Next Stop: Speculationville

We know Doug Melvin likes to sign guys he's had before. Usually he goes after guys that spent time in the Texas Rangers organization during his tenure as general manager there. He's also been known to give ex-Brewers a second chance (Dan Kolb, Craig Counsell).

Well, before he was the GM in Texas he was an assistant GM and director of player personnel in Baltimore. During that time, the Orioles signed a certain pitcher as an amateur free agent. That pitcher went on to post an ERA in the high 4s for Baltimore over eight seasons and has bounced around from team to team ever since. His career year was 2003, when he went 17-12 for the Orioles and Giants and put up an ERA of 3.75 in 216 innings. Unfortunately, excluding a nine-start interval with the Rangers last year, he hasn't put up an ERA under 5.00 since, nor a WHIP under 1.50. This year, he's sporting a 7.36 ERA and walking nearly as many batters as he strikes out. Sound like a guy who should be DFA'd? His current team just came around to your side.

It would be crazy to go after someone like that, right? However, keeping in mind his Melvin connection and the Brewers' hunt for starting pitching, might the Brewers organization call on Aruba?

As Kate Veatch might say, "I threw up in my mouth a little bit."