Kyle Lobner

  Some things to read while tying up loose ends. As they wrap up the third week of the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers now know at least one more pitcher will have a locker in Maryvale this spring. @AdamMcCalvy reported on Thursday that the Brewers had re-signed 2014 Huntsville reliever Manny Barreda, avoiding minor league free agency. It’s not clear at this point if his new contract includes an invitation to major league spring training, but I wouldn’t rule it out. Barreda turned 26 last week and 2014 was his eighth professional season, but also possibly his best one. He…

  Some things to read while looking for cows. We’re closing in on the end of the 2014 postseason and the beginning of the hot stove season, and on Wednesday, the Milwaukee Brewers reached out to fans for their thoughts on how the team should proceed over the next few months. Noah Jarosh of Brew Crew Ball has an extended look at the dozens of questions the Brewers asked in a survey emailed to fans about the direction of the team and fans’ faith in its leadership.  Follow the link for more details, but some of the questions included in…

  Some things to read while counting baseballs. One of the Milwaukee Brewers’ greatest opportunities to improve their roster this offseason has to be at first base, where they’ve had easily the worst offensive production of any team in baseball over the last two seasons. Noah Jarosh of Brew Crew Ball has a look at the ugly numbers put up by players like Yuniesky Betancourt, Juan Francisco and Mark Reynolds in recent years, and a turn in the other direction to look at the organization’s lack of apparent internal or external options at the position. This might be both the greatest…

  Some things to read while making a new friend. There’s still a lot of time left before spring training, but it’s possible Milwaukee Brewers fans received one of the best pieces of news of the offseason on Monday. Ryan Braun, less than two weeks removed from a cryotherapy procedure on his ailing thumb, reported he swung a bat for the first time over the weekend and felt “pretty good.” If the Brewers are going to compete for a playoff spot in 2015, they likely need an improved performance from Braun, who set new full-season career lows for batting average…

  Some things to read while seeing the correlation. Today, the Milwaukee Brewers open the third week of their offseason, and we finally have an update on the decision we’ve all been waiting for: On Friday, the team announced that Ron Roenicke and most of his coaching staff will return for 2015, with the exceptions of hitting coach Johnny Narron and first base coach Garth Iorg. Johnny Narron was one of the shortest-tenured members of the Brewers coaching staff, having joined the team when Dale Sveum left to manage the Cubs in 2012. His younger brother, Jerry, remains on the…

  Some things to read while saving the galaxy. Today is the 12th day of the offseason for the Milwaukee Brewers, and it very well could be the day we learn the fate of manager Ron Roenicke and his coaching staff. The team was expected to announce a decision after general manager Doug Melvin and owner Mark Attanasio met in Los Angeles this week, but as of this writing, nothing has been said publicly. Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar predicts the team will “do something to make a superficial change and continue on per usual.” If the Brewers come…

  Some things to read while changing the subject. Today is the 11th day of the offseason, and another opportunity to look ahead to some of the tough decisions the Milwaukee Brewers will have to make this winter. Derek Harvey of Brew Crew Ball has a primer on the arbitration process and a look at the four Brewers who are eligible for that process this winter. The most notable among that group is probably Gerardo Parra, who qualifies for a relatively unusual fourth year of arbitration after being a “Super 2” player in 2012. Parra made $4.85 million in 2014…

  Some things to read while inflating another eyeball. Today is the 10th day off the offseason, and another onetime member of the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers might be spending it wondering what comes next for him. @AdamMcCalvy noticed on Tuesday that the Brewers have outrighted utility infielder Jeff Bianchi off their 40-man roster, meaning he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency this winter. Bianchi just turned 28 over the weekend and has appeared in 162 games as a Brewer over the last three seasons, including 29 in 2014. He has a career .216 batting average with a .251 on-base…

  Some things to read while cooking the best ballpark food. Today is the ninth day of the offseason for the Milwaukee Brewers, and this morning, several 2014 Brewers woke up for the first time as the proud owner of this season’s local BBWAA awards. Seven writers who covered the Brewers this season submitted ballots for the team honors, and all seven of them selected Jonathan Lucroy as the Crew’s Most Valuable Player. Despite spending much of the season squatting behind home plate, Lucroy led the Brewers in games played, batting average and hits, and tied a franchise record with…

  Some things to read while cleaning up. Today is the eighth day of the Milwaukee Brewers’ offseason, and it leads off a week in which we should learn a lot about the organization’s short- and long-term direction. Doug Melvin is headed out to Los Angeles to meet with Mark Attanasio to review the season and make decisions on Ron Roenicke and the Brewers’ coaching staff, who find themselves on the hot seat after one of the largest collapses in MLB history. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a look at the events that brought the team to…