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This week was an eventful one for the Milwaukee Brewers, with several events of interest that Brewers fans took pride in this week. From the Brewers winning two of three games from the Phillies, especially game two against Roy Halladay, a 9-0 shutout, to Ryan Braun’s monster, historic new contract, Brewers fans had plenty to talk about as their team has been battling in a very competitive NL Central, with no team more than 3 games back. 

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The Milwaukee Brewers farm system has been talked about all spring, but for all the wrong reasons.

After unloading a boatload of young talent to acquire two top-tier starters before Christmas, a common thought has been that the Brewers have the worst system in all of baseball. Yes, in order to acquire Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, the Brewers had to shell over their top prospects in Brett Lawrie, Jake Odorizzi and Alcides Escobar, among others.

First of all, saying that one team has a better farm system than another is like saying both teams are playing the lottery, but Team A has five tickets while Team B only has one. Just because one team has more tickets doesn’t mean they’re going to win.

For the last 10 years, the Kansas City Royals have been regarded as having one of the league’s best farm systems. When was the last time the Royals made the playoffs? Their roster is filled with “top prospects,” yet they’ve been lucky to reach 70 wins over the last decade. Don’t let their fast start this season fool you–they will be in the cellar of the AL Central by early-June at the latest.

With prospects, it’s either hit or miss. Some will get hurt and never make it, while others will tear it up in minor league ball but flame out in the majors. There is no such thing as a “sure thing,” especially in baseball.

To acquire the services of Jose Reyes or Rafael Furcal the Brewers would have to deplete their system even further, but it is definitely possible. Both are in the final year of their contracts and would give the Brewers a legitimate two-hole bat while removing the defensive liability currently at shortstop in Yuniesky Betancourt. With Furcal expected to be on the disabled list until mid-May, the Brewers may even be able to snag him for a discount.

It just so happens that both the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are off to sluggish starts in top-heavy divisions, and both the Mets and Dodgers owners’ are in the midst of financial uncertainty and may be looking to unload payroll of players who may not be back in 2012.  

Shortstop and bullpen help are the only glaring needs for the Brewers at this point, but they have three arms on the disabled list that should all return to action in the near future. Knowing that Brewers GM Doug Melvin likes to get his work done quietly and well before the actual trade deadline, this means he could be on the prowl for a shortstop beginning in mid-June.

Do the Brewers have the pieces to get a deal done for Reyes or Furcal?

Believe it or not, the Brewers still have plenty of prospects that could make an impact on a major league roster sooner rather than later, including a plethora of young pitching prospects.

RHP Wily Peralta, a first-round pick in 2005, opened plenty of eyes with a solid spring and is ready for a chance in the big league’s. Then there are RHP’s Eric Arnett, Cody Scarpetta, and Kyle Heckathorn who are all a a year or two away from being ready to pitch in the majors, depending on the situation. Out of the four, Arnett may be the only one with whom Melvin would be reluctant to trade. 

On the offensive side the Brewers top prospect could be OF Kentrail Davis, who is projected to be ready for the majors as soon as 2012. Davis has speed and power, and he’s shown the ability to be a strong defender in both center-field and right-field.

They also have middle-infield prospects in second-baseman Eric Farris and shortstop Scooter Gennett, both who are still a few seasons away from making an impact on a major league club.

When dealing with two of the largest MLB markets in New York and Los Angeles, the Brewers won’t necessarily need to ship away major league ready talent in return for Reyes or Furcal, although Peralta could be expendable at this point since the Brewers rotation is locked up through the 2012 season (at a minimum).

Fielder leaving after the season as a Type A free-agent will net the Brewers two draft picks to help replenish the system, so they can afford to send a few prospects away in return for “proven” talent. The organization is already in a “win now” attitude, so why hold back at this point? 

Plus, an NL Pennant would look great on the mantle next to the Lombardi Trophy. 

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It has been well-documented that Brewers manager Ron Roenicke is adamant about Zack Greinke making three rehab starts prior to being activated to the Major League roster.

If tonight’s start was any indication, Greinke will be ready sooner rather than later. Greinke started tonight for the Milwaukee Brewers‘ Class-A affiliate, the Brevard County Manatees. He pitched three full innings without breaking a sweat.

He faced 10 hitters, setting nine down easily and only allowing one single. Greinke struck out four and seemed to have very good command with 27 of his 35 pitches going for strikes.

Greinke’s fastball hovered in the low 90s during the start, which is a great sign for his first live action after his rib injury.

Now you’re probably wondering what’s next for Greinke? If he stays on a regular five-day schedule, his next start is likely to take place with the Nashville Sounds, the Brewers’ Triple-A franchise. That start would most likely take place against the Omaha Storm Chasers in Nashville on Easter Sunday, April 24.

Following his second start, the Brewers will make their evaluation as to whether Greinke would be good to go after one more Minor League appearance. The odds are we will be seeing him in a Brewers’ uniform at the beginning of May.

Keep your fingers crossed!

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Heard This Blog ranked the top five Jewish current baseball players

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Milwaukee Brewers’ pitcher Chris Narveson tossed seven shutout innings against the Cubs Saturday night, allowing just six hits and one walk while striking out nine.

Through two starts (13 innings) thus far, Narveson has yet to allow a run and boasts a 1.00 WHIP and 14/4 K/BB ratio. The 29-year-old journeyman is currently owned in just 16 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which begs the question: Is he worth a waiver wire flier?

Narveson has endured a long, winding road which has led him to where he is now. Originally drafted as a second-rounder by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000, he underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in 2002. Two years later, he was one of the players to be named later in the Larry Walker trade, landing him in the Rockies’ system. In 2005, Narveson was sent to Boston in exchange for Byung-Hyun Kim before being claimed on waivers later that season by St Louis, the team that drafted him.

The well-traveled Narveson signed with Milwaukee as a free agent after 2007. He pitched in 52 games at Triple-A as a starter and reliever in 2008 and 2009. In 10 minor league seasons, Narveson logged the following totals:

• 1,010 1/3 innings (205 games, 177 starts), 3.89 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 3.3 BB/9

Narveson cracked the Brewers’ Opening Day roster in 2010, posting a 4.99 ERA in 167 2/3 innings (37 games, 28 starts). His strikeout rate (7.35) and walk rate (3.17) were respectable, while his FIP (4.22) and xFIP (4.15) suggest he was a bit better than his near-five ERA indicated.

Now installed as the Brewers’ No. 5 starter, Narveson mixes a less-than-overpowering four-pitch arsenal. His fastball sits in the high-80s, complimenting his 80 mph changeup. He also throws a slider and slow-rolling curve, which was his most effective pitch last season (7.5 runs above average).

If he can throw his four-pitch mix for strikes (44.5 percent strikes in 2010, MLB average 46.5), and keep his walk rate in the low threes, Narveson could offer decent value in mixed leagues. Given 28 to 30 starts on a Milwaukee team that is likely to contend for a division title, he could chip in 12 wins with an ERA in the 4.00-4.25 range.

His next two starts are likely to come at Pittsburgh and at Philadelphia. Monitor his performance before plugging him into your fantasy team’s starting rotation.

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After four games, the Brewers were 0-4 and struggling to get anything going. They lost a heart-breaker to the Reds on Opening Day after blowing a 6-2 lead, then lost the other two games 4-2 and 12-3. Then their home-opener came and the Brewers had a 1-0 lead until the eighth inning, when Martin Prado and Dan Uggla hit solo home runs to win the game for the Braves.

After three more games, however, the Brewers stand at 3-4 with some momentum heading into the weekend series with the Chicago Cubs. So how did this winning streak occur?

On Tuesday, the Brewers got a complete game from pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who gave up only two hits and scored the only run in Milwaukee’s 1-0 win. Wednesday saw the Brewers jump out to a 5-1 lead with RBIs from Prince Fielder, Mark Kotsay, and Yuniesky Betancourt. However, it got tight when the Braves’ Jason Heyward hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth.

But pitchers Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe, and John Axford pitched the next three scoreless innings and Milwaukee held on for the 5-4 victory. On Thursday, the Brewers beat the Braves, winning 4-2 thanks to a home run by Ryan Braun and great performances from pitchers Shaun Marcum and John Axford, who got his second save of the season. 

How have the Brewers done it? First of all, the pitching staff has stepped up. Yovani Gallardo showed that he can go the distance with his complete game Tuesday and John Axford has stepped up in the clutch and recorded two saves the last two games the Brewers have played. Zach Braddock and Kameron Loes have stepped up as well. If they can continue to pitch consistently well, they will always have a chance to win ball games.

Secondly, the offense is starting to pick up. Prince Fielder had four RBIs the last two games and has been batting .292. Fielder also has a .414 OBP as well. Ryan Braun has also been phenomenal, with three home runs and five RBI on the season along with a .393 batting average. Nyjer Morgan made some great plays in the final game of the series against the Braves, hitting a double, stealing a base, and making a play at the plate by knocking the ball out of catcher Brian McCann’s hands.

Tonight the Cubs come to town, and this first series against a division rival will be a big test for the Brewers to see how their new additions stack up against the Cubs. The Brewers will send pitcher Randy Wolf to face the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano, who has a 6-0 record and a 1.97 ERA against the Brewers at Miller Park. The Cubs will also have first baseman Carlos Pena back in the lineup, which will be something that Wolf will have to deal with. Zambrano will be a big test for the Brewers’ bats, who in the first series with the Cubs last year, struggled to score runs and got swept.

With the way the Brewer bats have been swinging the last three games though, they will give the Cubs a challenge. The other match-ups will be Chris Narveson versus new Cubs pitcher Matt Garza, and on Sunday it will be Gallardo versus Casey Coleman. 

Tune in this weekend to this division series and rivalry. It could very well set the stage for the rest of the Brewers’ season.

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What We Learned:

It’s less than a week into the season, so almost nothing. But here are the things that stood out from the season’s first series.

–Progressive Field in Cleveland set consecutive low attendance records on Saturday and Sunday.

After an opening day sellout, the Indians sold 9,853 and 8,726 tickets over the weekend. I watched the games and there might have been a third of that many people actually in the stadium. This is after the Indians finished last in baseball in average attendance last year.

–The Rays may be in Trouble.

I was actually pretty surprised how highly many writers chose this team coming into the season. After losing Crawford, Carlos Pena, Matt Garza and virtually an entire bullpen–Joaquin Benoit (60 IP, 1.34 ERA), Rafael Soriano (45 SV, 1.73 ERA), Grant Balfour (55 IP, 2.28 ERA)–and replacing them with a group of has-been hitters and journeyman/never-was pitchers, many still considered Tampa Bay as division contenders or wildcard favorites.

Who knows, it could still turn out that way, but a team with Manny Ramirez as its cleanup hitter in 2011 is going to have trouble scoring runs. A team relying even moderately on Kyle Farnsworth as a closer is going to have trouble protecting leads. And even though everyone was worried about the Yankees starting pitching coming into the season, their five can probably match up decently with Tampa’s and they are going to score a lot more runs.

Oh and Evan Longoria is now on the DL.

–The Players who Stunk:

Manny: 12 AB, 1 H, 1 TB

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The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off a sub-.500 season filled with inconsistency and injury.

Because of this, they fired Ken Macha and brought in Ron Roenicke, a former Angels player and third base coach. He was behind the signings of 2009 AL Pitcher of the Year and Cy Young Award winner Zach Greinke and outfielder Nyjer Morgan from the Nationals. He’s looking to make this ball club a more consistent one and a team that will be aggressive on the bases.

Here are five things that must happen in order for the Brewers to make the postseason.

1. Zach Greinke Must Stay Healthy After He Comes Back From the DL

Bringing in Zach Greinke was one of the best moves that the Brewers could have ever made in the offseason.

He won the AL Cy Young Award and AL Best Pitcher Award in 2009 and posted the lowest ERA in the majors in April with 0.50. He would go on to end the year with a 2.16 ERA.

He throws a four-seam fastball anywhere from 93-98 mph and has a 87-90 mph slider, one of the best in the majors. The two-seam fastball he throws works well with forcing ground balls. With Greinke added to the rotation, the Brewers will be a major threat in the NL Central race when he comes back. His health is vital for the Brewers’ playoff chances.

2. The Brewers Must Be More Aggressive On the Bases

One of the big issues that the Brewers have is that they can get runners on base. When they have a chance to bring those runners in, however, they often get stranded due to them not being able to get clutch hits as well as not being aggressive on base.

According to Baseball Reference.com, only Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain and Carlos Gomez scored at least one run from base-running. The Brewers were not very aggressive on the bases at all, often looking to rely on the long ball to score runs. Home runs are not going to happen at every at-bat, so the players need to be more aggressive on the bases. Things like stealing bases and bunting will help move players into scoring position and can even help to produce more runs. If the Brewers can do that, they will definitely win more games.

3. Rickie Weeks and Casey McGehee Must Cut Down on Their Errors

Error is an ugly word in baseball. It can cost your team outs as well as games. These three were the worst on the Brewers in terms of making errors. McGehee and Weeks were two of the worst when it came to this category. Those two have got to clean up their fielding play in order for the Brewers to win games and make the playoffs this year.

4. John Axford Must Fulfill the Role of Closer

When John Axford came to the Brewers last year to replace Trevor Hoffman as the full-time closer, he had no experience at that spot in the rotation. After the 2010 season was over he had 24 saves, an 8-2 record and a 2.48 ERA. With the talent that the Brewers have this year and their ability to get men on base and score runs, he must protect the lead when it’s given to him.

Except for the game yesterday against the Reds, Axford should be a strong, solid closer.

5. Pitching ERA Must Improve

Last year, the overall ERA of the Brewers’ pitching staff was 4.58 (26th in the majors).

That kind of ERA is not going to help a team win.

While Yovani Gallardo, Chris Narveson and Randy Wolf all had winning records, the rest of the Brewers pitching staff was not so good. For example, starter Manny Parra went 3-10 with a 5.02 ERA. In many of his starts, he was not able to get past the 5th or 6th innings, many times not even getting through four innings. That has to improve if the Brewers want to get to the postseason. Starters have to be able to go at least seven innings and keep their pitch count down. Going longer will help keep the relievers fresh and will cut down on the work middle relievers will have to do.

If the Brewers can do these five things, there’s no reason why they can’t contend for a Wild Card spot, much less a division title.

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You’ve worked hard all offseason taking note of player movement, and you’ve scouted spring games.

You’ve participated in countless mock drafts, and put hours—if not days—of research and preparation into your league’s draft.

You go to bed on Opening Day eve, feeling good about your team—this will be the year you dominate your fantasy league.

And then, in the third game of the new season, your hopes and dreams are seemingly shattered—by a closer. In this case, it’s John Axford.

I’m here to tell you it’s okay; take a deep breath. Let’s try to evaluate this objectively.

John Axford did, in fact, blow a three-run lead to the Reds on Opening Day, including a walk-off three-run bomb to—of all people—Ramon Hernandez. The shot heard ’round Cincinnati sent fantasy managers scurrying to the waiver wire in search of Brewers’ setup man Takashi Saito.

While this makes for good small talk after a relatively uneventful Opening Day (whose idea was it to only schedule six games, anyway?), there’s little reason to think Axford will lose his grip on the ninth-innings duties anytime soon.

The 28-year-old (Happy Birthday!) stole Trevor Hoffman’s job last season, saving 24 games for the Brewers, while posting an elite strikeout rate (11.79) and ERA (2.48).

His BABIP (.308) and FIP (2.13) actually suggest he may have been a tad unlucky in 2010, so there’s no reason to think last year was a fluke.

He’s always been generous with free passes (6.0 walk rate in the minors, 4.19 in ‘10), but his mid-90s fastball and curveball slider combo proved to be ninth-inning-worthy last season.

While Takashi Saito has had great success since his major league debut in 2006 (84 saves, 2.19 ERA, 11.03 K/9, 2.82 BB/9), Axford will have to implode a few more times before the 41-year-old Japanese pitcher sniffs Milwaukee’s closer’s role.

The Brewers play the Reds again tomorrow, perhaps allowing Axford a chance to redeem himself.

Keep him in your lineup.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

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Brewers starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy has been cleared to start playing.

After breaking his finger during a catching drill, Lucroy had pins inserted in the finger and was out for all of the spring training playing schedule.

Last week, the pins were removed and he resumed workouts, but wasn’t ready to play in a game.

Now that he’s cleared, he will first go to the Brewers’ Class A affiliate—the Brevard County Manatees—where he will begin his rehab assignment.

After playing the opening series, he’s expected to move on to the Southern League, where he will play for the AA Huntsville Stars.

After a five-game series there, he’s expected to return to Milwaukee.

In Lucroy’s absence, it’s expected that Wil Nieves and George Kottaras will share the catching duties. Kottaras had a spring training for the second year in a row. Nieves gives the Brewers a veteran presence to work with the revamped pitching staff.

The Brewers are looking for Lucroy to improve his offensive numbers from 2010. He finished the campaign at a .253 average with four homers and 26 RBI in 75 games.

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