The Brewers are sinking. But there's good news: It's only just before the All-Star Break, which means there's still plenty of time to get some sort of deal done, and with left fielder Ryan Braun starting to speak up about wanting General Manager Doug Melvin to make some moves, there could be some unrest in the locker room if something isn't done.
It's no secret the Brewers' pitching rotation is the weakest phase of their game. Left-handed pitcher Manny Parra has struggled and is currently in the minors trying to work out his problems, right-handed pitcher Dave Bush is on the Disabled List and the original starting rotation has a combined record of 26-27.
The only bright spots record-wise are Yovanni Gallardo (8-5) and Branden Looper (7-4).
Records of the others include Jeff Suppan with a record of 5-6, Parra at 3-8, and Bush putting up a record of 3-4. Not good.
There's no way Melvin and the Brewers will be able to muster up the kind of trade they made last year when they brought in C.C. Sabathia from the Indians, and there aren't expendable players on the current roster if you are looking for a trade, unless they want to give up more future prospects.
For one thing, it appears as if the Brewers and Brewer fans have had enough of third baseman Bill Hall and would love to trade him along with his overpaid contract. However, with the way he's been playing and the size of his contract, it will be extremely tough to find a team that would want him.
It's basically the same situation with Suppan. He hasn't lived up to his contract either and no one is going to want to take on the amount of money he's being payed for what he's putting out.
The Brewers do have trade bait, but it would be giving up more future prospects on the rise within the organization.
Infielder Casey McGehee has come on real strong as of late and starting to creep up the list of rookies to watch. He may have the greatest chance of any player on the Brewers to be included in a trade if they have their hearts set on third baseman Mat Gamel to fill that spot in the future. In this case, infielder Craig Counsell would more than likely be the full-time second baseman with Rickie Weeks out for the year.
With nobody for the Brewers to trade away without giving up some of their future, there is this thing called the free agent market to help solve their pitching woes.
Left-handed pitcher Tom Glavine, although old and not having pitched in awhile, may be able to help better than some of the guys the Brewers are putting out there now, especially since they're only going with righties. At least one lefty in the rotation would definitely help out. Might as well give him a shot.
Pedro Martinez is another person the Brewers should think about giving a shot. He may be out of his game and rusty, but there's always the chance he could contribute again, even if he's past his prime. You never know.
With the St. Louis Cardinals making the trade for utility man Mark DeRosa, adding a big bat to their club, the Cards greatly increased their chances for winning the division as long as DeRosa can get and stay healthy.
The Brewers also have a huge series coming up against the Cardinals July 7-9, and neither the pitching or offense has shown up lately, meaning the Brewers have got to get their act together.
If they don't and end up getting swept, the Crew could end up four games behind and more toward the middle of the division instead of near or at the top.
It'll even get tougher afterward as the Brewers will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team currently holding the best record in the National League.
Simply put, the Brewers need to make a move and bring someone into the organization that can at least somewhat contribute to the rotation. Closer Trevor Hoffman may be having a great year to this point, but if the starters can't pitch well and pitch deep into ball games, Hoffman will become a wasted talent.
The Brew Crew has been able to stay atop or near the top of the division until now with bad pitching, but this won't last for long. If they don't make a move soon, they could fall behind quickly and never recover in time.
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