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.

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.