At the Brewers' On Deck event Sunday at the Midwest Airlines Center, the leading topic of the day was pitching, and whether or not general manager Doug Melvin had successfully rebuilt the pitching staff.
If they're going to make any sort of championship run, the Brewers are going to need a dramatic improvement from the starting rotation, which was nothing short of abysmal last season.
Milwaukee starters posted a 5.37 earned run average last season, the worst in the National League.
Upgrading the rotation was a top off-season priority for general manager Doug Melvin, who spent a good chunk of the team's available payroll in signing lefties Randy Wolf and Doug Davis.
Those two combined for 46 quality starts - six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs -- while the Brewers recorded just 65, with 17 coming from Yovani Gallardo. Only Washington (63) had fewer.
"You want to get between 950-975 innings from your starting pitchers," said Melvin.
Short starts and injuries to starters put the burden on the bullpen, which had to cover more and more innings, leading to a staff-wide meltdown, save for closer Trevor Hoffman.
With Davis and Wolf in the mix, the Brewers have a pair of pitchers who have each made 30 starts and logged 200 innings on a regular basis.
"That was a target for our organization this year; not only upgrading our starting pitchers, but to get guys a little deeper into games," said manager Ken Macha. "Not only that, Doug got deep into the games, going over seven innings several times, giving your bullpen a complete day off."
Davis returns to Milwaukee after a three-year run in Arizona, where he went 28-34 after being traded by the Brewers prior to the 2007 season. The deal, which brought pitchers Claudio Vargas, Greg Aquino and catcher Johnny Estrada to Milwaukee, is one that Melvin has often said he regrets.
"You could say, ‘if you like him so much, then why the hell did you trade him,'" Melvin quipped Sunday. "I'm accustomed to making bad trades ... for Johnny Estrada."
Ironically, Vargas was reacquired by Melvin last season and will pitch out of the Brewers bullpen in 2010.
Davis, whose wife, Chantelle, is a native of Eau Claire, is happy to be back in Milwaukee.
"To be honest, I never wanted to leave," Davis said. "But some things, you just can't control."
He posted a 9-14 record with the Diamondbacks last season, thanks in large part to poor run support. With Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder anchoring the Brewers' lineup, Davis shouldn't have to worry about that happening again this season.
In fact, despite the Brewers troubles, they still managed to win 80 games thanks in part to an offense that averaged 4.8 runs per game and scored the third-most runs in the National League with 785.
"No question, they're probably the best 3-4 combination in baseball," Davis said. "Not having to go against them is a treat but I'm just excited to get some support and contribute to a successful season.
The additions of Wolf and Davis, along with Manny Parra, who is expected to return to the rotation this year, would give the Brewers three left-handed starters; a risky proposition considering the National League Central is stocked with power-hitting right-handed batters.
Melvin isn't worried and said the team did do its due diligence beforehand. The Pittsburgh Pirates, he said, won 98 games in 1991 with a rotation that included Zane Smith, John Smiley and Randy Tomlin.
In the strike-shortened 1995 season, the Angels used four lefty starters (Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Brian Anderson and Jim Abbott), though blew a 10½ game lead down the stretch before finishing in second place with a 78-67 record.
Davis, thanks in large part to his cut fastball, has done well historically against right-handed batters, holding them to a .268 averaging while posting a 1.51 ratio of strikeouts to walks.
Assistant general manager Gord Ash says that 30 pitchers will participate when Spring Training opens on Feb. 21. Veteran arms like Kameron Loe, John Halama and Chuck Lofgren to compete for spots on the roster. Developing players like Zach Braddock and John Axeford, who were impressive at the end of last season, will be invited to camp, as well.
Chris Capuano is attempting a comeback after a second "Tommy John surgery," but is a long shot, at best, to rejoin the Brewers after missing nearly all of last season rehabbing.
The lefty, who was an 18-game winner in 2005 and an All-Star in 2006, pitched with Rookie League Helena near the end of the season and also took part in the fall instructional league.
"He's 100 percent healthy," said Ash.
The team has also been in contact with free agent left-hander Mark Mulder, also out of baseball last season while recovering from an injury.
In addition to the new faces on the roster, the pitching staff will have a new coach in Rick Peterson, who brings a scientific approach to his job. Peterson has spoken with most of the staff in some fashion and is excited for the new season to start.
"I think this could be a really special year," Peterson said. "You think about winning 80 games last year and having the worst starting pitching in baseball. If we can make some incremental differences ... I think that we can go into Spring Training with the hope of playing in October."
Other tidbits from Brewers on-deck:
- Manager Ken Macha still thinks Rickie Weeks, who missed much of last season with a wrist injury, will bat atop the lineup last season. Said Macha: "If I was to write a lineup today, he would be my leadoff hitter."
- Outfielder Corey Hart appears to be headed for the first arbitration hearing during Doug Melvin's time with the Brewers. The sides exchanged figures that were roughly $700,000 apart a deal appears unlikely.
- Pitchers Eric Arnett and Kyle Heckathorn, both among the first 47 picks in last year's draft, will open Spring Training in big league camp.
- Davis donned a jersey with the No. 25 on it Sunday. Gallardo now wears the No. 49 Davis wore during his previous stint in Milwaukee. Davis said he's discussed a switch with Gallardo.
"It's a work in progress," Davis said. "He said he's going to hear me out so we'll see what happens." - Newly acquired centerfielder Carlos Gomez missed the event because of a bout with the flu. Owner Mark Attanasio was absent due to the death of his father-in-law. Infielder Craig Counsell also didn't attend as he scheduled a trip prior to resigning with the Brewers.
- Dave Bush says he's 100 percent healthy and ready to go. The righthander is working out at his home in Maine and feels no lingering problems from last seasons microtear issue.
- Prince Fielder told reporters he's in no hurry to get a long-term extension done. He's under contract this season and eligible for arbitration next year. Melvin expressed his hope to keep Fielder in Milwaukee, but said he wouldn't address any negotiations publicly.
"Prince, if you're listening, we want you to stay," Melvin said during a Q&A session. - Pitchers and catchers report to Maryvale on Feb. 21. The first scheduled full-team workout is Feb. 27.
