By all indications, next year is when the Milwaukee Brewers have to make the postseason. If not, certain people in the organization will be paying for it with their jobs, with manager Ned Yost the first to come to mind.
It is funny, then, what Yost said earlier this week, giving Derrick Turnbow the inside track to the closer's spot on a team that has a Francisco Cordero-size void in that role.
Who knows whether that's some sort of posturing. Yost did bring up Turnbow's All-Star status as a closer several years ago. Is that some sort of backhanded way to raise his trade value, or is this guy serious?
Whatever the answer, questions like this all fall in the framework of baseball's winter meetings and its offseason - one in which the Brewers have much left to do.
I give Doug Melvin, the Brewers general manager, credit for not overpaying Cordero. And even if he is suiting up for Cincinnati next year, how many save opportunities will he really have playing for the directionless Reds?
The real issues are who is going to be closing for the Brewers next year, and what other changes can be made to get the Brewers into the playoffs. Anything less than that will be unacceptable next season.
Turnbow simply isn't the answer in the ninth inning. Something got to him after he played in the Midsummer Classic in 2006, and he's never returned to the form that made him one of Melvin's best reclamation projects.
What's concerning now is that the market for closers is narrowing. Melvin rightly passed up the one chance he supposedly had to acquire closer Chad Cordero of the Washington Nationals.
Cordero is intriguing, but Rickie Weeks, whom Washington reportedly wanted, has shown signs of becoming a more consistent player who will take walks to get on base.
It looks like the Brewers are going to have to make a closer out of someone, which looks to be more advisable than reinstalling a player many have taken to calling Turn-blow.""
Really, do you feel confident with Turnbow and his many vagaries taking the mound at Wrigley on opening day with a one-run lead? I'm not willing to believe the Brewers are comfortable with that.
And they shouldn't be with the rest of the roster, as it stands. Melvin deserves praise for bringing in Jason Kendall, regardless of his statistics throwing out baserunners. Kendall is coming to Milwaukee with his bat, which is disciplined, and his attitude. Think basically the opposite of Johnny Estrada in all respects except the arm, though that point could be debatable, too.
At the meetings, the biggest point of interest involving the Brewers has been the Scott Rolen rumor, but that has gone moribund, unless the Cardinals become desperate. It's rare to see a player with his stats move within the division, a theory that St. Louis no doubt follows. Also, Rolen has not always been healthy and makes a boatload of money, while the Brewers will always have to be economical.
As Milwaukee activity surrounding Rolen peters out, Melvin still recognizes a need for either a leftfielder or a third-baseman. He has reputedly listened to offers for Ben Sheets and Bill Hall. All this, and you get the feeling that whatever the talk, nothing really seems to be out of the question in a critical period for this team.
To talk about the Brewers and their chances of making it to the playoffs next season, e-mail Jon at bortin@wisc.edu.
