Winter Off-Season Musings

Has anyone ever wondered about the origins of softball? Softball was originally developed in the late 19th century, initially as a lark, but it fundamentally had its roots with baseball. In fact, softball was used by early ballists to keep in shape because the game was originally designed to be played indoors (it was originally called Indoor Baseball).

Today, ballplayers keep in shape during the off-season in myriad ways. In fact, I recall an interview that Phil Niekro once gave (I believe in the late 1970s) that he kept in shape by working on his farm (in particular, I remember him stating that digging a ditch or fixing a fence were great ways to keep in shape). Many young players and some older players trying to showcase their wares may play in the Winter Leagues of Mexico and the Caribbean, but the majority of them have a workout routine and take batting practice at indoor batting cages.

And while players working on their physique, general managers work on piecing together a roster that they believe will accomplish their goals for the upcoming season. The Winter Meetings will wrap up today and already there has been a bevy of activity for the Braves and the Brewers as well as other teams in the Majors.

Scott Rolen Coming to the Brewers?

Rumors have been circulating the Brew Crew nation that Scott Rolen could be traded to Milwaukee, perhaps for Bill Hall and Chris Capuano. ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Cardinals broke off talks that they did not feel comfortable with trading Rolen to a team within its own division, but Doug Melvin did not agree with that report. Instead, Doug Melvin reported to Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinal that he was uneasy about the trade for the following reasons:

1. Rolen's Salary. He is owed $36 million over the next three years. It appears that the Brewers don't want to pay all of that.
2. Rolen's recent spat of injuries. Don't forget that he had shoulder surgery in September.
3. What else the Brewers would have to give up to get Rolen beyond Capuano

I'm not altogether uncertain that Melvin might be concerned also about Tony La Russa's rift with Scott Rolen. I think the main reason Johnny Estrada was traded to the Mets was because he lacked a good relationship with the coaching staff. The last thing the Brewers need is a clubhouse cancer.

La Russa's feud with Scott Rolen stems from the 2006 post season in which La Russa benched Rolen who was not hitting well with his bad shoulder. La Russa seems to want to move Rolen and he has gone on record today seeming to be ready to accept Rolen as an everyday player next season as long as he produces. This could be La Russa's way of accepting the fact that the Cardinals organization will not trade their star third baseman without a nice package, and certainly even La Russa noted that the Cardinals will not "accomodate" Rolen by merely trading him to appease Rolen; the Cardinals expect to make the trade equitable for the organization if they indeed trade him.

If Rolen is healthy - and I have some concerns about that - the move could be brilliant for the Brewers. He is a career .283 hitter with 13 seasons of big league experience, but his power seems to be off the last few years. He would be a big defensive upgrade to the Brewers and it would put Ryan Braun in the outfield. Ryan Braun has reported that he is willing to move to the outfield to help the team, but he is also confident that he will become a "Gold Glove" outfielder one day.

Yet, the obstacle to insure this trade are difficult at best to overcome. The Cardinals are lacking in starting pitching right now - an area that the Brewers have great depth right now - and they will be limited in where they can trade Rolen because he has a no trade clause in his contract. Ultimately, if the Cardinals are able to work out a trade for Rolen they will have to accommodate him because he can pull the plug on the trade. So, the bottom line is that the Cardinals will have to find a team willing to eat most or all of Rolen's salary and get at least one potential quality pitcher. I doubt any team would be willing to do that, and I think the best deal would be the one that the Brewers would offer if they are willing to deal. I'm guessing that Doug Melvin will probably sit back on this and see if they get a better deal than what the Cardinals want right now, whatever that is.

If Not Rolen, then Who?

The Brewers might wait until Saturday to check "the boards" and see what's available. That's when players who were offered arbitration can decline and become free agents, so the free agent pool may widen a bit. Thus, options for third base or left field may broaden to the Brewers' advantage.

I think that the Cardinals were waiting patiently to see how the Miguel Cabrera trade was going to shake out, which explains a great deal why the Cardinals might have been stern regarding what they wanted in return for Rolen. Even so, let's examine some potential options for both third base and left field:

Russell Branyan: A former Brewer with a lot of pop in his bat, but his batting average can hover around the Mendoza line. I don't think he'd be a good fit for the Brewers as he'd only be defensively adequate and the Brewers will be looking for something more. Plus, the Cardinals released Branyan in August which should probably say something about his value.

Pedro Feliz: The San Francisco free agent is an intriguing possibility only in that he has some pop in his bat. That being said, Doug Melvin reported to Tom Haudricourt that the Brewers have little interest in Feliz, presumably due to his low on base percentage.

Chris Gomez: He's served very well as a back-up third baseman the last few seasons in Cleveland and Baltimore. He's also available to play the other infield positions. Personally, I'd sign Chris Gomez as a replacement for Tony Graffanino were I Doug Melvin, or at least replace him with Craig Counsel.

Chris Woodward: Another Mendoza Line hitter and utility player, he did not live up to the expectations that the Braves had. I think I'd seek a trade before signing Chris Woodward.

Tadahito Iguchi: He's a possible fit, but he'd have to switch from second base to third. His agent has already expressed Iguchi's interest and has stated that he would welcome the move to third base. Iguchi's agent, Rocky Hall, has even said that he was expecting an offer from the Brewers, but Doug Melvin has not indicated as much. We'll have to see if this is actually something in the making.

Those are the free agents left. Yet, the Brewers have inquired about the following third basemen:

Joe Crede: Joe Crede missed most of last season due to back surgery. If healthy, he'd be a defensive upgrade and could potentially knock 30 homeruns. But, I expect the White Sox will be shopping Crede around and may not make a good offer for the Brewers.

Hank Blalock: It's hard not to like the Texas Rangers' third baseman, but he missed a large part of the season due to a thoracic outlet syndrome, which is a nerve disorder that can adversely affect the neck. In other words, the Brewers would have to scrutinize Blalock's medical records...we don't need another Corie Koskie on the roster. Apart from this, Blalock could be an good fit for the Brewers, but the Rangers will definitely want more than Chris Capuano. The Rangers, of course, communicate quite well with Doug Melvin, so who knows what may transpire after today?

Miguel Tejada: Tejada was Baltimore's shortstop and the Brewers considered him a possibility for third base. He has some pop in his bat and is certainly a defensive upgrade, but probably not a good economic fit for the Brewers.

My Thoughts: If I were Doug Melvin, out of these possibilities, I'd sign Chris Gomez as a utility player and I might go after Hank Blalock if all I had to give up was Capuano and maybe a prospect. Otherwise, standing pat would be a good idea with Ryan Braun at third. I'd go after a corner outfielder instead.

Turnbow Closing Again?

It appears that the Brewers are preparing to have Derrick Turnbow closing again, which fans won't be too keen about. Doug Melvin specifically noted in yesterday's story, "Derrick probably has a head-start on it because he has done it before and has been an all-star closer." True, but after the All Star game in 2006, Turnbow fell apart and became ineffective. He definitely has the stuff to be a closer, but he has to work out whatever is going on in his head. Turnbow's walks last year were egregious for a relief pitcher, but he still possesses a dominant, lively fastball.

I'm not sure that the Brewers are done with the shopping for a closer, but they may be merely seeing what else might pop up on the shelf.

That's it for now. I'll address some Braves related material later, especially regarding the Andruw Jones signing in Los Angeles and Braves fans reactions.