Everyone loves the drama of a long homer, but here we're appreciating the suspense of barely clearing the fence.

Yesterday we wrapped up the "countdown" portion of our look at home runs in 2013, and today we're taking a look at the blasts on the other end of the spectrum: The long balls that were just long enough.

A true no-doubt home run is a thing of beauty, a majestic event well worth losing your popcorn over. But, in a sense it's also anticlimactic. If you know a ball is gone the second it leaves the bat, the sense of anticipation leaves with it. The run has practically been scored before the ball even touches down in the seats. Today we're honoring the home runs that made you wait until the final instant to start cheering.

September 19, Carlos Gomez off Jake Arrieta

Hit Tracker Online measures a lot of statistics regarding home runs: Their true distance, speed and angle off the bat and more. The last item on their charts is an interesting one: The number of MLB parks the ball would leave under normal conditions. On September 19 Carlos Gomez hit what that stat would seemingly classify as a miracle: A home run that shouldn't actually have been long enough to leave any MLB park. Here it is:

April 17, Yuniesky Betancourt off Ryan Vogelsong

This one isn't so much a wall-scraper as a "wall-bouncer." Yuni was in the middle of the best month of his career when this liner to left center caromed off the top of the barricade and bounced over for a solo blast that Hit Tracker says would only have been a home run in one MLB park:

That ball had a 19.7 degree elevation angle, tying it for the lowest homer by a Brewer this season.

August 23, Scooter Gennett off Alfredo Simon

Speaking of low home runs, here's another liner that had just enough. At Great American Ball Park Scooter hit one into to the front row that had to be reviewed before the run was official:

August 10, Scooter Gennett off Hisashi Iwakuma

Actually, the previous homer wasn't Scooter's first "just enough" homer. During interleague play he hit a ball that clanked off Mariners right fielder Michael Morse's glove to bring three runs home:

See? Not everything went wrong for the Brewers in 2013.

Good afternoon and greetings from Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will open the 2013 Midwest League season in just 79 days, and when they do they'll be playing in a freshly renamed facility. Today the Rattlers announced a new naming rights agreement with the Neuroscience Group, meaning home ballpark for the Brewers' low-A affiliate will now be known as Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The agreement spans ten years, but financial terms are undisclosed. The team had previously partnered with Time Warner Cable, who ended the agreement in November. Neuroscience Group was the first company the Timber Rattlers approached to discuss a possible agreement.

"They're just a great group of people. They're community minded, and just excited about this partnership," Timber Rattlers President Rob Zerjav said. "We've had a really nice relationship with Neuroscience group for the past eight years, and we're really excited to take it to another level here at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium."

"We were approached by the Timber Rattlers folks about the possibility of naming rights for the field, discussed it rather quickly with colleagues and it was unanimous," Dr. Philip Yazbak, president of Neuroscience Group, said. "We as an organization have been out here for many years, have done a number of corporate outings here and have individual tickets that we've spread out amongst our employees. It's an enjoyable evening for all those who get out here."

Despite having to get approval from both Minor League Baseball and the Midwest League, the Timber Rattlers had a contract signed with their new naming rights partner less than three months after the position came open.

"Hopefully it says a lot about what we do and what we mean to the community. I think it says a lot about the folks who work here and the product we put out there," Zerjav said.

Ten years is a long time in the sports world, but Yazbak is excited for the possibilities.

We look forward to a long and productive relationship with the Timber Rattlers," Yazbak said. "It's difficult to imagine today on a snowy January day, but baseball will be here soon enough and we very much look forward to that."

The Timber Rattlers' agreement with Time Warner Cable to televise games will continue uninterrupted. The team will have 10 games on Time Warner Sports Channel this season and as many as 30 more on My New 32.

Tony Plush is in the house.

The Indians have signed outfielder Nyjer Morgan to a minor league deal, with an invitation to Spring Training. If he makes the roster and reaches some incentives, he can earn more than $1 million.

Morgan spent 2013 playing in Japan for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, posting a batting line of .294/.361/.434 in 424 plate appearances. Prior to that he played for two years with the Milwaukee Brewers, putting up solid numbers in 2011 before falling apart at the plate in 2012:

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com

He did play a solid centerfield in both of those seasons, so there's that.

Morgan also has an alter ego named Tony Plush. His Twitter account isn't really active anymore, but he used to post goofy pictures of himself and sometimes create fun videos like this semi-NSFW (language) one.I doubt he makes the team, but he's another live body, his presence increases the chances that we get some shenanigans from the Tribe in March, and he could become quite popular in Columbus.

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The Brewers bench coach turns 58 today.

On this day in 1956 Jerry Narron was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He was 18 when the Yankees selected him in the sixth round of the 1974 draft, and five years later he made his MLB debut as a catcher in 1979.

Narron played parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Yankees, Mariners and Angels, hitting .211/.270/.318 across 926 plate appearances as primarily a backup catcher. He appeared in four postseason games as a member of the 1986 Angels, going 1-for-2 with a walk and scoring a run in their ALCS loss to the Red Sox.

Just one year after retiring, Narron started his coaching career. He was a manager for three years in the Orioles organization before being promoted to the MLB coaching staff, following then-Orioles manager Johnny Oates to Texas and eventually replacing Oates with the Rangers in 2001.

Narron has managed parts of five seasons in the majors, compiling a 291-341 record with the 2001-02 Rangers and 2005-07 Reds. He was back with the Rangers as a special assignments scout when Ron Roenicke and the Brewers hired him to serve as bench coach in 2011.

Since joining the Brewers Narron has perhaps become best known for his lineup cards, routinely written in the ornate calligraphy shown above. In 2012 his brother Johnny also joined the team as hitting coach.

Narron turns 56 today.

We're looking at the difference between perception and possible reality in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

Some things to read while not getting your money back.

We are 29 days from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and the Brewers team that arrives there projects to look a lot like the one that went 74-88 a year ago. As part of his team-by-team preview of the 2014 season, Jeff Passan of Yahoo discussed the wide gap between how the Brewers see themselves and how the rest of baseball sees them. Here's the opening paragraph:

The silence of the Brewers this offseason reflects the cognitive dissonance between the team's belief in itself and the industry's belief in the team. The Brewers see themselves as a victim of injuries and bad fortune who need only health as the great salve for 2014. Executives see the Brewers as a team with a potentially solid, if on-base-challenged offense, a mediocre-at-best rotation and a bullpen that ought to be forced to wear HIGHLY FLAMMABLE patches on its uniform.

I know we as a community don't always look kindly upon Passan's work, but I think that paragraph (and the story as a whole) are a pretty fair assessment of the current situation.

The Brewers' next transaction is likely to come towards the end of this week, as the organization is optimistic about their chances to settle arbitration cases with Marco Estrada and Juan Francisco. Both players (and all other eligibles across baseball) filed for arbitration yesterday and are scheduled to exchange proposals with their teams on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Brewers still have a gap at first base and Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker is the latest to dismiss Jonathan Lucroy as a candidate to fill it. In a related note, Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker also has the latest entry in his ongoing look at positional flexibility.

Carlos Gomez also won't be moving to first base, as his defensive skills make him much too valuable in center field. In fact, Dayn Perry of CBS Sports has Gomez's 2013 campaign on his all-time single season team for the Brewers. Gomez and Ryan Braun (2011) were the only active Brewers on the roster.

Free agent Michael Young has also been mentioned as a possibility at first base but is considering retirement instead, according to Ken Rosenthal. Young turned 37 in October and has made over $90 million across 14 MLB seasons.

If Young does retire he'll miss a chance to appear on this list a year from now: Yesterday as part of our Brew Crew Blasts series we looked at the home runs that came the closest to not leaving the park. If I do say so myself, this was my favorite installment in the series to date.

In the minors:

• All signs would suggest that most of the top prospects in the Brewers organization need more time to develop before making an impact in the majors. Noted leisured gentleman Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs used the Steamer projection system to suggest 2014 MLB performances for the Brewers' top farmhands, with largely ugly results.
• Mitch Haniger is one of the prospects projected, and was hurt by the fact that he's never played above High-A. David Laurilia of FanGraphs has an interview with the 2012 first round pick.
• The news continues to get worse for pitcher Will West, who hasn't finished serving his current 50 game suspension but will be suspended for 100 more following positive tests for amphetamines and a drug of abuse. West is still only 21 but this may be the end of the road in the Brewers organization for him.
• Meanwhile in the Dominican Republic, Jason Rogers went 0-for-3 with a walk but his offense was not needed as four Escogido pitchers combined to pitch a no-hitter in their 6-0 win over Licey (box score). Juan Francisco went 0-for-3 with a walk for the losing side.
• In Puerto Rico, Martin Maldonado went 1-for-3 in Mayaguez's 4-0 loss to Carolina (box score). Maldonado had one of Mayaguez's two hits in the game. Irving Falu went 0-for-3.
• Back stateside, yesterday the Timber Rattlers announced a new naming rights partner for their ballpark. Effective immediately, the Brewers' low-A affiliate plays their home games at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
• Jason Arndt of Brewers Farm Report has stories on recent minor league signees Greg Golson and Milan Post and re-signee Brock Kjeldgaard.

Around baseball:

Indians: Signed outfielder Nyjer Morgan to a minor league contract.
Mariners: Signed catcher John Buck to a one-year, $1 million contract.
Orioles: Signed reliever Luis Vizcaino and infielder Brock Bond to minor league deals.
Padres: Avoided arbitration with outfielder Seth Smith (one year, $4.5 million).

Morgan's return to the US made this a great time for user bschles to share a college essay he wrote about Tony Plush in the FanPosts.

Today in former Brewers:

• No one will be inducted into the Brewers Walk of Fame this year. The closest candidates to induction were pitcher Teddy Higuera and Milwaukee Braves first baseman Joe Adcock.
• Jason Collette of FanGraphs has a continued look at and some visual evidence to support the ongoing theory that John Axford was tipping his pitches during his time with the Brewers. In a related note, Dobber Sports has Axford as one of five relievers that could rebound in 2014.
• Amazin' Avenue has a look at Chris Capuano's ongoing free agency.
• Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has a preview of Jorge De La Rosa's 2014 season with the Rockies.
• The Pirates' minor league system will have three former Brewers as pitching coaches in 2014: Tom Filer at AAA Indianapolis, former Brewers bullpen coach Stan Kyles at AA Altoona and Mark DiFelice at low-A Jamestown. Pittsburgh's major league pitching coach, Ray Searage, was also a Brewer.
• Phillies Nation listed Randy Wolf as the 70th greatest Phillie of all time.
• Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has former Brewers outfielder Johnny Briggs and hitting coaches Butch Wynegar and Rod Carew in his collection of Twins cards.

Today is Brewers bench coach Jerry Narron's 58th birthday, and we marked the occasion in Today In Brewer History. With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday today to:

• 2013 Wisconsin Timber Rattler Jono Armold, who turns 25.
• 2000-02 and 2007 Brewer Ray King, who turns 40.
• Seattle Pilot Mike Marshall, who turns 71. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History last year.

Plunk Everyone notes that Marshall's 31 career hit batsmen are the fifth most ever for a pitcher born on January 15.

Today is also the 44th anniversary of a six-player trade in 1970 that sent first baseman Don Mincher to Oakland and brought starting pitcher Lew Krausse, catcher Phil Roof and reliever Ken Sanders to Milwaukee. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put some pants on.

Drink up.

The conversation about pitchers hitting home runs at Miller Park this season begins and ends with one name.

Sometimes a club is so exclusive it gets lonely.

The Milwaukee Brewers played 162 games this season, including 152 where the DH rule was not in effect. All told, 14 Brewers pitchers and 104 opposing pitchers came to the plate in Milwaukee's games this season. Here is a list of the pitchers who hit home runs:

That's it. Yovani Gallardo is the only pitcher who homered in a Brewers game in 2013. Here's a look at the two moments.

April 18 v Matt Cain (Giants), 381 feet

Gallardo was the second of three Brewers to homer off the three-time All Star in this game, and his two-run shot gave the Brewers a 5-0 lead (nevermind the mistake on the FS Wisconsin graphic):

April 29 v Wandy Rodriguez (Pirates), 387 feet

The Brewers tagged Rodriguez with the worst outing of his injury-abbreviated 2013 season on this day, as he allowed three of the Crew's five homers. This fourth inning blast by Gallardo was actually the shortest of the group:

That was Gallardo's 12th career home run, tying him for the 31st most by a pitcher in MLB history. He's homered about once every 34 plate appearances for his career, which is pretty remarkable for a pitcher. Here are some all-time great Brewers who homered less frequently:

The former Pirate has a 4.57 ERA over nine MLB seasons.

At least the minor league activity is picking up this week.

Today the Brewers announced they've signed left hander Zach Duke to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. Duke is 30 and a nine-year MLB veteran, having appeared in the majors with the Pirates, Diamondbacks, Nationals and Reds. He has a 4.57 career ERA over 215 appearances, including 169 starts.

Duke was an All Star in 2009 but has hit a rough patch in what you'd expect to be the prime of his career, posting a 5.32 ERA over the last four seasons in his age 27-30 campaigns. He's been released by both the Astros and Nationals in the last 24 months.

There is some reason for optimism with Duke, though: He wrapped up the 2013 season with 14 appearances for the Reds and allowed just one earned run over that time. The Reds used him primarily as a situational lefty during that stretch, and opposing batters hit just .205/.244/.308 against him over that time.

According to FanGraphs Duke has an upper 80's fastball, a slider he used more than ever in 2013, a curveball and a changeup. Over the course of his career the changeup has been his best pitch.

With Duke, Tom Gorzelanny (if healthy), Will Smith (if not needed in the rotation) and Rule 5 selection Wei-Chung Wang all in major league camp, the Brewers should have plenty of lefty relievers to consider for the Opening Day roster.

Ray highlights some of the picks in the FSTA Experts league draft that took place last night in Las Vegas.

The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) held their 2014 experts league draft last night in Las Vegas, the first of the season, as far as I know. This draft kicks off the fantasy baseball season, and I am here to discuss the draft results and highlight some of the picks.

Before I get to the results, here are the participants (in the order they drafted):

Lawr Michaels/Todd Zola - Mastersball

Greg Ambrosius - NFBC/Stats Inc.

Charlie Wiegert - CDM

Tim Heaney - KFFL

M. Griffis/Tony Holm -  Fantasy Sharks

Chris Thompson/Jeff Paur - RT Sports

Glenn Colton/Rick Wagoner - Colton & Wolfman

Howard Kamen/Steve Gardner - USA Today Sports

SiriusXM/Fantasy Alarm - Ray Flowers

Jeff Mans - Fantasy Alarm

Peter Shoenke/Chris Liss - Rotowire

Ron Shandler -BaseballHQ

Anthony Perri - Fantistics

You can find the draft results here, but here is the first round picks, along with my thoughts on other selections as well.

First round

1.1 Mike Trout

1.2 Miguel Cabrera

1.3 Paul Goldschmidt

1.4 Andrew McCutchen

1.5 Carlos Gonzalez

1.6 Hanley Ramirez

1.7 Bryce Harper

1.8 Robinson Cano

1.9 Ryan Braun

1.10 Troy Tulowitzki

1.11 Clayton Kershaw

1.12 Adam Jones

1.13 David Wright

No real surprises in the first round, unless you are down on Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun after his 65 game suspension last season. He also dealt with injuries, so his numbers look worse than usual. I think he rebounds in 2014 and think Ray Flowers got some value there. Braun was a top 3-5 pick last season.

The first four picks are going to be pretty much standard across many drafts this season, so get used to it.

Hanley Ramirez at #6 overall could be viewed as a surprise here, but he was his old 2009 Hanley self last season hitting .345-.402-.638 with 20 HRs, 62 runs, 57 RBI and 10 stolen bases in just 86 games. I have said it many times here, Hanley is legitimately happy playing in Los Angeles. Every time I watched him, he was smiling. The fact that he played through injured ribs in the NLCS last season shows you how much he wants to win. I am not sure he would have done that in Miami. Ok, it's true, I like this guy a lot and like the pick at #6. I will stop now.

Bryce Harper at #7 is actually a bit of a surprise on the surface, but when you consider he hit .274-.368-.486 with 20 HRs, 71 runs, 58 RBI and 11 steals in 118 games, it's not that surprising. He played with a banged up knee for a good part of the season, so we could see a 30 home run/20 stolen base season from him in 2014. That's a first rounder to me.

The highest paid pitcher ever, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, was picked at #11 by Peter Shoenke and Chris Liss from Rotowire. I love the pick here as Kershaw has less risk than several of the hitters taken before him, including Robinson Cano, who I think could struggle under the pressure of his huge contract, and injury-prone stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez.

I think Ron Shandler from BaseballHQ got a steal with Adam Jones at #12 overall. All Jones has done over the last few seasons is hit in the .280-.285 range with 30+ HRs, 100 runs, 80-100 RBI and double digit stolen bases. He is one of the more dependable hitters in the game right now and hits in a hitters park in Camden Yards, so a repeat of 2013 is certainly doable.

Did any pick stand out for you? Let's hear it in the comments section below.

I may have another piece on this draft on Friday.

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We're introducing new Brewer Zach Duke and more in today's news roundup.

Some things to read while sniffing for treasure.

We are 28 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and a longtime NL Central opponent will be in the clubhouse when they get there. Yesterday the Brewers announced they've signed former Pirates and Reds lefty Zach Duke to a minor league deal. Duke is 30 and has a long MLB track record as a below-average starter, but closed the 2013 season with a hot streak in the bullpen for the Reds. @AdamMcCalvy confirms the team plans to try using him as a reliever. Duke, by the way, is on Twitter as @zach_duke.

So another new reliever has entered the mix, but a former Brewers reliever remains a hot topic of conversation. The story that John Axford may have been tipping his pitches during his time with the Brewers has not gone away, and Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew heard Rick Kranitz say he's unsure if it's true. Also at Reviewing the Brew, Benjamin Orr asks if the Brewers failed Axford.

The Brewers also made news yesterday by announcing game times for their full 2014 schedule, so get out your calendar and start filling in games. It looks like you'll still have plenty of free time on Sunday nights, though, as the Brewers have been left off ESPN's schedule through at least July 20.

That means a national TV audience will likely miss out on getting to see Jean Segura's sophomore season. Ryan Connor of Reviewing the Brew looked for comparable players for the Brewers' young shortstop and says he's closer to Rafael Furcal than Angel Berroa.

Two of Segura's likely Opening Day teammates, Scooter Gennett and Khris Davis, were late round selections in the 2009 draft. Ryan Topp of Disciples of Uecker has a look back at that draft, where the Brewers got some great value in the late rounds but may have struck out early with players like Eric Arnett, Kentrail Davis, Kyle Heckathorn and Max Walla.

Yovani Gallardo may have lost his post as the Brewers' Opening Day starter, but he continues to show more power at the plate than many of his position-playing teammates. Yesterday we looked at Gallardo's two 2013 home runs as part of our Brew Crew Blasts series.

The Brewers haven't announced their full list of non-roster invitees to spring training yet, but when they do it's probably safe to assume David Goforth will be on it. The 2011 seventh round pick posted a 3.17 ERA across 34 appearances between high-A and AA last season, and Adam McCalvy says his recent relief work puts him in position to make the transition to the big leagues.

In the minors:

• We'll start today in the Dominican Republic, where Jason Rogers went 2-for-3 and scored a run in Escogido's 2-0 win over Aguilas in postseason round robin play (box score).
• Elsewhere on the island, Juan Francisco went 0-for-4 with a walk in Licey's 6-4 win over Cibao (box score). The two teams combined to commit nine errors, including three by one-time 40-man roster member Hector Gomez.
• And in Puerto Rico, Irving Falu went 1-for-3 with a walk and drove in two runs in Mayaguez's 4-3, 10 inning loss to Caguas (box score). Martin Maldonado went 0-for-4 in the game, while Jose De La Torre pitched a scoreless eighth for the winning side.

Back in the states, the Nationals have reached an agreement to extend their player development contract with AA Harrisburg through the 2018 season. This is news for the Brewers because the Nationals are one of several teams that could have feasibly attempted to bump the Brewers out when their PDC with Huntsville/Biloxi expires following the 2014 season. The franchise's new ballpark in Biloxi could make them a hot commodity on the affiliate market.

Bringing our attention back to Milwaukee, Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar has a look at beer prices across MLB and asks if the Brewers should be the cheapest on a per ounce basis. They're currently tied for tenth with three other teams.

Around baseball:

Astros: Signed infielder Gregorio Petit to a minor league deal.
Cubs: Signed third baseman/outfielder Chris Coghlan to a minor league deal.
Diamondbacks: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Josh Collmenter (two years, $2.425 million).
Dodgers: Signed pitcher Clayton Kershaw to a seven-year, $215 million contract extension.
Indians: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Josh Outman (one year, $1.25 million).
Mariners: Avoided arbitration with outfielder Michael Saunders (one year, $2.3 million).
Mets: Avoided arbitration with shortstop Ruben Tejada (one year, $1.1 million).
Orioles: Signed outfielder Tyler Colvin and pitcher Alfredo Aceves to minor league deals.
Rangers: Avoided arbitration with reliever Neal Cotts (one year, $2.2 million).
Red Sox: Avoided arbitration with reliever Burke Badenhop (one year, $2.15 million).
Rockies: Avoided arbitration with reliever Franklin Morales (one year, $1.7125 million).
Royals: Signed pitcher Brad Penny to a minor league deal.
Yankees: Released outfielder Vernon Wells.

Today in former Brewers:

• Yesterday we reported that no one will be inducted into Miller Park's Walk of Fame in 2014. Rob Neyer of Baseball Nation notes the anticlimactic nature of a vote where no one wins and has some suggestions to improve the process going forward.
• The Mariners organization will have plenty of former Brewers among their minor league coaches in 2014. Yesterday they announced that Jaime Navarro will be the pitching coach for AAA Tacoma, Lance Painter and Roy Howell will be the pitching and hitting coaches for AA Jackson and Andrew Lorraine will be the pitching coach for High-A High Desert.
• The Astros also announced their minor league coaches yesterday, and Ed Romero will return as the manager of their short season-A affiliate in Tri-City.
• nullacct has a look at Dan Plesac as the face of the 1991 Brewers.

Meanwhile, the Brewers announced yesterday that the media and staff parking lot outside Miller Park will be renamed in honor of longtime Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan. Logan passed away in August.

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

• 2013 Brevard County Manatee Alex Moore, who turns 23.
• 2007-11 Brewer Mitch Stetter, who turns 33. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History two years ago.
• 2012 Brewer Brooks Conrad, who turns 34.
• 1996-97 Brewer Ron Villone, who turns 44.

Plunk Everyone notes that Villone's 68 career hit batsmen are the most ever for a pitcher born on January 16.

Today is also the 30th anniversary of the Brewers re-signing catcher Ted Simmons (although by this point he was more of a 1B/DH) as a free agent in 1984. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History last year.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a party to attend.

Drink up.

Frequently, remembering where you parked at Miller Park means remembering a legend.

Yesterday the Brewers announced they'll honor longtime Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan by renaming the media parking lot outside Miller Park. It's the 16th named parking lot surrounding the stadium.

That announcement was the inspiration for our weekly Sporcle quiz: How many of the Miller Park lots can you name in five minutes?

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 16 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 each MLB team's leader in games played at second base since 2003.
• 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!

Welcome your new (likely) starting first baseman!

Update: It's official. Reynolds will get $2 million if he makes the major league squad, which he probably will, with an addition $500,000 possible in performance bonuses, according to Jon Heyman.

From rumors to news, things moved pretty quickly between Mark Reynolds and the Brewers. Adam McCalvy is reporting the two sides are very close to what will be yet another minor league deal.

While this move means the Brewers remain the only team to have not signed a major league free agent this offseason, Tom Haudricourt says that Reynolds has been virtually guaranteed a spot on the team's opening day roster out of spring training.

Reynolds is still just 30 years old, so it's not too far out of the realm of possibility that he could still be a worthwhile player, particularly with consistent playing time. He played with the Orioles and Yankees last year, but he was too young for the Yankees to re-sign. He'll have his share of frustrations, naturally, with poor defense and a propensity for striking out. Boy does he strike out! He led the league in whiffs four times, with an MLB record 223 strikeouts in 2009. He has been called out on strikes once in every three at-bats over his career!

But he also comes with power and a decent eye at the plate. He hasn't batted above .221 since '09, but takes enough walks to maintain a mostly-tolerable on base percentage. He has also socked over 20 home runs in every year but his rookie season, with a career-high of 44 long balls set in 2009 (he was busy that year). With consistent playing time, I don't think it's unreasonable to believe he could still bat .220/.320/.450 with a shot at 30ish homers.

Reynolds has been better against lefties than right-handers in his career, OPSing 834 against the former and 777 against the latter. Neither of those sound particularly bad, especially after what the Brewers went through in 2013 at first base. Small sample size and all, but he has also hit .275/.373/.569 in 15 career games in Miller Park. Part of that is the fact he has gotten to face Brewers pitching, but a player like him also has a good chance to thrive in a ballpark like Miller.

Reynolds is about as good as the Brewers could do at this point. The only other options were probably re-signing Yuniesky Betancourt or giving up a draft pick for Kendrys Morales. Nobody wants to see either of those things happen, so thankfully Reynolds likely prevents the team from making that type of move.

In past years, Mark Reynolds might be seen as a fun, low-risk move. A guy who could be exciting to watch because of his power if you can look past his flaws. Since the Brewers have had a taste of success and the club believes it can still be successful, having a minor league signing be the likely starter at first is a little more of a bitter taste. But in the end, he's a better option than most others, he's cheap, and he hits dingers.

Reynolds only competition for the first base job right now are Juan Francisco and Sean Halton, with an outside shot that Hunter Morris impresses enough to make the roster out of spring.

And if you're still not happy about the Brewers first base situation, well, you can always look at it this way:

Mark Reynolds produced 0.4 fWAR in 2013, or exactly 5.0 WAR more than all 2013 Brewers 1B.

— Jack Moore (@jh_moore) January 17, 2014

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The Tribe welcomes Tony Plush and hopes for a return to form from Asdrubal Cabrera. Elsewhere, arbitration season is in full effect and instant replay is on the horizon.

Happy Friday, everyone. Let's get to the news and notes:

Indians news

"Plushdamentals" officially coming to Cleveland | Indians.com (Jason Beck) - The Indians have made the signing of Nyjer Morgan official. Tony Plush tweets about his excitement. Esteemed Indians.com commenter ISAYSO adds "BOZO the clown is thinking about a comeback. He would fit in good with the stiffs that SHAPONETTI has been signing."

Bounceback possible for Cabrera in 2014 | Indians Baseball Insider (John Grimm) - Grimm argues that Asdrubal Cabrera's history and low 2013 BABIP could indiacte a return to form in 2014.

Indians greats returning for Tribe Fest | Indians.com (Jason Beck) - Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, and Charles Nagy will join current Tribe players and manager Terry Francona at next weekend's fan celebration.

Arbitration numbers to be exchanged today | Cleveland.com (Dennis Manoloff) - Six Tribe players are arbitration eligible, including Justin Masterson, who the Indians are hoping to lock up for a longer team contract. The Indians have not gone to arbitration since 1991. when Greg Swindell won and Jerry Browne lost.

LGFT Mark Reynolds signs minor league deal with Brewers | Twitter (Ken Rosenthal) - Heres to April 2013, Mary.

Around the league

Replay approved by owners, players association, and umps | NBC Sports (Craig Calcaterra) - It's happening, folks. As expected, it will be triggered by manager challenges. Another interesting thing is that replays will finally be shown on the big screens at ballparks.

The rise of opt-out clauses | Fangraphs (Dave Cameron) - Fangraphs details an upward trend in opt-out clauses being being into elite player contracts, the latest of which belongs to Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers seem to hand these out like candy. Ubaldo Jimenez is a free agent now because of the opt-out claude the Rockies built into his current conract.

What do strikeout and walk rates mean for offensive production? | Fangraphs (Tony Blengino) - I just got done giving my girlfriend the "why batting average is an idiot stat" spiel, but I have to admit that this kind of analysis stretches the limits of my dedication to baseball stats. I suspect, though, that it'll be interesting to you lot. Nerds. (nb: kidding!)

Cubs ready to "blow away" competition in signing Tanaka | NBC Sports (D.J. Short) - "Many" owners are "convinced" the Cubs are going to signs the Japanese star.

Arbitration roundup | CBS Sports (Mike Axisa) - A handy roundup of all the players that avoided arbitration so far.

30 stadiums in 30 days | Sports on Earth (Will Leitch) - Awesome breakdown of the logistics and cost of the ultimate sports road trip.

We're talking about a buy-low slugger and more in today's roundup of all things Brewers.

Some things to read while making the right pairing.

We are 27 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and today the clubhouse staff may be setting up a locker for another veteran slugger. Yesterday rumors began to swirl that the Brewers were closing in on a minor league deal with former Diamondbacks, Indians, Orioles and Yankees 1B/3B Mark Reynolds. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post was one of the first to note that Reynolds was close to a new deal.

Reynolds is 30 and has already hit 202 major league home runs, but he's also a former four-time league leader in strikeouts. He's a career .233/.329/.464 hitter, but posted a significantly lower .220/.306/.393 line in the American League in 2013. Adam McCalvy (via Twitter) said Reynolds will be the Brewers' everyday first baseman, but later backed off from that and said he'll get to compete for the job.

Our opinions on Reynolds probably range across the board but I don't think anyone is more excited than Nathan Petrashek, as shown in our two-part Tweet of the Day:

I am so freaking pumped about Mark Reynolds. This is gonna be pure eye candy. Are you not entertained?!?

— Nate Petrashek (@NPetrashek) January 17, 2014

If this is gonna be a train wreck, it's gonna be an entertaining one

— Nate Petrashek (@NPetrashek) January 17, 2014

With Reynolds likely to be added to the fold, I think two questions remain:

1. Are the Brewers done adding pieces?
2. If they are, can this team be reasonably expected to contend?

I think for many fans the latter answer is no at this point. Andrew Prochnow of Yahoo says the Brewers are likely rebuilding now, even if they haven't specifically said so.

If the Brewers do decide to go ahead and announce they're rebuilding, trading Yovani Gallardo or Kyle Lohse would be one way to do it. Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker used Lohse and Gallardo to demonstrate the value of dependability.

Ryan Braun has served his suspension and been reinstated, but is it possible the lingering issues from 2013 will continue to haunt him? Yesterday a judge ruled that a lawsuit filed by former Braun friend and law student Ralph Sasson can proceed with charges including defamation, libel, negligent infliction of emotional distress and fraudulent misrepresentation.

In the minors:

• Juan Francisco went 1-for-4 with an RBI last night in Licey's 9-6 loss to Cibao in the Dominican Republic (box score). With the loss Licey fell back to 8-9 in the round robin playoffs, good for a tie for second place.
• Martin Maldonado went 1-for-2 with a walk and scored a run in Mayaguez's 7-2 win over Carolina in Puerto Rico (box score). Irving Falu went 0-for-5 with an RBI in the game.
• Elsewhere in Puerto Rico, Jose De La Torre pitched a perfect eighth in Caguas' 5-0 win over Ponce (box score).

Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers have announced plans to expand the Toyota Territory in right center field for 2014. Portions of the previously-exclusive area will be available to the general public for the first time this season. Dick Kaegel of MLB.com has the details.

Around baseball:

Angels: Signed infielder John McDonald to a minor league deal.
Blue Jays: Signed second baseman Chris Getz to a minor league deal.
Giants: Signed pitcher Rafael Dolis to a minor league deal.
Mariners: Designated outfielder Carlos Peguero for assignment.
Marlins: Signed reliever Henry Rodriguez to a minor league deal.
Mets: Avoided arbitration with first baseman Ike Davis (one year, $3.5 million) and outfielder Eric Young Jr. (one year, $1.85 million).
Nationals: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Ross Detwiler (one year, $3 million).
Orioles: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Bud Norris (one year, $5.3 million).
Padres: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Ian Kennedy (one year, $6.1 million).
Phillies: Avoided arbitration with pitcher Kyle Kendrick (one year, $7.675 million).
Pirates: Avoided arbitrationwith outfielder Travis Snider (one year, $1.2 million).
Rays: Avoided arbitration with pitcher David Price (one year, $14 million).
Reds: Avoided arbitration with outfielder Chris Heisey (one year, $1.76 million).
Rockies: Avoided arbitration with reliever Wilton Lopez (one year, $2.2 million) and signed catcher Michael McKenry to a minor league deal.
Royals: Signed reliever Guillermo Mota to a minor league deal.

Of course, the big news around baseball yesterday was the approval of expanded instant replay for the 2014 season. Plunk Everyone was excited to note that hit batsmen will be included in the review rule.

Today in former Brewers:

• Hideo Nomo fell well short of induction to the MLB Hall of Fame this year, but was a first-ballot inductee into Japan's Hall of Fame. He'll be one of three players enshrined this year.
• David Roth of SBNation.com recently discovered Robin Yount's Robinade.

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

• 2000-02 Brewer Tyler Houston, who turns 43.
• 1971-76 Brewer Darrell Porter, who would have turned 62. We covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History last year.

Plunk Everyone notes that Porter's 45 career HBP are the most ever for a player born on January 17.

Today is also the 30th anniversary of the Brewers releasing Don Money in 1984, effectively ending his MLB career. We covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find a new box.

Drink up.

He was our last hope before the Yankees had to rely on a pile of garbage

Now that Alex Rodriguez has been suspended for the entire 2014 season, the Yankees need to figure out a way to fill in the hole left at third base. There were never any enticing options on the open market to begin with and a trade seemed unlikely because New York lacks any useful trade chips, so it seemed like the answer would come in the form of cheap major league deals for the few options out there.

Mark Reynolds was thought to make a lot of sense for the Yankees before the suspension was announced, however, afterwards it became apparent that the they were not planning to add any more infielders on major league contracts. They offered Reynolds a minor league deal, but it was widely believed that the slugging corner infielder wouldn't accept that. To them, they had already signed Brendan Ryan, Kelly Johnson, and Brian Roberts, so I guess they felt that three was enough. Unfortunately, that still leaves an open platoon position somewhere, whether at second base or third, and gives Eduardo Nunez a shot at a roster spot.

Now Reynolds has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on a minor league contract, though it is believed that he has a much better chance at making their roster than he would on the Yankees. I don't know why he would think that, considering the shape the Yankee infield is in, but if he prefers to play first base, then he made the right choice. Reynolds would have been needed to play third base in New York, though his ability to play first would have been an added bonus.

At this point, the Yankees are basically out of options, unless there is some kind of unforeseen maneuver that Brian Cashman is planning. They were briefly interested in Michael Young, but he's closer to retiring than accepting a minor league deal to play below-average baseball. That would be the end of any significant signing they could have potentially made, so instead it will be up to the scrap heap, once again. Cashman loves to go dumpster diving for players he might be able to squeeze value out of and then throw away. He's collected Zelous Wheeler, Russ Canzler, Dean Anna, and Scott Sizemore and plans to find someone productive out of that lot.

It's not like the Yankees really had much of an alternative for third base, not like second, where they let Mark Ellis and Omar Infante sign elsewhere, but it's disappointing to see them let Reynolds slip away. He wouldn't have been perfect, by any means, but he's at least a major league-caliber player when used correctly. The Yankees now only have hope on their side. Hope that one of their options even turns out to be better than Eduardo Nunez.

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The deal includes an invite to spring training, so Reynolds could break camp with the team.

The Milwaukee Brewers have come to terms with corner infielder Mark Reynolds on a minor league deal that includes an invite to spring training, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Reynolds, 30, finished the 2013 season with the Yankees after playing 99 games for the Indians to start the year.

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In 504 total plate appearances, he hit .220/.306/.393 with 21 home runs.

In his career, Reynolds has been known for two things: strikeouts and home runs. Since first reaching the majors in 2007, he has struck out over 32 percent of the time, second in the majors over that span. However, he's also been able to clear outfield fences consistently throughout his big league career, slugging 202 home runs in 988 career games for the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, and Yankees.

The Brewers will get a long look at Reynolds when they begin preparation for spring training in Phoenix, Ariz. on February 15.

He has a good chance of being the team's everyday first baseman, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. While Reynolds isn't an appealing solution in a vaccuum, after losing Corey Hart to the Mariners, failing to come to terms with the Mets in a trade for Ike Davis, and suffering through a .206/.259/.370 line from their first basemen in 2013, he looks far more attractive. Should Reynolds fail to perform in the spring, the Brewers could always reopen trade discussions for Davis, or contact the Red Sox about Mike Carp, whom Boston reportedly could still move before Opening Day.

More from SB Nation MLB:

• Instant replay expansion approved

• Neyer: A long goodbye to the "neighborhood play"

• The latest Tanaka news | Dodgers make sense

• Clayton Kershaw agrees to $215 million extension | The inscrutable contract

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

The two players will be paid just under $5 million combined.

The Brewers had two players eligible for arbitration this year but neither will actually present their case before an arbitrator.

Both Marco Estrada and Juan Francisco have agreed to one-year deals with the Brewers, avoiding the need for a sloppy affair of the player saying why he is worth so much money and the team pointing out the players flaws. Francisco will make $1.35 million in 2014 while Estrada will earn $3.325 million, according to Tom Haudricourt.. Both also have performance bonuses written into their deals.

In his second year of arbitration, Estrada is receiving a raise from $1.955 million. He may very well have developed into the best starting pitcher on the Brewers' roster, so his new salary really does not seem so awful. Last season he had a 3.87 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He has occasional troubles with home runs, but strikes out over eight and walks only two batters per nine innings. If he can keep his home run totals down, he could very will be an All Star pitcher.

Francisco is in his first season of arbitration eligibility. He is expected to compete for a starting spot at first base, or could platoon with Mark Reynolds. Francisco is also capable-ish of backing up third. He's got plenty of power in his bat, but doesn't do a whole lot else well. Really, he's a lesser, left-handed Mark Reynolds. He's almost certainly going to be on the roster opening day, though.

With the new contracts and the likely $2 million that will be owed to Mark Reynolds, the Brewers currently owe $80,225,000 to 11 players. That puts the team on pace for an opening day payroll of around $85,225,000. Given the lack of movement this offseason on the team, this might very well be the last significant Brewers news until spring training. Unless/until they sign Francisco Rodriguez again, anyway. Or bring back Yuniesky Betancourt on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training......maybe we should hope this is the last move of the offseason for Milwaukee.

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When it comes to greatness in baseball today guys like Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw grab the headlines, but there's some mighty fine catching talent out there that deserves some recognition.

Watching baseball in the present day, it's very difficult to predict how this era will be seen in the years to come. When the "Steroid Era" was playing out before our collective eyes, very few of us were thinking, "Well here's an exciting offensive outbreak that will be relegated to the dustbin of history as far as the Hall of Fame is concerned. This is technically happening but it doesn't realllllly count." If you were thinking that, you have an unbelievable combination of foresight and cynicism and I'd like very much to be your friend. My admiration for the cynics among us aside, it is very difficult to guess how this era will be seen going forward. We know how what is happening now relates to the past, but we don't know what it will lead to in the future, so at least half of its historical significance is lost on us.

What we can do is make some educated guesses about how these years of baseball will be perceived based on what seems most significant in this moment. There are a few players, like Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw that we can assume with some level of certainty will be considered to be significant to future generations of baseball fans. The future for big time talents with question marks like Matt Harvey, Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton is little bit more unclear, but perhaps these players will be all-time greats. League-wide trends like the decrease in offense or increase in strikeouts will also be signature characteristics of the post "Steroid Era" years.

When the 2010's are all said and done, there will be a lot of great stories told, but some things will inevitably be forgotten. Yuniesky Betancourt playing first base for the Milwaukee Brewers will live on only in the nightmares of the staunchest Brewers fans. J.P. Arencibia's 2013 may live forever in infamy, but his production earlier on in the season and in season's past will likely be forgotten. No one will remember the name of any pitcher who was a left-handed one out guy. Life will move on.

Today I figured I would point out something about the current baseball landscape that this time is unlikely to be remembered for, but is important, nonetheless. As it happens right now, baseball fans are witnessing one of the best crop of catching talent this league has ever seen. Guys like Yadier Molina, Buster Posey and Joe Mauer are driving a generation of catchers that compares very favorably with men who have donned the tools of ignorance in the past.

Before we dig too far into this, it is worth being clear on a couple of things. First, we will be dealing in WAR here when making our comparisons and it is well known that WAR does not quantify catcher defense very well. In fact, there is no tool that quantifies catcher defense very well, although advances in pitch framing research are taking us in that direction. Given we are using an imperfect tool, the end result of this isn't definitive, but with any luck it is interesting.

When comparing the catchers of the present day with those of the past I noticed that modern-day catchers are getting a lot more credit for their positional adjustment than their predecessors. This is slightly problematic when it comes to comparing catchers across different eras, but it was somewhat mitigated by the addition of UBR to WAR in 2002. Since most catchers are hopelessly slow, the overall BsR from the position group is now usually heavily in the negative whereas before 2002 that base running score was rooted entirely in stolen bases attempted, of which there are normally relatively few from catchers. Although catchers today are getting more credit for their positional adjustment, that is being offset somewhat because they are being punished more significantly for their poor base running. In the interests of transparency in the comparison below, I have included a column that adds the total number of runs accumulated via positional adjustment and base running combined for each time period examined.

My comparison goes back to 1960 in increments of three years. As well as WAR, I have also looked at the number of above average seasons (as defined by a WAR greater than 2) and seasons with above average offensive output (as defined as a wRC+ greater than one hundred in at least 400 plate appearances) by catchers during each time period examined. Without further ado, the sortable chart below shows the strength of catchers over the last half century:

As you can see over the last three years, catchers have accumulated more WAR than ever before without relying a positional adjustment that far above the historical average. This is being accomplished largely due to offensive output as there have been more seasons by catchers with wRC+ numbers above a hundred than at any other time in recent memory.

While catchers have provided excellent offensive production in recent years, there is another factor here which these numbers don't account for: quantity of plate appearances. Over the last three seasons "catchers" have accumulated 63,948 PA compared to 56,223 PA between 1978 and 1980, the three year time period with the second highest catcher WAR. How is this happening? Where are the new 7725 plate appearances coming from? Baseball teams aren't playing two guys behind the plate at once or playing a vastly higher percentage of extra-inning games and the season is the same length today as it was in 1978.

What's occurring is that players are now being listed as catchers but playing a large percentage of their games at other positions in the field. For example, Carlos Santana and Mauer only appeared in a combined 159 games at catcher in 2013 but contributed 8.8 WAR as "catchers". Teams are investing more money in players these days and as a result of that investment, they are looking for ways to keep players healthy and productive longer. Given the physical demands of the catcher position a lot of teams are having their catchers split time behind the plate and giving them at bats at positions, like first base or DH, that are far less physically demanding. The statistics they accumulate at these positions count towards league-wide "catcher" stats, even though they were not produced by catchers.

To return to the earlier comparison with the 1978-1980 timeframe- a great one for catchers with stars like Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Ted Simmons and Johnny Bench, among others- if we even out the plate appearances, the comparison is fairer. If we add 7725 PA at the WAR/PA rate that those catchers were producing that would contribute 27.9 WAR and bring the total for catchers between 1978 and 1980 to 231.0, almost identical to the total from the last three years.

As I mentioned above, WAR is too flawed a statistic for catchers to make definitive cross era comparisons. However, it is apparent that we are dealing with a class of catchers at the moment that is pretty special. The fact we are seeing more C/1B and C/DH hybrids may well add to the longevity and productivity of the guys currently playing. With Joe Mauer leaving the ranks of the catching fraternity next year, this group doesn't look quite as stellar going forward, but there's still a lot of quality there. The present era is unlikely to be remembered for the excellence of its catching, but very quietly, it has been something of a Golden Age in that regard. The history of the 2010's in baseball is yet to be written but only so much of it can be written about Mike Trout, anything more than 84% would be excessive, and future baseball historians might be wise to add a footnote or two about the catchers we're seeing today because they are a fairly impressive bunch.

. . .

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs

Nick Ashbourne is a contributor for Beyond the Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @Nick_Ashbourne.

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Yankees prospects: First round picks Eric Jagielo and Aaron Judge could begin 2014 at High-A Tampa
• David Robertson has the most unenviable task in all of baseball
• Yankees avoid arbitration with Ivan Nova for $3.3 million in 2014
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• Yankees avoid arbitration with Brett Gardner, agree to one year, $5.6 million
• Yankees avoid arbitration with Shawn Kelley, agree to one year, $1.765 million
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• Yankees Prospect Profile: Greg Bird

Yankees News

• New York Post | Dan Martin: The Yankees should be wary of the Cubs and White Sox, who could still challenge them for Masahiro Tanaka.
• New York Magazine | Steve Fishman: Did Alex Rodriguez really try to bribe Anthony Bosch or was it just a clerical error?
• Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: How well does Masahiro Tanaka compare to Tim Hudson?
• CBS Sports | Matt Snyder: Before he was the Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman played second base in college.
• It's About the Money | William Tasker: The Yankees are going to need Ivan Nova to figure it out this season and out perform his projections.
• Beyond the Box Score | Bryan Cole:Mariano Rivera gave up less than one run per nine innings in the postseason, but which pitchers have reached that feat even during the regular season?
• LoHud | Chad Jennings: With spring training coming up, the Yankees still need to answer questions surrounding Tanaka, A-Rod, David Robertson, and Brett Gardner.
• Pinstripe Pundits | Derek Albin: How well has Brian Cashman done at signing free agent middle infielders?
• It's About the Money | Mike Eder: How do the Yankees get below $189 million from here?

Some fans have clamored for the Brewers to move one of their current players to first base, but would that really be a smart decision?

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was written before the Brewers altered the situation a bit by signing Mark Reynolds. I think it's still worth noting, though, as a look at the team's internal alternatives. - KL

Over the holidays, I had a chance to talk with some of my family about the Brewers for the first time in a long time and one of the topics of discussion was the Brewers’ opening at first base. Though I told them the Brewers were unlikely to make any big move at first base, they kept mentioning that the Brewers should just move one of their current players to first base. First, Ryan Braun was mentioned. Then, Aramis Ramirez. Next was Jonathan Lucroy. And finally, Rickie Weeks was mentioned.

I tried to let it go because I knew that each player had greater value at their respective position, but it kept weighing on me and I just needed to crunch some numbers. I suspect many of you understand positional value, but decided to take a closer look at it anyways.

To calculate the WAR of Brewers players at different positions, I used the Simple WAR Calculator at Wahoo's on First. This handy tool was created by Lewie Pollis (@LewsOnFirst), who I must thank for dealing with my questions about the calculator and helping me work through this post. The tool calculates a player's WAR (closest to Fangraphs' WAR) in different situations. It is important to remember that the calculator does its best to replicate the WARs of players and can have minor problems. Any questions you may have can be answered on the calculator's FAQs page.

Ryan Braun

We'll start with Ryan Braun at first base. For Braun, I decided to plug his 2012 numbers into the calculator because I thought a full, healthy season would be a bit easier to demonstrate Braun's positional value rather than Braun's injury and suspension shortened 2013 season.

In 2012, Braun finished 2^nd in MVP voting to Buster Posey and finished with a WAR of 7.6. Braun's WAR in 2012 was fourth highest in all of baseball and second highest among outfielders trailing only Mike Trout's ridiculous WAR of 10.

Now, let's say Ryan Braun's offensive numbers stayed the exact same and the only switch made was his position. Instead of being a slightly above-average left fielder defensively, Braun becomes an average first baseman. (I didn't want to make any assumptions about Braun's ability to handle playing defense at first base, so I thought that average would be a fair way to gauge his defense.)

By simply changing Braun's position from left field to first base, Braun's WAR drops from 7.6 to 6.1. Instead of recording the fourth highest WAR in all of baseball, Braun would drop to 12^th, but would have been first among all first basemen with Prince Fielder coming in second with a WAR of 4.8.

(As an aside, what an awful year for first basemen! This year, Chris Davis (6.8), Paul Goldschmidt (6.4), and Joey Votto (6.2) all would have had more value than Braun at first base.)

Aramis Ramirez

For Aramis Ramirez, I decided to again use 2012, so I could have the statistics of a full season to more easily demonstrate Ramirez's positional value at third base compared to first base.

Ramirez had a pretty great 2012 season and recorded a WAR of 5.7, which was good for fifth in all of baseball trailing only David Wright, Chase Headley, Miguel Cabrera, and Adrian Beltre.

After changing Ramirez's position from a slightly above average third baseman to an average first baseman, his WAR drops dramatically from 5.7 all the way to 3.7. (Ramirez WAS rated as a slightly above average fielder (+6 UZR) in 2012. Making him an average third baseman using the calculator would bring his WAR down to 5.2, which would still mean a position change to an average first baseman would mean a 1.5 decrease in WAR)

As was the case with Braun moving to first base, the difference in Ramirez's WAR created by simply changing positions has a profound effect on his value to the team.

Jonathan Lucroy

Before we get into the numbers, I will preface this by saying it was a struggle to attempt to use the calculator on Lucroy's WAR. For the other two players, I was able to plug in the numbers and come with the correct WAR value, but I struggled with Lucroy and a few other catchers I tried in the calculator. (I tend to think it is because Lucroy's baserunning was so horrendous last season that it was difficult to correctly calculate his WAR.)

Since Lucroy struggled with injuries in 2012, I used his 2013 seasons to use the statistics from a full season. Lucroy did not hit as well as he did in his shortened 2012 season, but he was still able to record a WAR of 3.6, which put him sixth among the league's catchers.

When using the calculator, I found Lucroy's WAR to be 4.2 as I made him an above average fielder (3) and a horrific baserunner (5). Though this wasn't his actual WAR last season, it can still be illustrative as his WAR drops to 1.3 when simply turning him into an average fielding first baseman.

Once again, a position change to first base made Lucroy significantly less valuable to the Brewers.

Rickie Weeks

Neither 2012 nor 2013 was particularly kind to Rickie Weeks, but he played 157 games in 2012 opposed to 104 games in 2013, so I decided to take a look Weeks' 2012 statistics.

2012 was the first season Weeks struggled for the Brewers and he was only able to record a WAR of 1.0, which wasone of the worst among all second basemen. When moving Weeks to first base, his WAR drops to -0.5. Weeks' difference in WAR when moving to first base is actually the smallest of any of the four possible players to move to first base.

Synopsis

A quick look at these numbers shows that moving any of these players from their current position would significantly decrease their value as a baseball player. A player's value on the baseball field is based on the position they play because there are different offensive expectations at different defensive positions and a move to first base almost immediately takes value away from a baseball player. The offense produced by each of these Brewers at their respective situations is considerably more valuable than it would be at first base.

Now, it may seem that this post was written to show that it would be a mistake to move one of these players to first base, but that was not the point of this post. Instead this post was written to show that roster creation is simply a matter of managing assets. Every player has value and that value can change at various positions on the field. It is up to the Brewers front office to decide where each player should play and how to maximize the value of each player on the roster.

This week's lessons include more minor-league signings, avoiding arbitration, and how the MLB Hall of Fame has become boring.

The Brewers are committed to not signing a major league free agent.

That became obvious this week when the Brewers had a chance to make that signing and it ended up being another minor-league signing. Rumors started coming out on Thursday afternoon that the Brewers were closing in on signing first baseman Mark Reynolds. While it looked like it would be their first major league free agent signing, it ended up being another minor league contract for the Brewers. However, it ended up being about as close as it could be to a major league signing, as reports said that Reynolds is almost guaranteed a roster spot.

That was not the only signing that the Brewers made this week, as they also added a few other minor-league free agents. They started by signing outfielder Greg Golson on Monday. Golson appears to be nothing more than minor-league depth, as he has only played in 40 MLB games and hasn't appeared in one since 2011. The Brewers then followed it up by signing Zach Duke to a minor league deal on Wednesday. The Brewers are familiar with Duke from his years with the Pirates and Reds, and he will be coming in to compete for a bullpen spot. Depending on who else the Brewers sign, Duke could have a decent chance to make the team out of spring training.

One other signing came up this week, though it was with a former Brewer returning to MLB. Nyjer Morgan spent all of 2013 in Japan, and is coming back to try to return to the majors. He will get his chance in Cleveland, where the Indians signed him to a minor-league deal. It's the first step towards making a big league comeback.

The Brewers have taken care of all of their arbitration cases.

Entering this week, the Brewers two arbitration-eligible players had filed for arbitration, and Friday was the deadline for exchanging figures. However, both signed one-year deals to avoid arbitration before the deadline. Marco Estrada signed for $3.325 million, while Juan Francisco signed for $1.35 million. That may end the big deals for the Brewers this offseason, with only some smaller deals to finish up the roster.

PEDs have ruined the Hall of Fame selection process.

The issue of PEDs and how they should be viewed in regards to the Hall of Fame has become more and more of a topic in recent years. Each voter has their own standards, and it's making it very difficult to get some deserving candidates into the Hall of Fame. Earlier this week, Nate looked at this issue and how it is affecting the HOF voting process. The vote has become less about preserving baseball's history and more about how PEDs should be viewed. What should be about honoring the greatest players in the game has become focused on one of the greatest problems in the game, and it could result in many players who were big parts of MLB history being left out because some voters suspected cheating without any proof.

This Week in Brewers History

- Jerry Narron celebrated his birthday on Wednesday.
- The Face of the Franchise continued with a look at 1991.

Minor League Notes

- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have a new partner for the naming rights for their home stadium.
- After several offseason changes, the Brewers have finalized their minor league coaches for 2014.
- Going back to the week of 1/5, morineko has a recap of the winter league stats.

Reviewing the Brew Crew Blasts Series

#1: Gomez tops the charts
Bonus: The wall scrapers
Bonus: Helping his own cause

The Collection of Mugs

1/13/2014: I meant to do that
1/14/2014: Strong up the middle
1/15/2014: Cognitive dissonance
1/16/2014: Minor addition, minor excitement
1/17/2014: Markup

Test Your Knowledge

The Thursday Thinker: Lots of lots
Your Saturday Sporcle: Y2K HOF, OK (From AZ Snake Pit)