Kyle Lohse was the Brewers’ big offseason addition but his struggles on the mound have left few in Milwaukee excited about the move. Given the team’s struggles, it appears they’ve already chosen to look ahead rather than hope for things to turn around. (Image Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports)
Just twenty four hours ago it appeared, if only for a brief period, that the Milwaukee Brewers were attempting to shake up their active roster with the hopes of clawing their way back into the race in the NL Central. The Brewers brought aboard a new corner infielder, called up an intriguing second base prospect, and parted ways with a veteran who was no longer contributing. They were small moves, but impactful ones. Yet, it would seem that the team has no intentions of making any further moves with this year in mind and they’ll begin looking and planning for the years ahead, as GM Doug Melvin explained to Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
"If we make any more trades this year, it’s going to be for two or three years from now instead of now. I’m not going to be trading any young players to win games."
It’s a unique stance to take, particularly in the first week of June. Things certainly haven’t gone as planned on the year. Milwaukee holds a 21-35 record entering today’s play. They sit at the bottom of the NL Central, 16.5 games behind the first place St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis, the Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates currently hold three of the top four records in the National League – further magnifying Milwaukee’s struggles. The team’s been asked to cope with injuries to Corey Hart, Mat Gamel, Chris Narveson, Jim Henderson, Taylor Green, Mark Rogers, and others. They’ve had to face ineffectiveness from John Axford, Rickie Weeks, Wily Peralta, and Yovani Gallardo. The team’s biggest offseason acquisition, Kyle Lohse, has sputtered out of the gate and has left many questioning the team’s decision to bring him aboard considering it cost them their 1st Round pick in the draft later this week.
Melvin has essentially raised a white flag over Miller Park – in a very public manner, no less – and the Brewers’ fanbase could be in for a bumpy summer.
There have been a few positives on the Brewers’ season, of course – beyond the typical production that they’ve come to expect from Ryan Braun (who’s hitting .294/.372/.518). Tom Gorzelanny has pitched to a 2.14 ERA and has limited opposing batters to a .123 average out of the bullpen. Jean Segura is hitting .344/.382/.541 and has quietly become a big piece of the team’s future. Carlos Gomez made a tweak to his swing over the winter which has resulted in a .323/.367/.577 clip to start the year.
If Melvin is serious about “focusing on the future” then Milwaukee could end up being an active player on the trade market this summer as there are multiple options on the roster who could appeal to other organizations. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes suggested recently that Gallardo might be the team’s most attractive piece to dangle. Aramis Ramirez, Lohse, Axford, Hart (if healthy), Weeks, Gorzelanny, Mike Gonzalez, Francisco Rodriguez, and Yuniesky Betancourt could also be available options.
Milwaukee needs to focus on discovering what they have in-house over the remainder of the season and what steps they need to take in order to re-build their roster into one that can contend in the NL Central. The Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates are all already out in front and the Chicago Cubs have been diligently working to restore the organization into respectability. Milwaukee needs a plan now before they fall farther behind. For their sake, let’s just hope they don’t alienate more of their fanbase in the process.