Departure of Fielder and PED allegations surrounding Braun lead to difficult off-season

Just a matter of months after the team bagged the first division title in franchise history, the Brew Crew seemed to be gearing up for one of their most testing seasons. Star first baseman Prince Fielder had departed to the bright lights of the Motor City, along with a monstrously large contract, and their other perennial All-Star and reigning NL MVP, Ryan Braun had been suspended for 50 games for failing a drugs test. The 28 year old did, however, become the first player in MLB history to overturn a suspension, which alleviates some of the despair following the departure of Fielder.

The Brewers put up enviable numbers last year, thanks to a potent line-up. They ranked first in the NL in home runs, and in the top five in RBIs and batting average. Clearly, other players will have to step up now Fielder is no longer around, but to describe the Brewers as a one man team could not be further from the truth with the likes of Corey Hart and Richie Weeks more than capable of putting up big numbers. The question is, though, can they do it without the protection of Fielder in the line-up?

IN : Norichika Aoki (OF – Tokyo), Brooks Conrad (INF – Atlanta), Jay Gibbons (OF – L.A. Dodgers), Alex Gonzalez (INF – Atlanta), Cesar Izturis (INF – Baltimore), Corey Patterson (OF – St.Louis), Juan Perez (RP – Philadelphia), Aramis Ramirez (INF – Chicago Cubs), Jose Veras (RP – Pittsburgh)

OUT : Yuniesky Betancourt (INF – Kansas City), Brandon Boggs (OF – Pittsburgh), Craig Counsell (INF – Retired), Mark DeFelice (RP), Prince Fielder (INF – Detroit), Sean Green (RP – Texas), Jerry Hairston (OF – L.A. Dodgers), LaTroy Hawkins (RP – L.A. Angels), Mark Kotsay (INF – San Diego), Felipe Lopez (INF), Casey McGehee (INF – Pittsburgh), Takashi Saito (RP – Arizona), Mitch Stetter (RP – Texas), Josh Wilson (INF – Atlanta)

Catchers : Jonathan Lucroy is at the top of the depth chart and is a perfectly solid option. He hit .265 with 12 homers last season, having shown decent potential the season before. His back-up will be the 28 year old lefty George Kottaras. The Greek international hit for the cycle last season, becoming the seventh Brewer to do so. Like many a catcher, he has some pop, but doesn’t bat for a great average. Martin Maldonado saw limited game time and will be looking to force his way into the reckoning with a good showing at Spring Training.

Infielders : The infield has clearly lost some lustre, with the star Fielder leaving, but Aramis Ramirez brings his 315 career home runs to Miller Park and will man third base. Ramirez left the Cubs following an eight and a half year relationship that has not always appeared to be mutually beneficial. The rest of the infield will be made up of Mat Gamel, Richie Weeks and Alex Gonzalez. Weeks is coming off his second consecutive year in which he nailed 20 or more homers, although, strangely he hit only 49 RBIs last year. Gonzalez is as solid a veteran middle infielder as you will find in the majors with 152 HRs and 665 RBIs in over 1500 career games, while Gamel is being asked to fill the void left by Fielder, despite being merely a bit part player for the Brewers since making his debut in 2008, having made just 85 appearances (61 of those in 2009). Cesar Izturis is a solid back-up who could earn a roster spot out of Spring Training, with Brooks Conrad another Spring Training invite that could earn a deal, while the new generation of youngsters is led by the trio of Zelous Wheeler, Tyler Green and Eric Farris, all of whom are likely to see game time this year.

Outfielders : The outfield is a real strong point for the Brewers, only enhanced by the signing of Japanese veteran Norichika Aoki. The 30 year has a career .329 AVG in the NPB, along with seven All-Star appearances, six Golden Gloves and three batting titles. The problem the Brewers have is where to put him. Two of the outfield slots are already taken by big hitting duo Ryan Braun and Corey Hart, so a fight for the centre field position with Nyjer Morgan appears on the cards. Braun and Hart have combined for 285 homers in Milwaukee blue, including 59 last season. If both can stay healthy for the entire campaign, then the loss of Fielder may not seem so big after all for the Brew Crew. Morgan, meanwhile, has often brought controversy and the odd suspension, but he is nonetheless a very talented player. His speed and defensive ability is an asset to any team and has been perfectly utilised by the Brewers. He hit .304 with 13 stolen bases in 2011. Carlos Gomez, once the centrepiece of the trade that saw Johan Santana depart Minnesota for New York, appears to be on the decline as he suffers from an inability to provide a consistent bat, but he is, like Morgan, a speedster and defensive specialist. Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl are a couple of young and inexperienced lefties that are merely an injury away from the 25 man roster.

Starting Pitchers : There appears to be no real controversies in the race for a spot in the rotation, with five pitchers seemingly guaranteed their places. Yovani Gallardo and Zach Greinke are clearly the one-two punch, and what a formidable duo they are, with a 33-16 record last season, although Greinke’s 3.83 ERA was fourth best amongst the Brewers starters. Randy Wolf and Shaun Marcum both excelled themselves with the duo providing numbers that could be argued as the best of their respective careers. For the 35 year old Wolf, his 3.69 ERA was only his second sub 4.00 ERA season since 2002, while Marcum recorded career highs in wins, starts and innings pitched, breaking the 200 barrier for the first time in his career (200.2). The trick will be to repeat those numbers. For a number five pitcher, Chris Narveson is hardly a slouch, either. An 11-8 record with a 4.45 ERA is perfectly acceptable given the role he fills. With all five starters returning, and having pitched 28 or more starts, it is debateable whether the Brewers starting rotation has peaked. It will certainly be difficult for a repeat, both in terms of performance and health.

Relief Pitchers : Despite 291 career saves, including holding the single season record with 62, it appears that the role of closer will not belong to Francisco ‘K-Rod’ Rodriguez. The volatile 30 year old pitched admirably following a trade from the Mets during the season last year, recording a 1.86 ERA in 31 appearances as a set-up man for the slightly nutty John Axford. The 2011 Mustached American of the Year winner (yes, it appears such a title exists) currently holds a consecutive save streak of 43 going into the 2012 season, the fifth longest streak in MLB history. With a fastball that can break triple digits and a 79 mph curveball, it’s easy to see why he has been so successful. Behind Axford and K-Rod, the bullpen is full of experience. Jose Veras, 6’8’’ Kameron Loe and Marco Estrads, who was the only other Brewer to start a game last season, are all solid options, but the departures of Hawkins and Saito will hurt the group. Zach Braddock and one time starter Manny Parra will be the bullpen lefties, but the former is coming off a 7.25 ERA season, while Parra missed the entire 2011 season due to injury. Frankie de la Cruz, Brandon Kintzler and Mike McClendon will be looking for bigger roles this season after impressing in bit parts last year. The trio combined for a 3.05 ERA in 41.1 innings, while Tim Dillard is also an option. Juan Perez is a 33 year old with limited Major League experience who was signed as a non-roster invite, and, at the time of writing, is doing his upmost to force his way onto the roster with a scoreless 3.1 innings in Spring Training.

PREDICTION : The loss of Fielder is obviously a blow, but it may not be as big a blow as people fear. The likes of Braun, Weeks, Hart and Ramirez are all perfectly capable of hitting 25+ home runs. They do have a worrying lack of depth in every area of the roster except the bullpen, while just one outfield injury would see Carlos Gomez as the main option off the bench, which isn’t ideal for a team that wants to challenge for the division. Whilst the pitching isn’t a problem, it is very, very rare that a team has all five starters start at least 28 games, so a repeat performance is improbable. That said, they do have a solid rotation and Estrada and Parra could step up if needed. They are the team most likely to challenge the Cards for the NL Central title, but I still have them falling short. Second place.