The Yankees are finally showing interest in Mark Reynolds, who has long said he wanted to return to the team. After missing out on potential alternatives in Juan Uribe, David Freese, among others, Reynolds could be the best choice they have at this point. The Yankees won't know the final fate of Alex Rodriguez until January, and by then it might be too late.
Reynolds hit .215/.307/.373 with the Indians until he was released and was picked up by the Yankees, with whom he hit .236/.300/.455 in only 36 games. He really only had two above-average months in 2013, but he has shown to be good for around 20-30 home runs a year
If A-Rod is not suspended, Reynolds would merely serve as useful corner infield depth, otherwise, he might not be great as a full-time solution. His defense at third is horrendous (-60 DRS), so he's really a DH pretending to belong in the field. Probably most importantly, he gives the Yankees another option against lefties, as the right-handed slugger has a 119 wRC+ against southpaws. Whether as a bat off the bench or a fixture in the lineup against lefties, alongside Alfonso Soriano, he will have his use.
Now entering his age-30 season, Reynolds made $6 million in 2013, exactly half what the Yankees paid Kevin Youkilis. The Twins, Brewers, and Rays are also said to have interest, so they better move quickly before they miss out on someone else.
The Indians have found their new closer, agreeing to terms with right-handed reliever John Axford.
Axford (30 years old) throws a fastball, a slider, and a curve, and was one of the best closers in baseball in 2011 (with the Brewers), before struggling in 2012 and again at the start of 2013. He was eventually traded to the Cardinals, where he did better in 13 regular season appearances and another 6 in the postseason.
Terms of the deal have not yet been released, but it will likely be a 1-year deal. Axford is still arbitration-eligible for another two seasons beyond 2014, so the team would retain his rights, giving them something like two team options for 2015 and 2016.
More on the signing as details come out, along with further analysis of the move.
What are the Indians getting here? (aside from a killer mustache)
The Indians have agreed to terms with right-handed reliever John Axford. Terms have not yet been disclosed, but it will likely be a 1-year deal, I'd guess for something close to $5 million. He'll serve as the team's closer in 2014, and perhaps beyond, as he's still arbitration-eligible for 2015 and 2016. When Axford was among those non-tenured two weeks ago, he was at the top of my list of new intriguing relief options, and now here he is.
I think the idea of the "proven closer" is often overblown; most good closers are simply good relief pitchers that were given a steady chance to close, not guys with some magical ability to succeed where almost all other MLB arms would fail. Axford has been signed to be the 9th inning guy though, so magical or not, we're going to be seeing a lot of him in important situations.
Here's a look at Axford' production in recent seasons, dating back to 2010, the year he took over as closer for the Brewers:
2010
Axford began the year in Triple-A, posting a 19/5 K/BB ratio in 13.1 innings before being called up to Milwaukee. In his fifth appearance there he was given a save opportunity, which he converted, and from there the job was his. Axford finished the year with 24 saves in 27 opportunities. His K/9 of 11.79 ranked 6th among all MLB relief pitchers. He walked quite a few, (4.19 per 9), but avoided allowing much damage by holding hitters to a .204 batting average and giving up just 1 home run all season.
2011
Axford went from solid to spectacular in his first full season as closer. Batters hit just .212 against him in 73.2 innings (a high total for a closer), and because he improved his BB-rate by more than a walk per 9 innings, opponents' OBP against him was a paltry .276. He tied for the NL lead with 46 saves in 48 chances, struck out 10.51 per 9 innings posted a 1.95 ERA, good for a 202 ERA+, each of which ranked 3rd among all closers. He was also listed on Cy Young and MVP ballots at season's end.
2012
Axford's ERA spiked to 4.67 in 2012, and he blew 9 saves in 45 chances, giving him a very poor 80% save rate. What caused the decline? It wasn't a drop in velocity, as all three of his pitches (fastball, slider, and curveball) maintained their previous speeds. He also saw his strikeout rate climb to 12.07 per 9 IP, 10th-best among all MLB relievers. He had troubled finding the strike zone though, and walked 5.06 per 9 IP, 8th-worst among all MLB relievers. His fastball had the same speed, but not the same effectiveness, and he was hit far harder than in the previous two years, as evidenced by his SLG%-against going from .281 in 2011 to .387 in 2012.
2013
Axford allowed at least 1 run in each of his first four appearances of 2013, a total of 9 runs in 3.1 innings, with 4 HR providing most of the damage. At that point he was removed from the closer's role in Milwaukee. From that point through July 26 though, he posted a 1.60 ERA in 39.1 innings, with peripherals very similar to his 2011 numbers. He had 23 consecutive scoreless appearances at one point. At the end of July though, he hit another rough patch (11 runs in 13 games, with 6 BB and 4 HR), and after clearing waivers, he was dealt to the Cardinals.
In 13 regular season games with St. Louis he put up a 1.74 ERA, with 11 K against 3 BB. He didn't allow any home runs, and ended the regular season with 9 scoreless appearances. He also appeared in 6 postseason games for St. Louis, allowing 1 run in 5.1 innings. Even including the playoffs, his time with the Cardinals is a small sample, but the results were an improvement. It's also worth noting that his .339 BABIP-against for the year was a large step above his .310 career figure, and his HR% on fly ball (17.2%) was far worse than the MLB average for relievers (9.8%), so a bit of his weak run prevention was bad luck.
Conclusion
If you remove those first four games of the year, his ERA for the season drops from 4.02 to 2.92. Obviously any reliever will look much better if you remove four bad games, but perhaps Axford was nursing an injury, or just late to locate his pitches this year. In any event, he was very solid for most of the year, and with his velocity intact, it doesn't seem to me that the tools needed for him to be an effective closer aren't there any more. I also have a lot of confidence in pitching coach Mickey Callaway, whom I believe gives the Indians a better chance of getting solid production out a pitcher than most teams.
Steamer projections for 2014 (available at FanGraphs) have Axford at 9.27 K/9, 3.67 BB/9, and a 3.37 ERA. Those aren't glowing numbers, but Cody Allen is the only other Indians reliever whose projections match them. I'd have been fine with Allen in the closer role, but another bullpen arm was needed either way, and I prefer Axford to Chris Perez in the 9th. Plus, the financial investment being made isn't significant (potentially-better options such as Grant Balfour,Fernando Rodney, and, Joaquin Benoit would each have required a multiyear guarantee) and if this expenditure represents the bulk of additional spending we're going to see this offseason, I think Axford is a solid use for it.
Meanwhile, skepticism remains about the Brewers' ability to get production from their internal options. Derek Harvey of The Book of Gorman says Hunter Morris is not the answer at first base.
Adding a little more icy rain to the offseason parade: Mike Bates of SBNation.com wrote a prescription for the Brewers to punt the 2014 season. He says "given the lack of impact players in the upper levels of the farm system there is no realistic way this club pushes past the big three at the top of the division." He didn't add "Happy Holidays" at the end, but I'm sure he meant to.
If the Brewers do prove Mike wrong by competing in 2014, a big year from Scooter Gennett will probably be a part of it. Gennett has struggled to hit lefties during his limited time in the majors and throughout his minor league career, but Jonathan Judge of Disciples of Uecker says he should not be platooned this season.
The winter leagues were quiet yesterday but are entering the home stretch of their 2013 campaigns, as regular seasons across the Caribbean all end between now and December 30. Morineko has a recap of Brewers performances over the last week.
If you weren't around the site over the weekend, you might have missed JP's weekly look at what we learned over the previous seven days. The site was a hub of activity during the Winter Meetings (even if the Brewers weren't), so that recap is a great place to start if you've fallen behind.
Escobar has been hit by 20 pitches in his career, by the way, and Plunk Everyone notes that he's third on the all-time list among players born on December 16. Kinney also hit 12 batters, which is the fourth most ever for a pitcher born on this day.
Today is also the 14th anniversary of the Brewers signing infielder Jose Hernandez to a three-year deal in 1999. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.
We're asking for your opinion on several recent developments.
This week's poll features seven questions on recent moves and their impact on your approval and expectations for the 2014 team. The poll will remain open through the day Tuesday, with results scheduled to be posted on Wednesday. As always, please vote once.
Khris Davis makes his first appearance on our list of 2013's longest home runs today.
Khris Davis' rapid ascent through the organization in 2013 is one of this year's best stories. He came out of nowhere to win a spot on the Opening Day roster and struggled in limited playing time in April, but really came into his own in a return engagement with the Brewers in the second half.
Between July 23 and August 23 Davis appeared in 23 games and hit .386/.455/.860 with eight home runs, including one of the longest of the season. On August 15 he plated the only Brewers run in a 2-1 loss to the Reds, hammering this pitch against rookie Tony Cingrani:
Davis may not always look the part of a future big league slugger, but power like that certainly turns some heads. That ball traveled 434 feet, and was the second longest homer hit by a Brewer at Miller Park in 2013.
Usually when we discuss a mammoth homer like this, the pitch turns out to be a meatball over the center of the plate. This one is a bit of an exception, as it was a 92 mph fastball over the outer third of the strike zone:
That was the fifth of eleven 2013 home runs for Davis, and the Brewers are counting on him to hit many more as he slides into an everyday role in left field next season.
Brew Crew Blasts is a multi-part series looking at the longest and most notable home runs hit by Brewers in 2013. You can see them all in their special section, or follow the links below to their individual posts:
Congratulations! The Brewers can officially negotiate with Masahiro Tanaka!
Congratulations! You are now a fan of a baseball team that can meet the fee for every single Japanese player that is posted for at least the next three years!
The next big Japanese star, Rakuten Golden Eagles ace Masahiro Tanaka? Yeah, the Brewers can absolutely, 100% say they could match whatever the fee will be for him to be posted. In fact, I would go so far as to wager that the Brewers will be involved in discussions with Tanaka. Why am I so confident? Because the new Major League Baseball/Nippon Pro Baseball posting agreement, ratified today, makes it so there is literally no punishment for any team checking in with a posted player.
Here are the big rules to the new agreement:
1. An NPB team will name a "release fee" for a player not exceeding $20 million. That is the amount that an MLB team will have to bid, or I guess just agree to at this point, to pay if they were to sign the player.
2. The NPB team will then officially post the player, along with the fee, between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1.
3. For 30 days following the posting, any of the 30 MLB teams can negotiate with the player so long as they are willing to give up the designated release fee. If an agreement is reached, fee goes to the NPB team, player to the MLB team. If not signing is made within 30 days, the player is returned to his NPB team and cannot be reposted until the following year.
Thus, the Brewers can now negotiate with any Japanese player that is posted by their NPB team. Well, "negotiate". But they should have some sort of contact with the player and his agent, even a brief checking in. If the Yankees or Cubs or whoever are willing to give $100 million, then the Brewers hang up, say "oh well" and move on. If the player's agent says they have a $40 million offer and the Brewers decide they can beat that, then they get in on real negotiations.
Obviously this relates most importantly to Masahiro Tanaka, Rakuten's darling. He has been absolutely outstanding in the NPB, is 25-years-old, has an excellent fastball/splitter combo, and is going to get a lot of money, maybe. That depends on if he is actually posted this offseason (there have been mixed reports out of Japan as Rakuten ownership is pretty upset about losing out on potentially around $80 million in posting fees).
The Brewers won't win on Tanaka, of course. The Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers and Red Sox have all shown a bunch of interest and with the lower release fee, dude's going to get a load of money. But now there's no harm in checking in, meaning the Brewers are officially contenders for Tanaka! Though, that's more like how the Astros were contenders for the World Series at the start of last season. It could happen if a lot of weird things take place, but it won't.
Tribe begins to add some backend rotation candidates.
The Indians have signed right-handed starting pitcher Shaun Marcum to a minor league deal. Marcum is thus not guaranteed a spot, but he can opt out of the deal of he's not on the 25-man roster come Opening Day. If he does make the team, his salary bumps to $1 million, with an additional $3 million in incentives.
Marcum pitched very well for Toronto in 2008, but his season ended early due to an elbow injury which required Tommy John surgery and kept him out all of 2009. He returned in 2010 and pitched well for 2.5 years, split between the Blue Jays and the Brewers, before missing 60 games with a strained elbow. He signed a 1-year, $4 million deal with the Mets last offseason, hoping to rebuild some value, but instead started only 12 games due to injuries to his neck and shoulder, and also on account of ineffectiveness, as he struggled through his worst season in MLB.
If he can get back to his 2010-2012 form, he'd be a solid #3 starter, but his pitches have each lost ~3 MPH from his peak seasons, and he's not seen as a good bet to get back to his previous form. Still, given that the Tribe's other options for the #5 spot in the rotation right now are Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin (appealing), it's worth signing him to this risk-free deal and putting him into the mix come Spring Training. Who knows, maybe he'll work out as well as Scott Kazmir did.
If you squint, this former Met and Rockie looks a little like Johnny Hellweg.
The news: The Rockies officially announced their new contract with reliever Boone Logan today. To clear a space on their 40-man roster, they designated right handed pitcher Collin McHugh for assignment.
McHugh is 26 and has pitched in the majors in each of the last two seasons as a member of the Mets and Rockies, but has really struggled against big leaguers. He's pitched 47.1 innings with an 8.94 ERA and has allowed eleven home runs, while opposing batters have hit .359 on balls in play against him.
Six seasons in the minors, however, tell a different story. McHugh has a career 3.34 ERA across 638.2 minor league innings, including two and a half seasons between AA and AAA. He also strikes out 8.8 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.7. The home run ball that plagued him in the majors hasn't been an issue in the minors, where he allows just .5 per nine innings.
McHugh's major league sample is small, but FanGraphs shows him with a fastball that sits right around 90, a curve, slider and changeup. In his 2013 Baseball Prospect Book, John Sickels of Minor League Ball said "he changes speeds well and his pitches have some movement."
Could he help this Brewers team? Maybe. Despite his struggles in the majors, McHugh has shown the ability to strike batters out in the minors while keeping his walks down. That's a skill that will play in either a rotation or bullpen somewhere. It's entirely possible that McHugh will continue to struggle to adapt to MLB hitting, but I think there's enough upside here to be worth a relatively low risk transaction.
What do I think the Brewers should do? I'd claim him in a heartbeat. The 40-man roster is full right now, though, so doing so will require exposing someone else to waivers.
We are 59 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and when Carlos Gomez gets there he'll be faced with the challenge of repeating his career year in 2013. Over at Baseball Analytics, Alec Dopp has a look at how increased proficiency to the opposite field caused Gomez's value to spike.
Gomez is still only 28, so if he keeps his production up he could perhaps appear on one of these lists next year. High Heat Stats has the Brewers unrepresented on their lists of MLB's most productive hitters under age 30.
Meanwhile, there's a chance today could be the day the Brewers move on a first baseman. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the Giants could move Brett Pill off their 40-man roster today to make room for Michael Morse, whose contract is not yet official. The Brewers and Giants reportedly discussed Pill at the Winter Meetings.
Adam McCalvy also has a new candidate to consider: Yesterday he mentioned on Twitter that Kyle Blanks of the Padres is "another possible target." Blanks is 27 and has dealt with injury issues over the last few seasons, but is a career .228/.312/.404 hitter while playing home games at Petco Park, one of baseball's least power-friendly environments.
Neither Blanks nor Pill are the sexiest options to play every day at first base, but it might be important to remember just how bad the Brewers were at that spot in 2013. Walk Like A Sabermetrician hammers that point home several times in their annual look at hitting by position.
The real question is whether someone like Blanks or Pill would significantly outperform Hunter Morris. Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew asks if the Brewers believe in 2013's AAA first baseman.
Any first baseman that comes to Milwaukee will have Ryan Braun playing behind them in right field. Noah is encouraging everyone to vote for Braun to represent the Brewers in MLB's Face of the Franchise contest, which is supposed to move on to Milwaukee today.
Braun is moving to right field to make room for Khris Davis in left, which is pretty high praise for a guy with 153 MLB plate appearances. One of those PAs ended with the season's fourth longest homer, though, and we took a look at it yesterday in Brew Crew Blasts.
In the minors:
Ben Badler of Baseball America (via Twitter) says the Brewers "don't have any locks" to appear on the magazine's list of top 100 prospects this winter.
Back in Milwaukee, yesterday Bucks owner Herb Kohl talked to reporters about his call for new investors to step forward to help keep the team in Milwaukee. This isn't something I'd normally mention but one name that keeps coming up as a possibility is Mark Attanasio. Howie Magner says (via Twitter) that he's "not sure how realistic" Attanasio is as a candidate.
Astros: Signed pitcher Matt Albers to a one-year, $2.45 million contract. Braves: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Brandon Beachy ($1.45 million) and signed pitcher Gavin Floyd to a one-year, $4 million contract. Diamondbacks: Acquired pitcher Addison Reed from the White Sox for third baseman Matt Davidson. Dodgers: Re-signed reliever J.P. Howell to a two-year, $11.25 million contract with a vesting option for 2015.and signed pitcher Josh Ravin and infielder Josh Bell to minor league deals. Indians: Signed pitcher Shaun Marcum to a minor league deal. Rockies: Designated pitcher Collin McHugh for assignment.
Floyd is a really interesting case, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter) is reporting that he turned down a two-year, $20 million offer from the Orioles to take much less in Atlanta. Ravin was in the Brewers organization briefly at the end of the season after being claimed off waivers from the Reds. McHugh could be an interesting option for the Brewers, and we looked at him last night in the latest installation of Freely* Available Talent.
Yesterday MLB officially announced a new posting agreement with Nippon Pro Baseball, governing the transition of players from Japan to the US. Noah has a look at how the new deal impacts the Brewers going forward.
In former Brewers:
Josh Duggan of MLB Daily Dish listed the Norichika Aoki/Will Smith deal as one of the five most underrated moves of the offseason...for the Royals.
Today in baseball economics: Investors and the City of Oakland are working together on a concept for a potential new waterfront ballpark for the A's, but Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk notes that there's already strong opposition to the idea.
A couple of years ago we tried the idea of a Brew Crew Ball Book Club, getting together in this space to discuss The Extra 2%. I don't think we're going to do another club this winter, but I'm guessing the folks and Red Reporter would be ok with it if you wanted to join them in reading The Art of Fielding.
Finally, with help from the B-Ref Play Index, we'd like to wish a happy birthday today to:
Paul Maholm allowed 17 home runs this season, and five of them traveled 420 feet or more. We already mentioned that Carlos Gomez had one of them, and Jonathan Lucroy had another.
The Brewers fell behind 6-0 early against the Braves on Sunday, June 23, but plated four runs in the fifth to close the gap. Logan Schafer drove home the first two runs with a single up the middle, and Jonathan Lucroy brought him around to score with this tape measure blast:
By the way, the Brewers were wearing their "Piwowarzy" uniforms on this day for Polish Heritage Day.
That ball traveled 436 feet despite never being more than 83 feet off the ground, leading Hit Tracker to estimate that it wouldn't have gotten out of four MLB stadiums. It was still the longest homer hit by a Brewer at Miller Park in 2013, though, and the fourth longest hit in the park overall.
It was also Lucroy's second longest homer of the season. We'll cover the bigger one tomorrow.
Brew Crew Blasts is a multi-part series looking at the longest and most notable home runs hit by Brewers in 2013. You can see them all in their special section, or follow the links below to their individual posts:
On this day in 1944 Stephen Eugene Hovley was born in Ventura, California. He played baseball at Stanford before being selected by the Angels in the 35th round of the 1966 amateur draft, but had yet to make his MLB debut when the Seattle Pilots selected him in the 1968 expansion draft.
Hovley played 91 games in the outfield for the first-year Pilots, batting .277/.338/.365 with ten stolen bases. He followed the team to Milwaukee in 1970 and was the new Brewers' Opening Day right fielder, batting fifth and going 3-for-3 with a double in the 12-0 loss to the Angels. As a team the Brewers only had four hits on the day.
A few weeks later the Brewers traded Hovley to Oakland for catcher Tito Francona and pitcher Al Downing. Hovley went on to play four more seasons in the majors as a member of the A's and Royals, finishing with a career .258/.335/.330 batting line in 436 games.
We are 58 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, and Scooter Gennett will probably have a nice locker waiting for him when he gets to Maryvale. It appears likely that Gennett will unseat Rickie Weeks to start most days at second base, and Mike Bauman of MLB.com is strongly in favor of the move.
Weeks or Gennett will have to wait another year to win this one: Yesterday we mentioned that MLB Network was looking for your help on Twitter selecting the #FaceoftheBrewers, and this morning they announced that Ryan Braun is your winner. Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker has a look at the leading candidates. Jonathan Lucroy was one of those considered, and he also hit 2013's third longest homer.
It's unlikely at best to actually happen, but Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter) that he's shocked by the number of fans that want to move Rickie Weeks to first base. The Brewers are still more likely to solve the issue externally, but Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt nothing is imminent. The Brewers remain interested in Ike Davis of the Mets, but so are the Pirates.
We've already discussed the Brewers missing out on the likes of Corey Hart, Logan Morrison and James Loney, but was former Angel Mark Trumbo their biggest chance? Mark Blomberg of Wisconsin Dells Events says Trumbo, who was traded to Arizona, represented "the prize pick of the first base crop."
If you're one of many fans who are pessimistic about the Brewers' chances of being relevant in 2014, then one of your arguments could be the fact that the NL Central had three playoff teams last season. It's not a given that that'll happen again, though: David Schoenfield of ESPN makes the case for the Pirates to decline going forward.
Mattison is likely to roam the outfield in Nashville, where the Brewers are in the final season of their player development contract. Brewers Farm Report has a look at what may lie ahead for baseball in the city.
Juan Francisco went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk in Licey's 6-4 over Aguilas in the Dominican Republic last night (box score).
Jason Rogers went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Este's 2-1 win over Escogido (box score).
Elian Herrera went 0-for-5 in Oriente's 3-0 win over Cibao (box score).
Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, Martin Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a double but it was not enough as Mayaguez lost 2-1 to Ponce (box score). Hiram Burgos allowed one run over five innings and picked up the loss, while Irving Falu went 0-for-4.
Blue Jays: Signed utilityman Steve Tolleson to a minor league deal. Cubs: Signed reliever Jose Veras to a one-year, $4 million contract. Indians: Signed catcher Matt Treanor to a minor league deal. Mariners: Avoided (potential) arbitration with pitcher Charlie Furbush (one year, $750,000) and signed outfielder Cole Gillespie to a minor league deal. Orioles: Signed reliever Grant Balfour to a two-year, $15 million contract. Yankees: Signed reliever Matt Thornton (two years, $7 million) and second baseman Brian Roberts (one year, $2 million).
Today in baseball economics: MLB revenues for 2013 are expected to exceed $8 billion, up from an estimated $7.5 billion in 2012 and $2.2 billion (inflation-adjusted) in 1995.
Appleton Baseball Hall of Famer Zoilo Versalles, who would have turned 74.
Rice Lake, Wisconsin native and UW-Madison alum Clay Perry, who would have turned 132. Perry played in the majors as a member of the 1908 Tigers.
Plunk Everyone notes that Randa's 55 career HBP are the second most ever for a position player born on December 18.
Today is also the 19th anniversary of the final NFL game at Milwaukee County Stadium and the fourth anniversary of the Brewers signing reliever Kameron Loe as a minor league free agent. We covered those events in Today In Brewer History last year and two years ago, respectively.
Doug Melvin's approval rating is currently at 52%, down from 63% in September.
35% of voters expect the Brewers to win between 81-85 games in 2014, while another 35% have them winning 76-80.
Full results are below.
Do you approve of the Brewers' decision to trade outfielder Norichika Aoki to the Royals for pitcher Will Smith?
Response
Votes
%
Yes
121
53%
No
70
31%
Undecided
36
16%
The Mariners recently signed first baseman Corey Hart to a one-year contract worth $6 million plus incentives, while the Brewers were believed to be offering a $4 million contract with incentives. Did the Brewers make a mistake by not offering more?
Response
Votes
%
Yes
85
37%
No
122
54%
Undecided
20
9%
The Mariners recently acquired first baseman Logan Morrison from the Marlins for reliever Carter Capps. Did the Brewers make a mistake by not offering more?
Response
Votes
%
Yes
49
22%
No
157
69%
Undecided
21
9%
The Rays recently re-signed first baseman James Loney to a three-year, $21 million contract. Did the Brewers make a mistake by not offering more?
Response
Votes
%
Yes
47
21%
No
162
71%
Undecided
18
8%
Do the Brewers still need to find a way to improve at first base? If so, do you think they will?
Response
Votes
%
Yes, they still need to improve, and I believe they will.
81
36%
Yes, they still need to improve, but I don't believe they will.
115
51%
No, they don't need to improve, but I believe they will anyway.
15
7%
No, they don't need to improve, and I don't think they will.
6
3%
Undecided
10
4%
Do you approve of the job Doug Melvin is doing as General Manager of the Brewers?
Response
Votes
%
Prev*
Diff
Yes
118
52%
63%
-11%
No
59
26%
24%
+2%
Undecided
50
22%
13%
+9%
How many games do you expect the Brewers to win in 2014?
Casey McGehee took the long road to MLB success before becoming a Rookie of the Year candidate with the Brewers in 2009 and driving in 100 runs in 2010. The road took some more twists and turns after that but, after a year in Japan, McGehee is back in the states and ready to try again with the Marlins.
McGehee has signed a $1.1 million contract with incentives, according to Ken Rosenthal (via MLB Trade Rumors). It's been well documented that the Marlins were looking to upgrade at third base this winter, and they'd previously been discussed as a possible landing spot for new Brave Mat Gamel.
He was primarily a first baseman during his last run in the majors as a member of the Pirates and Yankees in 2012, but McGehee has played 398 of his 551 MLB games at third. He also played third in 129 of his 144 games for Japan's Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2013, batting .292/.376/.515 and tying for second in the Pacific League with 28 home runs.
Japan was McGehee's best option, though, because his last two seasons in the majors were pretty rough. He played in a combined 269 MLB games between 2011-12 and hit just .221/.282/.351. He played his way out of a job on the Brewers' 2011 playoff team, and has been traded twice since then.
McGehee just turned 31 in October, so if he can still hit in the majors he could have several more good years left in him. Even if it is with another team I think most Brewers fans will be rooting for him, as Casey was a good guy who just couldn't get out of the tailspin during his time in Milwaukee.
This 1992-97 Brewer and longtime MLB reliever turns 49 today.
On this day in 1964 Mike Fetters was born in Van Nuys, California. He went to high school in Hawaii and pitched in college for Pepperdine before the Angels made him the #27 overall pick in the 1986 draft and, three years later, Fetters made his MLB debut as a September callup in 1989.
Fetters pitched parts of three seasons for California before coming to the Brewers in a trade that sent reliever Chuck Crim to the Angels, and really came into his own during his time in Milwaukee. He appeared in 50 games for the 1992 Brewers and posted a 1.87 ERA, launching a six-year run in Milwaukee that saw him appear in 289 games. He became the Brewers' closer in 1994 and held the role through 1996, when he recorded 32 saves.
Following the 1997 season the Brewers dealt Fetters to Cleveland in the deal that brought pitcher Ben McDonald and outfielder Marquis Grissom to Milwaukee. Later that same day Fetters was traded to Oakland, setting the stage for the journeyman portion of his career: From 1998-2004 Fetters pitched in 285 games as a member of seven organizations.
As a Brewer, Fetters' 289 relief appearances are the third most in franchise history (and 188 more than active leader Brandon Kintzler). His 79 saves are tied for the fourth most as a Brewer, and his 2.99 career ERA is the third lowest among pitchers with at least 300 innings for Milwaukee.
We are 57 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and the Brewers continue to search in every crack and crevice for a new first baseman to bring to camp. Yesterday Ken Rosenthal reported they've been in touch with former Ranger, Dodger and Phillie Michael Young, who is currently a free agent. Adam McCalvy notes (via Twitter) that Doug Melvin has been a longtime fan of Young's.
At first blush I was ready to hate this rumor. Young has become something of a running joke around the internet in recent years. Here's an example:
Brewers said to be interested in Michael Young because they didn't ground into enough double plays last year
Young does ground into a lot of double plays. But he's also a career .300/.346/.441 hitter, and posted a somewhat serviceable .279/.335/.395 line while playing four positions for the Phillies and Dodgers last season. He's been one of baseball's least valuable commodities for several years now, though, because of an awful contract, where the Rangers committed to pay him $80 million over five seasons.
Here's the thing, though: That contract is over now. So instead of comparing Young to the unrealistic expectations of his high salary, we can look at him for what he is: a relatively productive veteran MLB hitter whose age will likely make him available on a relatively inexpensive deal. He's not going to save the franchise and he's unlikely to be an All Star at first base, but the Brewers have certainlydone worse.
Meanwhile, Kendrys Morales continues to sit on the free agent market, held in place by the first round pick teams would have to give up to sign him. Mike Petriello of FanGraphs notes that Morales was primarily a DH as a Mariner, and says he "simply can't be in a place where he needs to wear a glove more than once a week." Tom Tango of The Book Blog says Morales' situation was inescapable.
Presumably the Brewers could also have Ike Davis from the Mets, but only if they're willing to give up Tyler Thornburg to get him. Steve Garczynski of Disciples of Uecker has a look at Thornburg's value at this point.
For what it's worth, Brewer fans seem to have reached an unlikely consensus that the team made the right decision passing on three other options. A majority of voters in this week's BCB Tracking Poll approved of the organization's decisions not to offer more for Corey Hart, Logan Morrison or James Loney.
In the minors:
Moments ago the Brewers announced they've re-signed pitchers Santo Manzanillo and Johnnie Lowe to minor league deals. Manzanillo is still only 24, a former member of the 40-man roster and appeared in 46 games between Huntsville and Brevard County in 2013. Lowe posted a 3.53 ERA in 37 appearances for Nashville last season.
Southern League owners have officially approved Huntsville's move to Biloxi for the 2015 season. It remains to be seen what that means for the Brewers, whose player development contract with the Stars expires following the 2014 season.
Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew has an attempt to predict the future for 2013 Brevard County outfielder and Arizona Fall League standout Mitch Haniger.
Meanwhile in the Dominican, Elian Herrera went 2-for-4 with a walk and scored a pair of runs in Oriente's 9-4 win over Cibao last night (box score).
Jason Rogers went 0-for-3 but did walk and score a run in Este's 4-3 loss to Escogido (box score).
Juan Francisco went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in Licey's 7-4 loss to Aguilas (box score).
Irving Falu went 1-for-3 and had Mayaguez's only hit in their 1-0 loss to Santurce (box score). Martin Maldonado struck out as a pinch hitter in his only plate appearance.
Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers announced three front office promotions yesterday: Bob Hallas is the team's new VP of Stadium Operations, Teddy Werner is the VP of Business Development and Michael Boettcher is the new Director of Grounds.
Around baseball:
Angels: Signed outfielder Raul Ibanez to a one-year, $2.75 million contract. Astros: Claimed pitcher Collin McHugh off waivers from the Rockies and acquired 1B/OF Jesus Guzman from the Padres for infielder Ryan Jackson. Braves: Acquired catcher Ryan Doumit from the Twins for a minor league pitcher. Diamondbacks: Re-signed 1B/3B Eric Chavez. Mariners: Designated pitcher Chance Ruffin for assignment. Marlins: Designated catcher Kyle Skipworth for assignment. Padres: Signed reliever Joaquin Benoit to a two-year, $15.5 million contract. Phillies: Signed catcher Lou Marson, outfielders Tony Gwynn Jr. and Dave Sappelt and pitcher Sean O'Sullivan to minor league deals and designated catcher Sebastian Valle for assignment. Pirates: Signed pitchers Kyle McPherson, Daniel Schlereth, Adam Wilk, Brandon Mann, Elvin Ramirez and first baseman Travis Ishikawa to minor league deals. Rangers: Signed pitcher Justin Germano to a minor league deal. Reds: Signed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to a minor league deal. Rockies: Acquired outfielder Drew Stubbs from the Indians for pitcher Josh Outman and acquired pitcher Franklin Morales and a minor leaguer from the Red Sox for infielder Jonathan Herrera. Royals: Acquired third baseman Danny Valencia from the Orioles for outfielder David Lough.
Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has cards for one-time Brewer Mike Marshall, one-time Brewers manager Jerry Royster and one-time Milwaukee Brave Phil Niekro in his collection of Braves cards.
This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History marks 1992-97 Brewer Mike Fetters' 49th birthday. With help from the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:
Plunk Everyone notes that Branyan, by the way, is third all-time among players born on December 19 with 30 career HBP. Fetters and Wegman are both in the top five for pitchers born on this day.
Today is also the third anniversary of the 2010 trade that brought Zack Greinke to Milwaukee. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.
Can you name the 58 players on today's newly announced Miller Park feature?
A few seconds after I published this morning's Frosty Mug, the Brewers officially announced plans to build a "Wall of Honor" outside Miller Park in 2014. This is in addition to the club's "Walk of Fame," which features players voted on by members of the media and Brewers officials. Instead, the Wall of Honor will feature retired players and others who meet any of the following criteria:
2000 or more plate appearances
1000 or more innings pitched
250 games pitched
Winners of major awards (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year or Fireman of the Year)
Manager of a pennant-winning team
Subject of a statue outside Miller Park
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
When the Wall is unveiled in 2014 it will feature 58 plaques. How many of them can you name in ten minutes?
There are no hints in the quiz, but the honorees listed are in alphabetical order to help you out a bit. The quiz also features seven "bonus" answers: players who will qualify for the Wall once they retire, but are still active.
Please post your score in the comments below, but also remember that comments on this post may contain spoilers. If you get all 58 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:
Earlier this morning the Brewersannounced plans to add a Walk of Honor outside Miller Park. Unlike Miller Park's "Walk of Fame," this new space near the left field gate will feature every Brewer who meets any of a set of seven criteria. 55 players, a manager, a broadcaster and an owner will be inducted in the inaugural class, with seven more players scheduled to be inducted after their retirements.
Obviously, lines had to be drawn somewhere to keep this new feature from covering every exterior surface of Miller Park. I wanted to take a moment, though, to consider some of those who are falling just short of induction.
Criteria 1: 2000 plate appearances
Qualifying: 31 players, plus five more active. The lowest among them are Fernando Vina (2187), Craig Counsell (2063) and Darrell Porter (2009)
Top three missing out:
Tommy Harper, 1984 PA. This might be one of the Wall's most glaring omissions. Harper led all of baseball with 73 stolen bases as a Seattle Pilot in 1969 and became the team's first 30 HR/30 SB player in their inaugural season in Milwaukee.
Greg Brock, 1958 PA. Brock spent the final five seasons of his MLB career playing first base for the Brewers. His best season was 1987, when he hit .299/.371/.438 in 141 games.
Brady Clark, 1933 PA. Clark spent four seasons patroling the outfield in Milwaukee, including a 2005 campaign when he hit .306/.372/.426 in 145 games.
Others of note: Ronnie Belliard (1930 PA), Dale Sveum (1878 PA), Marquis Grissom (1873 PA), Bill Spiers (1867 PA), Mike Hegan (1823 PA)
Criteria 2: 1000 innings pitched
Qualifying: Eleven pitchers, plus one active. The lowest among them are Cal Eldred (1078.2 IP), Bill Travers (1068.1) and Jaime Navarro (1061.2).
Top three missing out:
Scott Karl, 914.2 IP. Karl pitched 192 or more innings for the Brewers for four consecutive seasons from 1996-99 before being included in the trade that sent Jeff Cirillo to the Rockies.
Ricky Bones, 883 IP. Bones posted a 4.64 ERA over 151 appearances for the Brewers between 1992-96, and represented the Crew in the 1994 All Star Game.
Dave Bush, 870 IP. Bush pitched five seasons as a Brewer with a 4.80 ERA. He worked 210 innings in his first season with Milwaukee in 2006 and led the NL with 4.37 strikeouts per walk.
Others of note: Lary Sorensen (854 IP), Chris Capuano (744.2 IP), Skip Lockwood (729.1 IP)
Criteria 3: 250 games pitched
Qualifying: Nine pitchers, including two already qualifited under Criteria 2, plus one active pitcher. The lowest three among them are John Axford (268 G), Bill Wegman (262 G) and Bill Castro (253 G)
Top three missing out:
David Weathers, 237 G. Weathers spent parts of five of his 19 MLB seasons as a Brewer, joining the team from 1998-2001 and again in 2009. He's 18th on baseball's all-time list with 964 pitching appearances, and 237 of them came as a Brewer. He had a 3.53 ERA for Milwaukee.
Eduardo Rodriguez, 235 G. Rodriguez spent six seasons as a swingman with the Brewers from 1973-78, recording 30 saves but also making 38 starts. He finished his Milwaukee career with a 3.78 ERA over 659.2 innings.
Carlos Villanueva, 230 G. Like Rodriguez, Villanueva bounced back and forth between starting and relieving for his Brewers career, which spanned from 2006-10. He posted a 4.34 ERA for the Brewers but also struck out 8.1 batters per nine innings.
Qualifying: Rollie Fingers (MVP, Cy Young, Fireman of the Year), Robin Yount (MVP), Pete Vuckovich (Cy Young), Pat Listach (Rookie of the Year), plus John Axford (Fireman) and Ryan Braun (MVP) post-retirement.
Notables missing out:
Scott Podsednik. He finished second to Dontrelle Willis in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year in 2003, then went on to lead all of baseball with 70 stolen bases in 2004. He spent just two seasons as a Brewer, though, leaving him well short of 2000 plate appearances.
Larry Hisle. Hisle spent five seasons as a Brewer but his only healthy one was 1978, when he hit 34 home runs, drove in 115 and finished third in the voting for AL MVP.
Pedro Garcia. Garcia led the American League with 32 doubles during his rookie season in 1973, finishing second in the RoY voting. He made 1581 plate appearances in four seasons as a Brewer second baseman and hit .224/.273/.360.
Bill Parsons. Most 22-year-old rookies don't pitch 244.2 innings, but that's what Parsons did in 1971 with a 3.20 ERA. He finished second in that season's Rookie of the Year voting, and two years later he was done as a consistent big leaguer.
Criteria 5: Manager of a pennant-winning team
Qualifying: Harvey Kuenn (1982)
Notables missing out:
Phil Garner. Garner is the Brewers' all time leader in games managed (1180) and managerial wins (563). He led the Brewers to within a few games of the playoffs in 1992, finishing just behind the eventual World Champion Blue Jays. He's managed about 17% of the games in franchise history.
Ned Yost. Yost is second to Garner in both games managed (959) and wins (457). The third, fourth and fifth winningest managers in franchise history (Tom Trebelhorn, George Bamberger and Del Crandall) are also not featured on the Wall.
Ron Roenicke. In the 31 years since the 1982 World Series, Roenicke is the only other manager to take the Brewers to a League Championship series. He's sixth all-time with 253 managerial wins.
Criteria 6: Subjects of statues on the Miller Park Plaza
Qualifying: Bob Uecker, Hank Aaron, Bud Selig, Robin Yount
Notables missing out:
Mark Attanasio. Is a current owner eligible here? Given Ryan Braun's recent issues, Attanasio and Paul Molitor (who already qualifies under Criteria 1) are probably the most likely to be the next subject of a statue.
Criteria 7: Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who played for or managed the Brewers
Qualifying: Hank Aaron, Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor, Don Sutton, Robin Yount
Notables missing out:
Dave Parker. The 1978 NL MVP was an All Star and won a Silver Slugger Award as a member of the 1990 Brewers. He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot 15 times between 1997-2011 but never received more than 25% of the vote.
Jesse Orosco. Orosco holds the MLB record with 1252 career pitching appearances, including 156 as a member of the 1992-94 Brewers. He received one vote for the Hall of Fame when he was eligible as a first-timer in 2009.
Marquis Grissom. Grissom falls just short of Criteria 1 with 1873 plate appearances as a Brewer between 1998-2000, but is almost certainly better remembered for his seasons with the Expos and Braves earlier in the 90's. He received four votes for the Hall of Fame in his first season of eligibility in 2011.
So who are we missing?
Obviously, anytime you build something like this you have to draw the line for induction somewhere. However, I'm disappointed to see something like this being done without Tommy Harper and Phil Garner, at the very least.
What do you think? Is the new Wall missing anyone?