What we learned: October 10, 2014

Payroll could be a little tough when looking at free agency.

Despite all of the players leaving the Brewers now, there's still a good core returning next season. With that core, the Brewers will have to make some additions to fill the holes that will be on the roster for 2015. Derek broke down the current situation yesterday, looking at how things will occur based on current contract situations. His projections put the team at around $86 million, with about $17 million to spend to fill holes at first base, third base, and a bullpen slot. It doesn't sound like much, especially considering what free agents are getting for contracts now. We will have to see how the Brewers decide to utilize that money.

The Brewers got some good production from the "bottom" of the pitching rotation.

The Brewers only needed seven starting pitchers this year, which is a big improvement over the revolving door they had in the rotation in 2013. Not only that, but the starters they had were productive, and it was especially good to see from the bottom of the rotation. Jordan went through the bottom half of the rotation yesterday, comparing his preseason expectations to what they actually did. Though Marco Estrada struggled as a starter, the others had some positives to take away. Wily Peralta was one of the better starting pitchers this year, and Mike Fiers had a resurgence in his time in the rotation. Jimmy Nelson didn't fare as well, but showed some good promise for the future. A good rotation is key to competing, and the performance of it this year provides optimism for 2015.

Cram Session

From BCB

• After being sent outright to the minor leagues, both Jeff Bianchi and Matt Pagnozzi have declined their assignments and will become free agents.
• Aramis Ramirez has 398 hits as a Brewer. Yesterday, Kyle asked how many Brewers hitters with more hits than Ramirez you can name.

Other Notes

• We're still waiting to hear about the fate of Ron Roenicke. Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar says the Brewers should move on from Roenicke, but isn't optimistic about how it will play out.
• Some fans have been calling for the Brewers to rebuild for a while now, but that may not be the right route to go. Over on Disciples of Uecker, Nicholas Zettel looks at how the Giants and Cardinals have built their rosters, and how it backs up Doug Melvin's approach.
• David S. Grant of Reviewing the Brew looks at the free agency case of Francisco Rodriguez.
• Mike Petriello of FanGraphs predicts the qualifying offer situation for the 2015 free-agent hitters, including Aramis Ramirez. He predicts that Ramirez will either sign a two-year extension or accept a qualifying offer if one is made.
• Former Brewer J.J. Hardy signed a three-year, $40.5 million extension with the Orioles yesterday. He had been scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season.
• Miller Park Drunk has a couple of posts looking at the past, one from when John Hughes died, and another from when animals hated Trevor Hoffman.

NL Central Update

• Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors has some notes on the NL Central, including the finalization of the Cubs coaching staff, the recovery of Reds reliever Sean Marshall, and the contracts of the Reds starting pitchers.

Postseason Update

Today's Games

• AL Championship Series Game 1 - 7:00 pm, TBS
  Royals (James Shields) @ Orioles (Chris Tillman)
  Series Tied 0-0

News & Notes

• Mark Townsend of Big League Stew has a preview of the ALCS, while David Brown has a preview of the NLCS.
• The crew chiefs for each championship series have been announced. Gerry Davis will be the crew chief for the NLCS, and Joe West will lead the crew for the ALCS. Of course, you may not want to show MLB this report that Joe West has the most incorrect ball-strike calls this season.
• Dale Sveum's promotion to hitting coach of the Royals has had an impact on the Royals offense this season. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com looks at how Sveum's promotion improved the team.
• The Orioles decided to leave suspended first baseman Chris Davis off of their ALCS roster. He would have been eligible to play starting in game 6 had he been included. If the Orioles make the World Series, he could be added for that.
• Does playoff experience matter? David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot says it does, but not for the players.