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After last year’s disappointing finish, Doug Melvin’s plan was clear.. Milwaukee needed more pitching in order to compete in the NL Central. The Cardinals had a formidable rotation and the Reds were returning a strong club.

He first traded for Toronto Blue Jays ace Shaun Marcum. A proven innings eater, Marcum can keep hitters off balance and still pitch effectively with a fastball in the high 80’s.

Next came the trade for Zack Greinke. The Brewers gave up four top prospects for Greinke and Yuni Betancourt, but Melvin wanted to win now.

Last week, the Cardinals received the unfortunate news that Adam Wainwright had ruptured a tendon in his elbow and would need Tommy John surgery.

The Brewers received some bad news of their own when Jonathan Lucroy broke his pinky finger on his right hand.

Here are five moves the Brewers can make to win the National League Central.

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Shaun Marcum broke through in 2010. He finally suprassed 30 starts, albeit after missing 2009 entirely, and was a top 15 AL pitcher. With a nearly 4/1 K/BB ratio, a 1.15 WHIP, and less hits than innings pitched (in the AL East no less), Marcum showed he is ready for prime time.

Now, a year later, with the Jays in salary cutting mode after unloading Vernon Wells, Marcum finds himself a key member as a top three starter for the early season NL Central favorite Milwaukee.

Going from the AL to the NL almost always yields a substantial ERA and WHIP drop, but Marcum’s differentials should be even larger given his career six+ ERA vs NYY and mid-four ERA vs the Bosox. Facing Houston and Pittsburgh has done wonders for NL pitchers ERA’s for years, and this year will be no different.

The Brewers finished 14 GB of division winning Cincy last year, and a full nine games behind second place STL. The gap has been narrowed with STL simply because the loss of Wainwright should cost the Redbirds 5-6 wins off the top (not to mention the six+ WAR that Greinke adds to the Crew). Factor in Marcum and his 3.5+ WAR and you have yourself a race for the division. Hell, Marcum merely needs to maintain his K/BB ratio to go with 30+ starts and the Brewers will be in the race till the last week of the season.

The Marcsman flew under the radar last year in many regards, he didn’t lead the league in wins or k’s, he didn’t even pitch for a third place team, but he was pretty consistent in the toughest division in all of sports and now finds himself with even less pressure, going third (after Gallardo and Greinke) to start the year.

I expect a complete repeat of 2010 for Marcum, with at least 175 k’s to go with a sub 3.5 ERA and a sparkling 1.1 WHIP. Assuming he keeps his walks under 50 for the year, and he always has, the Brewers have a top three rivaling anyone in baseball, this side of the Phils. There is no team with three better righties than the triumvirate of Grienke/Gallardo/Marcum.

Conculsion

The Brewers have the second best offense in the NL, a top three rotation (after Phils and SF), a fantastic fan base who sells out games in September (I know because I was there). As long as the bullpen (which is question mark followed by question mark, especially when compared with Cincy’s pen) holds up, the Brewers will win the division.

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Milwaukee’s lack of pitching proved to be too much for them to overcome in 2010.

Milwaukee ended the season third in the NL Central at 77-85. With the additions of Shaun Marcum and Zach Greinke this offseason, Milwaukee heads into this season with a ton of optimism.

Here is a quick look at the starting lineup and starting rotation for the Brewers, plus our take on where we think they will finish the year in our 2011 MLB predictions.

Starting Lineup

The Brewers offense is centered around the production of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, but there are a number of players in this lineup who can swing the stick. Rickie Weeks showed what he was capable of when healthy, posting a career-high 29 home runs hitting first for the Brewers.

Cory Hart also had a monster season with 31 home runs and 102 RBI. Casey McGehee showed that he has the talent to hold down the starting job at third base, and in a lineup full of sluggers he led the team with 104 RBI.

The Brewers added even more offense with the offseason signing of shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, but he will be a liability on defense. Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy aren’t expected to do much offensively for Milwaukee, and any improvement from last year will only make this lineup that much better. 

Starting Rotation

The Brewers are going for it all this year, and the additions of Greinke and Marcum give them a great shot at not only winning the division, but making a deep run in the playoffs.

Don’t be fooled by Greinke’s 10-14 record and 4.17 ERA in 2010, he was playing on a bad team, and should be even better pitching in the National League. We look for Greinke to be much closer to his 2009 numbers, when he won the AL Cy Young going 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA.

Marcum went just 9-7 last year, but improved both his ERA and WHIP, and those numbers only figure to get better now that he is out of the AL East. When you throw in Greinke and Marcum to the mix of Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf, Milwaukee now has a starting staff that can contend with most teams.

Wolf disappointed in his first season with the Brewers, but now that he is the No. 4 starter, the expectations aren’t as high, and we think he will come back even better with a solid run this year.

The fifth and final spot in the rotation will be handled by Chris Narveson, who went 12-9 with a 4.99 ERA in his first full season as a starter. Depending on how much he improves from last season, the Brewers could have themselves a very underrated pitching staff even with the big additions they made. 

2011 Projection: First Place NL Central

The Brewers have had the offense to be a contender in the National League the past few seasons, but they haven’t had the rotation/bullpen. With the improvements to the pitching staff, we have the Brewers making it back to the postseason for just the fourth time in team history.

With the injury to Cardinals‘ ace Adam Wainwright, the Brewers’ MLB odds to win the division are sure to go up. 

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Reports began to surface early Wednesday morning that St. Louis Cardinals’ ace Adam Wainwright was experiencing pain in his throwing elbow and heard a mysterious “pop” when pitching batting practice on Tuesday.

Most baseball fans will remember it was a mysterious “pop” that forced young phenom Stephen Strasburg to undergo Tommy John surgery this past season.

All signs indicate that Wainwright will have to do the same, which will shelf him for anywhere from 12-18 months and guarantee he doesn’t pitch for the Cardinals in the 2011 season.

With Adam Wainwright likely out for the season, the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation starts to look a little thin.

Chris Carpenter becomes the de facto ace, although he is no stranger to serious injury himself.

Jaime Garcia slides into the second spot in the rotation and will have to fight off a second half lull that sent his season into a tailspin last year, as well as the dreaded sophomore slump so prevalent in baseball.

Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse will round out the back end of the rotation with a fifth starter yet to be named.

All in all, it isn’t an overly impressive rotation–especially if Garcia is unable to repeat his 2010 performance or Carpenter misses any time due to injury.

Therefore, the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation is now, without a doubt, the best in the NL Central—if it wasn’t already.

After all, the Cincinnati Reds have named Edinson Volquez their Opening Day starter. Volquez has been anything but consistent; he hasn’t pitched a full season since 2008.

Paul Maholm will likely start for the Pittsburgh Pirates—yawn.

Ryan Dempster is opening the season for the Chicago Cubs, as Carlos Zambrano is a headcase and Wandy Rodriguez has taken the reigns in Houston after the departure of Roy Oswalt.

None of those names instill fear in opposing hitters.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers have Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Yovani Gallardo—all Opening Day starters for their respective 2010 clubs—to choose from as well, as a solid veteran like Randy Wolf rounding out their rotation with Chris Narveson in the fifth spot.

The only NL Central team with a better offense than the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010 was the division winning Cincinnati Reds.

While there is reason to believe the Reds and their young offensive core should put up similar numbers to last season, there are more reasons to assume the Milwaukee Brewers should improve offensively across the board.

The Brewers’ two superstars–—Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder—both had down seasons, with Fielder possibly having the worst of his career.

That shouldn’t be the case this year, as he and Scott Boras have a huge contract waiting for them at the end of the season if he is able to return to his run-producing, home run slugging ways.

Braun’s best two seasons have been in 2007 and 2008, when the team was in contention until the very end.

It is assumed that the Milwaukee Brewers will be in the playoff hunt until the very end, which could lead to a career season from Ryan Braun.

With the St. Louis Cardinals suffering a major blow from the loss of Adam Wainwright and the Cincinnati Reds having more questions than answers with their pitching staff, it seems as though a recipe for success is beginning to brew in Milwaukee.

2011 could be the year of the beer in the NL Central.

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Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

After failing to deliver a full season since his major league debut in 2005 due to injuries and general suckiness, Rickie Weeks finally broke out last season, posting a dynamic stat line of 112 R, 29 HR, 83 RBI, 11 SB and a .269 BA at the second base position.

Atop a potent Milwaukee Brewers lineup, Weeks led the league in plate appearances (754), while only Albert Pujols and Mark Teixeira scored more runs than Weeks. Among qualifying two-baggers, Weeks tied Robinson Cano for the lead in HR, and only Cano and Dan Uggla posted more RBI.

There are, however, some red flags. Weeks had the 11th-highest strikeout rate in 2010 (28.3 percent), and his contact rate (75.0 percent) was 17th-worst among qualified batters.

Weeks’ injuries also cannot be ignored. According to Baseball Injury Tool, Weeks spent time on the DL in the four seasons prior to 2010.

• 2006: Missed 69 days, torn tendon in his right wrist
• 2007: Missed 19 days, right wrist inflammation
• 2008: Missed 15 days, left knee sprain
• 2009: Missed 140 days, torn tendon in right sheath (wrist)

Keep this risk in mind when drafting Weeks.

Even so, Weeks is capable of damaging numbers at second base. Given only his second season with 500-plus at-bats (a big if), the 28-year-old could prove to be a valuable fantasy asset batting in front of Corey Hart, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Latest from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Keeper Conundrum: Bryce Harper or Mike Trout?

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Top 50 (projections included): Is Pujols Still the Top Pick?
• No. 51: Ubaldo Jimenez

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays, Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact
• Adrian Beltre Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Guerrero to Baltimore: Why He’s Better Off in Camden Yards than Rangers Ballpark
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Outside of fans of the Milwaukee Brewers, devoted fantasy baseball managers and his wife and child, very few people are familiar with Casey McGehee.

It’s to be expected.

McGehee plays in the smallest market in Major League Baseball and wasn’t a top prospect like say, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg or Jason Heyward.

In fact, McGehee didn’t even break onto the scene until 2009 at 26 years old when, after a season-ending wrist injury to Rickie Weeks, he was thrust into the starting lineup.

Since then, Casey McGehee has gone on to become one of the more consistent contributors to the Brewers offense and a core player in their lineup.

Consistency is extremely valuable in a 162 game season, so much so, that McGehee was recognized on a national level this offseason.

As part of its offseason programming, the MLB Network has run a series of programs entitled Top 10 ____ Right Now for each position and low and behold, McGehee appeared in their third base rankings:

10. Casey McGehee

9. Placido Polanco

8. Scott Rolen

7. Mark Reynolds

6. David Wright

5. Adrian Beltre

4. Kevin Youkilis

3. Alex Rodriguez

2. Ryan Zimmerman

1. Evan Longoria

At first thought, some might be surprised to even see Casey McGehee on the list, what with having only played one full MLB season in his career. However, when you look closer and see some of the names ahead of him, you begin to wonder if McGehee isn’t in fact closer to the Top 5 rather than 10.

Placido Polanco? Mark Reynolds? Scott Rolen?

He has to be better than those guys.

Casey McGehee had the second most hits amongst third basemen behind only Adrian Beltre, and were it not for Beltre having one of the best seasons of his career, it is very possible McGehee would have topped the list.

In fact, McGehee hit more home runs than Longoria in 2010 and more doubles than Ryan Zimmerman, David Wright or Alex Rodriguez and had the fifth best AVG amongst third basemen in 2010.

While he didn’t score as many runs as some on the list due to batting fifth in the Brewers lineup, he did have the second most RBI behind only Alex Rodriguez.

If you watch many Milwaukee Brewers games, you know that Casey McGehee isn’t the best defensive third basemen in baseball and his 17 errors last season certainly indicated that.

However, he had the same amount as Ryan Zimmerman and less than Adrian Beltre, Mark Reynolds and David Wright, and his FPCT was better than both Reynolds’ and Zimmerman’s.

McGehee ranks in the middle or above in almost every offensive category when compared to his counterparts on the list. His main flaw is his speed and his one stolen base last season tied him for worst amongst the group with Scott Rolen.

His defense, while not stellar, is better than some on the list and suffers from playing with one of the worst, if not the worst, defensive first basemen in the league—Prince Fielder.

Casey McGehee can’t compete with Mark Reynolds in terms of home runs or David Wright in terms of stolen bases. His defense isn’t as good as Placido Polanco’s and he wasn’t playing for money last season like Adrian Beltre was.

Instead, he is right in the middle.

The middle of a Top 10 List—according to most—is somewhere right around five, last time I checked.

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During the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers made perhaps the biggest move this side of Cliff Lee by dealing four players for former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Combine that with locking up Rickie Weeks for another four years and signing free agent relief pitcher Takashi Saito, and it’s fair to say the Brewers have been busy this winter.

The NL Central looks to be competitive this year, as the Reds and Cardinals both had good seasons last year and are expected to replicate that effort in 2011. The Cubs and Astros are both looking to be surprise teams to make things interesting and the Pirates will most likely wind up still being the Pirates we are all familiar with.

The one wild card in the division is the Brewers. After finishing third in the Central in 2010 with a record of 77-85, the Brewers are looking to make a splash and turn things around.

Their projected regular starting lineup has the words consistency and solid written all over it. The corners of the outfield and infield both have proven producers in Casey McGehee, Prince Field, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart, while acquiring Betancourt should increase their production from the shortstop position by at least double in home runs and RBIs.

Zack Greinke will anchor the rotation in the media friendly and pressure-free Milwaukee area, which should help him settle in quickly. He leads an anticipated rotation that all had double-digit wins last year. These factors combined should help the Brew Crew turn a handful of the losses last year into wins.

However, the last remaining question mark is the bullpen.

The Brewers bullpen will feature new comer Saito, who has a career ERA of 2.19, but also just recently passed his 41^st birthday and hasn’t pitched more than 56 innings in a season since 2007. In all of his major league seasons, he has been extremely consistent, but against the dangerous lineups of St. Louis and Cincinnati, the Brewers are going to need him to take a bit more of their load to bridge the gap to the closer.

In 2010, the Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman passed the torch to closer of the future, John Axford. Axford finished the year with 24 saves and 76 strikeouts in 58 innings, and posted an ERA of 2.48. Numbers like that certainly give the impression of a bright future in the Cheese State, but Axford only has a total of 57 career appearances and will be largely unproven throughout the length of the summer.

Those aren’t the only questions the Brewers have going into this season with their relief staff. Latroy Hawkins had a spectacular season in 2009, but shoulder surgery limited him to only 18 appearances last year. Can the 38-year-old come back strong or will his age and injuries limit his effectiveness?

Zach Braddock was a strong contributor last season, but like Axford, his age and experience will be a huge factor in shaping the bullpen. Will he keep it together or suffer a sophomore slump in 2011?

Can Manny Parra finally put all the pieces together and have an ERA under 5.00 for the first time since 2008?

While the batting order should put quite a few tallies on the board and the starting five keep quite a few goose eggs on the board, the bullpen is still their key to success.

Consistent holds and saves should keep the Brewers at the top of the division with the Reds and the Cardinals all season long, but a lack of experience and a few aging arms on the back end of the roster threaten to make it another long losing summer for Bernie Brewer and the Milwaukee faithful.

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As the pitchers and catchers report to their assigned duties and positions, only one thing can be assumed: Spring Training must be just around the corner.  And that assumption would be correct.

But for the Milwaukee Brewers, redemption of an unpleasant 2010 season will be at the top of newly named manager Ron Roenicke’s to-do list.

Offseason signings and additions have resulted in serious talks of a postseason appearance for the Brew Crew in 2011.  And with young, prospering talent, who’s to say they won’t do it?

So as we look forward to a promising 2011 season, here are 10 forecasts guaranteed to come true for Milwaukee this season.

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Last season, it was Adrian Gonzalez and Cliff Lee.  This year, trade deadline talks will most likely center around the biggest hitter in the game, Prince Fielder.

We all know that being talked about at the deadline is not a guarantee that you will be shipped out; just look at Adrian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was discussed the entire month before the deadline in a potential deal with the Red Sox.  The Padres were still in contention, though, and they felt that the loss of Gonzalez would cripple their playoff chances.

Here we are now, several months later, and Gonzalez is finally in a Red Sox uniform.  It took some time, and a few top prospects, but the persistence of the Red Sox paid off.

Prince Fielder will be in a similar situation this season.

Fielder’s current contract is set to expire after the 2011 season, and he’s represented by Scott Boras.  We can be sure that if a trade is made involving Fielder, then his new team will have to offer up a hefty extension—possibly in the Mark Teixeira range.

One of the most consistent boppers in the league since his first full season in 2005, Prince Fielder would likely command a high price tag for any team attempting to acquire him.  Some teams that will likely be interested include the Orioles, Rangers, Angels, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and possibly the Mets.

Each of the aforementioned teams either has a glaring hole at first base or has a player that is on his way out.  Each team has the potential to sign him to a big contract after the season, but not all of them may be able to build a large enough package to satisfy the Brewers.

Fielder has hit 192 home runs since 2005, including a 50-home-run season in 2007.  He has 536 RBI’s in his career, with his career high of 141 coming in 2009.  He has a respectable triple slash line of .279/.385/.535 in his career and has even stolen 15 bases.  Obviously not blinding speed, but the 285-pounder (at least that’s what he’s listed as) can at least move a little bit.

The Brewers are aware of his consistent production, and they will look  to capitalize on any deal involving Fielder.  They will likely ask for a package similar to the one the Padres received for Gonzalez, and maybe even a little more, as Fielder is still a younger talent.

At the deadline this year, I see the Cubs and Giants making the biggest push for him.  The Cubs currently have Carlos Pena on a one-year contract and if Fielder is acquired, the Cubs would easily be able to dump him elsewhere.  The Brewers will try and pry shortstop Starlin Castro away, but the Cubs won’t balk at that offer.  An offer with outfielder Brett Jackson and third basemen Josh Vitters is more plausible. 

The Giants have Aubrey Huff at first, but Huff is versatile enough to slot into either corner outfield slot or even third base if Nate Schiertholtz, Pat Burrell or Pablo Sandoval fail to produce.  Any deal with the defending champs will likely include lefty Madison Bumgarner, and the Giants may prefer to hold on to their young star and pursue Fielder during free agency.

With all that being said, Fielder may not even be on the move.  The Brewers look to be a contender this season, and they may choose to hold on to Fielder, as he is going to be an integral part of the team.  Midseason, Fielder could even decide to negotiate a long-term deal with Milwaukee, who will still be players for his services after the 2011 season.

Although the outcome is unpredictable, we can be certain that Prince Fielder will be stealing headlines come this year’s trade deadline.

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For the former American League Cy Young-award winner, trading spaces may just prove to be the best possible career decision he could’ve made.

As the Brewers report to Scottsdale, Arizona for their spring training preparations, many players within Milwaukee’s clubhouse have much to prove prior to the season.

Others, however, could be granted a hall pass for the time being.

I’m talking of course about Milwaukee’s most potent offseason acquisition in the past 20 seasons—Zack Grienke, the former AL Cy Young award winner of 2009.

In just his sixth season as a Major League tosser, Greinke was able to accomplish what most find it hard to dream. An unquestioned 16-8, 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeout 2009 season had Greinke atop the league’s most dominating and imposing pitchers list.

But could 2009 be a fluke? Most experts stray away from the notion that Milwaukee’s unequivocal superstar may in fact be a one-year-wonder.

In the five seasons leading up to his undisputed 2009 season (not including his 2006 season shortened by injury), Greinke averaged a 4.23 ERA and just 125 strikeouts per season—obviously not the most impressive statistics, to say the least. However there is something to be said about the lack of offensive production put on by the Royals over that five-year span.

Yet 2009 showed us all that an unexpected, seasoned veteran pitcher can turn the tables on even the most critical of doubters. Although reverting back to his previously forgotten demons last season couldn’t diminish our expectations of Greinke heading into this season, we certainly should take note of how ineffective he was in 2010.

Kansas City’s star pupil doubled his ERA (4.17) and saw his strikeouts (181) regress in stunning fashion from the year before.

So with all that being said, can the Brewers expect Greinke to become what he was in 2009? It’s a tough question to break down, but then again that’s the reason why we’re all so very intrigued heading into this season.

Now, with all do respect to the Royals, a crippled offense can’t possibly support a pitcher of Greinke’s caliber—but Milwaukee’s can. Whether it be Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart, Casey McGehee or Mat Gamel, the Brewers maintain one of the most powerful offensive lineups baseball has to offer.

And the old cliche that pitching wins championships? It’s true.

Until the Brewers were able to acquire CC Sabathia from the Indians toward the end of the 2008 season, Milwaukee’s pitching staff was as lacking as it has ever been.

Yes, I realize Ben Sheets and Yovani Gallardo were tossing out of their minds that season. However, until Sabathia arrived, the Brewers weren’t able to reach the next level beyond the regular season.

It’s a franchise-shifting opportunity when a team is able to lock up a talent of Greinke’s essence, and we should take note to the fact that Milwaukee could very well find themselves in the exact same position as they did in 2009 at the end of this season: in great position to make a postseason run toward the World Series.

But the difference-maker for the Brewers will be whether or not Milwaukee’s bullpen can secure tight games given up by Greinke. We’ve all seen just how abysmal Kansas City’s offensive production has been over the course of the last decade, but in Milwaukee things will be much different.

Expectations will be at an all-time high for Greinke this season—something that not even he himself can deny.

With great hitting comes great responsibility, and Greinke must be able to perform in the clutch.

As for fellow starting pitcher Shaun Marcum (who the Brewers also landed this offseason via trade), “I think it motivated everybody that much more to get to spring training and just let that fire out to get ready for when the season starts; and once we do that, I think things will take care of themselves.”

Positive feedback from newly acquired players is everything the Brewers could have hoped for heading into their 2011 season; a season in which unfamiliar names will be filling the most important shoes while maintaining some of the most reputable names in the business.

For Greinke, 2011 will become a statement year for not only himself, but for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Maybe we should put the NL Cy Young award debate to rest—for now. But make no mistake: Greinke will be in the discussion throughout the entirety of the season.

Let’s see if he can take the Brewers to the promised land.

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