Valentine's Day has come and gone. The NBA closed the book on another (yawn) All-Star game. Wisconsin's own Matt Kenseth won The Daytona 380 (not a typo). We're creeping towards the end of February, and that means we can start talking some baseball, especially now that the Brewers are in camp.
It seems like it was just yesterday that the Brewers were beating the Cubs and clinching their first playoff spot in twenty-six years. But a lot has happened since October. And, for Brewers fans, a lot of it hasn't been good.
Most teams get better during the off-season, either through trades or free agency. The Brewers went backwards this off-season. Their division rivals and the team they fought for the wildcard spot with got better. The Cubs spent money on Milton Bradley, who will fill a huge need for them in the outfield. The Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez and traded for J.J. Putz, addressing a need (bullpen) they hope will help to avoid a third straight September meltdown.
And what did the Brewers do? Sure, they signed Trevor Hoffman and Braden Looper. And, yes, they think Jorge Julio can be a setup guy with Mike Lamb providing insurance at third. But they also watched their best starter leave for greener pastures (green = money), sat by as another starter hit them with a bill for elbow surgery on his way out the door (uh, that would be Ben Sheets), and hired a manager whose reputation took a major hit in his last stop.
The 2009 Brewers have a lot of questions they need to answer. And, until those questions are answered, it's hard to view this team as a contender right now. Here's a look at the questions that have Brewer fans buzzing.
* Was Ken Macha the right choice? I, for one, think he is, considering the other candidates Doug Melvin interviewed were either too inexperienced (Dale Sveum) or had too much baggage (Willie Randolph). That being said, Macha was said to have problems with some of his Oakland players. He will have to prove that the rumors he had problems in the Athletics clubhouse were just that - rumors.
* Do the Brewers have enough starting pitching? Last year at this time the Brewers had eight starters battling for five spots. This year the Brewers have six. And the quality isn't what it was a year ago. Yovani Gallardo has yet to pitch a full season in the bigs. Jeff Suppan's problems since signing his $42M contract have been well documented. Manny Parra had an up and down rookie year. Dave Bush must prove he is the second half Dave Bush from a year ago and not the first half Dave Bush. Braden Looper has also had issues with consistency, and Seth McClung doesn't have a track record of success at the big league level. The only way we'll know for sure if the starters will hold up is to watch the season develop. But my confidence isn't at a high level right now.
* What about the bullpen? Getting Hoffman, a first ballot hall of famer in my book, is a very nice move, but there are questions in front of him. Can Carlos Villanueva handle the 8th inning role the team seems to envision him in? Which Jorge Julio will show up this season - the one that pitched for the Braves down the stretch or the one that blew through six organizations in three seasons? The Brewers allowed the dependable Brian Shouse to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays - can Mitch Stetter step in and be what Shouse was? Will David Riske get healthy and justify the $13M deal the Brewers gave him a year ago? I'd like to tell you I have the answers to these questions, but just like the starting pitching, only time will tell.
* Was holding on to Rickie Weeks the right thing to do? The Brewers, as an organization, remain sold on what Rickie Weeks can do. Operative word being can, because in three and a half big league seasons Weeks hasn't done it. Sure, Weeks scores runs when he gets on base, but does he really get on base enough to be a leadoff hitter? He also hasn't hit consistently since being rushed from the minors, and his defense has always been questionable. I understand the Brewers don't want to give up on Weeks and watch him live up to his potential somewhere else, but how many chances can you possibly give him? If it were me (and I know you're probably happy it isn't) I would have pursued free agent Orlando Hudson (who is still out there).
* Who's on third? Bill Hall is set to miss the next four to six weeks with a calf injury (though he claims he'll be ready sooner). I'm willing to give Hall the benefit of the doubt and give him another chance (hoping that the Lasik surgery he had this off-season corrects some of his problems at the plate). But, if he isn't healthy or productive, what do the Brewers do at the hot corner? If you really think Mike Lamb is the answer then you might be the only one. Mat Gamel will get a chance to show the Brewers he's ready during Cactus League games, but the rap on him is that he can't field. Can the Brewers afford to play Gamel in games that count if his glove isn't ready? Probably not, but then again I don't know anyone who would be excited by a Lamb/Craig Counsell combination at third base either?
* Which Corey Hart will come to play? Will it be the one that hit .294 with 24 home runs in 2007? The one that earned an invitation to the All-Star Game last July? Or, will it be the Hart that wound up hitting .268 in 2008. The one that swung at everything in September and October without making much contact. For the Brewers sake, it better be the 2007 Hart.
Those are the six major questions the 2009 Brewers must have. How many contending teams do you know of that go into camp having to answer those type of questions? This isn't to say the Brewers can't contend. Obviously, they have the potential to, and remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. A lot of things can happen during the course of a 162 game season (I'm sorry if I started channeling Ned Yost right there).
However, as currently constructed, it would be hard for anyone, even the most ardent of Brewer Backers, to say that this is a playoff team.
But then again, no one expected the Rays to make it to the World Series a year ago, right?
It seems like it was just yesterday that the Brewers were beating the Cubs and clinching their first playoff spot in twenty-six years. But a lot has happened since October. And, for Brewers fans, a lot of it hasn't been good.
Most teams get better during the off-season, either through trades or free agency. The Brewers went backwards this off-season. Their division rivals and the team they fought for the wildcard spot with got better. The Cubs spent money on Milton Bradley, who will fill a huge need for them in the outfield. The Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez and traded for J.J. Putz, addressing a need (bullpen) they hope will help to avoid a third straight September meltdown.
And what did the Brewers do? Sure, they signed Trevor Hoffman and Braden Looper. And, yes, they think Jorge Julio can be a setup guy with Mike Lamb providing insurance at third. But they also watched their best starter leave for greener pastures (green = money), sat by as another starter hit them with a bill for elbow surgery on his way out the door (uh, that would be Ben Sheets), and hired a manager whose reputation took a major hit in his last stop.
The 2009 Brewers have a lot of questions they need to answer. And, until those questions are answered, it's hard to view this team as a contender right now. Here's a look at the questions that have Brewer fans buzzing.
* Was Ken Macha the right choice? I, for one, think he is, considering the other candidates Doug Melvin interviewed were either too inexperienced (Dale Sveum) or had too much baggage (Willie Randolph). That being said, Macha was said to have problems with some of his Oakland players. He will have to prove that the rumors he had problems in the Athletics clubhouse were just that - rumors.
* Do the Brewers have enough starting pitching? Last year at this time the Brewers had eight starters battling for five spots. This year the Brewers have six. And the quality isn't what it was a year ago. Yovani Gallardo has yet to pitch a full season in the bigs. Jeff Suppan's problems since signing his $42M contract have been well documented. Manny Parra had an up and down rookie year. Dave Bush must prove he is the second half Dave Bush from a year ago and not the first half Dave Bush. Braden Looper has also had issues with consistency, and Seth McClung doesn't have a track record of success at the big league level. The only way we'll know for sure if the starters will hold up is to watch the season develop. But my confidence isn't at a high level right now.
* What about the bullpen? Getting Hoffman, a first ballot hall of famer in my book, is a very nice move, but there are questions in front of him. Can Carlos Villanueva handle the 8th inning role the team seems to envision him in? Which Jorge Julio will show up this season - the one that pitched for the Braves down the stretch or the one that blew through six organizations in three seasons? The Brewers allowed the dependable Brian Shouse to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays - can Mitch Stetter step in and be what Shouse was? Will David Riske get healthy and justify the $13M deal the Brewers gave him a year ago? I'd like to tell you I have the answers to these questions, but just like the starting pitching, only time will tell.
* Was holding on to Rickie Weeks the right thing to do? The Brewers, as an organization, remain sold on what Rickie Weeks can do. Operative word being can, because in three and a half big league seasons Weeks hasn't done it. Sure, Weeks scores runs when he gets on base, but does he really get on base enough to be a leadoff hitter? He also hasn't hit consistently since being rushed from the minors, and his defense has always been questionable. I understand the Brewers don't want to give up on Weeks and watch him live up to his potential somewhere else, but how many chances can you possibly give him? If it were me (and I know you're probably happy it isn't) I would have pursued free agent Orlando Hudson (who is still out there).
* Who's on third? Bill Hall is set to miss the next four to six weeks with a calf injury (though he claims he'll be ready sooner). I'm willing to give Hall the benefit of the doubt and give him another chance (hoping that the Lasik surgery he had this off-season corrects some of his problems at the plate). But, if he isn't healthy or productive, what do the Brewers do at the hot corner? If you really think Mike Lamb is the answer then you might be the only one. Mat Gamel will get a chance to show the Brewers he's ready during Cactus League games, but the rap on him is that he can't field. Can the Brewers afford to play Gamel in games that count if his glove isn't ready? Probably not, but then again I don't know anyone who would be excited by a Lamb/Craig Counsell combination at third base either?
* Which Corey Hart will come to play? Will it be the one that hit .294 with 24 home runs in 2007? The one that earned an invitation to the All-Star Game last July? Or, will it be the Hart that wound up hitting .268 in 2008. The one that swung at everything in September and October without making much contact. For the Brewers sake, it better be the 2007 Hart.
Those are the six major questions the 2009 Brewers must have. How many contending teams do you know of that go into camp having to answer those type of questions? This isn't to say the Brewers can't contend. Obviously, they have the potential to, and remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. A lot of things can happen during the course of a 162 game season (I'm sorry if I started channeling Ned Yost right there).
However, as currently constructed, it would be hard for anyone, even the most ardent of Brewer Backers, to say that this is a playoff team.
But then again, no one expected the Rays to make it to the World Series a year ago, right?
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