Some things to read while climbing the stairs for days. (h/t @ACChapdelaine)
The Brewer clubhouse staff is likely making room for one more player this morning: Late last night the Brewers acquired outfielder Brett Carroll from the Royals for cash considerations (FanShot). Carroll, who is 28, has spent parts of the last four seasons with the Marlins and is a career .205/.284/.325 hitter. Toby Harrmann of Brewerfan.net says he's "regarded as a very good defender with a strong arm."
At any rate, Carroll will be in camp on a minor league deal and unless he experiences a sudden epiphany at the plate he's likely ticketed for Nashville, where he might keep a spot warm until Logan Schafer is healthy.
Royals Review has the best take I've seen on the deal, noting the somewhat ethereal notion of cash considerations:
It is not known whether that cash is in all coins, a mix of coins and bills, or is simply imaginary.
The Brewers are continuing to look at external options to fill the fifth spot in the rotation, and yesterday a new possibility entered the discussion. Kevin Slowey of the Twins has been informed that he's not going to open the season in their rotation, and Jaymes Langrehr of The Brewers Bar thinks the Brewers should target him. Here's a little more about him:
- Over The Baggy has a pretty comprehensive look at Slowey's strengths, weaknesses and mechanics.
- Toby Harrmann says the Brewers would be insane not to make a move if the Twins are willing to trade Slowey for a reliever, and also raises the possibility that Mat Gamel could be involved in a deal.
MLB Trade Rumors is also listing the Brewers as the top candidate to acquire Rodrigo Lopez from the Braves.
Meanwhile, an internal candidate has made things a little more interesting. Marco Estrada started in place of Wily Peralta yesterday and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, likely earning another start. Given that he more or less disappeared after an injury last season and I didn't even know he was with the team until the first time he appeared in a spring game, the fact that he's close to being named the fifth starter is pretty astonishing.
The organization made one more roster move yesterday, optioning Mat Gamel back to AAA (FanShot). This is Gamel's final option year, and Michael Hunt reports he'll be spending it learning to play first base. TheJay wonders what that means for Erick Almonte, who was probably going to fill that position if he didn't make the team.
The Brewers put a close approximation of the likely Opening Day lineup on the field yesterday, and Mark Kotsay got the start in right over Chris Dickerson. Vaughn's Valley wonders if Dickerson should get a chance to start.
Other notes from the field:
- Prince Fielder and Zach Braddock were sent home from camp yesterday due to illness. Fielder is on antibiotics for a sinus infection. I don't know if that's also the case for Braddock.
- Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com has a look at the pitching injury woes across the NL Central.
- There's only about a week left for the Brewers to make the rest of the decisions regarding the Opening Day roster. Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Adam McCalvy have a look at the remaining questions.
- Speaking of difficult questions, Corie Stark of the JS talked to several Brewers about their walkup music selections.
- Tyler Emerick of the JS has a profile of Brewer Director of Team Travel Dan Larrea.
John Axford appears to have shaken off some of his early spring struggles (knock on wood). The Ghost of Moonlight Graham listed him as the key to the 2011 Brewers.
While I'm out snowblowing what appears to be a foot of white death from my driveway this morning, I'll be taking comfort in the fact that Opening Day is only a little more than a week away, and the home opener is only a few days after that. If you need the advice, One-Man Sausage Fest has a guide to not becoming that guy passed out next to a pool of his own vomit.
This year's home opener will be the eleventh at Miller Park. Don Walker of the JS notes that the first ten seasons at Miller Park have sold an average of 925,000 more tickets than the final ten seasons at County Stadium, despite the fact that the Brewers have won less often (.460 winning percentage vs .477) over that time.
I'm a couple of days behind on this, but Doug Melvin was a guest on Brian Kenny's show on ESPN Radio on Monday and you can hear the interview here.
Around baseball:
Pirates: Released pitcher Fernando Nieve.
Today in former Brewers:
- The B-Ref Blog has a list of 27 pitchers who received a loss in at least five quality starts in 2010. Would you have guessed that Dave Bush is the only Brewer on the list?
- MLB Trade Trees has their most interesting Brewer tree to date: A look at the 20-year legacy of the Gary Sheffield deal.
- Speaking of interesting charts and graphs, Bill Petti of Beyond the Box Score has one about the 25 inning game the Brewers and White Sox played on May 8, 1984.
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Bucs Dugout noted that Jorge Julio, previously believed to be in minor league camp with the Pirates, actually had his contract rescinded after he failed a physical.
The current stretch of spring training is frequently referred to as the "Dead Arm" period, but that's not really anatomically correct. Thankfully, SBNation.com has Jeff Sullivan considering alternatives.
As you plan your summer activities this year, remember to bring lots of sunscreen and a bottle of Joe West repellent. Today's episode of The Adventures of Joe West shows baseball's laughingstock esteemed umpire ejecting kids from a tube.
With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- AZL Brewer R.J. Johnson, who turns 19.
- 1972-76 Brewer George Scott, who turns 66.
- 1953-61 Milwaukee Brave Johnny Logan, who turned 84.
Also, happy birthday to BCB's tenderest (fantasy) lover Hyatt, who turns 30.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to update my calendar.
Drink up.