Firing Up the Hot Stove in Milwaukee

After years of chasing their own tail in an effort to assemble a passable pitching staff, the Milwaukee Brewers have finally struck gold.  They were close a few years ago when they acquired C.C. Sabathia and paired him with Ben Sheets, but Sabathia couldn’t resist the paycheck allure of the Big Apple and Sheets couldn’t stay healthy.  After the abbreviated Sabathia era, the Brewers hit the reset button with the laughable trio of Jeff Suppan, Braden Looper, and Dave Bush.  However, prior to last season they acquired veteran pitcher Randy Wolf who was forced to be the number two starter in a weak Brewers rotation.  Wolf was solid, but likely is more of a number three level starter.  Good for Milwaukee, as Wolf provided the Brewers with a good second arm, Yovanni Gallardo was developing into a bona fide ace.  Enter this offseason where the Brewers pulled the trigger on some blockbuster trades, first bringing in former Blue Jays hurler Shaun Marcum, and following that up with a mega-deal for former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.

The Marcum move alone would have vastly improved the Brewers staff and given them three viable, talented starting pitchers that can keep their team in every game.  Marcum posted a tremendous 3.64 ERA last year, in the loaded AL East.  Now Marcum comes to a much weaker hitting division in the NL Central and should thrive even more than he did last year.

By trading three of their top ten prospects to the Royals, Greinke gives the Brewers a second true ace to pair with Gallardo.  Both guys are capable of carrying a staff and either could be the number one starter.  Gallardo has nasty stuff and flashes great control at times, though he can become a ball throwing machine when he loses focus.  Greinke was good last year, but two years ago he posted a sub-1 ERA through about the first half of the season, which is essentially unheard of.  Like Marcum, Greinke comes from the AL to the NL.  Without the designated hitter and having to face an extra competent bat every time through the lineup, his numbers should improve accordingly.

Another element to consider is that Greinke has struggled with depression and anxiety.  Moving to small market Milwaukee where expectations are low and fans are supportive should really help Greinke’s mindset, and the Brewers always have one of the tightest knit locker rooms in baseball.  Greinke was rumored to perhaps be headed to New York, but the enormous spot light of the big city would have been a real test for Greinke’s mentality.  Now coming to Milwaukee, Greinke can pitch in much more anonymity than would be possible virtually any place outside of Kansas City.

Betancourt is a power hitting shortstop that replaces Alcides Escobar, who was traded to the Royals as part of the package that brought Greinke to town.  Betancourt adds pop to an already powerful offense that features Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, Casey McGhee, and Corey Hart.  The Brewers' potentially potent offense will be backed by a lethal rotation that now boasts four guys who will keep their team in every game.

With the Cardinals and Cubs aging, the Astros rebuilding, and the Pirates being the Pirates, the Brewers have a very good shot to compete with the young and talented Cincinnati Reds for the division title.

The Brewers finished last year 26^th overall in team ERA.  They now have a chance to finish near the top of baseball with their terrific additions, and by bringing back Fielder for another year, the offense should again be very good.  The Crew was 12^th in baseball last year in runs scored, even as Fielder and Braun both had down years.  If those two bounce back and Betancourt plays well, this could easily be a top-ten offense, which could easily be complemented by a top-ten starting rotation.

Things are looking up in Milwaukee.  They may have traded a lot of good prospects, but the Brewers perennially have good prospects and losing records.  Sometimes teams need to turn that young potential into established veteran players, and it was high time for the Brewers to do just that.   The Brewers now have a rotation to battle every team in baseball, rather than a bounty of young up-and-comers that won’t help the team win this year.  In short, the Brewers have had a magnificent offseason that makes at least co-favorites in the NL Central with the Reds and Cardinals.

New to Brew Crew

--from Adam

(image from espn.com)