Our fourth stop on the 30 in 30 is the Milwaukee Brewers.

Due to my schedule preventing me from writing yesterday, I’ll be making up for it by covering two teams today. Consider it a 2-for-…Wednesday? Something like that.

The brew crew finished the 2010 season one game ahead of the Astros, two games ahead of the Cubs and nine games back of the Cardinals.

How many games ahead or behind each of those teams will this season’s Brewers be? A large part of the answer to that question is the production of newly acquired former AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke.

The Brewers also welcomed Shaun Marcum from the Blue Jays to their rotation this offseason. The addition of these two talented pitchers gives the Brewers a rotation that can match up with nearly every team in the National League.

If one thing is certain about this team, it’s that they are ready to win NOW. The question remains though, does this team have enough to make a serious push in the NL Central. 

Let’s take a look at that Milwaukee’s lineup and starting rotation should look like this season.

C- Jonathan Lucroy
1B- Prince Fielder
2B- Rickie Weeks
3B- Casey McGegee
SS- Yuniesky Betancourt
LF- Ryan Braun
CF- Carlos Gomez
RF- Corey Hart

SP- Zack Greinke
SP- Yovani Gallardo
SP- Shaun Marcum
SP- Randy Wolf
SP- Chris Narveson
CL- John Axford

This Brewers lineup has a solid heart of the order with Braun, Fielder, McGehee, Hart and Weeks. Each of these players had over 20 HR and 80 RBI last season. 

These five are also the only everyday starters remaining in this Brewers lineup, as Alcides Escobar was a part of the Greinke deal.

Betancourt will be the replacement for Escobar, as he was also a part of the Greinke deal, although I think he is a slight downgrade at the position.

Lucroy and Gomez are the other two starters, both are very young and have a lot of potential. If the Brewers can get solid seasons from both, expect this lineup to cause a lot of problems for the rest of the NL Central.

From a pitching standpoint, this rotation is solid. If Greinke pitches like he did in 2009, the Brewers will have gotten the better end of the trade. He still has the stuff to be an ace, there’s no question about that, and with a better supporting cast, I think we can expect another great year from him.

Gallardo as a No. 2 man is impressive, and emphasizes the depth of this Brewers rotation. Winning 14 games last year with a 3.84 ERA and 200 K, at the age of 24, he has the potential to become a superstar. 

With Greinke and Gallardo at the top of the rotation, what more could you need? Well, the Brewers obviously didn’t think they had enough, so throw Shaun Marcum (a 13-game winner with a 3.64 ERA, 165 k, and an astounding WHIP of 1.15) into the mix.

If that wasn’t good enough, the Brewers still have Randy Wolf as their No. 4 starter, and if Narveson can bring his ERA down a bit, this is a solid five man rotation.

Not many questions left for this Brewers team, but what does remain, are answers. For a team that barely finished third in the NL Central, the expectations couldn’t be higher. 

Are playoff expectations justified? I’m not so certain, but with a solid lineup and rotation, this team will definitely make some noise in the NL Central.

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Ryan Braun is a very good player. According to the MLB Network, he’s the top left fielder in the game today.

In fact, Braun’s numbers have been so good for the Brewers since joining the team in May 2007 that the argument can easily be made he’s off to a Hall of Fame start to his career.

However, Braun’s numbers have declined steadily since winning the NL Rookie of the Year award that season, and he needs a strong bounce-back in 2011 to re-establish himself as one of game’s best players.

His rookie campaign measures up against the very best in the history of the game. In only 113 games, he hit .324 with 34 home runs and 97 RBI, stole 15 bases and led the league with a slugging percentage of .634.

For his career, Braun has averaged 32 home runs and 105 RBI, but he’s never been able to duplicate that combination of power and average since his rookie season.

Braun’s career batting average of .307 fits very well into the Milwaukee lineup, especially hitting right in front of Prince Fielder. His slugging numbers are another story altogether. He suffered an 80-point drop in 2008 to .553. He remained steady in 2009, slugging .551, but 2010 saw another significant drop of 50 points to drop his slugging down to .501. 

In 2008 Braun finished with 83 extra-base hits, including seven triples. By last year, those numbers dropped to 71 and one, respectively. 

Those numbers indicate that Braun has lost the power in his game, but he is definitely capable of putting up statistics to rival his rookie year. On July 31 last year, he was hitting just .274 with a .460 slugging percentage. Raising those averages to .304 and .501 over the final two months proves he possesses the talent to put up mind-boggling numbers. 

People that follow the team closely know Braun has and never will shy away from the spotlight. He is constantly engaging himself in projects outside the game to raise awareness of his name, including his own clothing line and restaurant and numerous photo shoots. Perhaps a step back from those outside interests and a renewed focus on the game is what Braun needs to change his declining trends.

As much as fans have called out Prince Fielder for having a down year in 2010, they need to do the same thing with Ryan Braun. At one time, the duo of Braun and Fielder was considered by some one of the top pairs of hitting teammates in the game.

Even with the additions of Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, the Brewers don’t have a shot at the playoffs in 2011 without Braun getting back on track as one of the game’s premier power hitters. 

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here. 

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For the past several seasons, most people felt the National League Central was the St. Louis Cardinals and “everyone else.” However, since the 2005 season, every team in the division has appeared in the playoffs with the exception of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cincinnati Reds finally broke through in 2010 to win the division after being a dark-horse pick for many years by fans and critics alike. The Reds now become the hunted, quite a big change from being the hunters in previous seasons. 

The Milwaukee Brewers finished a distant third behind the Reds and St. Louis Cardinals in 2010. GM Doug Melvin spent the winter improving one of the worst rotations in baseball by adding Shaun Marcum and 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, Zack Greinke.

Just as important, Melvin didn’t trade Prince Fielder, which keeps the Brewers offense strong heading into 2011. 

The Reds were quiet to begin the off-season but have recently made noise with the signings of World Series MVP, Edgar Renteria and reserve outfielder Fred Lewis.

Were the moves made by Milwaukee enough to compete with the Reds in 2011, or are the Reds still the class of the division? 

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the two teams with Spring Training just over a month away:

Pitching Rotation

Statistically, the Reds far outperformed the Brewers last year but Greinke and Marcum make a huge difference going forward.

The Reds rotation features six almost interchangeable parts. Johnny Cueto, Edison Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Travis Wood and Mike Leake provide the Reds with great depth and potential greatness. While I think as a whole they are deeper than Milwaukee’s group of Greinke, Marcum, Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson, I think the Brewers’ top three surpass any top three the Reds could put together. 

That’s not discounting the talent of the Reds’ hurlers, but Greinke has won a Cy Young and Marcum put up good numbers in the ultra-competitive AL East, while Gallardo has posted back-to-back 200-plus strikeout seasons.

For 2011, I’d pick the Brewers’ rotation, but I think a year or two out that the Reds will prove to have the better group.

Dusty Baker does have the luxury of calling on Aroldis Chapman in case of injury, something that the Brewers can’t do. Manager Ron Roenicke would likely look toward prospect Mark Rogers should anyone go down for any significant amount of time. 

Slight advantage to the Brewers.

Bullpen

Speaking of the hard-throwing Cuban, Chapman will indeed start the season in the bullpen for Cincy. He’ll serve as the primary set-up man for closer Francisco Cordero.

Cordero finished the year with 40 saves and a 3.84 ERA in 75 games. Bill Bray, Nick Masset and Logan Ondrusek all performed well for the Reds last year and will be vital to the team’s success this year. 

John Axford came out of nowhere for the Brewers last year to save 24 of 27 games after Trevor Hoffman faltered. Takashi Saito was signed recently to serve as the eighth inning man, but he won’t be able to pitch in back-to-back games due to age and previous injuries.

LaTroy Hawkins will also serve as a set-up man if he can rebound from injuries and a poor 2010. Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe and Mike McClendon had nice seasons, but will they be able to repeat their successes this year?

The Brewers are hoping a lot of things go right for its bullpen while the Reds have an established pen that will keep most of the leads when entering the eighth inning.

Large advantage to the Reds.

Defense and Bench

With the trades the Brewers made, they traded away some great prospects and young players that were key to the future of the team. Alcides Escobar started the entire season at shortstop, while Lorenzo Cain had a very good September in center field. Many felt Cain would be the starter going forward for the team. 

Yuniesky Betancourt and Carlos Gomez will now serve as the starters at short and center. Chris Dickerson will split time with Gomez in center and Craig Counsell will (again) serve as a super-utility player off the bench. At some point, age will catch up with Counsell but hopefully it won’t be this year.

Defensively, only Gomez would be considered an above-average fielder. 

Signing Edgar Renteria and Fred Lewis give the Reds a very good, deep bench. Renteria, along with Miguel Cairo, give the Reds great versatility and two veteran bats. Lewis can play any outfield spot. Chris Heisey and top prospect Yonder Alonso will also see time off the bench in 2011. 

The Reds had 39 fewer errors than the Brewers in 2010 and were better than Milwaukee in almost any defensive category used. 

Large advantage to the Reds.

Offense

Again, at least statistically, the Reds were better than the Brewers in 2010. They scored 40 more runs and their team batting average was 10 points higher than Milwaukee.

However, all that happened with Prince Fielder having the worst year of his career. Don’t count on him repeating that in 2011.

Joey Votto has a better career batting average than Fielder (also an MVP trophy on his mantle), but I think they are a push offensively. With Fielder in his final year before free agency, most feel he’ll put up MVP-like numbers, which will significantly enhance Milwaukee’s offense.

Brandon Phillips and Rickie Weeks are very similar players as well. They both hit for power and have above average speed. Weeks finally played an entire season and showed he can play at an All-Star level when healthy. 

Betancourt put up career-high power numbers last year in Kansas City but no one should be counting on that type of production for the Brewers. He and Paul Janish are similar players. Each will hit around .260 with single-digit home run totals. 

Scott Rolen had a nice season offensively for the Reds and is still a Gold Glove-level defender. Casey McGehee turned into a very good hitter for the Brewers, coming through time after time when teams pitched around Fielder. Rolen will turn 36 early in the season. Can he continue to put up good numbers at the plate? If he can, the Reds offense will continue to roll. If he begins to show his age, the offense may sputter.

Even with the gap defensively, I’d still take McGehee for the 2011 season; his bat is that good.

Jonny Gomes had a career year for the Reds, finally getting a chance to be a full-time starter. Ryan Braun’s numbers have steadily decreased since he won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007, but he’s still an All-Star level player. He’s averaged 32 home runs and 105 RBI his first four years in the league. With respect to Gomes, he’s not nearly the player Braun is.

Drew Stubbs had a very nice first year as a starter. Although he hit just .255, he stole 30 bases and hit 22 home runs. The Brewers can only dream of getting that type of production from the Gomez/Dickerson duo. Gomez is still young enough (25) to turn his career around but until he learns some plate discipline, he’ll serve as a black hole for the Brewers’ batting order.

Right field is a great battle between the two teams.

Jay Bruce has hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first three seasons. Corey Hart has accomplished that feat three times as well in his career, along with two seasons of 20-plus stolen bases. Hart has also been an All-Star twice, including last season. Each player has signed a long-term deal with their respective teams within the past six months. 

Jonathan Lucroy was thrown into the fire behind the plate for the Brewers last year after Gregg Zaun was lost for the season. He hit only .253 with four home runs. Entering the year as the entrenched starter should serve his confidence well and his numbers should improve this year.

The combination of Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan put up very good numbers for the Reds. The duo is effective not only at the plate but handling the pitching staff as well. Behind Yadier Molina of the Cardinals, the Reds probably has the best catching unit in the division.

Small advantage to the Brewers…based mainly on the projected Prince Fielder turnaround.

Managers

Whether you like him or not, Dusty Baker is one of the best managers in the game. He has the reputation for ruining young arms, and if he does that this year in Cincinnati, they could be doomed. However, I think he has a strong enough bullpen that he won’t rely so heavily on his starters. He’s never managed a team to back-to-back first place finishes, but this group definitely has the talent to get the job done.

Ron Roenicke is entering his first season as a big league manager. He’s coming to the Brewers from Mike Scioscia’s staff in Los Angeles. He has a big task in front of him to try and turn the Brewers back into playoff contenders. He has stated he’ll have his team be more aggressive at the plate and on the bases, something many people criticized former manager Ken Macha of not doing. 

Large advantage to the Reds.

Assessment

While the Brewers may have the household names like Braun, Fielder and Greinke, the Reds have the defending MVP (Votto), a great, young pitching staff and most importantly they are the defending division champs. 

The Brewers have done a great job closing the gap on the Reds, but I still see the Reds as the favorites entering the season. The Brewers still need to improve their bench and bullpen (both can be easily done throughout the season) before they can seriously view themselves as a threat to the Reds.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here. 

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Step aside, Yovani Gallardo, there’s a new ace in town.

With his recent trade to Milwaukee, Zack Greinke becomes the unquestioned leader of a suddenly strong Brewers rotation, and with one of the better lineups in baseball backing him up—something he’s never known in his years in Kansas City—Greinke is primed for a bounce-back 2011 season.

Greinke has always been an emotionally driven player. We all remember his fall from grace in 2006, when bouts of depression threatened his career, and we can certainly recall his triumphant return to the mound with a historic 2009 campaign in which Greinke asserted himself as one of the game’s most talented pitchers.

However, 2010 was a struggle. Greinke never seemed to get things going like he had the year before. He posted an ERA under 4.00 in just one month last season (August), and at times he seemed disinterested, simply trying to make his way to the offseason. Kansas City committed to trading their ace, and after rejecting a deal that would send him to Washington, Greinke agreed to be a Brewer. Winning means something to him, and for the first time in years he’ll have a chance to compete.

And in fantasy baseball, that’s great news for anyone fortunate enough to end up with Greinke this season.

A move to the National League only boosts his elite fantasy status. On a good team with a good offense, Greinke should end the season in the 16-18 win range, and he has proven that he’s already a solid strikeout contributor. Despite only amassing 181 strikeouts last season, he did rack up 242 in 2009. Assuming he pitches 220 innings (and I’d be surprised if he didn’t approach that total), Greinke should end up with around 200 strikeouts this season.

Walks have never been an issue for Greinke, owner of a career 2.21 BB/9, but he does allow his fair share of hits. His opponents’ batting average has only once been below .260 (about the MLB average) and that was during his stellar ’09 season. Rejuvenated and moving to the NL, Greinke should have a better season on this front, and I’d expect his WHIP to drop accordingly. He’s probably not the 1.07-WHIP stud we saw during his Cy Young season, but anything in the 1.10-1.20 range is likely.

Unfortunately, the Brew Crew bullpen is a question mark in my eyes. John Axford proved to be a Godsend last year, and all of the additions to the starting rotation will end up pushing someone—likely Manny Parra—to the bullpen, but I’m not wholly confident in LaTroy Hawkins, Zack Braddock, Takashi Saito and Kameron Loe.

Yes, Braddock, Saito and Loe had ERAs under 3.00 last season, but Saito is 40 and Braddock’s WHIP was 1.46 last year. Hawkins himself is 37, and his 2.13 ERA with Houston in 2009 seems more like an outlier than anything else. Of course, Greinke never had a good bullpen backing him up in Kansas City, either.

Despite the bullpen’s shortcomings—again, in my eyes—Greinke finds himself in a vastly improved situation this season, and those who take a gamble on him rebounding will be handsomely rewarded.

Fearless Forecast

16-8 | 2.92 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 203 K | 8.40 K/9 | 218 IP

And check out Baseballprof.com for more fearless forecasts and fantasy baseball analysis.

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Rickie Weeks is coming off the best season of his career in 2010. He’s also entering his final year before hitting the free agent market after the 2011 season. With the team having traded top prospect and second baseman Brett Lawrie to the Blue Jays for Shaun Marcum, it’s now more imperative than ever for them to sign Weeks to a long-term deal.

Prior to 2010, Weeks had never played more than 129 games in a season. Many speculated that if he could stay healthy, he could put up All-Star type numbers and that’s exactly what he did. In 160 games, he hit .269 with a .366 on-base percentage. He scored 112 runs while hitting 29 home runs and knocking in 83. He also led the league in being hit by a pitch, 25 times. 

Although he only stole 11 bases, he has the speed to steal 30 or more a season. Former manager Ken Macha didn’t use the running game as an effective weapon, something new manager Ron Roenicke plans on doing a great deal. With sluggers like Hart, Braun, and Prince Fielder hitting behind him, the running game isn’t a necessity for Weeks, but it’s an added weapon that should prove more effective than not over the course of the season.

Weeks can expect a significant raise for his final arbitration year. He made $2.75 million last year but should see his salary easily top $4.5 million this year. Still young (he won’t turn 29 until September), he still has several more productive seasons ahead of him, barring any more significant time spent on the disabled list.

With the very likely scenario of Fielder leaving after this season, locking up a player like Weeks becomes all the more important. The power he showed in 2010 allows him to be moved into a better run-producing position in the batting order. If Carlos Gomez could ever get on base more consistently, Weeks could be moved down in the order to give better protection to Fielder and McGehee. 

If, like most feel, Gomez never materializes into a top-of-the-order hitter, Weeks can remain in the lead-off spot and continue to be the spark plug for the Brewers’ offense.

Lawrie’s departure, along with the haul sent to Kansas City for Zack Greinke, have depleted the Brewers’ farm system. While Scooter Gennett and Eric Farris are both still young enough where a career in the Majors isn’t out of the question, neither has the tools to be a star that Weeks possesses.

The Brewers have done a great job locking up their young core to long-term deals over the past few seasons. Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, and Corey Hart are all signed through at least the 2013 season. Others like Casey McGehee, Jonathan Lucroy, and John Axford are all under team control until at least the middle of the decade. 

Weeks seems open to the idea of remaining with the Brewers. The two parties have had ongoing conversations about an extension since the Winter Meetings in early December. It’s likely a deal will get done before Opening Day 2011. He’ll be a key piece for the Brewers this season, but also going forward in the post-Prince Fielder era.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here. 

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One of the most popular topics to debate over the past two seasons for Milwaukee Brewer fans has been if and when first baseman Prince Fielder would be traded.

Fielder is slated to become a free agent after the 2011 season, and no one expects him to sign a long-term contract with the Brewers. 

Many, myself included, felt that Fielder would be traded this winter in order for the Brewers to get some sort of a decent return for the impending free agent.

Surprisingly, Brewers GM Doug Melvin decided against trading the slugger and instead focused on drastically improving the pitching rotation with the acquisitions of Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke. In fact, Greinke took the Brewers off his no-trade list after Melvin assured him that Fielder would remain with the team for the upcoming season.

Despite that assurance from Melvin, there are many fans who are convinced the Brewers should still trade Fielder. Their reasoning: Now that the pitching staff has been upgraded significantly, the Brewers can now trade off Fielder’s bat for a young replacement or even more pitching.

Trading Fielder would seal the Brewers’ fate for 2011. While keeping him doesn’t guarantee October baseball in Milwaukee, trading him guarantees there won’t be. Fielder’s value is about more than just 35-plus home runs he’s almost a lock to hit. He provides protection for Ryan Braun while giving Casey McGehee consistent at-bats with at least one runner on base. 

Despite having a down year in 2010, in which he put up his lowest numbers since his rookie season in 2006, Fielder is just entering the prime years of his career. He won’t turn 27 until May.

For those that are superstitious, 2011 may prove to be a special year for Fielder. In 2007, he batted .288 with 50 home runs and 119 RBI. In 2009, he hit a career-best .299 with 46 home runs and led the league with 141 RBI. In even years, he’s averaged .269 with 31 home runs and 88 RBI.

The Brewers may not be able to match up favorably with teams like the Phillies and Braves over the long, six-month season, but anything can happen in a short five- or seven-game series. Given the fact that it is almost guaranteed he won’t be back in 2012, the Brewers must do everything possible to go for a championship with Fielder in 2011. 

There will be plenty of time for speculation after the season to debate where Fielder will spend the next several seasons of his career. For now, however, Brewer fans should appreciate the fact they have one of the best sluggers in the game and realize this might turn out to be the most special season for the organization since 1982.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.

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Entering the 2011 season, the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff appears to be all about Zack Greinke and Yovani Gallardo and for good reason. The Brewers gave up four of their organization’s best young talents to bring the 2009 AL Cy Young winner to Milwaukee. Likewise, Gallardo has blossomed into one of the finest (and most underrated) pitchers in the game having posted back to back 200 strikeout seasons.

However, if the Brewers are to make a push to the playoffs in 2011, much of the credit will go to the third of their aces that has received virtually no attention since being acquired from the Blue Jays last month—Shaun Marcum. 

Marcum is no stranger to being overshadowed. That can happen quite easily when you’re pitching on the same staff as Roy Halladay for four seasons. That was followed up by missing the entire 2009 season thanks to Tommy John surgery.

2010 proved to be the coming out party for Marcum. He served as the Opening Day starter for the Jays and finished the season with a 13-8 record and a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio, WHIP and walks per nine innings were all better than either Greinke or Gallardo. Marcum put up his numbers all while pitching in the toughest division in baseball. This year, he can replace starts against the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox with starts against the Astros, Cubs and Pirates. Despite finishing fourth in their division, the Blue Jays won 85 games in 2010, a total that cannot be dismissed, especially against the level of competition they faced.

Despite missing all of 2009, Marcum proved to be a workhorse for Toronto. Only eight times did he pitch fewer than six innings, including his first nine starts of the year and eight of his final nine starts. 

Baseball is a game about matchups. Last season, Marcum was consistently matched up against the opposing team’s ace, but he’ll face many team’s third, fourth or fifth starter this year. In fact, there is a chance he could serve as the team’s fourth starter to break up the back to back throwing of lefties Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson. 

His offensive support will be virtually identical as well. The Jays scored only five more runs over the course of the season than the Brewers. Similarly, the defense for both teams was nearly the same as well. Neither was outstanding but he can do enough on his own to keep his team in the game.

It was Marcum’s arrival in Milwaukee that served as one of the main reasons Greinke decided to waive his no-trade clause to be sent to the Brewers. Now he’ll be able to showcase his talents for a team that has a much easier road to the playoffs.

Shaun Marcum doesn’t have the name recognition to excite the fans and drive up ticket sales like Greinke, nor does he have a following in Milwaukee like Gallardo, but he may prove the most valuable of the trio in the team’s effort for postseason play in 2011. 

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here. 

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The Milwaukee Brewers are leaving no stone unturned as they head into the 2011 baseball season. They already addressed their starting rotation in a major way when they acquired both Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke via trades.

Now, they are addressing their bullpen.

Saito will help the Brewer bullpen

The Brewers signed RHP Takashi Saito to a one-year contract on Tuesday. Saito can earn $3.2 million in 2011 based on roster and appearance bonuses.

This is yet another good acquisition by GM Doug Melvin.

Since Saito arrived from Japan in 2006, he has been one of the top relievers in baseball. In his five years in the Major Leagues, Saito has a 2.19 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11 K/9, and 2.8 BB/9 in 299.1. The guy just knows how to pitch.

Saito will be 41 in February and shows no signs of slowing down. Last year with the Atlanta Braves, Saito had a 2.83 ERA and struck out 11.5 batters per nine innings in 54 innings.

The former Brave, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodger will join John Axford and Zach Braddock in the back end of the Brewers’ bullpen. Saito will certainly help a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball last season.

If there is one issue with Saito, it’s that he battled some shoulder tendinitis at the end of last season. However, Saito did pass his physical with the Brewers, so I will assume those issues are behind him.

As for the Brewer fan already dreaming about April, picture this scenario. Greinke for seven, Saito for the eighth and Axford comes in to close things out.

Brewers win and George Webb frozen cheese curds for everyone!!!

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Okay, before anyone totally freaks out, this is not a “Brewers are looking to trade Prince Fielder” story. This is strictly a what-if scenario, plain and simple.

As we know, there are some teams out there that have had a disappointing offseason thus far. Their fans are clamoring for their team to do something. As a result, a team might be looking to make a splash the size of Prince Fielder doing a cannonball into the proverbial MLB pool. 

It has been made clear that the Brewers are in “go for it” mode this season. What if one of those aforementioned teams gets desperate and makes an EXTREMELY aggressive and attractive offer to the Brewers for Fielder?

I want to take a look at 10 potential deals that may just get the Brewers to think long and hard about dealing their slugger while still allowing them to go for it this year. Other players could be included from the Brewers besides Fielder in any of these trade scenarios.

Begin Slideshow

With the acquisition of Zack Greinke, the Milwaukee Brewers are telling the rest of the National League they are a team to be reckoned with in 2011.

With Prince Fielder being a free agent after the 2011 season, the team could look a lot different in 2012. So why not go for it?

Outside of the Bronx, Boston and now seemingly Philadelphia, getting a chance to assemble a team to make a serious run does not happen every year. Especially in Milwaukee where the Brewers have been to the postseason only once since their World Series appearance in 1982.

The Brewers have assembled a modern day version of Harvey’s Wallbangers with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Casey McGehee, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks. But current baseball economics will probably make this the last season to have this core of five hitters together.

The animosity between Fielder and the Brewers was well publicized when the Brewers signed Ryan Braun to a long term extension in 2008 after denying Fielder an extension. When Fielder hits the free agent market following the 2011 season, his agent Scott Boras figures to be looking for a deal in the Ryan Howard range. Howard signed a five year $125 million extension in April of 2010 and Fielder is four-and-a-half years younger than Howard.

The Brewers will almost certainly not pay that type of money, and Fielder almost assuredly will not be offering a “hometown discount.”

Rickie Weeks could also walk after the 2011 season.

Weeks had a breakout season in 2010 with 29 homers and 83 RBI. He will be a free-agent after the 2011 season and will certainly command a big raise over the $2.75 million he earned in 2010. If he can come close to repeating his 2010 production, it would not be a stretch to see Weeks get a deal in the range of the five years and $60 million extension reportedly being offer to Dan Uggla who is two-and-a-half years older then Weeks.

The starting pitching staff is arguably the best ever assembled by the Brewers.

The addition of Greinke definitely gives them the potential to be force in 2011. The big question is how effective will they be?  At 27, Greinke will be entering his prime years very motivated. There is no argument he has number one stuff. But he has to prove he has the mental makeup to be a consistent number one starter for a playoff caliber team.

Yovani Gallardo should feel less pressure in 2011 by not having to be the number one. He has had a nice start to his career posting a sub 3.70 ERA in his first 500 career innings and at just 25 years old going into 2011 still looks to have upside.

Shaun Marcum looks to be fully recovered after missing 2009 with Tommy John surgery. He quietly put together two very respectable years in Toronto in 2008 and 2010. His combined ERA in those two years was under 3.65 and his WHIP was under 1.20. That is very impressive when you consider the number of games the Blue Jays play against the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees If he adjusts to the National League he could be a huge addition to the Brewers rotation.

Randy Wolf  should be able to log 30 starts and 200 innings. If he can keep his ERA around 4.00 and get decent run support he should be in the range of the 13 wins he posted in 2010.

Chris Narveson looks to have the inside track for the fifth spot in the rotation. He was homer prone in 2010 allowing 21 in 167.2 innings. If he can keep the homers down in 2011 he has the potential to be decent number five starter.

The key for the Brewers is to find a way to get to the playoffs in a National League Central that has a resurgent Reds team, an always dangerous Cardinals team, a Cubs team that will spend year in and year out to try to contend.

With Greinke at the top of the rotation, and a lineup that has the potential to score runs off of anybody, the Brewers are definitely a team you would not want to see in a short series in the 2011 postseason.

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