Milwaukee Brewers

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Spring Training reminds us why we love the game of baseball.

Like a beautiful plant, it sprouts in the spring, blooms in the summer and is put to rest in the fall.

The beginning of camp always brings the promise that this is the year that we can go all the way. Milwaukee Brewers fans have added hope this spring after years of frustration. GM Doug Melvin rebuilt the starting rotation with two major offseason acquisitions.

He first traded one of the Brewers top prospects, Brent Lawrie, to the Blue Jays for Shawn Marcum.

During the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers made perhaps the biggest move this side of Cliff Lee by dealing four players for former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Combine that with locking up Rickie Weeks for another four years and signing free agent relief pitcher Takashi Saito, and it's fair to say the Brewers have been busy this winter.

As the pitchers and catchers report to their assigned duties and positions, only one thing can be assumed: Spring Training must be just around the corner.  And that assumption would be correct.

But for the Milwaukee Brewers, redemption of an unpleasant 2010 season will be at the top of newly named manager Ron Roenicke's to-do list.

Offseason signings and additions have resulted in serious talks of a postseason appearance for the Brew Crew in 2011.  And with young, prospering talent, who's to say they won't do it?

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Zack Greinke has been a tough pitcher to figure out in recent seasons. After battling depression early in his career, Greinke has posted ERAs of 3.47, 2.16 and 4.17 in the last three seasons.

Last season, it was Adrian Gonzalez and Cliff Lee.  This year, trade deadline talks will most likely center around the biggest hitter in the game, Prince Fielder.

We all know that being talked about at the deadline is not a guarantee that you will be shipped out; just look at Adrian Gonzalez.

For 2009 American League Cy Young-award winner, Zack Greinke, trading spaces may just prove to be the best possible career decision he could've made.

As the Milwaukee Brewers report to Scottsdale, AZ for spring training, many players within Milwaukee's clubhouse have much to prove prior to the season.

Others, however, could be granted a hall pass for the time being.

Prince is to 2011 as Adrian Gonzalez is to 2010. Whether or not he gets traded before the deadline is completely dependent on the Milwaukee Brewers' place in the NL Central standings by July.

Teams like the Milwaukee Brewers usually need to pick and choose who to spend their money on.

The top four outfielders—Carl Crawford, Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Braun and Matt Holliday—are so tightly bunched that they could conceivably finish the season in any order and I wouldn’t be surprised. And no, Josh Hamilton was not an accidental omission; his injury history is too worrisome for an early-round pick in my book.

Now, I've never considered myself a pessimist by any means. However, the Milwaukee Brewers put forth a dismal effort last season.

The 2010 season, let it be known, yielded as many question marks about the future of the franchise as positive associations. Yes, it was that kind of a year for the Brewers.

Embarrassing pitching, disappointing offensive production and questionable coaching gave way to repetitive criticism on a day-to-day basis throughout the early stages of Milwaukee's offseason.