Can’t say I miss him but I am glad a negative attitude is out of the Brewers clubhouse.  He pulled some shenanigans a few months back that irritated the Brewers and fans.  Now he is gone.  Brewers have a high class A pitcher from Detroit by the name of Chris Cody.  Even if he doesn’t amount to much I don’t consider Capellan to great of a loss. If Cody is great, even better.

The most veteran player on the Milwaukee Brewers now has a MLBlog.  It is called Jenks’ Joint.  I think it is great that a Brewer is jumping online to blog about the team.  A Brew Crew Coup welcomes Geoff Jenkins to the blogging world.

After suffering through a slump the last half of last years season. Carlos Lee is again having an All-Star year.  The Brewers got a big name when they traded for him a last year they have got result.  This seasons has been no exception.  If his current pace continues he will have 50+ home runs by the end of the season.  Completing the series sweep yesterday with his first walk-off home run only adds to his much needed addition to the team.

General Manager, Doug Melvin and Team Owner Mark Attanasio have a big decision to make.  Do they invest in somebody like Carlos Lee or trade him on the market?

As a fan I have to say that immediately you would hope the Brewers would try to keep him.  On the other hand they do have to watch how they spend their dollars as the Brewers do not have a payroll like the Yankees.  I think I have read before that Attanasio or maybe it was someone else on the team has once said they would be willing to invest $70-75 million at most into the Brewers payroll.  Right now it stands over $50 million.  I am guessing that Carlos will take up a significant chunk of that payroll if they do decide to keep him.  Doug Melvin is known for doing a lot of moves that have benefited the Brewers.  Even if he didn’t keep Carlos, I think that it would be sad to have to let Lee go.

Brewer’s pitching ace Ben sheets threw pitches down in Huntsville, Alabama yesterday.  This is taken from the JS Online about the reb-hab assignment.

Sheets, who last pitched for the Brewers on Aug. 26 before being shut down, threw 49 pitches, 37 for strikes, struck out five and allowed four hits and two runs, one unearned. He consistently threw fastballs in the mid-90-mph range, topping out at 96.

Just as important, Sheets said he threw without pain in his shoulder that forced the Brewers to place him on the disabled list, retroactive to March 24, with what is termed a right posterior shoulder strain. He is expected to make another start, for the Brewers’ Class AAA Nashville club next week.

Huntsville Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur: "He felt very strong out there. He felt like he could go a little longer. He had good velocity on the fastball and the curve was sharp. He threw the ball well."

It was reported that Sheets will be on the 15-day disabled list.  It is possible that Sheets next start would be on April 16th which would be the 5th spot in the rotation.  Because of the layout of the schedule, the Brewers wouldn’t need a 5th Starter until that date.  It is not know if Sheets will get the start or not on that date.  He will do some throwing down in the minor leagues.  Doug Davis will be the opening day starter at Miller Park.

It also appears that David Bush, acquired in the Overbay trade this off-season, will land the role in the number 5 spot for the starting pitchers.  Rick Helling who has also been battling for this spot will probably be a long relief pitcher to start.  If Sheets doesn’t comeback soon I wonder if it would be good to give Helling a glimpse at a number 5 spot.  This is the projected starting pitcher rotation for the first couple of weeks.

                                       

Of course I did a post on the whole, "Is this the end of Chad Moeller in Milwaukee" and then he has a career day in spring training yesterday. 

Moeller 5-4, 3 runs, 2 doubles

Maybe I have the opposite affect on players when I start to doubt them.  It is just a one spring training game but hopefully this is the start of consistency for Moeller.  Good luck Chad!!

Chad Moeller has been in a role as the back-up catcher to Damien Miller.  Although Miller started in 114 games last season, the battery match-up with Brewer’s ace Ben Sheets has been with Moeller. 

Moeller stats during spring training are leaving me wondering how much he is going to be struggling this season.  He did have a slow start last year and also is around the Mendoza line with a .207 average in the two seasons he has been with the team.  This was a report from the JS Online about the situation.

Yost also is taking extended looks at catchers Mark Johnson and Mike Rivera but downplayed the notion that Chad Moeller’s job could be in jeopardy after his slow start (0 for 12, including four strikeouts in the Japanese exhibition game).

"We want to look at different guys," Yost said. "I played Jeff Cirillo at second base today. Does that mean Rickie Weeks should be worried? No. This is the time to look at guys."

It doesn’t sound like anything will happen but looking at the team, you have to wonder if they might have made a move by season end.  Ned Yost is know for having great patience as a manager but how long can he be patient.  Considering that Yost was a catcher in his playing one could only assume that he has even more insight as to how Moeller and other catchers work.  As the only Brewer to hit for the cycle in Miller Park, you wouldn’t think he might  not be on the team.  His average was .278, I think, when he was with Arizona.  I wonder why he hasn’t been able to get it together.  It has been report in the past that pitchers seem to like the way he calls pitches.

Moeller seems like a great guy and I want him to stay on the team.  But returning to his Arizona numbers would be a great improvement not only for him but for the catching unit.  It is hard to understand what might have happen since he came over from Arizona to where he has been performance wise, since he was a member to the Brew Crew.

The best news came yesterday when Ben Sheets was diagnosed with a muscle stain and not anything worse.  No time table has been put in place but this is what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Rather than resting the injury, Sheets will work on strengthening the muscle with physical therapy and throwing. He’ll play catch today and there is a chance he’ll be able to throw from a mound by midweek.