Milwaukee Brewers fans have been spoiled over the course of the last four MLB seasons. They have seen the Brew Crew reach the postseason twice since 2008, once more than in the franchise’s previous 55 years. The team will look to continue its recent winning ways in 2012 despite the loss of star first basemen Prince Fielder to free agency.
Since Mark Attanasio purchased the Brewers in 2004 and took the reins from Wendy Selig-Prieb, the team has been on a steady incline. Attanasio hired Doug Melvin as his general manager, and Melvin has been practically clairvoyant in his ability to evaluate team needs and acquire the best available talent. Attanasio has changed the team’s culture by reaching out to the community, establishing new customs while reintroducing old staples (such as the retro-hip bat and ball logo), and most notably putting a winning team on the field every season since 2007.
The tandem of Braun and Fielder have played no small part in the team’s recent success, and maintaining a high level of play in Fielder’s absence will prove difficult. Outside of hired gunslinger C.C. Sabathia’s contributions in 2008, the season in which the Brewers returned to the post-season for the first time since 1982, Braun and Fielder have been the keystone pieces in keeping the Brewers near the top of the NL Central perennially. However, Melvin understands the importance of pitching, and with last season’s addition of the hermetic ace Zack Greinke through a trade with Royals, the continued growth of homegrown Yovani Gallardo, and the acquisition of regular season hero turned post-season fan scapegoat Shaun Marcum, the team appears ready to sustain its momentum from last year’s postseason campaign.
With Fielder following in his father’s footsteps and taking over first base for the Detroit Tigers for a lucrative deal, the Brewers needed to bolster their offense. Melvin made an apt move by shipping away underachieving barnacle third basemen Casey McGehee (.223 AVG, 13 HR, 67 RBI, .3 WAR in 2011) and replacing him with one of the top-five offensive third basemen in baseball, Aramis Ramirez (.306 AVG, 26 HR, 93 RBI, 3.6 WAR). With that significant improvement at the hot corner, the Brewers will only require moderate success from longtime farmhand Matt Gamel, who is taking over for Fielder (.299, 38 HR, 120 RBI, 5.5 WAR) at first base. Coupled with Ramirez’s stats, if the Brewers can get 20+ homeruns and a .270 average from Gamel, they will be able to offset Fielder’s numbers from 2011.
On the defensive side of things, shortstop Alex Gonzalez was picked up via free agency from the Atlanta Braves to replace the sluggish Yuniesky Betancourt. Gonzalez isn’t remarkable in terms of his bat, but is a stellar defensive shortstop. Gonzalez has a stronger arm, better footwork and improved range compared to Betancourt. Ramirez is a slight upgrade defensively at third base.
The Brewers will need Corey Hart to return to his 2010 form and continued production from fan-favorite Nyjer “T-Plush†Morgan at the top of the order. The Brewers also brought in Norichika Aoki, a Japanese outfielder who has won batting titles and gold glove awards for Japan Central League’s Yakult Swallows over the course of an eight year career.
With the loss of Fielder, this year’s incarnation of the Brewers could potentially regress to a third or fourth place team in a strong NL Central. The Brewers’ 2012 success will depend on the starting rotation for keeping in the hunt for October. Zach Greinke should have improved numbers in his sophomore season with the Crew. Developing aces Yovani Gallardo and Chris Narveson should both move a step closer to realizing their potential. Shaun Marcum will undoubtedly come back strong and determined to prove his value after his complete October collapse last season. Randy “Big Bad†Wolf will continue to provide veteran leadership while serving as a reliable back of the rotation starter. John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez will continue to be one of the most reliable set up man and closer combos in all of baseball. The vastly improved infield defense will also enhance the pitching statistics and should cause a slight improvement in team ERA.
The 2012 Brewers should play more like the Tampa Bay Rays than the New York Yankees, relying on timely hitting and consistent pitching rather than the other way around. Ron Roenicke is an accomplished and effective manager and will have these players motivated to build on last year’s success. The Brewers should win a minimum of 85 games this year, and should be competing for a post-season spot come August and September along with the Central crown.
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