We're talking about expectations for the Brewers' young shortstop and more in today's news roundup.

Some things to read while drawing the line.

We are 37 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and when Jean Segura gets to camp he's going to have a tough act to follow in his second full season. Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker has a look at Segura's hot-and-cold 2013 season and attempts to project his performance going forward.

It remains to be seen if the Brewers will have a new first baseman to take throws from Segura this spring. The Mets continue to ask a high price for Ike Davis, but Ken Davidoff of the New York Post says that needs to change. (h/t MLBTR) Meanwhile, Ryan Connor of Reviewing the Brew wonders if former Rangers utilityman Jeff Baker could be part of the solution.

Scooter Gennett is likely to be standing somewhere between the Brewers' new first baseman and Segura on Opening Day. Chris Mehring of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers has a look at Gennett's top five games during his Midwest League season in 2010.

The Brewer bullpen remains one of the team's most notable unanswered questions with a few weeks left in the offseason. Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew downplays the significance, though, noting that most recent World Series winners have had average relief pitching.

Is positional flexibility a better indicator of possible success? Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker has a comparison of how the Brewers and Cardinals have handled moving players around to fill needs.

In the minors:

• The Brewers announced yesterday that they've released one-time top pitching prospect Nick Bucci, who has been limited to just eleven appearances over the last two seasons due to injury. Tom Haudricourt reports (via Twitter) that Bucci, who was drafted out of high school, wanted to go back to school.
• Martin Maldonado went 0-for-2 with a walk and scored Mayaguez's only run in their 3-1 loss to Caguas in the Puerto Rican postseason last night (box score). Irving Falu went 1-for-5 for Mayaguez, while Yadiel Rivera went 2-for-3 with a double for Caguas and Jose De La Torre pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers announced their "Fan-tastic Forty" promotion for season ticketholders will return for 2014. Highlights among the prizes include free parking for the season, a tour of the Miller Park roof and a club suite party with Craig Counsell.

If you'd like more Brewers coverage today but you're sick of reading, my Tuesday appearance on The Home Stretch with Justin Hull on 95.3 FM WSCO in Appleton has been archived. I spent a little more than half an hour in the studio yesterday discussing the Brewers' lack of offseason activity and more.

Around baseball:

Astros: Third base coach Eduardo Perez has left the team and will be replaced by first base coach Pat Listach.
Athletics: Avoided arbitration with reliever Jesse Chavez (one year, $775,000).
Dodgers: Are expected to sign manager Don Mattingly to a three-year contract extension through the 2016 season.
Orioles: Re-signed pitcher Eddie Gamboa to a minor league deal.
Padres: Signed 1B/OF Xavier Nady to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Re-signed infielder Robert Andino to a minor league deal.
Rays: Claimed pitcher Pedro Figueroa off waivers from the Athletics and designated outfielder Jerry Sands for assignment.
Royals: Signed catcher Ramon Hernandez to a minor league deal.

This isn't exactly a "Former Brewers" note, but our Tweet of the Day features an awesome picture from County Stadium during the 1957 World Series:

Bushville RT @JeffAshPG Classic. Game 4, Sunday, 10/6/57. MT @MLBcathedrals Milwaukee County Stadium during 57 Series pic.twitter.com/lhLHL3D3H6

— Howie Magner (@howiemag) January 7, 2014

That picture made me feel a little warmer, but I'd guess you and I are both still missing baseball during these cold months. Howard Megdal of Sports On Earth has a baseball fan's guide to surviving the winter.

Today in baseball economics: After hitting a snag in December, last night the Cardinals received permission from the Memphis city council to purchase their AAA affiliate in the city. St. Louis now owns four of their minor league teams.

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

• 2013 Helena Brewer Michael Turay, who turns 24.
• 2013 Wisconsin Timber Rattler Taylor Wall, who turns 24.
• Matt LaPorta, the Brewers' first round pick (#7 overall) in the 2007 draft, who turns 29.
• 2006 Brewer Geremi Gonzalez, who would have turned 39.
• 2008-09 Brewer Mike Cameron, who turns 41. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History last year.
• 1993 Brewer Matt Maysey, who turns 47.
• 1983-86 Brewer Randy Ready, who turns 54.
• 1973 Brewer Wilbur Howard, who turns 65.
• West Bend, Wisconsin native, UW-Madison alum and 1957-61 Milwaukee Brave John DeMerit, who turns 78.

Today is also the fifth anniversary of the Brewers signing closer Trevor Hoffman as a free agent in 2009, setting the stage for him to represent the Brewers in the All Star game later that year and record his 600th career save in Milwaukee in 2010. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.

Plunk Everyone notes that Cameron's 87 career HBP are the second most ever for a position player born on January 8, and Gonzalez's 24 hit batsmen are the third most ever for a pitcher born on this date.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've still got it.

Drink up.

Both received votes, but did not clear the 5% threshold to return for 2015.

By now you've likely heard that the MLB Hall of Fame vote was announced today and three players were elected: Longtime Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas. Among those falling just short of the 75% of votes required for induction were former Astros second baseman Craig Biggio (74.8%), Mets and Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza (62.2%) and longtime Tigers pitcher Jack Morris (61.5%). This was Morris' 15th year on the ballot, so he's no longer eligible for induction by the BBWAA.

All told 21 players received at least 5% of the vote, meaning 20 of them (all but Morris) will appear on the ballot again next season. That list does not, however, include any of the four former Brewers on the ballot.

Hideo Nomo came the closest, as he was named on six ballots (1.1% of the vote). Nomo was a pioneer for Japanese pitchers in the United States, the 1995 NL Rookie of the Year and a 1999 Brewer.

Eric Gagne also received minor consideration, appearing on two ballots for .4% of the vote. Gagne holds the MLB record for consecutive saves recorded, was a three-time All Star and the 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner. He wrapped up his MLB career as a Brewer in 2008.

The other two Brewers on the ballot, 2008 second baseman Ray Durham and 2000-03 first baseman Richie Sexson, were shut out. Durham had 2054 hits and two All Star appearances across 12 MLB seasons while Sexson had 306 career home runs, including Brewer franchise record-tying 45 homer seasons in 2001 and 2003.

Potential former Brewers on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot include Gary Sheffield, Mark Loretta and David Weathers.

We're turning out backs from the hot stove for a moment in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

Some things to read while upgrading your phone.

We are 36 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, but yesterday offseason rumors and speculation took a day off as all of baseball turned its attention to the 2014 Hall of Fame vote. By now you've likely heard that Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas were elected, while Craig Biggio missed by two votes and former Brewers Hideo Nomo, Eric Gagne, Richie Sexson and Ray Durham fell off the ballot. The four Journal Sentinel writers with Hall of Fame votes shared their ballots, and all four voted for Biggio.

With that said, members of the Hall of Fame class of 2014 weren't the only players honored yesterday. We also learned that Jim Henderson will receive Baseball Canada's Stubby Clapp Award, given out annually to "someone who embodies desire, competitiveness and a never-say-die attitude." (h/t @Mass_Haas)

Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers have had a quiet offseason, but are they due for some improvement anyway? Jonah Keri of Grantland listed the Brewers as one of five candidates for positive regression this season, noting potential full healthy seasons from Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez. Coming off a 74-win campaign, Keri says "the Brewers could easily return to .500 or better in 2014.

The Brewers' odds of having a bounce-back season certainly increase if they find a way to make an upgrade at first base. One low-risk option we haven't discussed is former Brewer minor leaguer Matt LaPorta, who @ChrisCotillo notes remains available as a free agent. LaPorta has been underwhelming as a big leaguer and is 29 years old, but is a career .282/.372/.535 hitter in the minors.

Should the Brewers be focusing on finding flyball hitters to fill the final gaps in their roster? Jonathan Judge of Disciples of Uecker notes that the A's have had significant success loading up on players who hit the ball in the air, and the 2013 Brewers were one of the worst teams in baseball at doing that.

In the minors:

• We found out about an interesting transaction yesterday, as Brewerfan.net spotted a story on the Brewers signing 19-year-old Dutch catcher Milan Post. He's expected to make his US professional debut with the AZL Brewers in 2014.
• While the rest of us had a quiet day Wednesday Jason Arndt of Brewers Farm Report was keeping busy, posting stories on Eric Marzec's winter in Australia, Hiram Burgos' work in Puerto Rico and D'Vontrey Richardson's return to baseball.
• Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson's lone MLB hit came off Greg Maddux in 2004, and Jim Olski of the Appleton Post Crescent has the story.
• Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, Irving Falu went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Mayaguez's 3-0 win over Caguas (box score). Martin Maldonado also had a hit for the winners, while Yadiel Rivera went 0-for-3 and Jose De La Torre recorded two outs for the losing side.
• The news was not as good for Juan Francisco's Licey team, as he went 1-for-4 with a double but it was not enough in their 3-1 loss to Cibao in the Dominican Republic (box score). Licey dropped to 5-5 but continues to hold onto second place in the league's round robin postseason.

We don't have any transactions to cover in the "Around Baseball" section, so here's a music video to warm up a cold week in Wisconsin:

This isn't the kind of transaction I normally report on, but it caught my attention: The Phillies announced yesterday that TV broadcast team Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews will not return for 2014. Wheeler has been calling Phillies games for 37 years. To put that in perspective, this is roughly comparable to the Brewers letting Bob Uecker go sometime around 2007.

Today in former Brewers:

• @Maas_Haas notes that Zach Braddock has signed a minor league deal with the Padres after missing most of the 2013 season following labrum sugery.
• Outfielder Cory Vaughn, who the Mets have invited to MLB camp, is the son of longtime Brewer Greg. (h/t @Haudricourt)
• Halos Heaven ranked Francisco Rodriguez as the 31st greatest Angel of all time.
• Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has a Sal Bando in his collection of Oakland A's cards.

Today's sabermetric note is an interesting curiosity: David G. Temple of FanGraphs notes that average home run distances have remained remarkably flat over the seven seasons tracked by Hit Tracker. This post also reminded me that I never finished our Brew Crew Blasts series. Look for that tomorrow or sometime next week.

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

• 2011 Brewer Brandon Boggs, who turns 31. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History two years ago.
• Bill Bordley, the Brewers' first round selection (#4 overall, didn't sign) in the 1976 draft, who turns 56.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make an adjustment.

Drink up.

He'll be honored at the June 29 game, replacing Norichika Aoki.

Scooter Gennett's rapid ascension to Brewer stardom continued today, as the Brewers announced he'll be the subject of a bobblehead given to all fans at Miller Park on June 29. The day had been previously scheduled as Norichika Aoki Bobblehead Day before he was traded to the Royals.

This is a pretty remarkable honor for Gennett, who has appeared in just 69 MLB games. He hit .324/.356/.479 in 230 plate appearances in 2013 and is being treated as the clear frontrunner to win the second base job for Opening Day. The Brewers' marketing team now has to hope he continues to play to his potential: This could be a somewhat embarrassing promotion if the team ends up replacing him in the lineup or sending him back to AAA before this point.

Gennett's bobble will be one of eight the Brewers give away this season. Other subjects include Carlos Gomez, Kyle Lohse, a "vintage Brewer," Robin Yount, the Chorizo, Jean Segura and a "Fan's Choice" selection.

Parnell is expected to maintain his role as the team's closer.

Mets closer Bobby Parnell has been cleared to pitch again after recovering from a herniated disk in his neck last season, according to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin.

Parnell, 29, hit the disabled list last August after saving 22 games for New York. Through 50 innings, he posted a 2.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his first extended look as the club's go-to guy in the ninth-inning.

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He benefited from a career-low .264 batting average on balls in play and exceptionally good fortune in terms of home run-to-flyball ratio (2.8 percent compared to a career rate of 6.9 percent), but he was nearly as good in 2012 without the benefit of benevolent balls in play.

The 2014 season could be an important season for Parnell's financial fate. He made $1.7 million last season and will make an estimated $3.2 million in 2014, thanks to the arbitration panel's tendency to reward counting stats like saves. If he holds down the closer role all season, his 2015 arbitration hearing could result in another significant raise. John Axford, for example, went from making close to the league minimum to earning $5 million last season after his 46-save performance for the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers.

The Mets might not be able to give Parnell that many save opportunities, but his return to good health could be pretty useful for the club, even if the end result is an especially well-compensated thirty-something relief pitcher for 2015.

More from SB Nation MLB:

• Hall of Fame results:Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine&Frank Thomas elected

• Normandin: Why the Hall of Fame doesn't matter anymore

• Goldman: Time for BBWAA voters to stop faking it

• Brisbee: Who to blame for Biggio’s near-miss?

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

Today we're talking about turnover at the keystone position.

This morning the Brewers announced that Scooter Gennett will be honored with a bobblehead in 2014, another potential sign of the team's confidence that he'll start most days at second base this season. They're pretty remarkably certain of that fact, especially considering that Rickie Weeks is still on the roster.

Weeks has made 982 appearances at second base since debuting in 2003, the second-most in franchise history (Jim Gantner had 1449, 37th most in MLB history). Since 2003, only six second basemen have made 1000 or more appearances for one team.

That was the inspiration for today's Thinker: Can you name the 30 players who lead their team in appearances at second base since 2003?

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 30 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:

• Name the best Brewers who never received an MVP vote.
• Name the new homes of this winter's top 50 free agents (updated January 2).
• Name the members of the Brewers' new Wall of Honor.
• Name the Brewers who have appeared in more games than Corey Hart.
• Name the Brewers with career OBPs above .350.
• Name the 15 players who have played first base for the Brewers since Prince Fielder.
• Name the Brewers who have hit 25 or more home runs in a season.
• Name the nine Brewers under contract for 2014 (as of November 14).
• Name the 12 relievers that have faced the Brewers at least 25 times since 2007.
• Name the 28 position players who have made at least 200 plate appearances against the Brewers since 2007.
• Name the 18 starting pitchers who have faced the Brewers eleven times or more since 2007.
• Name the eight former Brewers who have appeared in the 2013 postseason.
• Name all 40 members of the 2013 Milwaukee Brewers.

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!

And Ned Colletti doesn't even have to see his shadow. Once all the big free-agent names have signed, the Dodgers have the power to upset the standings all over again by dealing a top-flight outfielder.

Free-agent signings can simultaneously be discrete events and stacked dominoes. In the same way that if you were waiting for your meal to come out of the kitchen knowing you can eat now and have dog food or wait and possibly receive filet mignon, you'd be inclined to wait for the filet, if your choice is Masahiro Tanaka or some lesser, not formerly 24-0 arm, you would wait for the Tanaka situation to resolve before settling for your can of kibbles ‘n' Ubaldo.

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While in some seasons the free-agent dominoes fall one after the other, this offseason's domino configuration has led to a stop-start winter with sensations ranging from overstimulation to boredom. Because of the Tanaka posting, the rest of the pitching pieces have been packed away in the attic until teams can figure out who the frontrunners for the Japanese ace will be. Maybe a deal or two will happen before Tanaka has landed, but what seems most likely is that teams will continue to wait a little bit longer, especially since the Tanaka negotiations have a firm expiration date of January 24^th.

None of this is revelatory. The timing of things may be more like a remix than the original recording, but in principle it's the same as it ever was. Yet this year, even when winter seems like it's over, it might not really be over. Teams will head to spring training with their rosters seemingly set. The preseason publications will have their depth charts printed. Everything is, finally, what it is -- at which point the Dodgers will probably blow it all up again.

It's no secret that the Dodgers have a surplus of outfielders, and the possibility that they might deal one, specifically center fielder Matt Kemp, was openly discussed during the winter meetings. They've committed $317 million to four outfielders: Carl Crawford is signed through 2017, when he'll be 35; Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig through 2018 (when Ethier will be 36); and  Kemp through 2019, his age-34 season. That they are all on expensive long-term contracts doesn't make trading them an easy sell, and those pesky rules only let you play three at one time.

Carl Crawford, Yasiel Puig, and Andre Ethier (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

As if the contract situation weren't enough of a bottleneck, the organization's top hitting prospect, Joc Pederson, is also an outfielder who could be ready within the year. Realistically, it's too much talent to comfortably accommodate in one clubhouse and too much expense for one team to lavish on just their pasture players. Trading one would seem obvious --  a team could choose to live in fear of injury and hoard its starting-quality outfielders like doomsdayers packing cans of pork and beans into fallout shelters, but in this case that kind of paranoia is expensive. Nonetheless, even if the Dodgers are ready to say au revoir to one of the pricey quartet, they might still be forced to hang back until after spring training demonstrates the health and readiness of all their outfielders.

If there are setbacks, the Great Dodgers Outfield Divestiture could be something that happens at the trade deadline. At either time, there will be risks for both buyer and seller. The Dodgers will gamble that depth does not become an issue as well as tempt the almost inevitable letdown that results when a star is traded, should it be Kemp who is moved-- it's hard to get equal value for a guy who was a prescription slip away from being the NL MVP. The buyer, should they settle on Kemp, will have to hope that the (micro)fractured ankle that largely aborted the secondhalf of his season does not linger (think of Derek Jeter's abortive 2013 comeback from an October 2012 ankle fracture). This is an especially sensitive issue where Kemp is concerned because -- and this seems to be true regardless of your defensive metric of choice -- even on two good legs he was badly stretched to play center field; his -37 runs saved in 2010 is the worst defensive season on record by a center fielder according to Baseball-Reference (see right).

There isn't any less risk if the outfielder dealt is Crawford or Ethier, although the gamble will fall harder on the acquiring team. Ethier is 31, and entering the second season of a five-year, $85 million contract. As was apparent when Ethier was extended, his career splits are so severe that it's hard to see why  anyone would want to pay that much per season for a platoon player. In his career, Ethier has hit .309/.388/.518 against righties and just .235/.294/.351 against lefties. All of his power comes from the right side; his home run power has been helped by Dodger Stadium, where he's hit 64 percent of his career home runs.

The only thing that's changed is that having successfully subbed for Kemp, Ethier now has a frisson of defensive versatility. In addition, last season, he struck out less and walked more -- normally a good thing, but sometimes indicative of slowing bat speed. He ended the postseason limping on a bad ankle.

Carl Crawford fails to make a diving catch during the NLCS against the Cardinals. (Stephen Dunn )

If you started watching baseball after the 2010 season, you wouldn't believe that Crawford was once the epitome of speed and defense. His demise was swift and unexpected, a consequence of injuries and perhaps early aging. The most disappointing part of the downturn has been the loss of his speed as a weapon on the bases. Since 2010, Crawford has stolen just 38 bases, less than he stole in seven other seasons. Always a player who could spike his batting average with infield hits, Crawford still beats out his share of grounders (he had 25 infield hits in 2013), which shows that his legs haven't completely gone back on him. In fact, infield hits represent a rising proportion of Crawford's batting average as triples and home runs have declined.

Crawford's greatest value -- and Ethier's for that matter -- to the right-ward leaning Dodgers and other teams is that he bats left-handed. Think of a team like the Brewers, who had over 70 percent of their plate appearances go to right-handed hitters last season and just traded one of their few quality left-handed batters, Norichika Aoki, to the Royals, or the White Sox, whose only left-handed regular at this writing is Adam Dunn. Given that Crawford is set to early roughly $21 million per season (the highest salary of any left fielder except  Vernon Wells in 2014) through 2017, it's going to be incredibly difficult to find a buyer. Crawford also has limited no-trade protection, including a proscription on being traded to the Yankees.

On paper, Kemp has the highest upside of the three, but the way his planned postseason comeback was aborted -- he was always a day away from being back until he wasn't -- seems to have scared off potential buyers. That reluctance could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Dodgers, who have to be concerned about regression by players like Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe and the offensive potential of newly acquired second baseman Alexander Guerrero. The Dodgers have outfielders Mike Baxter, Nick Buss, and Scott Van Slyke on the 40-man roster, but while they might work in a pinch, there would be a lot of second-guessing about making a trade and then ultimately being forced to play one of the fringey reserves until Pederson, a left-handed hitter with good power and patience coming off a strong season at Double-A Chattanooga, is ready.

The possibility that Pederson can play conveys an overly flattering picture of the Dodgers farm system; there's a reason they've put up the cash to sign Cuban players like Puig and Guerrero. Trading a veteran outfielder might mean receiving prospects that can help restock their barren farm system. While the 2014 organizational rankings from Baseball America won't be publicly available until the end of the month, last season the Dodgers ranked 19^th in the majors. The Dodgers are thin on prospects -- which is partially a development issue and partially a propensity to trade what they do develop for major-leaguers -- and this offseason they've made a concerted effort to keep some of their best like Pederson, Corey Seager, and pitchers Jose Urias, Chris Reed, Ross Stripling, and Zach Lee, in the organization.

Joc Pederson at the 2013 All-Star Futures Game (USA TODAY Sports)

If the Dodgers can keep that core intact and add more prospects by trading an outfielder, the organization will be closer to their goal of filling vacancies with young talent instead of continually splurging on free agents. That's an issue not just of stocking future rosters, but of the team's ability to compete as soon as this coming season. There are only so many times a team can take advantage of a Red Sox fire sale or call up a fresh-faced rookie who hits .400 for a month. The more ready depth the Dodgers have now, the better they'll be able to weather the coming letdown that right now they don't have the depth to absorb anywhere but the outfield.

If a trade does happen, the team the Dodgers save might be someone else. Imagine having a club in a competitive division like the AL Central, sitting pretty most of the way through March and thinking you have a chance, when suddenly a hitter with the potential to hit .320 with 30 home runs is suddenly dropped in your midst. You might as well tear up your preseason guide right there. When it comes to this winter, Yogi Berra was wrong. It won't be over when it's over, it will be over when Ned Colletti decides it is.

More from SB Nation MLB:

• Pedro, Big Unit, Nomar and Smoltz headline 2015 Hall of Fame ballot

• Maddux, Glavine and Big Hurt named HOF class of 2014 | Biggio 2 votes short

• Normandin: Why the Hall of Fame doesn't matter anymore

• Goldman: Time for BBWAA voters to stop faking it

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

The cold days of County Stadium are over, but this week's frigid temperatures got me thinking about them.

As we get ready for Opening Day, 2014, it's easy to take something for granted: The Brewers will host the Braves on March 31, the game will start reasonably close to its 1:10 scheduled first pitch and conditions will be good, either under a nice spring day or (more likely) Miller Park's closed roof. The Brewers didn't always have that luxury, though, and this week's arctic vortex got me wondering: What was the coldest day for a game at County Stadium?

The answer is April 5, 1994, when the Brewers hosted the A's on Opening Day. The temperature at game time was 31 degrees under cloudy skies, with a 29 mph wind blowing out to right field. That means the wind chill was roughly 16 for the season's first home game.

Normally cold days tend to be dominated by pitchers, but this game's high winds turned it into an offensive slugfest. A's catcher Terry Steinbach hit a first inning grand slam off Cal Eldred to give Oakland a 5-0 lead, but the Brewers battled back with a run in the first, another in the second, three in the third and five in the sixth to take a 10-6 lead. Mike Fetters eventually pitched a scoreless ninth to nail down an 11-7 win.

Dave Nilsson had four hits in the game, starting off one of his best MLB seasons. He played in 109 games over the course of the strike-shortened campaign and hit .275/.326/.451 with 12 homers. It was the Brewers' first game without Robin Yount following his retirement, and Darryl Hamilton went 0-for-3 with a walk in his first opportunity as an everyday center fielder.

The two teams played a night game two days later under significantly warmer conditions (45 at game time), and the Brewers clobbered the A's 12-2 to open the season with a sweep. They got off to an 11-7 start and were in first place on April 25 before falling all the way to 53-62 before the strike.

He's not the same Brad Mills that used to manage the Astros.

The Brewers have added a little pitching depth to the organization, according to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish:

Source: #Brewers agree to minor league deal with LHP Brad Mills

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 9, 2014

Mills is 28 and has pitched in four major league seasons as a member of the Blue Jays and Angels, but has made just 15 appearances (ten starts) across those campaigns, and hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2012. He's spent most of the last seven seasons in the minors, and posted a 3.87 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts) for AAA Round Rock in the Rangers organization last season.

MLB Trade Rumors reports that Mills requested his release from the Rangers midseason in 2013 to sign with Japan's Orix Buffaloes, but he made just one NPB appearance.

Mills is left handed, and based on his small MLB sample size FanGraphs says his fastball sits in the mid-80's. He also throws a changeup and curve. His platoon splits in the minors last season show he wasn't significantly better against either lefties or righties:

He did, however, show a more pronounced split in 2012 (.866 OPS against vs righties, .772 vs lefties).

It's unclear at this point if Mills will receive or has received an invitation to major league spring training. At the moment he seems more likely to provide depth at Nashville than to be a significant contributor in the big leagues.

The countdown to spring training takes a step backwards in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

Some things to read in your own way.

Sadly, I come to you this morning with dour news. For months we've used this space to count down the days to spring training, based on a previous statement that the Brewers would report to Maryvale on February 15. Yesterday we received word that the club's official reporting date will actually be two days later, on the 17th. So instead of being 35 days away this morning, we're at 37. 37 just seems so much further away.

UPDATE: Adam McCalvy clarified yesterday's note, and spring is actually coming sooner than expected:

.@BrewCrewBall You'll be pleased to know P&C actually "report" Feb. 14. Feb. 17 is their first formal workout. Physicals in between.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) January 10, 2014

Of course, having those two extra days one less day gives the Brewers a little more less time to figure out what they're going to do at first base. The Mets are still hanging on to high demands for Ike Davis, and when asked about it yesterday GM Sandy Alderson said this:

"This is a trade market, not a yard sale, and right now we're perfectly happy to go into Spring Training with Davis and (Lucas) Duda both on the team."

You can add Brad Johnson of the Hardball Times to the list of people who think the Mets' asking price is significantly too steep. With that said, the Brewers will probably need to make a move eventually: Dave Radcliffe of Yahoo listed first base as one of his top five things that could derail the 2014 season.

The Brewers are also still expected to seek help for the bullpen this winter, and plenty of options remain available. Adam McCalvy has a list of 20 veteran relievers with some closing experience, which is what the organization is believed to be seeking.

Meanwhile, this has become the season for minor league deals with invitations to spring training. Jonathan Bernhardt of Sports on Earth has a look at some potential talent still on the market. The Brewers did make one small splash in that market yesterday, signing former Blue Jays pitcher Brad Mills.

The Brewers aren't likely to be looking for help at catcher, where they're more or less set with Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado. Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs' quick pitch framing projections for 2014 show the Brewers getting almost two extra strikes per game due to Lucroy and Maldonado, easily the most in the majors.

A year ago Scooter Gennett was a non-roster invitee to spring training, but today he's the Brewers' likely Opening Day second baseman and he'll be the subject of a bobblehead in June. There's two ways of looking at this: You can either see it as a sign that the Brewers have run out of star candidates for bobbles, as Evan Rytlewski of Express Milwaukee writes, or you can see it as a sign that the Brewers have a lot of faith in Scooter's ability to carry his success over to 2014.

Assuming the Brewers don't add a starting pitcher between now and mid-February, the competition for the final spot in the starting rotation could be one of the more interesting storylines this spring. Tyler Thornburg is expected to have the inside track to win the job, and a clear majority of voters in this Reviewing the Brew poll think he should get it.

In the minors:

• In addition to signing Brad Mills, yesterday the Brewers also re-signed La Crosse native R.J. Seidel to a minor league deal (h/t @JaymesL). 2013 was Seidel's seventh professional season and he appeared in 26 games (14 starts) between Huntsville and Nashville, posting a 4.67 ERA over 88.2 innings and striking out 9.5 batters per nine.
• Meanwhile in the Dominican Republic, Jason Rogers went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored two runs as Escogido beat Licey 3-2 in the round robin postseason (box score). Juan Francisco had two hits, drew a walk and drove in a run for Licey.

Around baseball:

Astros: Hired former Marlins minor league coach Tarrik Brock as their new first base coach.
Nationals: Signed infielder Jamey Carroll to a minor league deal.
Rays: Signed infielder Jayson Nix to a minor league deal.
Tigers: Signed outfielders Trevor Crowe and Ezequiel Carrera and pitcher Eduardo Sanchez to minor league deals.

Today in former Brewers:

• Jack Moore has an article on why Hideo Nomo belongs in the Hall of Fame, but most of it's behind the paywall at Beacon Reader.
• In 2011 Zack Greinke pitched the second fewest innings ever for a pitcher who recorded 200 strikeouts. (h/t @wezen_ball)

Today's sabermetric note comes from Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs, who notes that triples have steadily decreased over the years and hit an all-time low in 2013.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index, we'd like to wish a happy birthday today to:

• 2002 Brewer Takahito Nomura, who turns 45.
• Madison native and UW-Madison alum Vern Geishert, who turns 68. Geishert pitched in the majors as a member of the 1969 Angels.

Today is also the seventh anniversary of the Brewers signing future Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey as a minor league free agent in 2007 and the 36th anniversary of the organization selecting future longtime reliever Doug Jones in the January secondary draft in 1978. We covered those events in Today In Brewer History last year and two years ago, respectively.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put this off some more.

Drink up.

Lucroy had three of the Brewers' eight longest homers in 2013, but this was the biggest one.

When last we looked at 2013's longest homers back on December 17, we talked about a 436-foot bomb Lucroy hit off Paul Maholm of the Braves. That was the longest homer Lucroy hit at Miller Park in 2013, but on the road he went deeper.

Between July 6-20 Lucroy homered six times in nine games, driving in eleven runs on 15 hits. The biggest of those came on July 11 against the Diamondbacks, when the Brewers catcher came up fourth and hit this two-run blast off Wade Miley:

That ball traveled 445 feet, making it the longest drive of Lucroy's career (he had previously hit one 442 feet in 2010). It was also the longest homer given up by Diamondbacks pitcher Wade Miley, but only the fourth longest ball hit by an opposing player at Chase Field this season.

Sadly, this homer was not enough: The Brewers ran out to a 3-0 lead in the game but eventually lost 5-3.

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:

This week's lessons include more free agency inaction, reminders from the Hall of Fame, and the criteria for earning a Brewers bobblehead.

Once again, not much happened in free agency.

It's looking more and more likely that the big signing that we're waiting for is not going to happen. Comments from the front office are ones of contentment about the current roster situation. The Brewers did make one signing this week, adding Brad Mills on a minor-league deal. It's another move that is probably not much more than minor league depth, so there is not much to get excited about. They also released minor league player Nick Bucci, who had been struggling with injuries for years and hadn't done much.

The other possibility of making moves has been through trades, but that doesn't look much more likely. The Brewers have been rumored to be interested in Ike Davis with the Mets for weeks, yet nothing has happened. The rumors involved the Brewers trading a pitcher, but the Brewers don't want to trade away any pitchers. Despite this and saying the rumor has been dead for weeks, it keeps popping back up.

If you're going to look at which free agents are still available, make sure to not forget about which free agents have already signed. Some signings are easy to remember while others easily disappear from memory. Kyle put together a Sporcle quiz a few weeks ago to test how well people remember the signings, and then followed up with a list of the most forgotten names on the quiz. It's not likely that any of these names will end up in Milwaukee, but you can always speculate.

The Brewers don't get much respect on Hall of Fame votes.

This isn't much of a surprise, considering that the Brewers have had very few Hall of Fame candidates play over 5+ years ago in Milwaukee. Three players did get elected to the Hall of Fame this year, though as usual, it's what happened outside of the actual results that has people talking. For the Brewers, four former players were nominated and all four did not even cross the 5% threshold to even stay on the ballot. It's going to be a while before the Brewers have relevance in Hall of Fame discussions again, but it's nice to look back and see what players had enough of an impact to be considered for the Hall of Fame.

It doesn't take much to get a Brewers bobblehead.

That's what we found out this week as Scooter Gennett replaced Norichika Aoki in the bobblehead rotation for 2014. Despite less than one season of playing time, he made enough of an impact in that time to earn one. Plus, it helps that most of the other candidates received a bobblehead recently.

Other notes

- The extreme cold that passed through Wisconsin prompted Kyle to review the coldest home game in Brewers history. It didn't approach the level of cold that we saw in Wisconsin in the last week.
- We have another review of winter baseball action from morineko, who recapped the week of 12/29.

Reviewing the Brew Crew Blasts series

#2: Lucroy unloads again

The Collection of Mugs

1/6/2014: Welcome back!
1/7/2014: Extra Cold Frosty Mug
1/8/2014: What to expect when you're expecting Jean Segura
1/9/2014: A Hall detour
1/10/2014: Getting pushed back

Test Your Knowledge

The Thursday Thinker: Staying on Second
Saturday Sporcle: Cooperstown Candidates

it's all playoffs now in the Caribbean

2014-01-05

2014-01-06

2014-01-07

2014-01-08

2014-01-09

2014-01-10

2014-01-11

A bit of what could be very good news for the Indians...

New Indians closer John Axford was tipping his pitches while playing for the Brewers, something he learned about on his first day with the Cardinals, after a trade at the end of last August. According to Axford, after he made "one little adjustment" in his delivery, he saw far better results than he'd been seeing for almost two years in Milwaukee.

This could be outstanding news for the Indians, because if Axford's results form his time in St. Louis are what we're going to get from him, he's going to be well worth the $4.5 to 6.25 million the Tribe will pay him in 2014. Here are Axford's numbers from the last three years:

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com

As you can see, Axford was one of the best closers in baseball in 2011, but his home runs and walks both spiked in 2012. He continued to struggle through most of 2013, but after arriving in St. Louis, he pitched well (including 5.2 strong innings in the postseason, not included above).

If that success was merely a matter of him having a few good weeks, in a small sample of appearances, then his previous year and a half in Milwaukee should be weighed more heavily, but if what Axford is saying is true, and an adjustment to his delivery is to be credited with his late-season success, than the Indians might have gotten a bargain.

It's entirely clear when the Cardinals picked up on whatever signals Axford was giving off, but in 2011, St. Louis was dominated by him, with a team batting line of .083/.120/.125 in 7 innings, all without scoring a run. It was more of the same in that season's NLCS, when Axford pitched 3 more shutout frames. All told, Axford struck out 10 while walking just 1 against St. Louis that year.

2012 was a different story though, as St. Louis roughed Axford up for 8 runs in 6 innings, using 9 walks to help their cause.

That seems like strong support for the pitch-tipping narrative, but it should also be pointed out that while Axford struggled again with Milwaukee in 2013, he did well against St. Louis, allowing just 1 run in 7.2 innings (though he did issue 5 walks and allow 7 hits, so perhaps he was just lucky in the timing/sequence of things).

We also don't know how many teams besides the Cardinals were picking up on whatever tells Axford had, but it would take at least a couple more to really explain much of the difference in his numbers between 2011 and the last couple years.

If nothing else though, Axford believes he's made an important adjustment, and his regained a lot of his former confidence. I won't go into the 2014 season expecting to see the Axford who dominated hitters in 2011, but I do expect we're going to see someone better than his overall numbers from 2012 and 2013 would suggest.

.

More from Let's Go Tribe

Follow @LetsGoTribeFollow @SBNationMLB

• Tribe news & links 1/13/14: Don't worry about the pitching
• A review of Indians hitting in the second half of 2013
• Indians to watch in 2014: Cody Allen
• The latest news on Ubaldo Jimenez
• A-Rod gets 162 games as MLB is allowed to ignore the CBA

We're watching the Brewers attempt to shift the narrative on a quiet offseason in today's news roundup.

Some things to read while time marches on.

We are 31 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, ending what could be the quietest Brewers offseason any of us can remember. Doug Melvin recently told Tom Haudricourt he expected the team wouldn't be very active this winter, for what it's worth. Milwaukee's Own Brew Crew Fans wonders if Melvin has an overall plan for this team.

If the Brewers aren't going to make a major move to improve the first base position this winter, then a minor transaction to add depth could be in order. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via MLBTR) reports that the Brewers and Astros have expressed interest in Lyle Overbay. He's 36 and appeared in 142 games for the Yankees last season, hitting .240/.295/.393 with 24 doubles and 14 home runs. A decade ago he set the Brewers' single-season doubles record with 53 in 2004.

Yovani Gallardo probably isn't an option to play first base for the Brewers in 2014, but he might outhit some of the players who spent time there last season. Daniel Bailey of Gammons Daily mentioned Gallardo as one of the game's best hitting pitchers.

Wily Peralta is a much lesser threat at the plate (going 7-for-50 with no extra base hits or RBI in 2013), but if he continues to improve as a pitcher it won't matter. Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew has a look at Peralta's control as a factor in his potential long term success in the majors.

Meanwhile, the Brewers' bullpen remains in a state of flux for 2014. Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew has a two-part post where he looks at the likely top candidates (Jim Henderson and Brandon Kintzler) and seven other possibilities to pitch in relief this season.

It's worth noting that Brewers relievers combined for the fifth-best ERA in all of baseball last season. Baseball In-Depth notes, though, that only one team has posted a top 5 bullpen ERA in consecutive seasons since 2011.

Jonathan Lucroy is a near lock to spend most of 2014 catching those relievers. He also hit 2013's second longest homer, and we looked at it on Friday as part of our Brew Crew Blasts series.

Scooter Gennett's role on this team is less certain, but only slightly so. Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker has a look at several ways the Brewers could improve his scheduled bobblehead day.

In the minors:

• In addition to previously reported minor league signings for pitchers Brad Mills and R.J. Seidel, the Brewers have re-signed 2013 Huntsville outfielder Brock Kjeldgaard. He's 27, a converted pitcher, and a .222/.333/.417 hitter in 526 plate appearances for the Stars last season.
• Jason Arndt of Brewers Farm Report has a look at left-handed pitching in the minors, noting that the Brewers have a lack of southpaws in the upper levels of the organization but are well-stocked in the lower levels.
• Juan Francisco went 1-for-4 yesterday in Licey's 4-1 win over Aguilas in the Dominican Republic (box score). Alfredo Figaro retired one batter and allowed a run in the game.
• Jason Rogers reached on an error as a pinch hitter but it was not enough as Escogido lost 6-5 to Cibao in ten innings (box score). Even with the loss, Escogido holds the Dominican's best record in the round robin playoffs. Licey is currently second at 7-7.
• In Puerto Rico, Martin Maldonado went 1-for-4 with a run scored and Irving Falu also had a hit in Mayaguez's 5-4 win over Carolina (box score). Mayaguez is now 7-1 in round robin play, taking a commanding lead on the field.
• Meanwhile, Jose De La Torre allowed three runs in a single inning of work in Caguas' 8-5 loss to Ponce (box score). Yadiel Rivera entered the game as a defensive replacement at shortstop and went 0-for-1.
• There was a scary moment in Mayaguez following last night's game as an earthquake hit north of the island. Maldonado reports he and his family are ok.
• Morineko has more on the last seven days in winter ball in her weekly roundup.
• Hiram Burgos did not pitch this weekend, but he was a unanimous choice for Puerto Rico's pitcher of the year award. Burgos worked 38.2 innings for Mayaguez and posted a 1.40 ERA with 35 strikeouts.
• I thought this was official a while ago, but apparently it's "re-official now:" The Southern League has approved the sale of the Huntsville Stars, opening the door for them to move to Biloxi in 2015.

Back in Milwaukee, you can bet someone's taking a little closer look at the books this morning. An Arizona Republic report suggests there's a nearly $500,000 discrepancy in the rent the Brewers have been charged for Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix. The linked story is unclear on whether the Brewers have paid too much or not enough, and the AZ Republic story is behind a paywall.

If you weren't around the site this weekend you might have missed JP's weekly look at what we learned over the previous seven days. News is slow right now, but that's no excuse for falling behind.

Around baseball:

Diamondbacks: Claimed pitcher Santos Rodriguez off waivers from the White Sox.
Giants: Signed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to a minor league deal.
Nationals: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Stephen Strasburg (one year, $3.975 million).
Marlins: Re-signed pitcher Kevin Slowey to a minor league deal.
Orioles: Signed infielder Alexi Casilla to a minor league deal.
Rangers: Pitcher Derek Holland is likely to open the season on the DL following knee surgery.
Royals: Avoided arbitration with catcher Brett Hayes (one year, $630,000).
Yankees: Third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been suspended for the 2014 season. Also, the team designated outfielder Vernon Wells for assignment and signed pitcher Robert Coello and infielder Scott Sizemore to minor league deals.

It's been a slow offseason for the Brewers, but in our two-part Tweet of the Day Chris Cotillo has a reminder that things are slow all over right now:

Last major league contract agreement (#Astros Crain) came on 12/31. Almost two weeks of crazy inactivity.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 12, 2014

By my count, only 6 MLB FA signings since 12/18. 25 days ago.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 12, 2014

In former Brewers:

• Tyler Drenon of MLB Daily Dish has a largely tongue-in-cheek look at Yuniesky Betancourt's long MLB career, but includes this note that gave me pause: All of Yuni's other MLB employers (the Royals, Mariners and Phillies) have been teams that are reportedly behind the curve in the use of advanced statistics.
• Bill Baer of Hardball Talk has a story about how the Cardinals reportedly informed John Axford he'd been tipping his pitches after he was traded to St. Louis. It's Pronounced "Lajaway" wonders if the Cardinals inadvertently did the Indians a favor by fixing their new reliever.
• The Blue Jays had been attempting to convert Jeremy Jeffress to a starting pitcher, but have abandoned those plans.
• Speaking of the Blue Jays, Bluebird Banter has a look at Kevin Seitzer's philosophies as their new hitting coach.
• Dan Plesac's name has come up as a possibility for the Phillies' vacant color commentator position, but he's reportedly not interested.
• The LA Times has a recap of Luis Cruz's 2013 season with the Dodgers.
• Lawrence Rocca of the Newark Star-Ledger is one of six voters who named Hideo Nomo on their Hall of Fame ballots. He left Greg Maddux off his ballot, though.

If you're done reading the Mug and need something else to do this morning, I can recommend AZ Snakepit's Saturday Sporcle asking you to name (in order) the players who have been inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame since 2000. There have been 15 new additions in Cooperstown since Paul Molitor's election in 2004.

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

• 2013 Huntsville Star Eric Marzec, who turns 26.
• 2005-07 Brewer Jose Capellan, who turns 33.
• 2007 Brewer Elmer Dessens, who turns 43. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History last year.
• 1985-87 Brewer Billy Jo Robidoux, who turns 50. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History two years ago.
• 1988 Brewer Odell Jones, who turns 61.
• 1979 Brewer Bob Galasso, who turns 62.

Plunk Everyone notes that Dessens' 24 career hit batsmen are the second most ever for a pitcher born on January 13. Dessens was also the winning pitcher in the last game at County Stadium.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to gather my meeples.

Drink up.

A couple of previously-announced managerial changes are the big story here.

The Brewers finalized their 2014 coaching staffs today, making announcements ranging from a new manager at AAA Nashville all the way down to an eight-man crew in the Dominican Republic.

The big story for the season ahead is likely to be previously-reported hirings of Rick Sweet and Carlos Subero to manage Nashville and Huntsville, respectively. Sweet is a former MLB catcher who has managed 24 seasons in the minors as a member of seven organizations, while Subero has 13 years of minor league managerial experience with three teams.

Beyond that the biggest change may be with Low-A Wisconsin, where returning manager Matt Erickson will have an all-new staff. 2013 Helena coaches Elvin Nina and Chuckie Caufield have been promoted to the Midwest League, while former Huntsville hitting coach Kenny Dominguez moves down the ladder to join them.

Former Wisconsin pitching coach Dave Chavarria has been promoted to Brevard County, where he'll join returning manager Joe Ayrault and hitting coach Ned Yost IV. One-time Brewer outfielder Jeremy Reed joins the coaching ranks as the team's minor league hitting coordinator and former Brevard County pitching coach Mark Dewey will be the assistant minor league pitching coordinator.

Tom Haudricourt has the full list of coaches, if you'd like to see if I missed anything notable.

After weeks of buildup, today we're finally ready to reveal 2013's longest home run.

Carlos Gomez led the Brewers with 24 homers in 2013, so it's only fair that he hit the team's last one (against the Mets on September 28) and their longest.

The latter came in the ninth inning of what would eventually be an 8-3 loss to the Rockies on July 26. The game was already more or less decided when Gomez came to the plate to lead off the inning against Manny Corpas, but the ball he hit off the veteran reliever is still a thing of beauty:

That rocket traveled 449 feet and left Gomez's bat going 112.8 mph, meaning it was also the fastest homer hit by a Brewer in 2013. It was only the sixth longest homer hit at Coors Field in 2013, but it was easily the longest by an NL Central opponent: Alfonso Soriano was second on that list with a 428 foot drive when he was still a member of the Cubs.

This was the second of homers on back-to-back days for Gomez, and his only positive contribution in the game. He finished with a 1-for-4 line and three strikeouts.

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:

Why today's Hall of Fame debate has grown stale

In March 2005, Rafael Palmeiro, in his opening statement to Congress, uttered words we've heard dozens of times since: "I have never used steroids, period." By August of that year, Palmeiro would find himself suspended after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. Palmeiro's professional baseball career would last just a few more games, ending with four hitless at-bats on August 30, 2005.

And that synopsis is, unfortunately, what people will remember when they think of Rafael Palmeiro. His career, which spanned 20 years, boiled down to one nightmare season.

As naturally happens with players of impressive longevity, Palmeiro garnered some eye-popping statistics. He is one of just four players with more than 3,000 hits (3,020) and 500 home runs (569). He is a four-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger. And though Palmeiro never won, he received MVP consideration ten times. Not one of the all-time greats, but certainly worthy of debate for the Hall of Fame.

After just four years on the Cooperstown ballot, that debate is over. Palmeiro received 4.4% of the votes in 2014, falling just shy of the 5% necessary to stay on the ballot. Palmeiro was shocked after receiving just 11% of the vote in 2011, his first year of eligibility, telling USA Today:

"This is one of those dark days in my life. The last five years, ever since that incident, I've felt like they were putting me in a coffin and putting nails in. Today, they were throwing dirt on my coffin."

Palmeiro actually gained support in 2012, increasing to 12.6%. But when he received just 8.8% in 2013 - a year in which no one was elected - the writing was on the wall.

The Hall of Fame debate is no longer a robust discourse about an individual player's merits. As the 2014 voting totals for Roger Clemens (35.4%) and Barry Bonds (34.7%) illustrate, there is now a litmus test for Hall of Fame entry. Those guilty or suspected of using PEDs need not apply.

As a result, the Hall of Fame voters and pundits spend more time discussing PED use among candidates than individual qualifications. Perhaps that's because Bonds' and Clemens' credentials are otherwise beyond dispute. But what about the borderline cases like Palmeiro? And what about the players whom some writers merely suspect of PED use, without a shred of proof? How is the process fair to them?

This is baseball's fault - for failing to vigorously pursue suspected cheaters, adjudicate their guilt, and place them on the ineligible list or expunge their records; in essence, for punting the matter of the steroid era to the writers. The Hall of Fame and the BBWAA, too, could have been more proactive about addressing the steroid era. By leaving it to the individual writers' views on morality and fair play, these institutions have all but guaranteed the debate about PEDs in the Hall of Fame will carry on ad nauseum.

No matter how you come down on steroids in baseball, a one-issue ballot makes for a pretty boring election process.

It's kind of sad that this is one of the winter's most notable moves.

The Brewers are believed to be seeking a veteran reliever with closing experience to add to their bullpen this winter. If he was still around they'd probably consider a guy like Gregg Olson, who recorded 217 saves over a 14-year career as a member of nine teams.

Gregg Olson retired 2001, though, so instead today the Brewers signed outfielder Greg Golson to a minor league deal. Golson has played 40 games over four MLB seasons as a member of three teams, most recently as a member of the 2011 Yankees. He actually made three postseason appearances as a defensive replacement for New York in 2010.

Golson is 27 and a career .264/.311/.398 hitter across ten minor league seasons. He split 2013 between the iindependent Lancaster Barnstormers and AA and AAA affiliates in the Rockies and Braves organizations, where his .249/.313/.392 batting line in 79 games was roughly comparable to his career work.

Golson can play all three outfield spots but has been primarily a center fielder in the minors, appearing there in 767 of his 1012 games. He was the Phillies' first round pick (#21 overall) in the 2004 draft, where he was selected 16 spots after the Brewers took Mark Rogers.

Anything can happen in spring training, of course, but at the moment Golson almost certainly slots into the Brewers depth chart behind the three likely starters and Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl. At best, he's probably insurance in case something happens to Schafer and the Brewers need a bench player who can play center field.

We're looking at where two top Brewers stand among baseball's elite in today's news roundup.

Some things to read while trimming your eyebrows.

We are 30 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and the Brewers will bring two of baseball's best up-the-middle players to camp in 2014. MLB Network has started their annual rankings of the top ten players by position across baseball, and they have Jean Segura fifth among shortstops and Carlos Gomez sixth among center fielders. Adam Wieser of Disciples of Uecker has more on the selections.

It's a pretty amazing thing when Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura, who are both coming off career years, are treated as a sure thing but Ryan Braun is not. Steve Gardner of USA Today has a wide range of speculation on what could lie ahead for Braun after an injury-riddled season ended with a suspension in 2013.

Elsewhere in uncertainties, we have the Brewers' first base situation. If the organization isn't interested in the remaining free agent options or in overpaying for Ike Davis of the Mets, Mariner Justin Smoak could be available. Lookout Landing has a look at his disappointing tenure in Seattle and uncertain role if he remains with the team.

Meanwhile, Jim Henderson is being treated as a near certainty to open the season in the closer role. Ryan Connor of Reviewing the Brew may suggest a different direction, though, noting the relatively high trade value of "proven closers."

The Brewers made one minor transaction yesterday, signing outfielder Greg Golson to a minor league deal. Golson is a career .264/.311/.398 hitter across ten minor league seasons, and is likely just an organizational depth addition for a team that's well-stocked with outfielders.

Beyond that, however, the Brewers remain quiet and are still the only team that has not signed a major league free agent this winter. Derek Harvey of The Book of Gorman asks where the money is going at this point.

Some of the Brewers' money is going into the contract extension Carlos Gomez signed about a year ago. Gomez hit 2013's longest home run, and we discussed it yesterday in Brew Crew Blasts.

In the minors:

• Marc Hulet of FanGraphs unveiled his ranking of the top 15 Brewers prospects this morning. His list starts with Tyrone Taylor, then Jimmy Nelson.
• Speaking of Nelson, Jason Arndt of Brewers Farm Report has a post on his ascent to the majors.
• The Brewers announced their full minor league coaching staffs yesterday, with the highlight being new managers in Nashville (Rick Sweet) and Huntsville (Carlos Subero). Combined, the two have almost 40 years of managerial experience.
• One story I missed in the above link is the return of longtime Brewers minor league coach Al LeBoeuf, who will be back in coaching with the AZL Brewers after missing the 2013 season to fight cancer. (h/t @AdamMcCalvy)
• Jason Arndt also has a post on Subero.

Around baseball:

Astros: Signed infielder Cesar Izturis to a minor league deal.
Giants: Signed pitchers Kameron Loe, J.C. Gutierrez and Sandy Rosario to minor league deals.
Orioles: Signed outfielder Delmon Young to a minor league deal.
Phillies: Signed shortstop Ronny Cedeno to a minor league deal.
Rays: Signed outfielder Justin Christian to a minor league deal.
Reds: Signed pitcher Jeff Francis and outfielder Thomas Neal to minor league deals.
White Sox: Avoided arbitration with outfielder Dayan Viciedo (one year, $2.8 million).

Meanwhile, the biggest news around baseball yesterday (and this is sad, really) was the Cubs announcement that they're going to add a new mascot, Clark the Cub. The decision has not been well-received, and SBNation.com has a roundup of the reactions.

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

• Terry Forster, 2002 inductee into the Appleton Baseball Hall of Fame, who turns 62.
• Seattle Pilot Ron Clark, who turns 71.

Plunk Everyone notes that Forster's 24 career hit batsmen are the fourth most ever for a player born in January 14.

Today is also the 38th anniversary of the Brewers signing longtime MLB outfielder Vada Pinson as a free agent and the 14th anniversary of the team trading outfielder Alex Ochoa to the Reds for 1B/OF Mark Sweeney. We covered those events in Today In Brewer History last year and two years ago, respectively.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the next wave of candidates is coming.

Drink up.