Terrible headline. But possibly a good low-risk signing by Milwaukee today in acquiring 25-year-old left-handed Canadian relief pitcher R.J. Swindle. The Brewers signed Swindle, Brett Lawrie’s teammate on the Canadian Olympic team, to a Major League deal.

In 53 innings in AA and AAA last season, Swindle went 3-1 with a 1.53 E.R.A., 67 Ks and just EIGHT walks in 38 appearances. In fact, Haudricourt notes Swindle has issued just 25 walks over 194 minor league innings in parts of four seasons. He’s struggled in his three Major League appearances - posting a 7.71 ERA with Philly last season, but that is a very small sample size.

To be honest, I don’t know much about Swindle, but in the few articles I’ve read since learning of the signing, I like the move. I can’t find anything concrete on the monetary figures, but you have to assume it’s quite a bargain based on Swindle’s experience. This acquisition may spell Brian Shouse, who’s said to be on the radar of a few teams already.

He is said to be a finesse pitcher who throws a 55 mph curveball - another reason I’m excited to see this guy pitch come spring.

The season’s over and you may be asking yourself “Oh Lawd, however will I pass the time?” Fear not, I have come up with a list of 50 things you could do during the offseason:

1. There’s always football…Go Packers and Badgers!
2. And if they suck, there’s Badger Basketball and Hockey soon after
3. Work on your trash talk at a Bucks game
4. Watch the new seasons of South Park, The Office, and It’s Always Sunny…
5. Dream about different offers you would give C.C. Sabathia
6. Fantasy Basketball or Hockey
7. Read Brewer Blogs, wink wink
8. Go to Kelly’s Bleachers and talk with some random dude who always responds with “Yeah, but they’re not the 82 team…”
9. Take a trip….to Hawaii to watch Baby Brewers
10. Create drinks for each of the Brewers (for instance, a Corey Hart would be a mix of Southern Comfort and Berry Blue Kool-Aid, it starts out good but gives you gut rot by the end)
11. Learn how to pronounce Luc Mbah a Moute
12. Persuade Jason Bohannon to play “HORSE” with you and try to beat him with short, dinky shots
13. Vote! (I heard that Mark Attanasio is a write-in candidate)    

    #14

14. Drunkenly try to explain to everyone why San Francisco would totally go for a Bill Hall/Rickie Weeks for Matt Cain trade (seriusly dude guys, it wood totaly werk out, im not evan kiding)
15. Randomly take the grill out and make brats and hamburgers, you know, to keep your skills sharp
16. Figure out if Carsten, Doug, Prince, or Ryan is a better name for your forthcoming baby boy
17. Replay the 2008 season on Major League Baseball 2K8, only this time the Brewers go 150-12, Prince Fielder has 87 Home Runs, Ryan Braun has 250 RBI’s, Corey Hart’s second half is actually better than his first half, and Bill Hall hits .250!!!!    

    #18

18. Maybe finish that novel you’ve been working on
19. Join a Gym. I’m not saying you have to go, but it always sounds good when you say you’ve “joined a gym”.
20. Start scoring points with the significant other that you can cash in next season
21. Find a significant other
22. Start a new Brewers-related Facebook group every week
23. Buy an HDTV on the cheap the day after Thanksgiving and then sit and wait for the next time you can hear “This game is presented in High Definition”    

    #24

24. Write Rob McElhenney until he agrees that he does, in fact, look like J.J. Hardy 
25. Get so good at Wii Sports Baseball that you think you could try out for the team
26. Watch the first 76 hours of the MLB Network…straight….
27. Teach a kid how to score a baseball game
28. Road Trip to a Sonic or In and Out Burger
29. Figure out how to make Robinade and Secret Stadium Sauce at your home
30. Take a tour of a non-Milwaukee brewery like the Point or original  Leinenkugel Breweries
31. Get some Kopps now that the lines aren’t quite as long
32. Buy a Super Nintendo and rock some Tecmo Super Bowl and NBA Jam
33. Go to the Brewers Clubhouse sale and pick up random jerseys from guys even Tyler doesn’t remember were on the team
34. Read “Moneyball” with the beauty that is hindsight
35. Aruge about what percentage of Philly Fans are potheads thanks to Rich Dubee
36. Make really bad predictions about what will happen next year in the league
37. Get a seasonal job at a sports apparel retailer just for the big discount around the holidays
38. Smack your postseason thundersticks until they go flat
39. Create a CareerBuilder.com account for one Ned Yost    

    #39

40. Catch a concert at the Pabst, Riverside, or Turner Ballroom (or Bob Uecker’s Winter Warm Up)
41. Challenge Ed Sedar to an arm wrestling match and lose horribly
42. Go to a bull testicle festival in Central Wisconsin (It’s my slight understanding that there’s one in Elderon and one in Wisconsin Rapids)
43. Post Dwayne Wade Marquette Basketball, it’s fan-tastic
44. Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2
45. Hope that the new Decibully comes out soon
46. And wonder what ever happened to Paris, Texas for that matter
47. Order Jimmy John’s and Erbert’s and Gerbert’s at the same time to find out which one really comes faster.
48. Figure out which quote from Mike Singletary’s press conference to use ad nasuem like Jim Mora’s “Playoffs?” or Mike Gundy’s “I’m a Man” rant.
49. Two of the best movies of the year are coming out on DVD this winter: The Dark Knight and Wall-E
50. Go America all over everyone’s ass

This week’s topic: What is the Brewers top priority this offseason?

Jared - 

I’d say hiring a manager is priority number one because it effects all of the other offseason questions.

 

CC would not sign a deal with the team without knowing the manager. JJ would not sign a long-term deal without knowing who was in charge. The new manager will likely have a say in if he wants to roll with Gamel and/or Escobar next season. You get the point…

 

Truthfully, I think Melvin has already made his decision on the manager (and my gut says it’s Macha), but he has to wait until the Series is over to make the announcement. After the announcement is made, it will put the dominoes in motion for the rest of what will be a very important offseason.

Tyler - 

To me, priority number one is getting some pitchers. It still seems doubtful the Brewers can sign Sabathia and almost as doubtful they bring Sheets back in, so obtaining another pitcher either in free agency or by way of trade is paramount this offseason.

With the exclusions of the possibly departing afore-mentioned free agents the rotation is probably Gallardo, Suppan, Bush, Parra and one of McClung/Villanueva/Capuano (some uncertainties with Cappy). I’d personally love to see the Brewers fill in that one sizable uncertainty with a servicable and affordable ace or, more realistically, a number two guy.

I like Derek Lowe a lot, and I hear his teammate Brad Penny may not have his pricey $8.75 M ‘09 option picked up by L.A. Otherwise, if not giving up too much to do so, Matt Cain would be a huge pickup. In the less impressive but still well worth looking into department, as I write this (Tuesday morning) the Orioles just released struggling youngster Adam Loewen. Loewen is Canadian so you know he’s present somewhere on Melvin and Ash’s big board. A low risk, short-term and affordable signing such as the Cardinals did with their $5 M deal with Kyle Lohse might pay off for a team with Milwaukee’s payroll.

Other realistic, decent and somewhat affordable starting pitching options on the free agent market IMO are players like Jon Garland, Jamie Moyer and, you’ll laugh… but here it goes, Carl Pavano - who stepped it up late in 2008, and can be signed at an absolute bargain basement price. Whoever it is and whichever method is taken to make it happen, I feel that securing at least one top half of the rotation starter is the most important gap for Milwaukee to fill this offseason.

Joe -

The Brewers have a hand full of holes to fill. They need a new manager. Getting a true lead-off man would be fantastic, as would adding a bullpen arm. In my opinion, it’s pretty obvious what the Brewers number one priority is getting a top of the rotation arm to compliment Yovani Gallardo.

There are a few ways to accomplish this, the most obvious being signing CC Sabathia. Call me Mr Negative, but I just don’t see it happening. The only way the Brewers sign CC is if he really would take four years for $100 million, but even that could cripple a small market team like the Brewers.

I think a trade for a solid young arm is far more likely. I felt pretty good about the likely hood of the Brewers trading for Matt Cain, but lately I’ve been thinking that is less and less likely. I have a feeling the Giants will be asking for too much. Would I trade JJ for Cain straight up? Absolutely! Prince for Cain? I think so. But sorry Mr Gammons, JJ and Prince plus possibly another player for Cain is just too much. Did you mean to say little Timmy Lincecum? I didn’t think so. (Please see the Brewmors page for many more trade rumors)

Obviously there are other means in obtaining another solid starter, but I think those are the two most likely of situations. I expect the trade and free agent signing rumors to start getting really heavy after the Brewers hire their manager and as the Winter Meetings edge closer. No matter what, this will be a fun and interesting off season.

Bryan -

I’m sorry if this bounces all over. I saw Los Lonley Boys sing the National Anthem and became befuddled. Is that the best MLB could bring to Tampa? Aren’t they from Texas or something? Is it World Series 2K4?

Anyway, I think it’s amazing how much things change in a year. In July, I had a couple friends tell me that signing Corey Hart to a long term deal is the most important priority for the Brewers. Well, no one is really talking about that anymore, are they?

The Brewers top prioirity this offseason is pitching. No question. The manager could be Connie Mack back from the dead and it wouldn’t matter if this team does not address their pitching needs. First of all, C.C. They will give him an offer. That priority is going to handle itself. C.C. will either choose the fun he had in Milwaukee and stick around for 4 years, or take the 6 year mad jack that the other teams are going to offer him. Ben Sheets basically has said he doesn’t think he’s coming back. Some have stated they’re fine going in with Yovani and Manny as 1 and 2, but we all saw what happened with Manny at the end of his first full year. It wasn’t pretty. It could happen to Yo as well. The Brewers need a strong starting pitcher. Derek Lowe is a big name floating out there. I think Lowe is getting old. Don’t believe me? He was drafted in the same class as Paul Byrd and Brad Radke. He had a good couple seasons in LA Land, but he could turn out to be Jeff Suppan with a sinker. The Giants believe Matt Cain is an ace and should get that amount returned to them. Matt Cain may be stuck on a bad team, but I don’t believe he’s earned the status of “ace” quite yet. Tim Lincecum is an ace, Matt Cain is a very good pitcher on a bad team.

So what to do? The Brewers need to either make one dynamic signing/trade or do what they did for the bullpen last year. Make some one to two year signings and see who pans out. Worked for the Cardinals, they keep picking up arms in low value and they do well for one year (see Jeff Weaver and Kyle Lohse). Might not be good after the one year, but that’s all we’re asking for to make sure that Yovani and Manny will be strong enough to pitch an entire year.

The bullpen is a concern again this year. Will Salomon be back, and if he is, will he be the Salomon of May-August? Or will he be the Salomon of September-October? Will Mota or Gagne be back? If not, who fills in those spots? We need to answer those questions otherwise we might have to bring Turnbow back. Is Shouse going to retire? The only things I like about the bullpen right now are Carlos and Mitch. Riske should be better, but after that who is going to be around that has experience? These are the questions that make this the top priority.

Your turn, what do you think the Brewers top priority is?

Editor’s Note: The Brewmors post has grown beyond a simple blog post. It was just too big. So, we’ve created a whole page dedicated to the Brewers’ trade and transaction rumors and speculation. You can check it out HERE. Bookmark the page. In the future, we’ll include a link to it when we discuss free agency or trades and you can also click on the link to it under “RFB Features” in the sidebar on the right.

We’d love your help too. If you find a link to some new tidbit we haven’t put on the site yet, e-mail it to jared@rightfieldbleachers.com.

The 2008 season might not have ended the way we dreamed, but it was still a dream season.

Was I let down the Brewers didn’t advance past the first round of the post season or even make it a close contest? Absolutely. But let’s keep things in perspective…

First of all, this was the best team the Brewers have had in a long, long time. They finished with 90 wins, the most since 1992. It was only the sixth time in franchise history (40 seasons, including one year in Seattle) that the Brewers finished with 90 wins or more. Regardless of the evident holes this team had, they were a hell of a team and one that should be remembered very fondly by Brewers fans.

Remember, they made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years! I’m 26 years old. I was born shortly after the 1982 season began. I’m told I was at a game in late September that year, but my memory is fuzzy on that for some reason… What I’m trying to say is, the best moments of Brewers baseball in my entire life came this season. The memories of Sunday’s playoff clinching win and my first two playoff games (including one incredible win) will be etched in my brain forever. Even if the Brewers were to somehow become the second-coming of the New York Yankees and make the playoffs for 15 consecutive years, those games will be very, very special to me for as long as I live. Of course, a lot of Brewers fans are old enough to remember the 1982 season, which remains the pinnacle of the Brewers’ success, but even those fans should remember the 2008 squad fondly. After more than a quarter century drought, any playoff baseball is something to talk about.

Also, give props to the Phillies. The better team won in this series. Philadelphia exposed some of the same holes that have haunted the Brewers all year long. The Brewers have no leadoff hitter, they are not patient at the plate, they do not take walks, they rely on the home run too much, they do not play “small ball,” their defense is average at best with serious shortcomings at some positions and with Gallardo not at full health and Sheets not on the playoff roster, they are not deep at starting pitching. The Phillies did not hit great in this series, but if Burrell and Rollins pick up where they left off today and Utley and Howard get hot, they are good enough to beat anyone. I expect them to beat the Dodgers and move on to the World Series.

It’ll certainly be an interesting offseason for Milwaukee. The calls to sign CC have (predictably) already started and I have little doubt the Brewers will make an offer to him. I doubt it’ll be enough to lure him back though. He was an outstanding addition for half of the season and will forever be a part of Brewers lore. Sheets has also likely thrown his last ball as a Brewer. So, starting pitching may be a priority this offseason. Gallardo, Parra, Bush and Suppan are likely cemented in the rotation (barring a trade of one of them) with McClung temporarily holding down the last spot, pending a roster move for a pitcher. The bullpen will have to be reworked. And it’d sure be nice if the Brewers could add a lead-off hitter and one or two OBP guys so the one- or two-run home runs turn into three- or four-run bombs. Doug will likely be busy. Oh yeah, there’s that coaching issue to take care of too. Will Sveum be back in ‘09?

Still looking for a silver lining? The Brewers had one more playoff victory than the Cubs.