Some things to read while moving around to the right side.
Still waiting for the Brewers to make a move for a frontline starting pitcher? Sounds like you'll be waiting for a while. Doug Melvin says it would be almost impossible to trade Mat Gamel or Alcides Escobar, the Brewers' two most valuable prospects. It seems unlikely the Brewers will be able to make a big splash in the market without dangling at least one of them.
Meanwhile, Mike Burns will take the mound tomorrow in place of Dave Bush, who was placed on the DL with microtearing at the base of his right triceps (Also noted in FanShot). Bush is expected to remain out through the All-Star Break, which should give us enough time to figure out what "microtearing" is.
Crews continue to work to repair flooding damage on the service level at Miller Park. Twins.com beat reporter Kelly Thesier reports the indoor batting cages and weight room are still out of service, and the furniture and carpet in the visitors' clubhouse had to be replaced. The link also has a quote from Ron Gardenhire and a joke from Doug Melvin.
The Brewers are not playing well at the moment, but there are still reasons for optimism. For one, interleague play is almost over. Secondly, projections and power rankings still seem to like the Crew: Beyond the Box Score's Poor Man's Projected Standings still have the Brewers winning the Central, and The National Post has the Brewers holding steady at #3 in their NL Power Rankings.
How valuable is J.J. Hardy's defense? He's hitting .218/.299/.336 in 2009, but Driveline Mechanics says his defense has been good enough to keep him at a league-average level. Hardy has been worth approximately 7.4 runs with the glove in 2009.
Here are today's minor league notes:
- Eric Arnett will make his professional debut tonight for Helena, but don't blink or you might miss it. Arnett's Twitter says he'll go "a couple innings," and the Brewers have suggested they'll look to keep his workload down.
- Manny Parra allowed just one run and threw 59 of his 93 pitches for strikes for Nashville last night. He walked two and struck out three.
- Zach Braddock, #16 in our community prospect rankings, has been promoted to AA after striking out 40 and walking just 4 in 24.2 innings for Brevard County.
Most Brewer fans would say we've had plenty to complain about lately, but apparently it hasn't been enough for The Brew Town Beat, which has moved on to the topic of Chris Smith's unbent cap.
A relatively quiet day around the majors:
Indians: Designated Luis Vizcaino for assignment.
Reds: Placed Wilkin Castillo on the DL with a torn labrum.
Here's today's "Jamie Moyer is old" update: Moyer made his major league debut in 1986, the same year Braves starter Tommy Hanson was born. Tommy Hanson hit a batter last night, meaning pitcher's born in Moyer's rookie year have now delivered 100 HBP's.
There's fan friendly, and then there's Padres assistant GM Paul DePodesta, who went pick by pick breaking down rounds 16-50 of the Padres' 2008 draft.
Oh, and Ryan Braun wants you to recycle.
Drink up.