2014 Milwaukee Brewers: 25-Man Roster Announced

Despite the snow surrounding Miller Park, only six days remain before it plays host to Opening Day against Atlanta.  Accordingly, the Milwaukee Brewers have announced the men who will suit up there:

1 / Logan Schafer / OF
2 / Scooter Gennett / 2B
7 / Mark Reynolds / IF (Non-Roster Invitee)
8 / Ryan Braun / OF
9 / Jean Segura / SS
12 / Martin Maldonado / C
13 / Will Smith / RP
14 / Jeff Bianchi / IF
16 / Aramis Ramírez / 3B
18 / Khris Davis / OF
20 / Jonathan Lucroy / C
22 / Matt Garza / SP
23 / Rickie Weeks / 2B
24 / Lyle Overbay / 1B (Non-Roster Invitee)
26 / Kyle Lohse / SP
27 / Carlos Gomez / OF
29 / Jim Henderson / RP
30 / Tyler Thornburg / RP
32 / Tom Gorzelanny / RP (15-Day Disabled List)
38 / Wily Peralta / SP
41 / Marco Estrada / SP
49 / Yovani Gallardo / SP
51 / Wei-Chung Wang / 51 (2013 Rule Five Draft Pick)
53 / Brandon Kintzler / RP
57 / Francisco Rodriguez / RP
59 / Zach Duke / RP (Non-Roster Invitee)

Yovani Gallardo will take the mound against the Braves on March 31, marking his franchise-record fifth consecutive Opening Day assignment while seeking his first such victory with Milwaukee.

See you at Miller Park!
Barrel Man

'K-Rod' Returns to Milwaukee

A familiar face, and possible subsequent set of sport glasses, will return to Milwaukee in 2014.

Francisco 'K-Rod' Rodriguez and the Brewers have agreed to a one-year, $3.25 million deal.  It is an incentive-laden deal, as Rodriguez can earn up to an additional $550,000 in performance bonuses.  To make room on their 40-man roster, the Brewers designated right handed reliever Donovan Hand for assignment.

Rodriguez pitched parts of three seasons with Milwaukee from 2011-2013.  During the 2011 All-Star break, the Brewers acquired then-closer K-Rod from the Mets in exchange for two players to be named.  Doug Melvin had been looking to solidify a shaky bullpen and make a playoff push.  The results were convincing.

Setting up closer John Axford, Rodriguez went 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA while helping lead Milwaukee to the 2011 NL Central title.  In the postseason, Franky allowed one run in five innings of work against Arizona and St. Louis.

K-Rod Holds D'backs in Decisive NLDS Game Five

Following the 2011 season, the Brewers offered salary arbitration to their newly appointed eighth inning man.  Many expected Rodriguez to sign elsewhere and reclaim his previous closer role, thus granting Milwaukee a supplemental draft pick.

The free agent reliever instead returned to the Brewers in 2012 on a one-year, $8 million deal.  He proved not to be the K-Rod from a year prior, going 2-7 with a 4.38 ERA, his highest in a full season.

Following the 2012 season, Rodriguez once again entered the free agent market.  Though it appeared as though ties had been cut, Rodriguez was granted another chance from the Brewers in 2013.

The embattled reliever signed a Minor League deal in mid-April, eventually earning his way to the big leagues.  There, Rodriguez redeemed himself, maintaining a 1.09 ERA and saving ten games in place of a struggling John Axford.

In late July, the Brewers traded Rodriguez to Baltimore in exchange for third base prospect Nick Delmonico.  K-Rod had mixed results as an orange bird, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in a setup role.

In total, Rodriguez has gone 7-8 and saved 13 games while maintaining a 3.15 ERA with the Brewers.  He is expected to set up newly appointed closer Jim Henderson, who enjoyed success with Milwaukee in the second half of 2013.

Following a couple of very quiet months on the offseason front, Doug Melvin has made several moves since the change of the calendar year.  Though they have received little national recognition, the Milwaukee Brewers certainly expect to compete in a competitive National League Central Division.

Thank you for reading,
Barrel Man

Brewers Ink Veteran Duke to Minors Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers continue to try and bolster a pitching staff that left something to be desired in 2013.

The Crew has agreed to terms with veteran southpaw Zach Duke on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

Duke, who will turn 31 in April, has pitched for four different terms over the course of his nine-year Major League career.  Those teams include Pittsburgh, Arizona, Washington, and Cincinnati.  In that span, Zach has compiled a 50-76 record while owning an ERA of 4.57.

Duke has ample experience as both a starter and reliever, with most of his recent action coming out of the bullpen.  Though serviceable, Duke has battled inconsistencies throughout his career.  His career-high single season win total of 11 occurred in 2009 as a Pirate, the same season in which Duke led the National League with 16 losses.

Duke made his Major League debut against Milwaukee on July 2, 2005.  He was impressive in his debut, striking out nine Brewers while picking up a no-decision.

We shall see how Duke pans out in Milwaukee.  It is certainly a low-risk, high reward signing.

Thank you for reading,
Barrel Man

Aoki Dealt to Royals; Davis to Start in Left Field

In the final days of October, the Brewers exercised outfielder Norichika Aoki's club option for 2014.  Despite the exercised option worth just under $2 million, Aoki had long been considered trade bait.

Kansas City has taken that bait, acquiring Aoki in exchange for left handed pitcher Will Smith.  Smith was productive for the Royals in 2013, posting a 3.24 ERA while striking out 43 batters in 33.1 innings of work.  He maintained an impressive 0.93 WHIP while limiting opposing hitters to a .202 batting average.

The 24-year-old Smith brings much needed depth to a Brewers' pitching staff that was largely inconsistent in 2013.  Though Smith can start and pitch out of the bullpen, Doug Melvin has indicated that Smith will be a member of the Brewers' starting rotation in 2014.

The move creates an intriguing scenario which team officials have discussed over the past several weeks.  The Brewers plan to move the recently reactivated Ryan Braun to right field, paving the way for Khris Davis to take over in left.

While many believe Braun to be athletic enough to play just about anywhere on the diamond, Davis' skill set profiles him specifically as a left fielder.  Davis, who turns 26 later this month, made the most of his brief opportunity in 2013, slugging 11 homers and driving in 27 runs in 136 at-bats.

Davis Homers Against Cubs

Aoki was productive with Milwaukee, banging out 321 hits and swiping fifty bases while batting .287 over the course of two seasons.  A solid player on the field who brought a positive clubhouse presence, Aoki will surely be missed by teammates and fans alike.

On Sunday, June 29 at Miller Park, all fans in attendance will receive a Norichika Aoki bobble head.  The bobble head will feature Aoki wearing a Japanese-style Brewers uniform.  It will be interesting to see how the Brewers market this promotion, as Aoki will not be wearing a Brewers uniform of any kind in 2014.

Thank you for reading, and have a nice weekend,
Barrel Man