Monday's Frosty Mug: Hart waits by the phone

Some things to read while getting angry again.

We are 95 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, and it's unclear if the Brewers are saving a locker in Maryvale for Corey Hart. MLB Trade Rumors has several Brewers notes from over the weekend and says Doug Melvin has "only committed to speaking with agent Jeff Berry about Hart's status at some point."

I mentioned this on the radio on Thursday, but I thought that the Brewers' best chance of re-signing Hart was during the exclusive negotiation window following the World Series. Hart has said he'd be willing to return to Milwaukee at a discount, but that discounted price may go up now that other teams are able to make offers.

Connor Moylan of SBNation.com has a reminder that the Brewers need to do something at first base, whether it's with Hart or someone else. He has a look at first basemen around the NL and has Juan Francisco and Sean Halton penciled in again for 2014.

The Brewers could also look to trade to solidify the position. Over the weekend Noah considered the possibility that the team could send Norichika Aoki to the Mets for first basemen Lucas Duda or Ike Davis. This idea comes pre-approved from Mets fans: About 59% of voters in this MetsBlog poll want New York to pursue Aoki.

Getting back to free agency: Benjamin Orr of Reviewing the Brew has considerations of reliever J.P. Howell and starting pitchers Scott Kazmir and Chris Capuano as potential targets for the Brewers.

Thankfully, the Brewers probably won't need to find any catching help this winter. Alex Hall of SBNation.com has a look around the NL and says the Brewers are set at the position.

Thanks to this spring's contract extension, the Brewers are also set in center field. Over the weekend Carlos Gomez was named Wilson's Brewers defensive player of the year, and he also finished seventh in the SB Nation MVP voting. Gomez received one first place vote (and it wasn't ours) and three second place votes for the latter award, where he was named on 29 of 36 ballots.

Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers wrapped up their 2014 giveaway announcements on Thursday and Friday of last week. The final two bobbleheads are Jean Segura (on August 24) and a circa 1974 Robin Yount (on September 14). The team will also hold six t-shirt giveaways this summer, and the Brewers' tumblr page has the designs for all of them.

Donovan Hand and Jimmy Nelson won't get 2014 bobbleheads in Milwaukee, but towards the end of last week we featured them as the latest editions in our player-by-player look at the 2013 season. That series continues today, so check back later to see who we'll profile next.

In the minors:

• This weekend's biggest news across minor league baseball may have come in Nashville, where a deal is close to build a new ballpark for the Sounds. Greer Stadium is consistently ranked as one of AAA's worst facilities.
• Before you get too excited about a possible ballpark, though, remember that it's scheduled to open in 2015 and the Brewers' player development contract with the Sounds expires following the 2014 season. A new ballpark in Nashville will likely make the franchise much more attractive to other potentially interested teams.
• The Arizona Fall League is off on Sundays, but Juan Francisco went 0-for-2 with two walks and a run in Licey's 3-1 win over Aguilas in the Dominican Republic yesterday (box score). Chris Narveson pitched seven innings for the win in that game.
• Sophia Minnaert of FS Wisconsin was at that game and has pictures of Narveson and Francisco.
• Francisco has been on base a lot lately, as he went 10-for-24 with four doubles and eight RBI over the previous seven days. You know that and more if you read Sunday's edition of This week in winter baseball.

While most baseball players are off for the winter, Joe Block is finding a way to keep busy: He's filling in on Detroit Pistons radio broadcasts on their current west coast swing.

Finally, if you weren't around the site this weekend you might have missed JP's look at what we've learned over the last seven days. It's a great way to keep up on all the happenings around this site if you're unable to check in daily.

Around baseball:

Orioles: Are expected to hire former Braves assistant Dom Chiti as their new bullpen coach.
Rangers: Signed pitcher Martin Perez to a four-year, $12.5 million contract. Also, outfielder Nelson Cruz is expected to reject the team's qualifying offer.
Reds: Signed catcher Brayan Pena to a minor league deal.

We'll have more news on this winter's qualifying offers tomorrow: Players have until 4 pm today to accept or reject their one-year deals.

Meanwhile, the big news around baseball today is the Braves' surprise announcement that they're leaving Turner Field and moving to a new ballpark in Cobb County, Georgia following the 2015 season. Turner Field, built for the 1996 Olympics, has been the home of the Braves since 1997.

In former Brewers:

• WLWT has an interview with Dave Parker about his career and his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease. (h/t BBTF)
• Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation predicts someone will make a mistake by giving Nelson Cruz a big deal in free agency.
• Amazin' Avenue has a look at Casey McGehee as an option for the Mets.
• Former Brewers and Brewers farmhands Matt LsPorta, Mark Rogers and Fautino De Los Santos made Grant Brisbee's all-minor league free agent team.

Today's sabermetric note comes from Athletics Nation, where they have an effort to explain defensive metrics DRS and UZR. If you've always wondered how those numbers work, that's a great place to learn.

Finally, with help from the B-Ref Play Index we'd like to wish a happy 52nd birthday to West Bend, Wisconsin native and UW-Stevens Point/UW-Oshkosh alum Scott May. May pitched two seasons in the majors as a member of the 1988 Rangers and 1991 Cubs.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my washer is done.

Drink up.