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.