who had at least one player hit 25 or more homers in every full MLB season from 1993-2012.

All told, the Brewers have had 62 25-homer seasons in franchise history. How many of the hitters can you name in ten minutes?

The quiz also contains nine "bonus" answers, players who hit at least 20 homers in a season as a Brewer but never broke 25. In those cases, their career high is listed with their name.

If the quiz isn't displaying correctly for you here or you'd simply prefer to take it over there, follow this link to play the quiz at Sporcle.com.

Please post your score in the comments below, but also remember that comments on this post may contain spoilers. If you get all nine answers correct, post your time along with your score in the comments.

If you've finished this quiz and would like another challenge, here are this offseason's other Thinkers:

You can also check out the archives for all of last winter's quizzes.

Have fun, and don't forget to post your score in the comments!

Ryan Braun Rumors: Brewers GM Doug Melvin says there is "absolutely nothing" to trade talk

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The Brewers aren't looking to make the next blockbuster deal by moving disgraced slugger Ryan Braun.

A rumor originating from Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com claiming that the Brewers Ryan Braun was more likely to be moved in a deal for Ike Davis than right fielder Norichika Aoki is false, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Haudricourt-

"We have no intentions of trading Ryan.There's absolutely no truth to that. We've never contacted any team about Ryan."

The Milwaukee beat writer reports that Melvin said "four or five clubs" had inquired about Braun this off-season, but the GM informed him that, "I told them no."

The 30-year-old Braun is returning from a 61-game suspension in 2013 as a result of his connection to the Biogenesis clinic-PED scandel. Prior to the suspension, the 2011 NL MVP had hit .298/.372/.498 in 253 plate appearance for the season. He is signed with the Brewers for $122 million over the next seven years, but even with top prospect Khris Davis expected to land in the Milwaukee outfield in 2014, Haudricourt doesn't see the team trying to get out from under that deal. Melvin told him that he had discussed a possible move to right field with Braun and Haudricourt views that conversation as further proof that Melvin is serious when he says the slugging left fielder is off-the-table in trade talks.

More from MLB Daily Dish:

  • Prince Fielder-Ian Kinsler Trade: Reactions see swap as win-win
  • Tigers agree to trade Prince Fielder to Rangers for Ian Kinsler
  • Interest on both sides for Dodgers, Haren
  • Carlos Beltran Rumors: Red Sox have had a "serious dialogue" with the veteran right fielder
  • Nationals sign starting pitcher Chris Young to a minor league deal
  • Lesser Brewers: Johnny Hellweg

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    Who is the real Johnny Hellweg, anyway?

    I think it's probably safe to say the Brewers have already won the Zack Greinke trade.

    Jean Segura, the centerpiece of the deal, is coming off his first All Star appearance. He spent much of the year leading the NL in hits, plays spectacular defense and is still only 23 years old. Sometimes we forget, though, that the deal could still get better, as we wait to see what the Brewers will get from Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena.

    Unfortunately, crafting long-term expectations for Hellweg has turned into quite the puzzle. He was the Pacific Coast League's Pitcher of the Year for Nashville in 2013, posting a 3.15 ERA over 125.2 innings. He also walked 5.8 batters per nine innings, though, and control was an issue that followed him to the majors.

    Hellweg was rocked by the Pirates in his MLB debut on June 28, allowing seven runs on six hits over just 1.2 innings. His next start against the Mets was also a disaster (seven R, 3.2 IP), and five days later he had another poor outing against the Reds (four runs, 4.1 IP). He allowed 19 hits and 13 walks in his first 10.2 MLB innings, and was sent all the way back down to Wisconsin.

    Hellweg rebounded in the minors, but raised questions about his confidence. Here's something he said in a press conference following his start with the Timber Rattlers (emphasis mine):

    "Yeah, I'm just trying to expand my game a bit," Hellweg said. "I learned up there that some of the stuff that I do isn't going to get big league hitters out. So I just tried to work on some things, and throw some different stuff in my repertoire."

    After a solid (if unspectacular) finish to the minor league season, Hellweg rejoined the Brewers in September and had a somewhat improved second stint, posting a 4.50 ERA over 20 innings. He still walked 13 batters over that time, though, and hit seven more. Opposing batters hit .296/.446/.437 against him in the month.

    So, despite a solid season in the minors, Hellweg will come to camp with a lot to prove in 2014. He has the potential to be a solid major leaguer, but unless he improves his control it's going to be hard to justify using him in any significant role.

    Best Game

    Hellweg's last start was almost certainly his best one, as he held the Mets to a single run on just two hits and four walks over four innings on September 26. He also set a new career high with three strikeouts in the game.

    He also induced the ground ball that led to this diving play from Jeff Bianchi:

    Contract Status

    Hellweg has 42 days of major league service time, so he's still at least three years away from arbitration eligibility and six years away from potential free agency.

    Perhaps more importantly, Hellweg has one option remaining. He can be returned to the minors if he doesn't make the Brewers in the spring.

    Previous MVBrewers posts can be seen at the links below:

    #1: Carlos Gomez
    #2: Jonathan Lucroy
    #3: Jean Segura
    #4: Kyle Lohse
    #5: Norichika Aoki
    #6: Jim Henderson
    #7: Brandon Kintzler
    #8: Yovani Gallardo
    #9: Wily Peralta
    #10: Scooter Gennett

    Honorable mentions: Marco Estrada, Ryan Braun, Khris Davis, Tyler Thornburg, Aramis Ramirez, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Bianchi, Caleb Gindl, Logan Schafer, Rob Wooten

    Lesser Brewers: Burke Badenhop, Francisco Rodriguez, Jimmy Nelson, Donovan Hand, Sean Halton, Martin Maldonado, Hiram Burgos, Alfredo Figaro, Michael Blazek, Mike Fiers, Juan Francisco, Chris Narveson

    Friday's Frosty Mug: Responding to a rumor

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    We're looking at the interviews spawned by a rumor from earlier this week in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

    Some things to read while deciding how to welcome your new insect overlords...err...guest Frosty Mug writer.

    We're 84 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale and something good has come from the silly rumor started earlier this week.  Doug Melvin spoke with Tom Haudricourt yesterday and had a few interesting things to say.  The first (and not so interesting) thing he mentioned to Tom Haudricourt was that there was "absolutely nothing" to the rumor and he told Haudricourt that the Brewers were contacted by "four or five clubs" about Braun's availability, but the Brewers had not contacted anyone.

    Melvin also told Haudricourt that he had met with Braun last weekend and discussed the possibility of moving Braun from left field to right field.  He didn't give any specifics about the rationale behind the move, but said that Braun was receptive to the idea.

    On the heels of Haudricourt's talk with Melvin, Adam McCalvy reports Braun was first approached about the move to right field by manager Ron Roenicke a month ago.  Roenicke said a move to right field for Braun would be more about the long-term benefits than the short-term benefits.

    While Braun may be unsure of his position next season, most are certain he will be in his customary third spot in the batting order.  Over at Disciples of Uecker, Nicholas Zettel examines what Brewers fans should expect with Braun and Aramis Ramirez presumably returning to third and fourth in the Brewers lineup.

    After an up-and-down 2013 season, Brewers fans likely have no idea what to expect out of 23-year-old Johnny Hellweg next season.  Kyle took a look at his year yesterday as part of our player-by-player look back at the 2013 season.  Check back this afternoon to see who we're profiling today.

    Brandon at Fangraphs Community Research dissected the effect of "devastating blown saves", which he characterized as any game in which a team blows a lead in the ninth and then goes on to lose.  He didn't find much correlation between devastating blown saves and a team's momentum going forward, but he did find that the Brewers are leading the league since 2000 in devastating blown saves with 63.

    In the minors:

    • No Brewers took part in Winter League action on Thursday.
    • Over at Reviewing the Brew, they brought together the roundtable to discuss Brewers prospects that might surprise fans in the upcoming season.  There weren't really many prospects that they thought could surprise fans, but they were very excited about Jimmy Nelson next season.
    • Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio takes a look back at the jerseys the Timber Rattlers sported on Mother's Day in 2010.  1975 Astros jerseys + Mother's Day colorway = pretty slick jerseys.
    Back in Milwaukee, John and Cait detail how the Brewers will be helping out in the community next week and the various ways you can get involved to help others during the holiday season.

    Around baseball:

    Sad news last night as MLB players' union leader Michael Weiner passed away from an inoperable brain tumor.  Weiner made his cancer public 15 months ago, but continued working up until this summer when he was forced to step down as his health deteriorated.  There were many touching pieces written about him last night, but here are just a few from Jerry CrasnickKen Rosenthal, and Tyler Kepner.

    Diamondbacks: Hired Dave Duncan as special assistant to the general manager and pitching consultant.

    Mets: Signed outfielder Chris B. Young to a one-year deal and right-handed pitcher Miguel Socolovich to a minor league deal.

    Phillies: Hired Bob McClure to be pitching coach after the position remained vacant for seven months.

    Royals: Signed pitcher Jason Vargas to a 4 year, $32 million deal.  To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Royals designated former Brewer George Kottaras for assignment.

    Tigers: Avoided arbitration with left-handed reliever Phil Coke and signed him to a one-year contract with a base salary of $1.9 million.

    Since collecting weird memorabilia is something that people do now, Gillette announced that they will be auctioning off "beard balls" of Red Sox players for charity.  These "beard balls" are made with bits of real beard from David Ortiz and Shane Victorino.  So you know they're good.

    Today in former Brewers:

    • The Twins are interested in adding free agent Chris Capuano after he recorded a 4-7 record with a 4.26 ERA for the Dodgers this past season.
    • Jerry Crasnick tweets that there are multiple scouts keeping a close eye on Chris Narveson as he attempts to get healthy and prove his worth this offseason.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, the rest of the internet needs to know that this was the Worst. Mug. Ever.

    Drink up.

    MLB Trades: Burke Badenhop traded to Boston for minor league pitcher Luis Ortega

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    Burke Badenhop appeared in 63 games for the Brewers in 2013, but didn't get much work in high-pressure situations and was a non-tender candidate this offseason.

    We have some breaking news from the Brewers this afternoon.

    Burke Badenhop's name had been coming up as a non-tender candidate lately, so the trade isn't a big surprise.  While his numbers in 2013 weren't bad (3.47 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 42:12 K/BB), he wasn't being used in many high-pressure situations.  In his 63 appearances, only 19 were in situations considered "high pressure" (according to average leverage index on Baseball Reference), and pitched with the lead only 15 times.  By trading him, the Brewers are able to get something for him instead of just non-tendering him later in the offseason.

    In return in the trade, the Brewers got 20 year old minor league pitcher Luis Ortega from Boston.  He was in his second season in the Boston system, pitching in 12 games for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox.  He mainly pitched in long relief, putting up a 2.45 ERA and 3.80 FIP in 36 2/3 innings, along with a 26:15 K/BB ratio.


    Lesser Brewers: Alex Gonzalez

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    Scraping the bottom of the barrel with Brewers "contributors".

    Can Alex Gonzalez really even be called a lesser Brewer? Is there any lower level that we can start putting these guys?

    Gonzalez entered the year as the Brewers starting first baseman which, yep, pretty accurately sums up how the 2013 season went in Milwaukee. He lost playing time pretty quickly to Yuniesky Betancourt and Martin Maldonado which, yep, pretty accurately sums up how the 2013 season went for Alex Gonzalez.

    In April, Gonzalez started most days and hit .175/.221/.238. In May, he ended up taking more of a bench role, and hit .174/.174/.217. In June, he struck out three times in four plate appearances in one game, then was released the next day.

    The Brewers paid Alex Gonzalez $1.5 million for his contributions in 2013. In return, Gonzalez gave them 41 games and a .433 OPS. So Yuniesky Betancourt's team-worst -1.7 fWAR in 2013 is impressive. Disgustingly impressive. But WAR is a counting stat. In 2013, Alex Gonzalez absolutely blew Yuni out of the water in WAR/150. Gonzalez ended up with a -4.02 WAR/150, Yuni sat at a 1.97 WAR/150. In that stat, Alex Gonzalez was twice as bad as Yuniesky Betancourt.

    You know you're doing something wrong when you get released while the team you were on keeps the worst player in the majors and plays him in 137 games.

    Gonzalez, by the way, received a whopping $4.25 million from the Brewers in 2012, as well. He played in 24 games for Milwaukee. He wasn't bad or anything, but he barely played. And between the two seasons, the Brewers paid him $5.75 million to give them -0.9 fWAR. Sometimes I just don't know.

    Previous MVBrewers posts can be seen at the links below:

    #1: Carlos Gomez
    #2: Jonathan Lucroy
    #3: Jean Segura
    #4: Kyle Lohse
    #5: Norichika Aoki
    #6: Jim Henderson
    #7: Brandon Kintzler
    #8: Yovani Gallardo
    #9: Wily Peralta
    #10: Scooter Gennett

    Honorable mentions: Marco Estrada, Ryan Braun, Khris Davis, Tyler Thornburg,Aramis Ramirez, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Bianchi, Caleb Gindl, Logan Schafer, Rob Wooten

    Lesser Brewers: Burke Badenhop, Francisco Rodriguez, Jimmy Nelson, Donovan Hand, Sean Halton, Martin Maldonado, Hiram Burgos, Alfredo Figaro, Michael Blazek, Mike Fiers, Juan Francisco, Chris Narveson


    Red Sox acquire reliever Burke Badenhop from Brewers

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    Milwaukee receives minor league reliever Luis Ortega from Boston.

    The Boston Red Sox have acquired relief pitcher Burke Badenhop from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league relief pitcher Luis Ortega. The trade was announced on the teams' Twitter accounts.

    Badenhop is a 30-year-old who has pitched for three teams in his six-year career. The right-hander posted a 3.47 ERA last season in 63 appearances for the Brewers. For those interested in fielding-independent stats, Badenhop showed uncanny consistency over the last two seasons; in both 2012 (with the Tampa Bay Rays) and 2013, Badenhop threw exactly 62⅓ innings, struck out 42 batters, issued 12 walks, and allowed 6 home runs. However, he is eligible for arbitration and MLB Trade Rumors estimates that he will earn $2.1 million in 2014; despite his solid performance, the Brewers have cheaper options available to cover the middle innings.

    Ortega is a 20-year-old who has pitched for two seasons in Boston's system. The left-hander spent 2013 playing Rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League, where he posted a 2.45 ERA in 36⅔ innings while striking out 26 batters and allowing only two home runs. Here is one scouting report on Ortega from SoxProspects.com:

    Small frame with limited physical projection. Over the top delivery. Fastball sits in the high-80s and tops out in the low-90s. Also throws a mid-80s changeup and curveball.

    More from SB Nation MLB:

    A-Rod hearing ends | Plans to take evidence public

    Tigers, Rangers swap Ian Kinsler and Prince Fielder | Ripple effects

    What the White Sox owe Paul Konerko

    MLB trade rumors | Brewers deny Braun talks | Freese meeting Cards, Angels

    Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison

    What we learned this week: November 23, 2013

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    This week's lessons include roster moves, ridiculous rumors, and responsible spending.

    The Brewers offseason is starting to pick up.

    We finally started to see some offseason movement for the Brewers in the last week.  Their first set of moves this week was about protecting players, as they added four minor league players to their 40-man roster.  Two of the moves were expected with Hunter Morris and Jason Rogers, but two were a little more of a surprise as they also added Kevin Shackelford and Brooks Hall as well.  These four are now protected from the Rule 5 draft this winter, though other minor-league players will be eligible when it is held.  Rogers and Shackelford, along with some of those Rule 5 draft candidates, are still playing in winter ball, and morineko recapped their previous week on Sunday.

    While those moves filled the 40-man roster, a spot was cleared on Friday when a trade was made.  The Brewers sent Burke Badenhop to Boston for minor league reliever Luis Ortega.  Badenhop was a non-tender candidate so his trade is not a complete surprise.  Ortega could be a good piece for the Brewers in the future, or he could just sit in the minor leagues for years.  However, at best, he's at least three years away from making an impact in Milwaukee.

    Those were the only moves, but the rumors kept coming out this week.  The Brewers connection to Corey Hart remains, but there's still no movement on that front.  Earlier in the week, it was reported that in addition to the Brewers, the Rockies, Rays, and Red Sox all have interest in signing Corey Hart.  It also came out that Hart would not be cleared medically until early December.  If that's the case, it could be a few weeks before he signs with anyone.

    That was the more reasonable rumor of the week.  This next one isn't as reasonable.  A couple of weeks ago, we discussed the possibility of Norichika Aoki getting traded to the New York Mets, and that trades had been discussed with them but had gone nowhere.  Within the last week, some new speculation came out that the Brewers would be more willing to trade Ryan Braun than Norichika Aoki.  You can file that one as a ridiculous rumor, and Doug Melvin even came out and eliminated that possibility after it came out.  The Brewers still appear committed to Ryan Braun, and they hope he will regain fan support when he gets back to playing meaningful games in April.

    Members of the Brewers know how donating to charity should work.

    When we think of charities, we can sometimes get a bad impression of them.  We can see them as these organizations that spend more money on the organization itself than the actual cause they are raising money for.  It makes us hesitant to donate because we don't know if our money is being used properly.  With the charities the Brewers have, we don't have to worry about that.  Kyle post a report from the Appleton Post-Crescent, who looked into charitable spending from charities.  They found that the Brewers charities spend over 95% of their expenses on the charitable cause.  So, if you're looking for some charity to donate money to, the Brewers have some good choices for you.

    The Brewers had varying levels of impact on the different awards winners for the 2013 season.

    Were the Brewers responsible for any of the award winners in 2013 winning their awards?  Probably not.  However, they might have had some contribution to who won and didn't win.  Kyle looked into that idea on Monday, analyzing the Brewers performance against the award winners compared to their actual performance.  Some of the candidates were helped by the Brewers, while some were hindered.  It doesn't mean much at the end of the day, but at least it gives us something to talk about for a little bit.

    Reviewing the MVBrewers Series

    Lesser Brewers: Mike Fiers
    Lesser Brewers: Juan Francisco
    Lesser Brewers: Chris Narveson
    Lesser Brewers: Johnny Hellweg
    Lesser Brewers: Alex Gonzalez

    The Collection of Mugs

    11/18/2013: Counting to 40
    11/19/2013: Reasons for optimism
    11/20/2013: Rule 5 day of reckoning
    11/21/2013: Four more
    11/22/2013: Responding to a rumor

    Test Your Knowledge

    The Thursday Thinker: 25 and over

    This week in winter baseball: 11/17-11/23

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    This week in fewer active players

    PlayerTeamAVGGABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOSB
    Robinzon DiazGigantes.42927130002000
    Juan FranciscoLicey.227522050003090
    Hector GomezToros.143414021001020
    Elian HerreraEstrellas.286521261003040
    Rafael NedaObregon.00013000000020
    Martin MaldonadoMayaguez.20025010000010
    PitcherTeamWLSvGIPHRERBBKHRERA
    Alfredo FigaroLicey00026.08210501.50
    Hiram BurgosMayaguez00013.01001400.00
    Jose De La TorreCaguas01010.223321081.00
    Mike FiersCaracas00023.054424112.00
    Arcenio LeonZulia00013.01000100.00

    2013-11-17

    BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
    Robinzon DiazGigantes1B-C5012020.218
    Juan FranciscoLicey3B4000021.284
    Hector GomezTorosSS4000001.274
    Elian HerreraEstrellas2B4001010.083

    2013-11-18

    BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
    Robinzon DiazGigantesC2120000.238

    2013-11-19

    BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
    Juan FranciscoLicey3B6021040.287
    Hector GomezTorosSS3000021.262
    Elian HerreraEstrellasLF6041020.278
    PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
    Alfredo FigaroLicey3.02000500.00

    2013-11-20

    BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
    Juan FranciscoLicey3B4000020.276
    Hector GomezTorosSS4011000.2612B
    Elian HerreraEstrellasLF4110000.273
    Rafael NedaObregonC3000020.000
    PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
    Hiram BurgosMayaguez3.01001401.29
    Mike FiersCaracas1.00000007.71

    2013-11-22

    BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
    Juan FranciscoLicey3B4021001.284
    Hector GomezTorosSS3010000.264
    Elian HerreraEstrellasLF4010010.2692B
    Martin MaldonadoMayaguezDH2000010.111
    PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
    Alfredo FigaroLicey3.06210001.29
    Arcenio LeonZulia3.01000102.25HBP

    2013-11-23

    BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
    Juan FranciscoLicey1B4011010.283
    Elian HerreraEstrellas2B3101100.241
    Martin MaldonadoMayaguezC3010000.167
    PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
    Jose De La TorreCaguas0.22332105.68L, 0-2
    Mike FiersCaracas2.054424112.46

    Monday's Frosty Mug: The first move

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    We're talking about the biggest move of the offseason to date and more in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

    Some things to read while someone steals your name.

    We are 81 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale. I spent days #84 and 83 out of town, so of course that's when the Brewers made their biggest news of the winter (so far). Friday they announced they'd traded reliever Burke Badenhop to the Red Sox for minor league pitcher Luis Ortega.

    Ortega is 20 years old, a Dominican native and has pitched just one professional season in the US, as a rookie-baller in the Gulf Coast League in 2013. He made 12 appearances (one start) for the GCL Red Sox this year, posting a 2.45 ERA over 36.2 innings.

    Meanwhile, trading Badenhop leaves the Brewers with just two arbitration-eligible players: Marco Estrada and Juan Francisco. Badenhop, projected to receive $2.1 million for 2014, told Adam McCalvy he was expecting to be non-tendered when he got the call from Doug Melvin and found out he'd been traded. I've written several times that I thought Badenhop was somewhat underutilized as a Brewer, and Ben Buchanan of Over the Monster recapped that sentiment.

    It's possible, if not likely, that Badenhop won't be the last 2013 Brewer traded away this winter. Derek Harvey of The Book of Gorman wonders if there's a market out there for Aramis Ramirez, while Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew makes the case for the Brewers to keep Norichika Aoki.

    At least one 2013 Brewer is likely to retire: On Friday Noah profiled Alex Gonzalez as part of our player-by-player look at the 2013 season. I think you'll want to stop back every afternoon this week as we wrap up the series.

    In the minors:

    • @Mass_Haas notes that the Brewers have been quiet in minor league free agency to this point, signing none of the 92 players that have changed organizations this winter.
    • Juan Francisco went 0-for-3 with a walk in Licey's 2-1 win over Aguilas in Dominican League play yesterday (box score).
    • Martin Maldonado went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in Mayaguez's 4-2 loss to Ponce in Puerto Rico (box score).
    • morineko has a recap of Francisco and many other Brewers' performances over the last week.
    • Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew says Jimmy Nelson, Mitch Haniger and Taylor Jungmann are untouchable in trades this winter. I disagree on all three counts.

    If you weren't around the site this weekend you might have missed JP's look at what we learned over the previous seven days. The hot stove is starting to heat up, and all of last week's action was recapped there.

    Around baseball:

    Angels: Signed reliever Joe Smith to a three-year, $15.75 million deal.
    Astros: Signed reliever Peter Moylan to a minor league deal.
    Cardinals: Acquired outfielder Peter Bourjos and a minor leaguer from the Angels for third baseman David Freese and reliever Fernando Salas and signed shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a four-year, $52 million contract.
    Cubs: Hired Bill Mueller as their new hitting coach, former Marlins coach Brandon Hyde as bench coach, former Mariners assistant Mike Brumley as assistant hitting coach, released outfielder Dave Sappelt and signed outfielder Casper Wells to a minor league deal.
    Dodgers: Signed pitcher Dan Haren to a one-year, $10 million deal.
    Mariners: Fired pitching coach Carl Willis and re-assigned bullpen coach Jaime Navarro within the organization.
    Mets: Signed outfielder Chris Young to a one-year, $7.25 million deal.
    Nationals: Released pitcher Yunesky Maya and signed reliever Daniel Stange to a minor league deal.
    Rangers: Re-signed pitcher Colby Lewis to a minor league deal.
    Rays: Re-signed catcher Jose Molina to a two-year, $4.5 million deal.
    Yankees: Signed catcher Brian McCann to a five-year, $85 million deal.

    The Peralta deal might be the biggest story around baseball this weekend. Tom Haudricourt notes that, combined with the Freese trade, it allows the Cardinals to re-work their infield with 2013 NL hits leader Matt Carpenter moving to third base and prospect Kolten Wong taking over at second. Howie Magner considers a different angle in our Tweet of the Day:

    Today in former Brewers:

    It was also a huge weekend in baseball economics:

    This isn't exactly an economics note, but it could have an interesting impact on life at the ballpark: MLB is reportedly asking all 30 teams to install metal detectors at their parks for next season.

    Finally, with help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to 1989-90 Brewer Randy Veres. He turns 48.

    Today is also the 32nd anniversary of reliever Rollie Fingers being named the 1981 AL MVP, and the seventh anniversary of a 2006 trade that sent pitcher Doug Davis to Arizona and brought in pitcher Claudio Vargas and catcher Johnny Estrada. We covered those events in Today In Brewer History last year and two years ago, respectively.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make the "RMB" acronym catch on.

    Drink up.

    Former Tigers third baseman Darnell Coles named assistant hitting coach

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    Brad Ausmus adds the final piece to his coaching staff, hiring Brewers' minor league manger Darnell Coles.

    The Detroit Tigers added the final piece to Brad Ausmus' coaching staff by naming former third baseman Darnell Coles assistant hitting coach. Coles will work under Wally Joyner, who was recently hired as the team's new hitting coach.

    Manager Brad Ausmus released a statement in regard to his latest hire:

    "Darnell’s experience and perspective is a good complement to Wally Joyner’s approach. We’re pleased to have him join our coaching staff."

    Coles has a good deal of minor league coaching experience, getting his start in the Washington Nationals' system in 2006 as a hitting instructor. He advanced on to managerial jobs for Washington, tasking on the short-season Vermont Lake Monsters in 2007 and managing the Single-A Hagerstown Suns in 2008. He also served as the hitting coach for Triple-A Syracuse in 2009, also in the Nationals' system.

    Coles joined the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010, spending two seasons as a their as minor league hitting coordinator.

    Coles moved back to managing in 2012, spending the last two years running the Brewers' Double-A affiliate, the Huntsville Stars. This past October Coles had agreed to become the new manager of the Brewers' Triple-A team in Nashville. But the chance to coach in the major leagues trumps managing at a lower level.

    Coles is familiar to an earlier generation of Tigers fans. After being acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Rich Monteleone, Coles became Detroit's starting third baseman in 1986 at the age of 24. He went on to have a career season, hitting .273/.333/.453 with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs. The 1986 Tigers were known for their powerful infield, Coles joining catcher Lance Parrish (22), first baseman Darrell Evans (29), second baseman Lou Whitaker (20) and shortstop Alan Trammell (21) with 20 or more home runs.

    Coles never topped those numbers, slumping badly in 1987 while clashing with teammates and manager Sparky Anderson. The most famous incident being a frustrated Coles heaving an infield ball over the roof of Tiger Stadium from his third base position. In August of 1987, the .181 hitting Coles was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, ending his short stint as a Tiger.

    Coles would go on to have a journeyman 14 year career playing for eight different franchises, ending in 1997 with the Colorado Rockies. He would hit .245 for his career, with 75 home runs and 368 RBIs in 957 games.

    The Tigers coaching staff is now complete, including returning bench coach Gene Lamont and pitching coach Jeff Jones. They are joined by first base/infield/base running coach Omar Vizquel, third base coach/outfield instructor Dave Clark; hitting coach Wally Joyner, assistant hitting coach Coles, bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer and defensive coordinator Matt Martin.

    More Roars

    Prince traded! | Implications | You weigh in

    Miguel Cabrera misses Prince already | So do we

    Offseason target: Andre Ethier | More possibilities

    2013 yearbook | Jhonny Peralta

    Essay: Jim Leyland’s legacy in Detroit

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