Time to end the Cutler era in Chicago?

In a season that could easily be classified as the biggest disappointment in the NFL this season, the Chicago Bears will mercifully end their season Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium.

A game that means nothing for the Bears in terms of playoffs, but everything for head coach Marc Trestman and seemingly moreso for quarterback Jay Cutler. It's been something that hard for me to fathom after the huge contract he signed at the end of last season that guaranteed him $54 million the next three years.

The fact of the matter is, Cutler's goose may alreadty be cooked, but talk of his demise has been greatly exaggerated. in reality 2014 has been one of his best years statistically in terms of touchdowns (28 is a career best), completion percentage (66.1 is a career best) and yards (He needs 57 yards to have his best season since 2008, his final season in Denver).

Of course the number that sticks out are the 18 interceptions are what everyone is talking about. It is a number that leads the NFL and is his most since his first season in Chicago, when he appeared to be trying to do too much.

Numbers will say what they will. His say, the offense has not been consistent all year. Every Trestman postgame presser starts with him saying the game was "disappointing." Most all of that falls back on the head coach and the preparation. The quarterback has to wear that, as well, and for the second half of the season it is clear the coach has lost the team, mainly because he didn't have the answers to solve the problems on either side of the ball.

As many characterized it after Cutler signed his contract, Trestman and Cutler became married at that point. They were tied to each other in success and failure and with the contract, the Bears were hoping and banking on success.

That put a ton of expectations on Cutler's 2014, and from the first game of the season he has failed to deliver. I've been one of his biggest supporters throughout the years and after a 2013 that saw the potential start to come out of him, finally, he appeared ready to take the next step. 

Give him the tools in standout wide receivers in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, a tight end in Martelus Bennett that catches anything in his vacinity and a running back in Matt Forte that is one of the best in the business and the offense was poised for greatness.

Somewhere along the way, Cutler and Trestman got their signals crossed and seemed out of sync from the first game of the season. Things have spiraled out of control the last four games and opened up on Jay, leading to his benching in the Week 16 loss to the Lions. 

All of the talk this week has been that no one at Halas Hall is safe from the CEO Ted Philips to General Manager Phil Emery, Trestman and Cutler. I have called for a house cleaning myself, but to see them all go would be unprecidented and while Cutler is the highest paid player in the league this season, he wasn't the only problem on the team, so seeing him sent packing would be far fetched.

A coaching change and a chance for Emery to take one more shot at it seems more likely. Regardless, we shall see come Monday if Trestman makes it through Black Monday.

Brewers keeping winning ways despite injuries

Wednesday's dramatic win over the Pirates may well be a microcosm of the Brewers winning ways of late and a sign there might be something special about this group. 

Rickie Weeks was making a start in the leadoff spot with Carlos Gomez out serviing his suspension and when Yovani Gallardo gave up a couple long home runs, the Brewers put a rally together and got Chris Davis to come through.

It seems like a different guy has seemed to come through each night. It has the team on the cover of Sports Illustrated and holding a five-game lead in the NL Central Division. And me starting to think there might not be a huge "regression to the mean" coming in the form of a losing streak. 

With Aramis Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list, the Brewers are missing some pop in the lineup and with a lefty going for the Pirates in the form of Wandy Rodriguez, manager Ron Roenicke gave Weeks the start today in Way back Wednesday fashion, hit him leadoff. Weeks did not disappoint, with three hits, falling a triple shy of the cycle. He has now hit safely in eight straight games he's played in and is hitting .360 for the season. As hot as he's been, I'm not sure how Roenicke can stick with his strict platoon at second base. 

His fellow benchmate for most of the season, Martin Maldanado, also hit a home run that tied the game at the time. For as little as he has played as backup catcher, he delivers every time he takes the field.

Throw in Rob Wooten helping Houdini out of the eighth inning of a jam that kept the Pirates lead at one run. He ended up getting the win in going 1.1 innings. It's just be a great run by the bullpen. Even with Francisco Rodriguez's hiccups Wednesday night and Tyler Thornburg not finding the strikezone Thursday night, 

That helped set the stage for Davis, who has certainly not performed to expectations and he'll be the first to admit to such. Hopefully this hit will give him the confidence to not be bailing off pitches as much and trying to pull everything. 

When everything comes together like it as almost when needed this season, the Brewers have gotten it. Everyone around baseball is seemingly waiting for the bubble to burst on this team and another series win shows that it may be time to start believing this team could have something going. At the quarter-mark of the season, the Brewers are in control of a division and are in position to be buyers at the trade deadline. 

Whether it will pan out, I'm not sure, but it will be fun as a fan of this team to watch!

Why I cheered Ryan Braun on Opening Day in Milwaukee

Opening Day at Miller Park has to be one of my favorite days of the year. With Ryan Braun making his return to the Brewers and Major League Baseball Monday afternoon, I expected a loud ovation for the 2011 National League MVP and got just that from the sixth largest crowd in Miller Park history. What followed, however, was the media crying foul on us fans for giving the man that will likely crush every Brewers team record once is all said and done a welcome back cheer.
The two-minute standing ovation Braun received at January's Brewers On Deck day gave every indication what was in store on Monday. I give every fan the opportunity to do what they want when they are at a game. You paid for that seat, why not?

Here's what went down:


Once that went down, every pundit chimed on on what was wrong about that scene. Deadspin has the best collection of them, here. I can't speak for everyone else, but here's why I stood up and made noise for Braun.
First and foremost, he's our guy. I said it on the Wilber's Way Twitter that night. I don't like to think we're stuck with him because the other 29 teams would probably move mountains if he was dangled as trade bait. The Brewers have locked him up until 2020 (with an option for 2021), so he will remain a Milwaukee Brewer for a very long time if the the team allows it. So long as he's not on one of those other teams, fans of those teams will continue to boo him or whatever every chance they get. They would have regardless, being the Brewers' best player. The way he produces when healthy, there's no reason to see that changing anytime soon.
Second, because he's not going anywhere, the Brewers need him to thrive in the place he plays 81 games. Why not make Miller Park his sanctuary where he knows the fans have his back? If nothing but negativity swirled around him, that would bring him and the team down and the Brewers would be forced to find somewhere that would take him. When he succeeded at a place he was wanted, the Brewers would have to look back and wonder what happened. With the fans behind him, he will want to be here, too. Being the smallest media market in the MLB can't hurt that part of it either.
Third, he's admitted his wrong. It was the worst kind of wrong an athlete can commit, but he has admitted it and that's more than most of the other guys that were involved with BioGenesis.
Sure, Braun is not on the level he once was because of the whole situation, but when he laces 'em up and takes the field in Milwaukee, fans here will continue to cheer him. I'm not going to argue morals. Braun seems to get it and wants to let his play speak for him (a 1 for 12 start isn't doing so good on that front right now) and it will the more time goes by.

Predicting the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers

Every team in Major League Baseball has hope this time of year as Spring Training breaks and Opening Day is just around the corner. For Milwaukee's Brewers those hopes are tied to three main things. Those three things are simple. Firsts, it's the performance of Ryan Braun. Second, the overall health of the team, and finally the depth of their starting rotation. If things come out right in all three of those areas, the Brewers could be in the hunt for one of the two National League Wild Card spots and finish the season with 85 wins.

Let's first look at Ryan Braun. Back in January, I wrote that the Brewers needed Braun to be what the back of his baseball card says he is. Looking at the team that has come north from Maryvale Baseball Park, this couldn't be more true. If you read some of the projections in the fantasy baseball circles many are calling for Braun to be a shell of the player he was before last season when he missed 101 games between injury and suspension. I can't see that happening and his spring numbers show that. He hit a home run off the second pitch he saw this spring. he is motivated and primed to carry the team again. 

The key to him being able to do that is the second part of what will make the team successful: health. Last year from Braun, to Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez the Brewers had key parts missing lots of time and it showed with what the team did on the field. This season, Hart is gone and Weeks is in a platoon, so they are not as big of a part of this team. The others, however, are back in town and need to have solid years if the Brewers want to be impact players in the National League Central. Ramirez has looked like his old self in spring and has gotten over his knee injury from a year ago. Just like last year, though, it could come out of nowhere. For Gomez, he plays with such wreckless abandon, an injury is not out of the question every time he make a catch at the wall or a diving play in center field. 

Onto the starting pitching, where on paper, it would appear the Brewers have assembled one of their best staffs in recent memory outside of the 2011 team that won the NL Central. Yovani Gallardo will start Opening Day with Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza to follow, then Wily Peralta and Marco Estrada will round out the starting five. Lohse and Garza have shown flashes that they could be aces over the course of the last season while the youngsters in Peralta and Estrada will need to find consistency this season to cement their spots on the Brewers rotation. 

Some publications have had the Brewers finishing fourth in the division again and I could see that if things hold pat from last season when the the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates all made the postseason. Milwaukee does have the potential to push through and mix things up a bit. The first six weeks of the season could be telling with a hearty helping of intra-division games on the slate that could set things up for who will be in it in June and July. Last season, the Brewers stumbled in May going 6-22. To end the season eight games under .500, the team cannot afford to have that big of a set back if playoffs are going to be a possibility. 

PREDICTION

With the pieces the Brewers have this season and the chip on Braun's shoulder, this team can compete for a Wild Card spot and be 85-77 this season. Braun will have 35 homers and be in the MVP discussion. 

Francisco got robbed out of roster spot with Brewers

At the start of Spring Training if you had told me Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds would have beaten out "Fat" Juan Francisco for the platoon at first base, I would have probably agreed with you. After the dust settled Saturday night in Maryvale Francisco's locker was empty and he was the one heading out of camp. 

That doesn't mean the 26-year-old Francisco didn't do everything he could to improve himself at the plate and perform this spring because he did just that. In the end, it was his track record that did him in and inexperience at first base.

The numbers tell the story of a solid spring which followed up a pretty good Dominican Winter League for Francisco where in 40 games he hit .260 with 3 homers and 24 RBI, according to the 2014 Brewers Media Guide. His .346 average (9 of 26) were one of the best on the team of guys with over 15 ABs that paired well with his 3 HR and 6 RBI. He also drew eight walks to give him a .500 OBP and a .731 slugging percentage. He did strike out nine times, but that was by no means the tops on the team. In fact, that was middle of the road with the guys he was competing for the first-base job with besting him.

Overbay would be the one to look at most since he was the lefty and the Big O hit just .179 this spring (7 of 39) with a pair of doubles and eight walks with a lone RBI. His 15 strikeouts are tops on the team this spring. The 37-year-old had just a .319 on-base percentage and a .550 slugging percentage.

Now, I know what you're saying "An exhibition season doesn't make a season." While I'd agree with you, if a true platoon is going to be the plan at first base this season wouldn't you want to ride the hot hand into the season?

Unless a true platoon isn't going to happen there. If Reynolds is the starter and Overbay is just a defensive replacement and spot starter, then the move makes sense. Of the other options still available at first base that were in camp, only Hunter Morris has extended experience at the position. It's that or Martin Maldinado, Jeff Bianchi or Rickie Weeks playing there. 

Safe to say, barring a trade things could be rough at first again this season. We can only hope Doug Melvin knows what he's doing on this one.

Brewers impress with new Carlos Gomez bobblehead

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been critical of the Brewers and their selection of bobblehead giveaways for this season, as a whole. I mean, they aren't exactly impressive with guys that have not been on the team for a full season getting their own bobble, or going to the other direction with another Robin Yount bobble in yet another different uniform. As someone already with 65 bobbles in my collection, I'm allowed to be a littel critical and recognized as a bit of an expert.

That was, however, until the team unveiled the new Gold Glove Carlos Gomez bobblehead giveaway set for April 26. I was lucky enough to get a gold jersey'd Gomez bobble last season and was very impressed with it and this year's ups the ante while commemorating the first Brewers gold glover since Robin Yount.

A couple things play a part in me loving this bobble so much. The first is Gomez is fast becoming my favorite player. With Corey Hart out of town, and Braun in turmoil (I still love and support), Gomez was the bright spot of the team last season in making his first All-Star game. 

This bobble has the Gold Glove and his feet are not even on the ground! Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

This falls in line with the other bobble that has been released, although as a season-ticket-holder exclusive in the Jean Segura All-Star bobble from last season. The fact that it will be released in limited fashion will make it that much sweeter.

If the rest of the bobbles deliver like these have, already, I may have to eat crow in the bobblehead department this season.

Who starts Opening Day on mound for Brewers?

On the day Opening Day tickets were made available for those who won the ticket lottery (this writer was one of them!) it's time to seriously start getting ready for the big day, which is just 34 days away.

Manager Ron Roenicke has already been asked as to who will get the ball for the Brewers on that day and, as per usual, he is not making it public his throughts on who he will tap to start things off for the 2014 season against the Braves at Miller Park.

What he has mentioned is some clue that he has looked at the schedule and noted the Brewers will be part of three home openers in the first week of the season. First, in Milwaukee, on the actual Opening Day. Second, in Boston, when the Red Sox get their World Series rings on the first weekend of the season, and third, in Philadelphia the following Monday against the Phillies. 

That could play a part in things, as Roenicke is on record as saying that Friday "ring day" with the Red Sox at Fenway "is a big game." 

History tells us he is not one to skip guys in the rotation, even with off days between the Brewers Wednesday finale with the Braves and Friday's tilt in Fenway. 

It has to be between three guys for the Opening Day nod and it would set up the rest of the first 10 days of the season. Yovani Gallardo has started the last four openers, but he is coming off what many consider to be a rough year. It wasn't a bad year for him (minus the DUI which put a black eye on his season), but he didn't take the step forward many expected he would. 

Kyle Lohse pushed through a rough open of the season to be the best Brewers pitcher for all of 2013. He was the legit ace of the staff last year once he got dialed in. Many expect him to do the same this season.

Matt Garza was the big free-agent acquisition and was right in line with Lohse while a member of the Cubs last season. After he got traded to the Rangers and suffered an injury he was never the same the rest of the season. He could be a 1a to Lohse's ace-caliber stuff this season.

So who does Roenicke go with? It has to be Lohse for me and here's why. If Roenicke does not skip the guys at the back end of the rotation with the Thursday off day that first week of the season, the No. 1 will pitch the Sunday game in Boston with his No. 2 start of the season. The No. 2 guy would then pitch the opener in Philly the next day and the No. 3 would get an extra day off and start Game 2 of the series against the Phillies. With that in mind, I go Lohse, Garza, Gallardo out of the box. It lines the ducks up when you need them most and puts Gallardo in the best position to succeed.

That does leave out the Friday Opener in Boston. Does Roenicke trust Wily Peralta or Marco Estrada to start that game? The Sox will be throwing their No. 4 that day, too, so it won't be that big of a deal. 

What is a big deal is the start of the Brewers season. After these three Opening Days, the Brewers then play 21 of 24 games against teams from the NL Central. they can ill afford to get off to starts like they have seemingly every year Roenicke has been the manager.

Gomez fits perfect as Brewers leadoff hitter

With players starting to arrive in Maryvale for Spring Training, it's time to start looking at the Brewers lineup. I've been giving it some thought and it would appear every spot seems to be locked up except the top two spots and the discussion is between Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura.

Both had breakout years last year in making the All-Star team and with a healthy roster this year, could be the cogs that push the Brewers into playoff contention. But who hits where?

Norichika Aoki hit leadoff most of last season with Segura hitting second and Gomez hitting third with Ryan Braun suspended. So Segura has the recent history of hitting second and he fits the position with his average and speed.

Gomez has hit leadoff before and has a .238 career batting average. That's not a good average for that spot, but that was pre-2012 when he put everything together and turned the corner. Last year he had career highs wth a .284/.338/.506 slash line. Those are numbers that would fit great at the top of the Brewers lineup. 

His 77 stolen bases the last two season would also fit nicely at the top and are part of what helped him finish ninth in NL MVP voting last season. He has shown the ability to be able to do the little things you would think of with the stereo typical leadoff hitter, as well as show the power that has made him a threat anywhere in the lineup.

Segura has spent the vast majority of his MLB career in the No. 2 slot and has shined there. The 23-year-old had 44 stolen bases to lead the NL last year. He hit leadoff in one game in his career, so there is no history to look at there. 

The "old" ways of doing things with the stereotypical hitters in the No. 1 and No. 2 slots go out with the window with this team. It would be about building as much of a cluster as possible with guys. Of course Braun will remain in his third spot, Aramis Ramiez hits fourth and Jonathan Lucroy would follow him in the fifth slot. With those spots set, it would make sense to put guys at the top of the order who can cause chaos on the basepaths and put pressure on pitching to not only get the hitter out, but keep runners in check. 

Gomez has gotten worlds better at taking pitches and waiting for his pitch. Three years ago, Ron Roenicke would not dare put him in the top half of the lineup, but now he makes the most sense at the leadoff spot. With Segura right behind him, those are two hitters in front of the big boppers who can take bases and help manufacture runs when needed. 

In the future Segura could be the guy who hits leadoff, but right now, he is best suited for the No. 2 spot behind Gomez.

Top five Brewers storylines entering spring training

As the calendar turns to February today, it's serious time to start thinking about Spring Training. The Brewers don't report until February 15, but things are already building as to five key storylines to follow when the Brew Crew gets into Marvale Baseball Park outside Phoenix.

Topping the list of what to watch for is Ryan Braun. Simply, how will he respond to his lowest year as a pro and probably person? On top of the suspension that forced him to miss the final 65 games of the 2013 season, Braun battled injuries and missed almost 40 more games. As I wrote last month, it will be interesting to see how Braun responds to being back this season. Any offense the team missed last season can be addressed with a healthy Braun in the middle of the lineup. Things are going to get dicey on the road this season when opposing fans let Braun hear it.

Are the Brewers asking Braun to deliver MVP caliber numbers? Simply, no. They are just looking for production in line with the back of his baseball card. That would be in the area of about a .312 batting average with 36 home runs and 112 RBI.

Braun won't need to do too much if the first base position, No. 2 on my list of Brewers storylines to watch, delivers more than it did in 2013. First, the Mark Reynolds signing, then the return of Lyle Overbay, have shown that the organization realizes it's a need, but doesn't mean it will be a shining star this season. 

The team was banking on Corey Hart sticking around, and his absence will create a mix and match solution for the short term 

The third story to watch is the Rickie Weeks riddle. What will the Brewers do with him in spring training. These things have a way of working themselves out, but the Brewers have basically hinted they plan to trade Weeks and start with the season with Scooter Gennett at second base. An $11 million guy in a platoon seems a bit much for the Brewers to handle and they would probably like to pawn off some of that salary, but would need to open up the spot fo Gennett, if he delivers in Spring Training, too. 

Pitching seems to always be a need no matter the team and the signing of Matt Garza makes it less of one for the Brewers. The bullpen, however, does have plenty of unanswered questions. Most of those revolve around roles for those who will spend their time in front of Friday's Front Row Sports Grill at Miller Park. Jim Henderson is slated to start the season as closer, but the signing of Garza has bumped Tyler Thornburg to the bullpen as a possible set up man, along with the newly acquired Will Smith from the Royals in the Nori Aoki trade. Brandon Kintzler's name has been mentioned as a setup man, as he came through in that role at the end of last season. Rob Wooten saw time and shined last year, as well, so he should be back. Beyond those names, things are open for discussion. Do the Brewers take a look at Francisco Rodriguez once again (He is available)? Does a non-roster invitee like Zach Duke make the team?

How that plays out will likely decide the No. 5 storyline of the spring. What does the future hold for manager Ron Roenicke in Milwaukee? As I wrote this week, whispers are circling that if things don't end well this season for the Crew, Running Ron, the Brewers could part ways with him. Now I don't see that happening, barring a complete collapse, but that won't stop people from talking. Roenicke has shown at times he thinks way outside the box with his stealing of bases and bunt calls from guys who should not give up an at-bat, but those are marginal things. As a whole, he has not lost the clubhouse at all in his time here. The last two seasons, the team could have cashed out on the season and they came back to finish strong. That's a sign of something that should mean he sticks around for at least another year.

A couple others worth mentioning that just missed the list...

How do Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez follow up their breakout 2013 seasons?

Can Aramis Ramirez avoid a major injury this season and be a factor at the plate?

Will Jim Henderson, who had not closed Major League games before, be able to back up his 2013?

Can Kris Davis make it as an every day left fielder?

How will Ryan Braun fare in right field?

Who will hit leadoff?

Does Roenicke enter season on Brewers hot seat?

A lot of talk has been made this offseason that Brewers manager Ron Roenicke could be on the hot seat if things go tough for the fourth-year skipper this sesason. Some people were calling for it last year, but General Manager Doug Melvin made it clear he was on Roenicke's side after dealing with a myriad of injuries (and a certain star player's suspension) that Running Ron was not going anywhere.

I get the feeling the same can be said of this season for a few reasons. First, the NL Central was the first division in Major League Baseball history to have three teams qualify for the playoffs last season. That means it is going to be tough to break through just them to reach the playoffs.Yes, the Brewers should contend for one of the NL Wild Card spots, but there are a lot of gambles being taken on young guys in the starting rotation and in the bullpen that are not completely Roenicke's responsibility.

Second, Roenicke is one of only five managers in Brewers history to have a winning percentage over .500 of the 18 men that have taken the helm of the team. He also is the manager with the winningest record in franchise history, back in 2011 with 96 wins. He is fourth on the Brewers all-time winning percantage list with a 253-233 record (.521) and is already fifth in terms of total wins in franchise history and will move into fourth on the list past Del Crandall within the first two months of this season.

I know there is a lot of 'What have you done for me lately?' in pro sports, but you can't make changes just to make one. Roenicke has shown the ability to work with players. In 2012, the team seemed down and out in July and was able to work with the young players and make a run at the NL Wild Card before falling just short in September. Last season, the team got off to a 6-22 May, only to push back and finish just eight games under .500 with a team missing half of the team that started on Opening Day missing considerable time. He made the most with what he had.

Finally, the idea that a manager fits a team just as a team is built around a manager's philosophy is true. Roenicke is a perfect fit for the personality of this team, namely Ryan Braun. Unlike managers of past years (see Ken Macha) Braun and Roenicke seem to be on the same page. That might not seem like much to the regular person, but I always look at what Phil Jackson was able to do with Michael Jordan and then later Shaq and Kobe to get his 10 NBA rings. Clearly, the Brewers aren't quite on that level, but it is important. 

Consistency can go a long way for a team. No pro sports franchise wants to be compared to the Cleveland Browns, changing coaches every year and then scrambling when your first choice turns you down. With the pieces Roenicke has in the field and on the mound over the next couple of years he should be able to challenge Phil Garner for the all-time wins in franchise history. Baseball people in this city will back him, everyone else needs to follow suit.

Weeks a player without a position to start season for Brewers

Rickie Weeks won't make any excuses about it. That's what makes him so likeable, but coming off the worst statistical season of his career before he tore his hamstring so bad it needed surgery to repair it, the Brewers' second baseman preps for spring training knowing his $11 million salary makes him a player without a position.

That's because after his injury last season, the Brewers gave full reigns of second base to Scooter Gennett after the injury and Gennett proceeded to hit .353 with a .381 on-base percentage. Weeks, on the other hand did not have a batting average over .186 for all of May last season and had to fight to finish with a .209 average before he was injured August 8 in San Francisco.

Brewers brass has been very clear this offseason about their plans for second base with manager Ron Roenicke saying he is set to start the season with Gennett at second. General Manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash are hoping Weeks comes to Spring Training in Maryvale healthy and can show he can play to show other teams he is a viable piece to trade for.

At 5-foot-10 Weeks is not an option at first base, and cannot play any other infield position, so keeping him on board as a utility infielder is out of the picture.

As for a bench spot for Weeks if he is platooned with Gennett, that does't seem likely either. Again the $11 million tab on his contract pays a part of that and the other part is left-handed Scooter hit just fine against right and left-handed pitching last season. The thought would be to see how he did for a full season. 

The bench will be a post for a later day, but if the Brewers go with five position players on the bench, one would be Logan Schaefer and Caleb Gindl would likely be kept as another outfielder. As for infielders, Lyle Overbay or Mark Reynolds would get one spot depending on which was not playing that night. Jeff Bianchi can play the other three infield positions and seems a likely option on the bench, as well. That leaves Martin Maldinado as the backup catcher on the bench. Where that leaves Weeks (and Juan Francisco) is trade bait.

Barring a Gennett injury in Spring Training that means Weeks, the longest tenured Brewer after Corey Hart left has limited time left as a Milwaukee Brewer. It's not a great time for him, but maybe a change in scenery will serve him well. He has not been the same since his severe ankle injury in 2011, the year he made the All-Star team.

As for where Weeks could end up, the Miami Marlins are the only team linked to him this winter publicly. The Brewers will likly only be able to get prospects for Weeks and will have to eat some of his salary themselves. He has done himself well in the clubhouse and he team would do what they could to put him in a position to succeed. It's a story worth watching when camp convenes in February.

Garza signing would shore up Brewers rotation, bullpen

It's not quite official just yet, but the Brewers and free agent pitcher Matt Garza seem destined to agree to a contract that will see Garza sign the richest free agent contract in Brewers team history. 

Did anyone see this coming? I know I didn't, but it's a coo for General Manager Doug Melvin that helps two of the most important part of the team; the starting rotation and the bullpen.

Last season it felt like the Melvin leaned on the young arms to carry the starting rotation and the result was an avalanche that burried the team in a 6-22 May that proved too much to dig out of. The Garza signing address that and and give the team the ability to slide one of the three being considered for the final two spots in the rotation to the bullpen. 

Marco Estrada, Willy Peralta and Tyler Thornburg will all have a shot at those final two spots, but the one that misses out (I'm leaning towards Thornburg) would be moved to the bullpen, where he could be a viable asset. In Thornburg's case, a possible set up man for closer Jim Henderson.

It would also clear things up with Will Smith, acquired from Kansas City in the Nori Aoki trade, and settle him in the bullpen, where he has experience.

Garza would fall in line behind Kyle Lohse and Yovani Gallardo in the starting rotation and add a potent arm to the No. 3 slot of the rotation. The Brewers are hoping they get the Garza who started 2013 6-1 with the Cubs, not the one who ended the season 4-5 with the Rangers and a strikeout-to-walk ratio that was the worst of his career after battling injuries. 

The 30-year-old Garza and his injury past is the concern circling the Brewers fan base, and it is a great concern, but it's a risk the Brewers have to take if they want to shore up the rotation. They are banking on him being healthy enough to log 170 innings at least and take the ball every fifth day and keep the ball in the ballpark, something that won't be easy considering his recent history. He has allowed 35 home runs in the last two seasons and he's coming to Miller Park which is one of the friendliest hitter's parks in the Majors.

As a whole I'm for this move, but there are some shaky parts of it. Instead of worrying about three years from now, I look at this season and it's a move that shores things up on the pitching front.

With Overbay Brewers could platoon at first base

It would appear in the last week I have turned this space into a Yankees blog, that would would not be the case. The Brewers have just picked up Yankees castaways over the least week or so to play first base. the latest is Lyle Overbay, who will make his return to the Brewers after being traded away prior to the 2006 season.

As I said on Twitter last week, normally retreads are not a good idea. The Brewers learned that lesson with Doug Davis (before his injuries), but given the free agent landscape and their budget it makes sense to bring options in to play the position and see who wins out in spring training.

Sure Overbay's numbers have slipped lately, but he turns 38 next week and can still hit, especially right-handed pitching, which would make him a great candidate for a platoon.

Overbay hit .240 last season in 142 games with the Yankees, but had 111 strikeouts in 486 at-bats. That's not quite Mark Reynolds pace, but close. He did have 14 homers with 24 doubles and can still produce.

The split that jumps out as a candidate for a platoon came last year when he .258 with all but one of his home runs against right-handed pitching and .190 against lefties, according to Baseball Reference.

That bodes well for him to make the team, not only to platoon at first, but to be a bat off the bench as the Brewers are notoriously right handed.

This does not clear up the mess that is the Brewers first base riddle. I have written my take on Mark Reynolds. He is the right-handed veteran in the mix and that could get a roster spot alone. 

The other options include Sean Halton, who saw some time last season, but I can't see that panning out, at least to start the season, and Jaun Francisco.

Francisco has all the potential, but he's viewed as a lottery ticket. Sure the payoff could be huge if he puts his tools together, but he hasn't shown the ability to do that in his time with the Braves and Brewers.

How this all pans, out we shall see. That's what spring training is for and it will be interesting to see how things shake out in Maryvale.

Brewers finally sign first baseman in K machine Reynolds

When I wrote in this space that the Milwaukee Brewers needed to solve the riddle that was their first base position this winter, one of the last directions I thought they would go was Mark Reynolds.

The former Diamondbacks/Orioles/Yankees/Indians third and first baseman is now a member of the Brewers after officially signing with the team Thursday night, as our friends over at Brewer Nation broke down, here. Not exactly the type of birthday present I was expecting from my team, but it helps solve the riddle to some point.

The deal is worth $2 million according to numerous reports with $500k in incentives. That's low risk for a guy signed in mid-January, but still doesn't solidify the position. As Dick Kaegel wrote on Brewers.com, Reyolds has 1,276 strikeouts in 3,418 career at bats and holds the record for most strikeouts in a single season with 223, according to Baseball-Reference while also hold three of the top six spots.

All that aside, he did hit .220 last season with 21 home runs in 135 games with the Indians and Yankees. He did strike out 154 times, which is clearly more than one per game, on average.

He does have some power, which suits him well at Miller Park.

Let's just say he did not get signed for his bat. His defense, however, is a strong point for him, especially at first base. He has a .990 fielding percentage at first base over his career, as opposed to a .928 fielding percentage at third base, where he started his career. That is a strength for a team that has little room for error and can't give away outs.

A platton with Juan Francisco seems likely, at least to start the season, but short term this could pay off for the Brewers. They bascially can't stand to have the production that Yuniesky Betancourt and Francisco had together last season and Reynolds fits their budget.

If you're wondering what the other options are at the position, check out my post from a couple weeks back. The options aren't very pretty. 

I heard numerous rumblings about this signing that Hunter Morris at Triple-A Nashville would be a better option, but he regressed there last year and moving up to the Major League club might not pay off well at all and they could lose him all together. To start the season, Reynolds seems to be the one the team is hedging their bets on, with a little Francisco sprinkled in.

It won't be anything to write home about, but if his defense pays off, the Brewers might live with the .220 batting average.

Will Braun be Braun of old this season for Brewers?

Amidst all of the questions surrounding the Milwaukee Brewers entering the 2014 season, the biggest one has to be whether Ryan Braun will return to the Braun of old this season and be the player he was before all of the PED talk started circling around him.

He played just 61 games last season, after missing 46 games with a nagging injury and final 65 with the PED suspension and was on pace to have one of his worst seasons before the suspension, regardless. Hitting the restart button was good for him in that aspect.

This season, however, is going to be a different animal for him. If he thought he had it rough as the Brewers' best player on the road, he will hear it every time he jogs to right field and when he comes to bat.

Truth be told, the PEDs were to help come back from an injury and with his prolonged time off (missing 101 games last season), he should be back and healthy and if he can maintain his health, he will be a valuable part of the team.

The one thing the Brewers will need of him is mental toughness. It's something he's had from the start of his career. He has been one of the best players in the league since he came up from Nashville, winning a Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first five seasons. He'll need to answer the same questions from media over and over and get a few slights from players on other teams, at least for the near future.

As for the team around him, the Brewers are moving him to right field because of what they saw from Chris Davis who replaced him in the lineup during the suspension and other players on the team came into their own in the final two months of last season. 

Carlos Gomez had his best season as a pro last year and won the first Brewers Gold Glove since the 80s and Jean Segura showed he is one of the top short stops in the National League with his showing. Get Aramas Ramirez healthy and add the upstart Scooter Gennett to backstop Jonathan Lucroy and things are solid for the Brewers lineup. That will take some of the pressure off Braun to produce in the Brewers lineup.

He will get some protection being in Milwaukee, a small media market, and from manager Ron Roenicke who seems pretty close to Braun. 

That said, I can see Braun having an all-star year (not starting because of fan vote) and returning to form. Winning back the masses in Milwaukee and beyon will take time. If he goes out and produces, people will forgive and forget and he will rise again as the face of the Brewers franchise. Doug Melvin, Mark Attanasio and the Brewers are banking on it.

If not Weeks, who for Brewers first base spot?

We are in the home stretch of the Major League Baseball offseason and the Milwaukee Brewers still have not hammered down the team's No. 1 need it had entering the offseason, first base.

General Manager Doug Melvin tried with Corey Hart, which seemed like a slam dunk at the start of the winter, and failed with Hart signing with the Mariners. Then it was James Loney at the top of the list and he resigned with the Rays. So, now the Brewers are left looking at the scrap heap for a trade or staying in-house with the guys that spent most of the season struggling with it last season. Even worse, fans are clamoring for Rickie Weeks to slide over to first base. 

Let's work in reverse there and scratch off one of those options. Weeks is not the answer at first base. As Adam McCalvy wrote on his Brewers mailbag late last week, Weeks isn't a fit at first base, despite fans' outcry to move him there. Yes his $11 million salary is something you would want to find him a spot for, but it's looking like Weeks will land on the bench or be moved in spring training. Maybe for someone that can play first base.

Weeks is just 5-foot-10 and with his defense being an issue at second base, it would not make sense to make him a bigger part of the defense. As, McCalvy says, if you're going to put someone a first who is average defensively, he had better hit. Well, the way the last few years have gone for Weeks, it doesn't seem he could do that well, either.

Jaun Francisco seems to be the front-runner for the position more out of default than anything else. "Fat Juan" as he is referred to by Braves fans, showed why he was DFA'd by the Braves early last year, hitting just .221 last season with the Brewers which was lower than his average with the Braves. 

Can Francisco be servicable at first base? Maybe. He is reffered to over and over on Twitter as a lottery ticket that could hit .275 with 30 homers. The odds of that jackpot coming through is a long shot and I'm not sure the Brewers are willing to wait around for him to come though. He is a cheap option at the position which does bode well for him. If that's the best thing he's got going for him, though, it doesn't say much for the Brewers options.

A long shot at first base would be bringing Hunter Morris up from Triple-A Nashville. After hitting .300 and crushing Double-A pitching two seasons ago, Morris slipped in acclimating to AAA with his average sliding down to .247 with 24 homers and 73 RBI. The Brewers think he needs one more year with the Sounds before he could be ready to move up to the big league club.

The other options for the Brewers involve signing free agents or making trades. Melvin has been link to trade talks with the Mets for Ike Davis. He was awful last season and the Mets want too much (read: Tyler Thornburg), which Melvin turned down. Logan Morrison was another player the Brewers had links to, but he was already traded by the Marlins to the Mariners. Taking him out of consideration.

A comb through the available free agents with first base experience yield familiar names from Yuniesky Betancourt to Alex Gonzalez. With no talk about bringing either of them back, they seem out. 

There is one big name out there in Kendrys Morales, but signing him would result in the Brewers losing the No. 12 pick in June's draft. Something they wouldn't want to give up after losing their pick last season after signing Kyle Lohse. 

Yeah, it's a mess. The miss on Hart has put the team in a rough spot. Still having questions on pitching, it may be something the team waits until spring training to address when teams decide who they want to cut loose or becomes roster casualties. Stay tuned.

Trestman came into own in first season with Bears

Not all first-year NFL coaches are created equal. Just ask Cleveland and apparently Oakland what it's like to burn through coaches year after year. General Manager Phil Emery seemed very high on Marc Trestman after his first year with the Bears with much promise going forward.

Yes, the Bears failed to make the playoffs for the third-straight season, but for the first time in a long time, the offense is being lauded as a force to be reckoned with. Throughout the course of the season there, Trestman started to see progress with Jay Cutler before he went down with a torn groin and then a high ankle sprain. Then he worked wonders with backup quarterback Josh McCown.

We as Bears fans have seen McCown before and did not expect anything near what he did this season coming. As has been said in the Chicago papers, that coaching up of a backup QB alone could be what led to the hopes tied to the Cutler signing. 

Speaking of McCown, dealing with that how he did and not letting it build into a controversy may have been one of the defining moments of his season. He led the team in the right direction. Any rumors that members of the team weren't on board with the move back to Cutler were quickly silenced and you never heard much from them the rest of the season.

One series of events that doesn't get enough talk is the end of the Baltimore game. The Ravens were inside the 10 with just under 2 minutes remaining and everyone was clamoring for Trestman to use his timeouts. He didn't use either of his two remaining, the defense held and the Ravens were held to a field goal to take the lead. It left enough time and all of the Bears timeouts to move down the field and get their own score to force overtime, where they eventually won. Asked about it afterward, Trestman explained he had worked it out and chose the timeouts over the time remaining and it worked out. 

On top of all that, Trestman and Cutler seem to get along great. Something it's safe to say Jay hasn't had in a head coach or offensive coordinator since his Denver days with Mike Shanahan. That would be why the Bears brought Cutler back for seven years and linked the coach and quarterback together for what should be the rest of each of their times in the Windy City. The hope is that the relationship continues to blossom and leads to great things in the near future.

With the emergence of Alshon Jeffery as a top-tier NFL wide receiver, he is another weapon for Cutler. Matt Forte showed this offense is multi dimensional after posting a career-high for rushing yards this season.

It wasn't all roses for the Bears this season. If it were they would still be playing, but Trestman and Emery know what they have to focus on this offseason. With a defense that went from the strength of the team to the achiles heel in a season, there is much work to be done. It appears Mel Tucker will return as defensive corrdinator, so an overhaul of personnel has to be done to give Tucker another shot. 

Lance Briggs will be back, Tim Jennings was resigned for four years and Julius Peppers is under contract for two more seasons, but could be on the chopping block with his high salary cap number. The promise there is one could look to the offense and see how quickly a turn for the better can be made. 

This offensive line was one of the worst in the league a season ago, but this year it was the strongest unit on the team, leading to low sack numbers and a running back that was second in the NFL on the ground this season.

I cannot remember ever having this much promise for an 8-8 team that missed the playoffs, but that's exactly what Emery and Trestman have sold and made it easy to buy into. With the right tweaks to the defense and choices with personnel, it could be the unit that makes the difference next season to get the Bears into the playoffs and possibly beyond.

Marshall, Jeffery will benefit most from Cutler signing

Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall joined the crew on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown Sunday afternoon and flashed his smile when asked about the Bears signing of Jay Cutler last week through the 2020. He's excited to know he will be catching passes from Cutler for as long as he is in Chicago. 

Marshall already knows the importance of Cutler to his career. The two started their careers together in Denver and Marshall shined. Then when Cutler got traded to the Bears, Marshall never saw the same success in Denver or Miami. When the Bears traded to reunite him with Cutler, the two rekindled their great partnership prior to the 2012 season.

Marshall has been an all-pro both years he has been with the Bears and seven more years of Cutler speaks to the connection and chemistry to the two of them have on the field.

Marshall has 218 catches in his two seasons with the Bears for 2,803 yards and 23 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. He became the first Bears receiver with 10 touchdowns in back to back seasons in team history and his 23 TDs already have him ranked in the top 10 in team history. 

Pair him with the breakout Alshon Jeffery had this season with his 89 catches for 1,421 yards and seven touchdown and the Bears have one of the top duos in the NFL as weapons for the quarterback they have secured for the next seven years.

Jeffery set team records for yards in a game twice this season, breaking his own record he set against the Saints, against the Vikings December 1 with 248 yards. His arrival made he and Marshall just the second receiving duo in Bears history to go over 1,000 yards each, beating out the 1995 tandem of Jeff Graham and Cutis Conway.

The complaint I heard from most people was that Josh McCown had an equal part in pushing the Bears offense to the next level. That very fact may have been the same one that pushed General Manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman to bring Cutler back. Seeing the success McCown had and seeing the potential in Cutler with more tools to get the job done makes it appealing to see how Cutler can lead this offense.

Marshall will turn 30 this offseason and has one year remaining on his contract. You have to think it's a slam dunk he stays with the Bears beyond that. With Jeffery in just his second year in the NFL is coming into his own. Matt Forte had career highs for rushing yards this season and made another Pro Bowl. Add in Martelus Bennet's production as a tight end in this offense and Trestman has weapons all around the field for Cutler to deliver to.

As is seen around the NFL, you can have weapons and with no quarterback, they are useless. The opposite was seen in Chicago in the first years of the "Cutler era" where he had no weapons and seemed to take the entire offense on himself. Now they are together and the sky seems to be the limit in their production going forward.

Who stays, who goes amongst Bears free agents

Not in my memory has a team had as many players unrestricted free agents as the Bears and General Manager Phil Emery have this offseason. Last offseason Emery made the offense a focal point, retooling the offensive line and taking it from the worst units in the league to the strongest unit of the team.

He has promised to do the same this offseason. He has to start in deciding if Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker will be back and beyond that has some tough choices to make starting with the players that played in Chicago this season.

Before the team signed kicker Robbie Gould and fullback Tony Fiammetta signed contracts before the Week 17 showdown with the Packers, the Bears had 29 players eligible for free agency after this season.

The list of players is long, but contains some big names, including Jay Cutler and Charles "Peanut" Tillman. I've been clear how I feel about Cutler and backup quarterback Josh McCown, who is also a free agent, but things seem to be taking shape on some of the other players. Tillman's injuries the last couple seasons make him a guy that could be on his way out. He says he's not done playing football, but might be a guy the Bears are willing to let go.

The biggest name outside of Cutler and Tillman is Devin Hester, who still has ability to be a game changer and did so throughout this year. It was his first season as just a return man and he seemed to do well. He earned just $2 million this season and if they can agree on something around that this year, I would be behind bringing him back. Otherwise, Hester has been clear he'd like to reunite with Lovie Smith, where ever he ends up this winter.

Cornerback Tim Jennings, who plays opposite Tillman, should be a guy the Bears look at signing. He's young enough and is a great playmaker. Whether he can play man coverage is something that could play a role in that.

Linebackers D.J. Williams and James Anderson are free agents, as well. Williams was the starting middle linebacker at the start of the season, but injury ended his season early on. He makes just $1 million and has been clear he wants to be back. For that salary, it would be hard to let him walk away, for depth purposes alone. Anderson could be a casualty with rookie James Bostic showing himself worth in Lance Briggs' absence during the year.

Along the offensive line center Roberto Garza was the lone holdover from last season and proved himself worthy this season. I'd be inclined to keep this group together for another season as they started all 16 games this season. Left guard Matt Slauson has said he wants to be back and I'd like to see him back, too.

Finally, Julius Peppers is an interesting name that's been brought up this week. He's not a free agent, but is set to make $18.133 million next season. If the Bears are looking to find dollars to spread around to the free agents and draft picks, that might be a spot they look to make a move. Peppers led the team with 7.5 sacks this season, but was not nearly the force he's been in past year.

I'm glad I'm not the guy crunching the numbers and dealing with the agents, but it will be interesting to see fall into place as Emery and Trestman put a team together over the next six months.