Brew Crew Ball

Wednesday's Late and Brief Frosty Mug

2009-11-25T22:15:03Z

More photos » by Eric Risberg - AP

Justin Duchscherer is a potential 2010 Brewer. That means I probably need to learn to spell his name...or assign him a clever nickname that catches on. Suggestions?

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while finding eternal life.

Thanks for bearing with me this week. The Mug will return to its normal format and schedule on Friday. In the meantime, here's the crash-course version of today's notes:

Adam McCalvy has two more names for you to consider as the Brewers head into hot stove season: Justin Duchscherer and Kevin Correia. Meanwhile, ESPN has a story about clinical depression that Duchscherer has battled in the past. I don't think the depression has anything to do with the fact that his name is impossible to spell.
Caitlin Moyer has a look at the offseason work of Brewer Grounds Crew leader Gary Vanden Berg, who recently finished putting Miller Park's field to bed for 2009.
Mike Cameron might be one of the best free agent position players on the market this offseason, but Bleed Cubbie Blue is comparing him to Marlon Byrd.
In the minors, Baseball America used Pitch F/x to gather average and max fastball speeds for pitchers that appeared in the Arizona Fall League. Zach Braddock, Mark Rogers, Josh Butler and Omar Aguilar all check in somewhere in the low-mid 90's.
In transactions: the Padres claimed starting pitcher Radhames Liz off waivers from the Orioles.
The White Sox signed Andruw Jones to a one year deal.
Shelley Duncan elected for free agency after the Yankees outrighted him off their 40-man roster.
I'm still hoping the Brewers will sign Yorvit Torrealba, but the Blue Jays are also rumored to have interest.
Today's Faces feature over at Lookout Landing features another former Brewer: Ben Ford.
Yesterday I mentioned a few of them, but Royals Review has a look at the five dumbest NL MVP votes.
Speaking of awards: on this day in 1969, Lou Piniella won the AL Rookie of the Year. Piniella started the season as a Seattle Pilot, but was traded on April 1 for pitcher John Gelnar and OF Steve Whitaker. Gelnar posted a 3.78 ERA over three seasons as a Pilot and Brewer. Whitaker spent one season with the Piolts and was done in the majors by 1971.
On this day in 1981, Rollie Fingers became the first relief pitcher ever to win the AL MVP. Fingers picked up 15 of the 28 first place votes and edged out Rickey Henderson by 11 points.
I wasn't able to find a Brewer birthday today, so we'll have to settle for wishing a happy birthday to Tony Brewer, who turns 52.
Oh, and if you're looking for something to do tonight, Keith Law has updated his list of the top ten board games.

Drink up.

Comment from an agent: "Every agent wants to get his (free agent pitcher) a multi-year deal and...

2009-11-25T01:43:40Z

Comment from an agent: "Every agent wants to get his (free agent pitcher) a multi-year deal and every team wants to offer a one-year deal."

Tom H.'s Twitter. File under "duh."

Tuesday's Quick and Late Mug

2009-11-24T21:31:13Z

Some things to read while the Muppets make everything better (h/t Daily Drink).

In the interest of getting it done as early as possible, today's Mug is bullet pointed again:

Prince Fielder finished fourth in the NL MVP balloting, appearing on all 32 ballots and getting five second place votes (FanShot). Ryan Braun also appeared on 16 ballots en route to an 11th place finish, but was ranked no higher than fifth on any of them. The link above has the full voting. Hopefully we'll soon find out which three voters had Prince Fielder tenth on their ballot, and who cast votes for Jeremy Affeldt, Brad Hawpe and Shane Victorino.
John Halama is a Brewer, having signed a minor league deal yesterday. Halama will turn 38 before opening day, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2006, and would be pitching for his eighth major league team if he makes the Brewers. With that said, Adam McCalvy blamed his 2006 departure from the Orioles on family issues, so perhaps he's ready to bounce back.
Speaking of pitchers who could bounce back, Chris Capuano will be back for another season on a minor league deal. Capuano made a few short appearances down the stretch for the Brewer rookie league affiliates, and if his rehab continues to progress he could be ready to pitch in the major leagues by spring training.
Project Prospect ranked baseball's top 15 shortstop prospects, and Alcides Escobar is #1, ahead of recent AFL standout Starlin Castro. TheJay had a post earlier today on players who do not have rookie eligibility next season, but Escobar is not one of them...and he's probably an early candidate for Rookie of the Year.
Al has a look at ten free agents that could become Brewers. Aside from the top two, there's no one else on that list I've even heard mentioned in connection with the Crew.
As for transactions, the Braves signed former Royals minor league pitcher Juan Abreu to a major league deal.
For whatever it's worth, MLB Daily Dish thinks Ben Sheets will end up as a Mariner this offseason.
It's no secret that the Braves would like to deal Derek Lowe this offseason. The Ghost of Moonlight Graham has a look at the market for his services, and thinks the Brewers made the right decision by not trading Corey Hart for him.
If you'd like something to overanalyze today, here's a candidate: Recent Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman has decided to switch agents, dumping the agency that helped get him out of Cuba, and Jon Heyman says at least one exec sees the move as a potential character issue. Obviously, the agency lost some money on the deal, but I'm having a hard time getting worked up over it.
Something else to think about this afternoon, in Sporcle form: How many of Kenny Lofton's teams can you name?
Friend of the site Stephen C. Smith of SpaceCoastBaseball.com has a post-mortem on the Florida Winter Baseball League, which lasted all of a few weeks, despite telling staff it had enough financial resources to last for multiple seasons (h/t Rattler Radio). Meanwhile, if you're one of the seven people who purchased tickets to a FWBL game and didn't get to use them, the Brevard County Manatees will allow you to use them next season.
On this day in 1969, Dave Bristol was hired to manage the Seattle Pilots. A few months later the team would move to Milwaukee and Bristol would become the first manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Happy birthday today to Cal Eldred, who turns 42, and Ben McDonald, who also turns 42.
On and it's probably a little late to help you today, but this cereal flow chart might make tomorrow morning a little easier. (h/t C. Trent Rosecrans)

Drink up.

Prince finishes 4th in MVP, Pujols unanimous winner

2009-11-24T19:13:46Z

Prince finishes 4th in MVP, Pujols unanimous winner

McCalvy breaks the story. No breakdown on vote yet. Braun 11th.

The Rookies Who Aren't

2009-11-24T11:00:16Z

Determining rookie status:

A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

The first part of the definition of a rookie in Major League Baseball is straightforward. Once a player reaches 131 at bats or 50 1/3 innings pitched, he's no longer a rookie. The second part is a little trickier. After all, service time numbers are hard to find. They generally come out once each year, in team media guides. Add in the fact that you have to subtract time in the major leagues after September 1st and on the disabled list and it's even harder to figure out who is truly a rookie.

It has already been mentioned this offseason that Mat Gamel eclipsed 45 days of service time before September. Gamel was recalled from Nashville on May 14th and optioned back on July 20th, giving him 67 days on the active roster during the "period of 25-player limit." So, even though he sits at 130 career at bats, the same number Scott Rolen had going into his Rookie of the Year season, Gamel cannot win the Rookie of the Year award (though that might not stop him from getting votes).

Gamel isn't the only such little-used non-rookie in the Brewers organization. Raise your hand if you realized Hernan Iribarren has 48 days of major league service time, all before September 1. Iribarren spent 20 days on the major league roster in April and June 2008, picking up 14 at bats. He spent 28 days in the majors in 2009, batting a mere 13 times. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict he wasn't going to win the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award anyway.

New Brewer George Kottaras also enters 2010 off the list of rookie players. He spent all of 2009 in the majors with the Red Sox, playing in 45 games with 93 at bats. Though he spent the month of August on the disabled list, he gave up his 2010 rookie status in mid-May.

Gamel, Iribarren, and Kottaras are not the only little-used rookies. Follow the jump for a list of all such position players to appear in the majors in 2008 or 2009. Please note it is lengthy and full of guys who have no chance at winning an award anyway. I will post a list of pitchers in the next few days.

Non-Rookies with 130 or fewer career AB:

Mat Gamel, 130 career AB
Joaquin Arias, 129 AB
Argenis Reyes, 127 AB
Jose Morales, 122 AB
Ivan Ochoa*, 120 AB
Michel Hernandez, 118 AB
Curtis Thigpen*, 118 AB
Ramiro Pena, 115 AB
Josh Whitesell, 115 AB
Luke Carlin, 112 AB
Chris Gimenez, 111 AB
Tyler Greene, 108 AB
Sam Fuld, 103 AB
Reid Brignac, 100 AB
Francisco Cervelli, 99 AB
George Kottaras, 98 AB
Freddy Guzman, 95 AB
Robinson Cancel, 94 AB
Guillermo Rodriguez, 92 AB
Steve Holm, 91 AB
Justin Ruggiano*, 90 AB
Nathan Haynes*, 89 AB
Diory Hernandez, 85 AB
Don Kelly, 83 AB
Dane Sardinha, 80 AB
Luis Maza*, 79 AB
Paul Hoover, 78 AB
Edwin Maysonet, 76 AB
Dusty Ryan, 70 AB
Clint Sammons, 68 AB
Tug Hulett, 67 AB
Drew Sutton, 66 AB
J.R. House*, 60 AB
John Mayberry, 57 AB
Gregorio Petit, 54 AB
Brian Myrow*, 51 AB
Chris Stewart*, 48 AB
Justin Christian*, 40 AB
Travis Denker*, 37 AB
Gustavo Molina*, 34 AB
Hernan Iribarren, 27 AB
Ryan Budde, 23 AB

* - last appeared in the majors in 2008

I warned you. If I missed anyone or included someone who should not be on the list, let me know in the comments.

Joe Rosario, the agent for veteran left-hander John Halama, said Halama has agreed to terms on a...

2009-11-24T00:45:00Z

Joe Rosario, the agent for veteran left-hander John Halama, said Halama has agreed to terms on a Minor League contract with the Brewers that includes an invitation to big league camp.

Adam McCalvy

Former All-Star left-hander Chris Capuano has signed a Minor League contract to return to the...

2009-11-24T00:35:45Z

Former All-Star left-hander Chris Capuano has signed a Minor League contract to return to the Brewers that includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp.

Adam McC, as sussed out by Mykenk.

Monday's Brief and Late Mug

2009-11-23T22:23:57Z

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

Can the Brewers afford to do what it takes to keep Prince Fielder in Milwaukee?

Browse more photos »

Ok, this took longer than I expected, so today's Mug is all bullet points, and hopefully you'll get a chance to read it before leaving work:

Jorge Says No! has a look at the Brewers situation with Prince Fielder, and wonders what they can afford to offer him in a long term deal.
The JS has Baseball America's list of Top 30 Brewer prospects (FanShot). Casa de Machado has some reaction, but here's my quick one: This list was compiled by Brian Anderson and Tom Haudricourt, who spent the 2009 season traveling with and covering the Brewers. As such, they had limited or no time to scout any of these players in person. So why are they ranking them?
Elsewhere in the minors, the Appleton Post Crescent has an in-depth look at the renovations at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.
As noted earlier, the Brewers signed Dominican shortstop Santo Aybar over the weekend. Baseball America has more about him. One salient point: He turns 17 on Saturday, so we can stop calling him a 16-year-old prospect.
Adam McCalvy has a look at the Brewer contributions to Saturday's AFL championship game victory for the Peoria Javelinas. The Javelinas beat the Phoenix Desert Dogs, who were five time defending league champions.
Baseball America has a look at catchers in the AFL, and a note on the somewhat dramatic improvement of Jonathan Lucroy, who might be in the middle of the most meteoric rise in the Brewer organization in quite some time.
McCalvy also wants your questions for an inbox column he's looking to write next week.
Miller Park Drunk took some heat and has reconsidered his decision on the coolness of the newly renamed Molitor parking lot at Miller Park.
MPD also has a look back at 2001.
Two weeks ago, I suggested Yorvit Torrealba as a possible placeholder at catcher until Jonathan Lucroy is ready to take over. With free agency open, several teams have expressed interest, including the Giants.
Omar Vizquel is no longer a candidate to replace Craig Counsell, as he's signed with the White Sox.
Elsewhere in transactions, the Royals signed former Brave Jorge Campillo.
And the A's signed Dallas McPherson.
The Mets might be interested in Ben Sheets.
Further proof that being a dick extends your life expectancy: Gary Sheffield wants to play next season.
The Pirates may be lining their pockets with revenue sharing money.
The Brewers are hiring a part time mailroom/warehouse guy.
Happy birthday to Dale Sveum, who turns 46.

Drink up.

BA's top 30 Brewers prospects

2009-11-23T15:30:12Z

BA's top 30 Brewers prospects

Not nearly enough love for Caleb Gindl, IMO. The link also has a list of those who fell off the top 30 list.

TimberRattlers holiday packs available again

2009-11-23T04:15:35Z

I tried to FanShot this and SBNation wouldn't accept the image link, so it's a story instead.

The T-Rats are once again offering holiday four- and eight-packs and I thought I'd pass along the info. The boyfriend bought me this last year for Christmas and we really enjoyed going up to Appleton for the games.

The four-pack includes a T-Rats hat with Brewers logo and the eight-pack includes your choice of a Lorenzo Cain, Taylor Green, Dave Bush or Jeff Suppan bobblehead.

The Rattlers just announced changes to their stadium that include an all-you-can-eat section, moving the bullpens to the outfield, a "boardwalk" that circles most of the park and a sandy beach area in the outfield.

Weekend Mug (of tea)

2009-11-22T05:19:24Z

You may want to put down your owls before reading this post....

As you've probably figured out, I'm the third and final weekend editor to make a debut post here on BCB. You may know me from my many comments and parenthetical remarks. My weekend mugs are tea, preferably lychee-flavored, to keep me awake while I finish this post full o' links.

The Arizona Fall League season is over and the Peoria Javelinas are its champion. They defeated the Phoenix Dirt Dogs 5-4 on Saturday. Jonathan Lucroy went 1 for 4 with a single and run scored and Zach Braddock struck out 3 in one inning of work. Mark Rogers, who did not appear in the game, is satisfied with his AFL experiences.

Extra Bases offered its readers a challenge: create your own team of free agents. Their contest is over, but it's still a good puzzle. Better yet, try to pick what sort of team Doug Melvin would create out of the pool of free agents.

Roy Halladay doesn't want to sign with Toronto. He probably doesn't want to sign with the Brewers, either. It looks like another year of largely irrelevant Halladay madness in the media.

This weekend's (sort of) notable transactional excitement:

Diamondbacks: Add Cole Gillespie (and others) to the 40-man roster.
Pirates: Claim pitcher Chris Jakubauskas on waivers, designate Jeff Karstens for assignment. No word if Dave Kerwin is behind the move.
Reds: Laynce Nix has elected free agency.
Royals: Pitchers Doug Waechter and Devon Lowery have refused assignment and become free agents.
The non-notable 40-man additions before the deadline are over at Baseball America's Prospect Blog.

It's been a slow weekend for Brewers news. If you're not inclined towards football, you can go read a book. My baseball reading for this week was Minnesotans in Baseball, a published version of the Minnesota SABR chapter's work on the Biography Project. There's a fairly large section in there about Paul Molitor. At least in nonfiction one doesn't need to worry about characters named for airplane parts.

AFL Championship Open Thread

2009-11-21T17:50:47Z

The Arizona Fall League championship game is today. For most of us, it will be your last chance to see professional baseball on TV until spring training. The Phoenix Desert Dogs are playing the Peoria Javelinas at 1:30 Central. It's on MLB Network. The Javelinas, as we know, contain Brewers prospects and they (excepting Zach Braddock) have a chance of appearing in this game.

If you can't watch the game, you can at least read about the Brewers prospects.

Dominican Prospect Signed

2009-11-21T02:17:13Z

Dominican Prospect Signed

Brewers have come to terms with 16-year-old shortstop Santo Aybar. Aybar was named the 18th-best Dominican prospect in July.

EDIT: I found this description of Aybar at Brewerfan.net: "The wiry Aybar is an aggressive hitter, swinging with a high leg kick to generate above-average raw power. He's a free swinger who scouts say will have to tone down his approach as he moves up the ladder. Some scouts like his aggressive approach, but his all-out swing gets him caught out front against breaking balls. Aybar is an above-average runner, with scouts timing him anywhere from 6.7 to 6.9 seconds in the 60-yard dash, though he's expected to lose speed as he adds muscle to his frame. Aybar has some athleticism, though scouts say his throwing motion is unusual and his defense is erratic, which could lead to him moving to center field, though there's a chance he could also handle third base."

Reminds me a lot of Alfonso Soriano.

Friday's Frosty Mug

2009-11-20T15:25:35Z

by Jim Prisching - AP

The Braves would love to unload Derek Lowe's contract, but don't sound all that interested in taking on Corey Hart in exchange.

View full size photo »

Some things to read while moving Christmas dinner.

When something shows up in two separate sections of the site, it's usually best to assume it's true, so the fact that there are posts about it in Rumorville and the FanShots must mean there's some truth to the rumor that the Brewers and Braves have discussed a trade that would send Corey Hart to the Braves for Derek Lowe. However, Mark Bowman of MLB.com says the Braves aren't interested in Hart, which makes two of us. Meanwhile, Jorge Says No! reiterated a trade idea they mentioned a while back: Hart for Kenshin Kawakami.

As of 12:01 this morning, the market is officially open for free agents to negotiate with other teams. Tom H. has an overview of the market, with the Brewers tied to the usual names: John Lackey, Doug Davis, Jarrod Washburn. Randy Wolf's name was also mentioned.

The Pinstriper has predictions for all of this offseason's Type A and B free agents, and thinks the Brewers will sign Doug Davis and re-sign Jason Kendall. Meanwhile, they have Mike Cameron, Braden Looper, Felipe Lopez and David Weathers signing with the Padres, Astros, Dodgers and Pirates, respectively.

While the BBWAA has left the Brewers out in their voting for most of their major awards, one pitcher still collected an award from another source: Manny Parra won Joe Posnanski's NL Les Sweetland Award for being the NL's worst pitcher in 2009, while Jason Kendall narrowly missed winning the NL LVP.

At least in this scenario, Kendall wouldn't be back: Wisconsin Sports Tap thinks the Brewers should step into the future and give Jonathan Lucroy the catching job in 2010. I've covered why I think it's a bad idea.

Two Brewer staffers, manager in the Brewers' media relations department John Steinmiller and manager of marketing promotions Caitlin Moyer have started a blog to keep fans updated on what's going on at Miller Park during the offseason, and they have a post on some planned renovations in and around the park, as well as the renaming of some parking lots (h/t Adam McCalvy). Miller Park Drunk took a look at the new parking lot map and wonders how Paul Molitor ended up getting the faraway lot.

As noted in today's Fall/Winter League Update, Alcides Escobar had a pretty good night in Venezuela last night, going 4-for-4 with a solo home run. If you're looking for more about it and happen to speak Spanish, here's a game story from ElImpulso.com.

For many Brewer fans, it's been a long few decades of waiting for the Crew to put a winning team back on the field, but we've held strong. A Girl's View of the Brewers tells the story of her Brewer fanhood.

Around the league:

Cubs: Re-signed John Grabow to a one year deal worth $3.75 million.
D-Backs: Acquired Aaron Heilman from the Cubs for a pair of minor leaguers.
Royals: Signed pitcher Brad Thompson to a minor league deal.

I know I mentioned it earlier this week, but I'm going to mention Lookout Landing's Faces series again because today's installment features former Brewer first round pick Dave Krynzel.

The deadline has passed for players to be added to 40-man rosters to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, so we can start looking at players who might be available. One such player is former Brewer farmhand Cole Gillespie, left unprotected by the D-Backs. Gillespie hit very well in AAA for the D-Backs after being acquired as part of the Felipe Lopez deal, and will probably get a shot to make a team as a fourth outfielder next spring.

We spend a lot of time discussing minutiae during the offseason and most of it doesn't amount to much in the end, but this is why we do it: Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com has a look at players who have gone from minor league free agent to big league contributor. It doesn't happen often, but it is possible to strike gold.

Miller Park Drunk is starting a season-by-season review of the decade that was for the Brewers, but you're forgiven if you're not too excited about reliving the 2000 season. It's about as exciting as Ryan Braun modeling more Remetee stuff.

Does a change up lose its effectiveness when a batter sees it multiple times? That's the question Max Marchi of The Hardball Times is taking on, by looking at batters who see multiple change ups, both in the same AB and over multiple ABs, and the pitchers who throw them.

On this day in 1969, the Seattle Pilots fired Joe Schultz, the first manager in franchise history, after just one season. Dave Bristol took over and managed the club for their first three seasons in Milwaukee.

Also, on this day in 1989, Robin Yount won his second American League MVP Award, this one as a center fielder. Yount received just eight of the 27 available first place votes but edged out Ruben Sierra by 28 points.

I couldn't find a Brewer birthday again today, so we'll have to settle for wishing a happy birthday to Rick Monday, who turns 64. Thanks in advance to FtJ, who will likely point out a birthday I missed in the comments.

And finally, a programming note: I'm leaving in a few hours to go deer hunting for a few days. I'll still be writing the Mug next week, but I'm moving Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's Mugs to the afternoon so I can still hunt in the mornings. I'll be back with a regular Mug a week from today.

Drink up.

Fall/Winter League Update for 11/20/2009

2009-11-20T12:51:32Z

In Arizona: When it rains, it pours for Zach Braddock. After not allowing an earned run for six innings (and only allowing three in 11.2 IP overall), Braddock allowed six earned runs on four hits and four walks while recording just one out in the Javelinas 17-9 loss to Scottsdale yesterday. Braddock was the only Brewer to appear in the game. The Javelinas have lost six of seven games leading into the league championship game Saturday.

In Venezuela: Alcides Escobar went 4-for-4 with a solo home run, two runs scored and two RBI for Lara. Escobar has a hit in eight straight games.

In Puerto Rico: Hiram Burgos made his second start for Mayaguez yesterday, allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits in 4.2 innings. Burgos did not walk a batter, but struck out four.

The Thursday Thinker: Opening Day Starters

2009-11-19T18:00:13Z

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

Yovani Gallardo will make his first Opening Day start in 2010. How many Brewer Opening Day starters can you name?

Browse more photos »

Barring something unforeseen, Yovani Gallardo will take the ball for the Brewers on Opening Day 2010, his first Opening Day assignment. When he does, he'll become the 26th Opening Day starter in the Brewer franchise's 41 year history.

Of the previous 25 starters, fifteen pitchers only received the honor one time, seven did it twice, two pitchers did it three times and one Brewer started on Opening Day six times. Of the 25, how many can you name in eight minutes?

Again, here are the rules: Post your score in the comments, but do not comment on any specific answer until after 6 pm Central time, so everyone gets a chance to try it out without having it spoiled for them. And, of course, there's no reason to cheat here, because there's no prizes.

There will probably be a wide variety of scores on this one, as most of the names aren't exceptionally obscure, but require some knowledge of Brewer history. Of 41 possible, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone score in the mid 30's. If you somehow manage to get them all, though, post your time along with your score in the comments. If you have a cursory knowledge of Brewer pitchers, you should be able to get at least ten.

Have fun, and don't forget to post your score in the comments!

Thursday's Frosty Mug

2009-11-19T15:20:53Z

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

George Kottaras, right, spent the 2009 season in Boston backing up Jason Varitek, left, and Victor Martinez.

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while getting the dog more fiber.

While it's hardly Earth-shattering, the Brewers made an interesting move yesterday, claiming catcher George Kottaras off waivers from Boston (FanShot). Kottaras is 26 and a former top prospect in the Padres organization. He reportedly requested his release, as he wasn't going to get much playing time with both Jason Varitek and Victor Martinez back in Boston next season. Here's a quick list of things to know about him:

He appeared in three games for the Red Sox in 2008, but saw his first significant MLB action in 2009, when he hit .237/.308/.387 in 107 PAs (45 games).
He's spent parts of the last four seasons in AAA, hitting .239/.331/.424.
He's out of options, so he'll either have to make the team in spring training or be placed on waivers.
He's left handed. The other three Brewer catchers on the 40-man roster (Mike Rivera, Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy) are all righties.

Doug Melvin acknowledged that this move was made for depth, not because he sees Kottaras as a front line catcher in 2010. With that said, this move probably isn't good news for Mike Rivera. Rivera is 33 and eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, and the Brewers may see Kottaras as a player who could provide similar production for less money. With that said, Brew City Sports isn't too excited about him.

Kottaras wasn't the only player added to the roster yesterday: Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Amaury Rivas were also added to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft in December (FanShot). The Brewers still have four open spots on the roster, so they could feasibly add another player or two before tomorrow's deadline.

Unless another waiver claim comes up, it could be a quiet day today. Doug Melvin said the Brewers aren't likely to reach a deal with any of their pending free agents before they're allowed to negotiate with other teams tomorrow.

The neverending saga of Mark Mulder continues. Today, Tom H. says it would be a huge upset if Mark Mulder isn't a Brewer next spring. The only thing that moves slower than these negotiations is another Brewer free agent, Claudio Vargas.

Meanwhile, the field of contenders might be narrowing for Jarrod Washburn. Larry Larue of The Tacoma News Tribune says Washburn has expressed interest in playing for the Brewers, but is also considering the Twins and wouldn't mind returning to the Mariners (FanShot).

On another free agent front with mild Brewer interest: The OC Register has a poll asking readers where John Lackey will sign. As of this writing, the Brewers were tied for ninth in the voting.

As for moves that have already been made, Rubie Q is still not happy about the J.J. Hardy deal, but Miller Park Drunk takes a look at the similarities between Hardy's career path and the path of one of his top comparisons.

Down in the minors, we have stadium news in Appleton, where the Timber Rattlers are doing some renovations this offseason. They're moving the bullpens into the outfield to add some new seats (including an All-You-Can-Eat section), and adding a sand beach general admission area in right field.

No transactions of note today, so I'll move straight into the other notes:

Zach Greinke recently won the AL Cy Young Award, surprising no one, with an incredible season. Keep Turning up The Heat! compared Greinke's 2009 season to Ben Sheets' 2004 performance, and it's closer than you might think.

If you have hours to kill and would love to read Rollie Fingers talking about all things baseball (and his new book), then this Dugout Doctors interview was written with you in mind.

Just a few weeks ago, I mentioned the debut of the Florida Winter Baseball League, and the possibility that it could be a game-changer for American players looking for the opportunity to sharpen their skills without leaving the US. As it turns out, the Caribbean leagues won't have much to worry about, as FWBL has canceled the remainder of the season after just 15 games. So much for that idea.

Maybe the new goal can be "no games in November:" Bud Selig is reportedly looking into the possibility of eliminating some postseason off days to attempt to move things along a bit.

On this day in 1976, the Brewers signed Sal Bando as a free agent. Bando spent the final five seasons of his career in Milwaukee, hitting .250/.335/.382. He would later return as GM and spend most of the 90's digging a hole the Brewers would need another decade to dig out of.

No Brewer birthdays today, but happy birthday to the other Joe Morgan, who played in 13 games for the 1959 Milwaukee Braves and turns 79.

Oh, and every high school newspaper reporter makes this mistake once, but apparently some don't learn from it: Calling a player an idiot in "not for print" notes in your story is never a good idea.

Drink up.

Fall/Winter League Update for 11/19/2009

2009-11-19T12:51:51Z

In Arizona: Rob Wooten allowed two runs on three hits in .1 innings and was credited with a blown save as Phoenix rallied for six runs in the eighth to beat the Javelinas, 7-6. Jonathan Lucroy went 1-for-4 with a walk in the game, and Taylor Green entered the game as a pinch hitter and remained in as the DH, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout.

The Javelinas have lost five of six games, and have two regular season games remaining before Saturday's championship game.

In Venezuela: Alcides Escobar and Hernan Iribarren each went 2-for-3 for Lara last night, doubling and driving in a run. Iribarren also walked and scored twice. Escobar has a seven game hit streak going.

In the Dominican Republic:

Carlos Gomez went 1-for-4 with a double, driving in a run and scoring one on Tuesday. Last night, he went 0-for-2 with two HBP.
Erick Almonte went 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout last night. He's now reached base safely in 13 straight games.

In Puerto Rico: Martin Maldonado went 1-for-3 on Tuesday, picking up his first PWL hit, and 0-for-1 yesterday.

Brewers claim George Kottaras off waivers from Boston

2009-11-18T20:51:07Z

Brewers claim George Kottaras off waivers from Boston

Via Anthony Witrado:

The Brewers also claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Kottaras, 26, batted .237 with one homer and 10 RBI in 45 games with the Red Sox last season.

The 40-man roster stands at 36.

Lorenzo Cain, Amaury Rivas added to 40-man roster

2009-11-18T16:48:01Z

Lorenzo Cain, Amaury Rivas added to 40-man roster

Apparently Chris Cody and Mike Jones are going to be left off.

The 40-man roster now stands at 35.