JS Online has posted a blog stating Brewers’ outfield prospect Michael Brantley is the final piece of the CC Sabathia trade.

Lame.

This is not surprising, but I think most were hoping Taylor Green would be the final piece. No offense to Green, who was last year’s Minor League Player of The Year for the Brewers system, but it would have been nice to get a player like Brantley in the Brewers lineup in the not so distant future.

In 2008, for AA Huntsville, Brantly hit .319 with 28 stolen bases, 40 RBI, 17 doubles, two triples, and four home runs.

It’s official, the moment many Brewer fan have been waiting for has arrived.

The (Appleton-based) Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will become Milwaukee’s Low-A minor league affiliate next season, and hopefully for seasons to come. A press conference will be held at Fox Cities Stadium at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

NICE!

 

When the Brewers return to Miller Park Monday, the clubhouse will be a bit more crowded. As most everyone knows, Major League teams expand their rosters from 25 to 40 players on September 1st each season.

Thanks to Brew Crew Ball, Brewerfan.net’s “Mass Haas” and Nashville Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas -  we can safely say Milwaukee will promote Brad Nelson (IF/OF), Vinny Rottino (C), Mat Gamel (3B), Tony Gwynn Jr. (OF), Joe Dillon (IF) and pitchers Mitch Stetter, Tim Dillard and Mark DiFelice. But that still leaves seven more players left to be called upon.

One can assume Russell Branyan has a spot on the team once he returns from the DL and Laynce Nix (who was promoted in place of Branyan) will remain with the club too.

Here are some unfamiliar names you may also see roaming the dugout, bullpen - and maybe even the diamond - when September is upon us.

Infielders-

• Alcides Escobar (SS/Huntsville) – A lot of Brewer fans have been excited to see the Escobar kid we’ve been hearing so much about play under the bright lights. Though only in Double-A, Escobar is listed on the Milwaukee’s 40-man roster. Always gifted with the glove, Escobar’s bat looks to have caught up with his infield prowess. His numbers are all-around gawdy. I’d love to see him contribute as soon as possible. 

• Callix Crabbe (2B/Nashville) - The middle infield is already crowded, especially with Dillon to be promoted, but Crabbe has played at the Major League level with San Diego this season and hopefully would be able to improve on his .176 BA (6 for 34) he tallied in his stint there. He’s servicable, at worst.

Outfielders-

• Jay Gibbons (OF and DH/Nashville) - Gibby hit .312 in Nashville (109 AB) and has more Major League experience than anyone else in the system. I don’t see why Milwaukee would’ve signed Gibbons if they didn’t plan on calling him up to help come September.

• Hernan Iribarren (OF/Nashville) – Hurricane has twice been promoted to Milwaukee’s roster this season and played OK (2 for 14) in his sporadic opportunities there. Iribarren can add outfield depth, could handle emergency middle infield duties. His 19 steals in a partial season in Nashville (trails Gwynn by one for team lead) make him ideal for pinch running or double switch situations.

• Brendan Katin (OF/Nashville) – Kaitin led the Sounds with 19 homers and trailed only Brad Nelson in RBI (72). Posted a respectable .542 SLG, but struck out over 100 times and walked just 13 in over 300 AB. If Mel Stocker doesn’t get the call, Katin could.

Pitchers-

• Joe Bateman (RHP/Nashville) - He’s probably the best pitcher left on Nashville’s roster not already rumored to be called up. Who can argue with a 1.60 ERA, 22 hits, 37 strikeouts and sub-one WHIP in 33.2 innings? I’ll be surprised if he’s not on the roster Monday.

• Lindsay Gulin (LHP/Nashville) – This Sounds southpaw just named to his second Pitcher of the Week award and has been the only real staple in an otherwise shaky Nashville starting rotation with his 3.54 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and K/IP ration of nearly one. There’s not much of a place for Gulin on the team as far as starter or long relief roles go, but if his performance as a starter can translate into the bullpen, bring him in.

- Barring the unlikely return of Yovani Gallardo, those are my guesses to who will be on their way to Milwaukee for Monday’s game. I’d like to see what others think.

BrewerFan.net posted the 2008 Top Prospect Fan Poll today.

Here are the top 10:

1. Manny Parra, LHP

2. Matt LaPorta, LF

3. Mat Gamel, 3B

4. Jeremy Jeffress – RHP

5. Angel Salome – C

6. Alcides Escobar – SS

7. Cole Gillespie – OF

8. Brent Brewer – SS

9. Taylor Green – 3B

10. Darren Ford – OF

The interesting thing about this list is that, unlike past years, it appears the Brewers will not be relying on much top-tier minor-league talent coming up during the season. Manny Parra is the only guy that appears to have much of a chance of joining the team this season from the top ten and he may start the season on the big-league roster, though that looks less and less likely due to the Brewers abundance of pitching and Parra’s minor-league options.

For the rest of the list and a breakdown of every player and the voting, check out the article here: 2008 Top Prospect Fan Poll.

I found an interesting article on Brewer prospect and Wisconsin native R.J. Seidel this morning: Former Central pitcher R.J. Seidel already has stories to tell as a Brewers minor leaguer. Seidel is a 20-year-old righty from La Crosse. He’s ranked 25th in the BrewerFan.net Power 50. He’s had a promising start to his career. Hopefully he can continue that success this season.

The biggest question I have after reading the article though is what Brewers’ winter tour? I thought they canceled the tour a couple years ago. I’ve heard nothing about a new tour and can’t find a thing on the Web about a tour, just the Winter Warm-Up event. I’ve e-mailed the Brewers to ask what the deal with that is. If I get any info, I’ll pass it along.

(Braun’s defense an area of focus - Journal-Sentinel)

I’m split.

There’s the over-zealous fan side of me that wants to see the future now with Ryan Braun at third base for the Milwaukee Brewers, especially since Corey Koskie will likely miss time with his ongoing post-concussion syndrome problem.

Then there’s the over-analytical side of me that thinks Braun needs time at AAA to improve his below-average defense and become a more-seasoned player before being thrown into the big show.

For now, the over-analytical side has a slight advantage.

While I want to see an incredibly young, incredibly talented infield of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun ASAP, I think it would do more to hurt Braun and the team than it would help it at this point. Hardy is a great defensive player, but Fielder is average and Weeks still has to prove he’s over his yips on the field. Throwing Braun into the mix could spell disaster for a team that will likely have little room for error (pun intended).

Braun has not even seen an at-bat in AAA yet. Why rush him and his arbitration clock when the chances of success early on are very slim? If Koskie can’t go, Graffanino and Counsell are veteran players that can handle third base and if they don’t work out there, the team could always switch Billy Hall back to the infield and fill the outfield hole with one of the players in their glut of outfielders (Jenkins, Mench, Clark, Hart, Gross, Nix, Gwynn Jr.).

If Braun tears it up in AAA for a couple of months, solves his fielding woes and the team needs him, by all means, bring him up, but not right away.

For Braun and the Brewers’ sake, I hope the future is not now for the Brewers infield this April.