Some things to read while going hard. (h/t @MKEBrewerGal)
It's hard to believe it's that time already, but Adam McCalvy has the first preview up for the Winter Meetings, which open in Orlando on Monday. As you might expect, the Brewers are still in the market for pitching.
And, once again, a reminder that the Brewers need the help: Dan Szymborski used the word "sub-cromulent" to describe his ZiPS projections for Brewer pitchers.
Saber By The Bay thinks the Brewers should change course and become active in the free agent market: They make the case for the Crew to sign Carl Pavano and Brandon Webb this winter.
It's probably safe to assume the winter meetings will feature a conversation or two on Prince Fielder: Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt he still doesn't know what he's going to do with the first baseman, and is still considering all options. Fielder was also a hot topic of conversation in Adam McCalvy's inbox.
Before the Brewers get to Orlando, though, there are a couple of roster deadlines coming up this week. Tom Haudricourt noted that Trevor Hoffman has until midnight tonight to decline the Brewers' offer of arbitration, and the team has until Thursday to decide whether or not to offer 2011 contracts to their arbitration-eligible players.
Meanwhile, Eric Hinske remains a possibility. The Appleton Post Crescent has a story on the Menasha native that says he's still weighing offers from the Brewers and Braves. (h/t David O'Brien)
Now that the managerial carousel has stopped spinning, Jon Heyman ranked teams' final decisions this week. He gave the Brewers a B- for hiring Ron Roenicke, and ranked them fifth of ten overall. (h/t Haudricourt)
Ryan Braun has been nominated for the 2010 This Year in Baseball Awards for Best Play. Follow this link to check out the video and vote for him.
Around baseball:
Dodgers: Have reportedly agreed to a three year, $21 million deal with infielder Juan Uribe.
Indians: Signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Infielder/outfielder Delwyn Young and infielder Andy LaRoche have cleared waivers and are now free agents.
Rangers: Signed catcher Yorvit Torrealba to a two year, $6.25 million deal.
Rockies: Are expected to sign Jorge De La Rosa to a three year, $30 million deal.
Tigers: Designated pitcher Zach Miner for assignment.
De La Rosa's new deal isn't the only transaction the Rockies will likely announce soon: They're reportedly close to a seven year contract extension with Troy Tulowitzki that would keep him in Denver through the 2021 season.
This week we've seen two relatively interesting starting pitchers, Jon Garland and Javier Vazquez, sign elsewhere. You could make a case that either of them would have been relatively interesting Brewers, but now that I've seen these red flags I'm not as sure: Memories of Kevin Malone notes some major health question marks with Garland, and Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has a post about Vazquez's sudden velocity drop.
Another day, another Rule 5 Draft preview: Prospect Insider has a look at ten pitchers and four position players that will be available when the draft is held next week.
Another winter pastime is starting to heat up: Hall of Fame ballots are out and this year's edition features three former Brewers up for consideration for the first time: Lenny Harris, Marquis Grissom and B.J. Surhoff.
Now that the ballots are out, the campaigning begins: Astros.com has a look at Jeff Bagwell's case.
Jamie Moyer rejects your definition of "too old." Jayson Stark reports that Moyer will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, and hopes to pitch again in 2012, when he'll be 49 years old. It's probably a long shot, but if he manages to do it Moyer will likely have cemented his folk hero status.
If he implements a solid long toss routine, maybe he can pitch until he's 60. Doug Miller of MLB.com has a story on pitching coach Alan Jaeger, a proponent of the program. (h/t McCalvy)
Without the help of Flip Flop Fly Ball this information may have been lost until spring training, but with his help we now know where the button goes in the middle of the team and/or city name on every major league jersey.
Postseason shares were announced yesterday, so we now know that members of the Giants made $317,631.29 each for winning the World Series. All told, players from twelve teams received a share of the pot. The smallest payout went to the Cardinals, who earned $9,679.42 each. (h/t Cincinnati.com)
On this day in 1994, the Brewers acquired Fernando Vina from the Mets for reliever Doug Henry. Vina would go on to spend five seasons in Milwaukee and be a 1998 All Star.
Happy birthday today to:
- Helena Brewer Jose Oviedo, who turns 22.
- 2008 Brewer Ray Durham, who turns 39.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to keep warm.
Drink up.