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Some things to read while cleaning.
By the end of the night tonight, Major League Baseball will have crowned a World Series champion, and for the 57th consecutive year (dating back to the Braves’ victory in 1957), the city of Milwaukee will not be bringing home the trophy. The Milwaukee Brewers have failed to bring home a championship in each of their 45 seasons as an MLB franchise, and MetsBlog notes that they’re tied for the fifth-longest such drought in all of baseball.
If the Brewers intend to end that drought next season, then they probably need to find an upgrade at first base this winter. Derek Harvey of Brew Crew Ball has a look at six players who could be available via trade if the Brewers should choose to go that route. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish spotted a report saying one of those players, Adam Lind of the Blue Jays, is likely to be the first notable player traded this offseason. Toronto recently claimed another player on that list, former Mariner Justin Smoak.
Meanwhile, Doug Melvin and company still have a few days to figure out what they’re going to do regarding Aramis Ramirez. @ChrisCotillo reports the Brewers have not informed Ramirez of their plans regarding his $14 million mutual option (h/t Brew Crew Ball). If they opt to not exercise their half of the option they’ll owe the veteran third baseman a $4 million buyout.
The Brewers also face a tough decision this winter regarding Francisco Rodriguez, who will become a free agent after the World Series but has said publicly he’d like to stay in Milwaukee. Brew Crew Ball readers selected K-Rod as 2014’s seventh-most valuable Brewer, and Jordan Mader has his profile.
As of this writing Aramis Ramirez leads Matt Garza by just two votes for the No. 8 spot in those rankings, with three other Brewers all within eight votes. You have until noon today to vote in that poll.
Jonathan Lucroy was voted into the No. 1 spot in those rankings last week and was also named the Brewers’ team MVP by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. On Tuesday, Steven Jewell of Reviewing the Brew again confirmed that ranking, and also had a look at how Lucroy has improved his value by getting better against right-handed pitching.
Lucroy turned 28 in June, so he’s still in the middle of what are likely to be his peak seasons. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has a look at how our projections for player aging curves have changed in recent years.
I’ve mentioned several times previously that Lucroy is a candidate to win a National League Gold Glove this season but Carlos Gomez is not. That didn’t keep @JPosnanski from listing him among the five best center fielders he’s ever seen live. That list also includes former Brewers Lorenzo Cain and Devon White.
In the minors:
- At least one longtime member of the Brewers organization will be back for 2015, as the Brewers have reportedly re-signed infielder Taylor Green to a minor league contract. Green last appeared in the big leagues with the Brewers in 2012 and appeared in 59 games in 2014 with Double-A Huntsville and Triple-A Nashville, batting .235 with a .289 on-base percentage and .335 slugging. He’s been in the Brewers organization since being drafted in the 25th round in 2005.
- Tuesday was a rough day for pitcher Tyler Wagner, who allowed nine runs on six hits and two walks while recording just one out in Glendale’s 14-2 loss to Salt River in the Arizona Fall League (box score). Michael Strong pitched a scoreless inning for the Desert Dogs in the game, and Tyrone Taylor went 0-for-3 but walked and scored a run.
- Meanwhile in the Dominican Republic, new Brewer Luis Jimenez went 1-for-5 but the lone hit was a home run in Estrellas’ 9-7 win over Cibao (box score). This was only Jimenez’s second appearance of the DWL season.
- Farther south, shortstop Orlando Arcia went 1-for-5 with a triple and drove in three runs in Caribes’ 6-0 win over Margarita (box score). Tyler Cravy was the tough-luck loser for Margarita, allowing a single unearned run over 4 2/3 innings.
Around baseball:
Astros: Pitcher Brad Peacock is not expected to be ready for spring training after hip surgery.
Nationals: Pitcher Ross Ohlendorf has rejected an outright assignment to the minors and is now a free agent.
Of course, the big story around baseball today will be Game 7 of the World Series tonight. The Giants had an opportunity to close out the series on Tuesday but came up well short, losing 10-0 to the Royals. They’ll send Tim Hudson to the mound tonight to take on Jeremy Guthrie at 7:07 p.m. in the final game of the 2014 season, and you can see it on FOX. The Giants are hoping to be the first road team to win a World Series Game 7 since the 1979 Pirates.
With that said, the recent loss of Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras continues to weigh heavily on the minds of many around the game. The 22-year-old was laid to rest on Wednesday in his hometown of Sosua in the Dominican Republic, and Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com was there.
Today in former Brewers:
- Jamey Wright is one of seven members of the Dodgers who will become free agents after .the conclusion of the World Series. Wright has appeared in 549 games as a member of nine teams since being traded by the Brewers in 2002.
- Brad Vietrogoski of Yankees blog It’s About the Money asks if CC Sabathia was worth his five-year, $122 million contract.
- Johnny Hellweg, who turns 26.
- 2005-06 Brewer Dana Eveland, who turns 31.
- 1990 Brewer Narciso Elvira, who turns 47.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve drawn too many fingers.
Drink up.
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