Just wanted to post a couple things that other people have mentioned in various comments in case anyone's missed them.
- Tony Graffanino was offered arbitration. There's some concern that, because signing him will cost a first round pick, Graffanino will be pessimistic of his chances to get a contract to his liking and ergo will accept arbitration--sticking the Brewers, it would appear, with one utility infielder too many. According to McCalvy:
Depending on what happens with Graffanino, the Brewers may yet decide to make an offer to CirilloThat makes some sense, but I think Cirillo gets signed even if Graffanino accepts arb; though both are right-handed, Cirillo is the only one who really kills lefties, an ability the team obviously covets off the bench.
- Besides Cirillo, not offered arbitration were Tomo Ohka, Dan Kolb, Rick Helling and David Bell. Unlike Cirillo, the team probably isn't looking to bring any of those guys back. As has been pointed out elsewhere, it seems a bit strange that Ohka wasn't offered, considering that, as a Type B free agent, the signing team wouldn't have to surrender anything in his case. It's only a supplemental pick, but then again, David Wright was a supplemental pick.
- According to Doug Melvin, there's a 50/50 chance Bill Hall will be the team's starting center fielder. Everyone is elated, and rightly so, as most of the hand wringing this offseason (on my part, at least) has been predicated on the notion that Hall was for sure being turned into a corner outfielder.