Milwaukee Bucks Sign and Trade Brandon Jennings

Bucks, Jennings Part Ways

Just when it seemed likely that free agent point guard Brandon Jennings and the Milwaukee Bucks would settle their differences and agree on a one year qualifying offer, the team pulled a somewhat unexpected deal yesterday sending the 23 year old to the Detroit Pistons in a sign and trade deal.

Jennings agreed to sign a three year/$24 million deal with the Pistons . In exchange the Bucks obtained guard Brandon Knight, forward Khris Middleton and center Viacheslav Kravtsov.

Which team is this deal better for?

The verdict on who “won” this deal won’t really be out until after the 2013-2014 season is complete because there are so many questions surrounding both team’s acquisitions and how they will fit in with their new roster. Can Brandon Knight become the future starting point guard for the Bucks or will the Bucks use him as trade bait? Or, how will Jennings and newly acquired free agent forward Josh Smith fare in Detroit with only one basketball? So, we have to wait and see how the season plays out before truly determining who got the better end of deal in this trade.

How does this deal effect the Bucks?

First off for Milwaukee: it’s no secret that replacing Jennings and his 17.5 ppg and 6.5 apg averages will be very hard.  In addition to this, Jennings was the closest thing that the Bucks had to a “franchise player” the last couple of seasons and in a day in age where the NBA is all about stardom this could have a negative affect on the fan base for Milwaukee.

On the flip-side of this, the Bucks could gain a few things from dealing Jennings. Now that he is gone, the Bucks will have more financial flexibility for the rest of this offseason. In addition, the offseason of 2014, the Bucks could now go after some big name free agents to team up with recently acquired guard OJ Mayo as well as an up and coming front court of Larry Sanders and John Henson.

Finally, the loss of Jennings could bring the team closer together now that Jennings and the attention that he garners is gone. Think of it as something like a small scale version of the Chicago Bulls and how they came together without Derrick Rose. In any case, the loss of Jennings will have a big impact on the team. What kind of impact remains to be seen.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Tom Brown (@TABrown23)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Who SHOULD the Brewers Move, and Who WILL They Move at the Deadline?

This season has indeed been disappointing to us all as Brewers fans, with a horrible win-loss record and the news of our beloved Ryan Braun out for the remainder of the season due to a PED suspension. But let’s not hang our hats on the season and call it a complete disappointment just yet. Remember last year when many Brewers fan didn’t want to part with Zack Greinke, holding on to a glimmer of hope that the team would be able to retain him in the offseason? Well, had they not traded Greinke, they still would not have signed him (the Dodgers were determined to win that battle) and we would not have the impressive Jean Segura leading our team, and the entire national league, in hits this season.

I think that this season can still yield some success for the Brewers, if Doug Melvin can make the right moves and acquire some promising pieces for the future. I like the move that sent Francisco Rodriguez to Baltimore for Nicky Delmonico last week. Giving up K-Rod, a guy that wasn’t even on our roster until mid May, for a top 5 prospect on any other team is a good deal in my eyes. But I think that there are still a few more potential moves that could be made to bring the Brewers some more talent that could benefit the team down the road. Below I take a look at the players that could be on the trading block and whether I think they SHOULD be traded, along with whether I believe they WILL be dealt. 

Michael Gonzalez – SHOULD HE BE DEALT? Yes. WILL HE BE DEALT? YES

Gonzalez was a sought after piece in the offseason after posting an impressive 3.03 ERA in 2012 while allowing just 2 home runs. The Braves were a possible trade partner for Gonzalez but that changed when they acquired left hander Scott Downs from the Angles on Monday. Possible suitors remain however, as plenty of playoff contending teams could benefit from the services of a capable lefty like Gonzalez. The return might not be great, however, given Gonzalez has struggled at times this year and he is only signed through the end of the season.

John Axford – SHOULD HE BE DEALT? No. WILL HE BE DEALT? No

Axford has certainly had his ups and downs the past two seasons, but no one can forget his lights out season in 2011, and he is still a fairly young, capable late inning reliever. After struggling early on in the season, Axford ripped of a streak of 23 consecutive appearances without allowing a run, trying a Brewers franchise record. In addition to the impressive streak, the Ax-Man had his ERA was all the way down to 3.50 before allowing 2 earned runs against the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. I think it would be best for the Brewers to retain Axford to pair with Jim Henderson as the focal point of the bullpen moving forward.

Jim Henderson – SHOULD HE BE DEALTH? No. WILL HE BE DEALT? No

I feel that the Brewers should retain Henderson for the same reasons I think Axford needs to stay. He is a capable, fairly young late inning reliever who is signed to an affordable contract and has impressed in the opportunities he’s been given in a Brewers uniform. His ERA currently sits at an impressive 2.09 on the year and he has 12 saves in 15 chances. He is a bit of a feel good story as well, after enduring nearly 10 years in the minor leagues before earning a chance with the crew last season. Unless someone offers something Melvin can’t turn down, I do not think the Brewers will or should explore trade possibilities for Henderson.

Aramis Ramirez – SHOULD HE BE DEALT? Yes. WILL HE BE DEALT? No.
 
This one is tough. A healthy Ramirez could be a very attractive trade chip for teams looking for a bat capable of driving in runs and a solid glove at third base. The holdup here is that Rammy has only played in a handful of games this season, it seems, and is progressing slowly in his recovery from a banged up left knee. Reports Tuesday morning said he tested the knee during batting practice on Monday, but has no idea when he will be ready to return to the lineup. I am still on the side of the fence saying to trade Ramirez for any valuable piece you can get, because I just don’t see him doing much for the club in the remainder of this season or next year. He will be 36 and in the final year of his contract in 2014, a season in which I don’t much expect the Brewers to be contenders. I think it would be wise of Melvin to try and move him, however I just don’t see it happening at this point.

Kyle Lohse – SHOULD HE BE DEALT? Yes.  WILL HE BE DEALT? No.

I was not a happy camper when I heard that the Brewers signed Lohse to a three year, $33 Million contract on March 25th. I personally didn’t expect the team to contend this season and would have preferred to save the money and retain the first round pick we were forced to give up for signing him. That being said, I think that mistake can be rectified if Melvin can swing him for a prospect or two at the deadline. Lohse will turn 35 before next season but still provides value as a number two or three starter. He is off to a very good start this year, his ERA sitting at 3.22, and has shown no signs of slowing down. Again, I don’t expect the team to contend in 2014, so getting someone of value for Lohse seems like the best option here. However, I don’t see Melvin throwing in the towel just yet on 2014 and I feel that he considers Lohse a valuable piece to the team’s possible success moving forward. I don’t see him moving, unless someone offers a deal Doug can’t turn down.  

Yovani Gallardo – SHOULD HE BE DEALT? No. WILL HE BE DEALT? No.

Gallardo is signed through 2014, on a very team friendly deal considering he is the team’s number one starter. It has been rumored that several teams have been interested in the 27 year old, the Diamondbacks among them. I believe the major holdup here is that Gallardo isn’t pitching to his full potential, at just 8-9 with a 4.88 ERA on the year,  and wouldn’t bring the type of return that he is truly worth if Melvin decided to move him. Gallardo has been a Brewer his entire career, and I would like to see him remain a Brewer. I think the best thing to do would be to hold onto Yo at least until his value rises again. I simply do not see Melvin moving him for something less than what he is worth, which is all that he would get at this point. 

Nori Aoki – SHOULD HE BE DEALT? Yes. WILL HE BE DEALT? No.

Everyone loves Nori, myself included, but I really believe that he needs to go. The Brewers have long been out of the running this season and I don’t expect them to be contenders again during Aoki’s contract. He is only signed through 2014 and Logan Schafer is knocking on the door. I think the crew could get good value here and open a spot for a budding star in Schafer. Plenty of teams would love to have Nori’s bat in their lineup and glove in their outfield. I believe Doug would be wise to try his best to move him, however I simply don’t see it happening at this point.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Joseph Norton (@JoeP_Norton)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Analyzing the Gary Neal Signing

It has been a very active offseason so far for the Milwaukee Bucks, having already signed guard OJ Mayo, forward Carlos Delfino, and center Zaza Pachulia.

The Bucks were back at it again this past weekend as they reached a two year agreement worth about 3.5 million per year with newly available guard Gary Neal according to a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein.

Photo: ESPN

Neal is a three year NBA veteran, spending his entire NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. He comes to the Bucks with career averages of 9.7 points per game, and 2.2 rebounds while shooting almost 39% from three point range.

While the Neal signing does not propel the Bucks into title contention, it does solve some issues that the team was facing. With most mid summer free agent signings there are a lot of question marks here. With that being said, here is a closer look at reasons to like and reasons to be skeptical of this signing. 

Reasons to like the signing - It helps set up the rotation 

The signing of Neal and the assumption that Brandon Jennings will most likely sign a one year qualifying offer means the Bucks' back court rotation is starting to take shape.  With Jennings and OJ Mayo assuming the starting 1-2 guard spots means Neal will join Luke Ridnour off the bench in what is shaping up to be a pretty solid back-court.

Neal has plenty of experience

Even though he is only 28 years old Neal has been around a while, having played three years of European ball before playing with the Spurs from 2010-2013. During his three seasons in San Antonio, Neal was part of playoff teams all three years, two of which produced lengthy runs in the playoffs and played a key role on last year's NBA Final runner up team. The winning experience Neal has gained could help with the likes of Jennings and Mayo who could learn from Neal’s experiences on winning teams and playing in the NBA finals.

Reasons to be concerned - Defense Defense Defense
  
Last year the Bucks had little trouble finding offense but all kinds of problems playing defense. The acquisitions of the Bucks this offseason including Neal have done little to bolster the stumbling defense.

Why did the Spurs let him walk?

Neal was an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Spurs instead of waiting to see if he was offered a deal went out and signed free agent Marco Belinelli for a reported two years and six million which is four million more than Neal signed for and they have similar career averages. This could possibly suggest that there was a bit of a fallout in San Antonio for Neal and a shaky relationship with a player is something the Bucks don’t want anymore more of given the nature of their relationship with Jennings.

Overall this signing has potential to be a very good one for the Bucks.  Neal is a very serviceable combo guard who will mainly be used off the bench and can be used as an emergency starter when needed.  We know he has some potential to heavily impact a game given his 24 point performance in game 3 of the NBA Finals. Although he will never be a defensive juggernaut he seems good enough to not be a liability for the Bucks and his leadership and experience can only help a young somewhat undisciplined team.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Tom Brown (@TABrown23)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

The Key to Aaron Rodgers' Success

From 2010-2012, Aaron Rodgers has submitted three of the best seasons by any NFL QB ever to put on a helmet. Rodgers' average passer rating for those seasons is 107.8, which is slightly higher than his NFL leading career average of 104.9. Passer rating is not the end of quarterback judgment (Chad Pennington has a higher career passer rating than Brett Favre for example) but it does provide a consistent snapshot of performance. Additionally, the Packers have had a different leading receiver in each of the past three seasons 2010 – Greg Jennings, 2011 – Jordy Nelson and 2012 – Randall Cobb. While not unusual, three leading receivers in three years does show off Rodgers' ability to take the favorable match-ups and not focus on one playmaker. However, the aerial attack is dependent on having a consistent group of receivers available each game who are on the same page as Rodgers reading defenses and running timing routes. Beginning in 2010, Rodgers has had to go through several different stretches in which integral parts of his receiving corps missed games and/or played through injuries. Each time, Rodgers eventually found a grove and got back on track but needed some time to adjust.

2010 – Without struggle, there is no progress

When Jermichael Finley emerged at the tail end of the 2009 season, including a breakout game against Arizona in the playoffs in 2009, Mike McCarthy spent the offseason gearing the offense around Finley’s ability to create mismatches in the middle of opposing defenses. The new attack worked reasonably well for the first four game of the season. Rodgers averaged a passer rating of 96.8 and totaled 8 TDs against 5 interceptions.  In week 5 against the Washington Redskins, Finley when down early in the game with a meniscus tear and ended up missing the rest of the season. Over the course of the next four games Rodgers passer rating dipped to 76.2 and threw 4 TD and 4 INT, YIKES! After that dismal stretch though Rodgers adjusted and went on to submit one of the more incredible runs in recent memory to the tune of a 117.8 passer rating, 26 TDs and 4 INT over 11 games leading the Packers to the Super Bowl 45 Championship.

2011 – The KING

Picking up where he left off in 2010, and now with a fully healthy receiving corps Rodgers had 37 TDs, a 125.2 passer rating and only 5 INT through the first 12 games of the season. Starting in week 12 however, Greg Jennings was hobbled by a knee injury and ended up missing the last three weeks of the regular season. During Jennings' absence, Rodgers struggled in a loss at Kansas City posting his worst passer rating of the season at 80.1 with only 1 TD. Needing only one week to adjust, Rodgers scorched the Bears for 5 TDs and a 142.7 rating the following game. When Jennings returned in the playoffs in the division round against the Giants, the offense was back out of sync and Rodgers tallied only a 78.5 rating leading to a loss and massive disappointment for what had been an otherwise fantastic season.

2012 – Reign on the Top

The offense was seemingly out of sorts all year juggling different players in and out of the lineup. Second year player Randall Cobb gained a more prominent role in the offense, including lining up in the backfield and taking hand-offs. However in week 2 against the Bears, Cobb took a hard hit to the shoulder on an inside run and appeared to get a stinger. After that scare, McCarthy was reluctant to go back to running Cobb between the tackles and shied away from that formation. Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson were both in about out of the lineup during parts of the season, Jennings for an extended period and Nelson in and out of the lineup for 5 different games. Rodgers' efficiency again fluctuated with the consistency of his receivers. Cycling between 100+ ratings (weeks 4-7 and 15-17) when he’d had time to prepare, on the flip side his rating dipped below 90 (weeks 2-3 and 12-14) when injuries affected which receivers lined up each game.

The Verdict

The heart of the McCarthy and Rodgers offensive attack has been identifying favorable match-ups, then relying on Rodgers' pinpoint accuracy and timing with the receivers. It should not come as a surprise that an offense predicated on recognition and timing bogs down when main components are in and out of the lineup. Interestingly enough, Rodgers' output does not seem contingent on one player, as evident by slumps (might not even be considered slumps for nearly any other NFL QB) when any one of his top targets leaves a game or misses time with injury. Rather, Rodgers has shown the ability to readjust his attack once he has a week or two of practice and game planning with a consistent group of receivers.

On one hand it seems too simplistic to boil down Rodgers' success to injuries. Injuries are part of the game after all and the Packers have had their fair share over the past few seasons while still making the playoffs. But certainly keeping a consistent group of core receivers on the field every week will go a long way toward defining the success Rodgers and the Packers have this season. A more reliable defense and the threat of run game would also help, but that is a story for another day.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

A Small Preview of the 2013 Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers and company are set to start up training camp this upcoming week, which means that the 2013 NFL season is right around the corner. Many experts are predicting another NFC North championship, which would give them their 3rd straight. With the Super Bowl being the ultimate prize yet again, is the team balanced enough?

As has been the case the past few seasons, the team’s success begins and ends with Rodgers. While there are certainly other great players on the team, they would not be a true Super Bowl contender without #12 hooking up with receivers all game. He is coming off another great season in 2012, which should see him taken as the 3rd QB on average in fantasy football 2013, and the team feels that as long as he is in the middle of his prime, they have a chance to win the Super Bowl.

Since winning it all in 2010, the Packers have fizzled out of the playoffs the past couple seasons in unimpressive fashion. Between just a mediocre defense overall and a lack of dependable talent running the football, teams have been able to counteract Rodgers in a variety of ways. The Packers spent this off-season trying to fill those gaps, and at least on paper, it appears as though they are onto something.

Eddie Lacy (left) and Johnathan Franklin (right) are set to take over the Packers' running game. Photo: Sportige.com

A pair of rookies will get a chance to make an instant impact running the football, as both Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin bring speed and power to the position. Lacy has the inside track on getting starter touches, but both could play a huge role balancing the offense.

The defense has actually improved from year-to-year, so expect another slight improvement in 2013. Anchored by Clay Matthews, the younger players have started to finally feed off of him. A young, talented secondary will be a year older and wiser this season, which should help them stop the passing game a bit more.

Losing Greg Jennings will hurt the offense a little, but there are plenty of wide receivers on the roster who can fill his role. This team is probably not as good as the 15-1 2011 squad, nor are they as bad as the 11-5 2012 squad. Expect 12-13 wins for the Packers in 2013, with another divisional crown to their name.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Jeff White of FanDuel.com

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

An Attempt at Sorting Through the Ryan Braun News

If you’re one of those Brewers fans who truly “doesn’t care one way or another” about this whole Braun situation, then I envy you – I’m still trying to sort through all of my thoughts and feelings on the situation. This whole time, I have been one of the Braun supporters who would have stuck with him to the end had he continued to insist that he had never taken PEDs. I don’t know if it was blind optimism, or if I truly believed that he didn’t do it (probably the former), but I could never bring myself to accept or even think about the possibility that he had intentionally taken a banned substance. Now I am no longer able to reside in this place of denial, and I have to move on and accept the fact that my all-time favorite Brewer is now suspended for the rest of the season and will have to deal with this for the rest of his career. I usually try not to let myself become emotionally invested with any aspect of sports, but the Brewers (and certain players) always have had and always will have a special place in my heart, so this one stings. I do wish he would have told the truth to begin with, but he didn’t, so there’s no use in dwelling on the past and wishing things are different.

65 games is the suspension for Braun. Technically, the ‘rest of the season’ was the official suspension, but 65 games is what that equates to. Given that this season is a lost cause (and has pretty much been so ever since spring training began), this could end up helping the Brewers in the long run. Braun can rest and allow his thumb to heal. The Brewers can allow younger players (such as Schafer, Gindl, and Davis) to have some playing time in the outfield and assess their future potential as major leaguers. The Brewers certainly lose a lot on offense without Braun in the lineup, and less runs scored usually means more losses. More losses means a higher draft pick. Still, none of these things don’t make me feel any better about the suspension. At least not right now.

It also doesn’t help that all of the national baseball writers seem to take pleasure in taking direct shots at Brewers fans. Questioning how we could possibly cheer for Braun to succeed in the future while playing for the Brewers is just ridiculous. Of course I’m going to cheer for him; I want my team to do well. What do you expect me to do, hope he fails in every single situation so I can watch yet another disappointing season? No thanks. On second though, I guess I will root for him to fail because he did take PEDs and is now the evilest person ever in the history of baseball. I’m also going to find a list of all of the current major league players that have been suspended in the past for failing drugs tests and make sure to root against them on a daily basis. I also vow to track down every DUI ever issued to an MLB player and start cheering for them to fail, too. Man, this is going to take a lot of work. But, why stop there? I think I’ll also find the names of all of the players who have ever had a domestic assault charged to their name. I’m also going to hold a personal vendetta against anyone in the majors who was ever arrested for possession of any other illegal drug. I mean, that’s a possible jail-worthy offense! Oh boy, I’m probably going to need to take a full week off of work in order to find all of these names, but I’m dedicated to doing it, because it’s the “right thing to do.” Or something like that.

Ron Roenicke says that if Union, MLB, legal ramifications allow, Ryan Braun should come forward with an explanation.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 23, 2013

So, what happens from here? Well, a lot of people are calling for a public apology by Braun to all of Brewers fans. I think this is something that would make some people feel better, but I could care less if he apologizes to us. Who knows at this point if it would just be empty words, or if he truly means whatever he says. At this point, all I want from him is to come back in 2014 and play like a ballplayer trying to get his team back to the playoffs. While I may no longer view him in the same light that I did before all of this happened, he is still a huge part of my baseball team, and I love my baseball team. There have been past Brewers players who I didn’t particularly admire off the field, but I cheered for them during games because they were an important part of my favorite ball club. Regardless of how I feel about Braun as a person, I will continue to cheer for him and hope he puts up career numbers because that is what is in the best interest of my ball club. I will continue to buy tickets to see the Brewers play this year and every year from here on out. I will support my team no matter what and there’s nothing anybody can say to me that will ever change that.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

Point Guard Options for the Milwaukee Bucks

After the Atlanta Hawks matched the Milwaukee Bucks offer sheet (4 years, 32 million dollars) to restricted free agent point guard Jeff Teague, it looked almost certain that the Bucks would have to bring back Brandon Jennings either by an extension or qualifying offer. However, that may not be the case.

For those who think Brandon Jennings is now a lock to return to Bucks, guess again. As of this tweet, Bucks still looking at other PGs.
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) July 19, 2013

That being said, I believe the best case scenario for this drama that has developed between the two parties is a break up. With the Bucks offering Teague the offer sheet, it pretty much made it obvious to Brandon Jennings that he was plan B. Whether he feels disrespected or not, that is neither here nor there. Here's an interesting stat on Brandon Jennings that may surprise you. I shared this on the blog's Twitter account a week ago.

In the last 15 NBA seasons, only one player has shot over 1,200 shots and shot under 40% in a season. That player is Brandon Jennings.
— WI Sports Blog (@WISportsBlog) July 11, 2013

If Brandon Jennings was...let's say...more efficient, maybe the 12 million dollars a year he's asking for wouldn't be as ludicrous as it sounds coming from him?

A sign and trade makes the most sense here, however there are a few free agents the Bucks could look at. Right now the point guard depth chart for the Bucks stands at Luke Ridnour, Ish Smith, and rookie Nate Wolters. If the Bucks can get a predominate point guard, the team may look to keep Ridnour in more of a shooting guard role to back up OJ Mayo, however Luke can play both point and shooting guard.

One option on the table could be bringing back yet another former Buck. Beno Udrih is on the free agent market, a player we sent to the Orlando Magic in the ridiculous JJ Redick/Tobias Harris trade. Udrih is a very efficient point guard who actually plays remarkably better as a starter vs. a reserve.

As a starter, Beno averages 13.4 PPG, 5.2 AST, 3.3 REB, 47.9% FG%, 37.3% 3P%, and 84.8 FT%.

As a reserve, Beno averages 6.4 PPG, 2.6 AST, 1.5 REB, 44.2% FG%, 33.4% 3P%, and 79.6 FT%.

More impressively, as a starter in nine games for the Magic last year, Beno averaged 14.3 points a game, 8.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field, 53.8% from three-point range and 86.4% from the free throw line.

Now some will say that Beno won't want to come back to Milwaukee after his comments he made after the trade last year. That was really all on Scott Skiles, not the whole organization. Skiles is well known for not communicating with his players (Eddy Curry, Brandon Jennings, and Jason Kidd...just to name a few). I'm not here to compare the coaching styles of Larry Drew and Scott Skiles. All I'm saying is that how Skiles was last year wouldn't effect Beno returning to the Bucks with Larry Drew as the team's new head coach.

With the Bucks having roughly 7-8 million left in cap space, the price would have to be right to bring him back. Coincidentally, Beno made just over 7 million last year between the Bucks and Magic. I don't see any reason why he would expect much less than that considering his strong finish to the season last year. In the end, I don't think this move could end up happening unless Beno comes in at a discounted price. (4-5 million a year deal).

Moving on, there a lot of names out there that are available, but quite frankly I don't think the Bucks or any team for that matter have interest in. For example,

Baron Davis...pass.
Gilbert Arenas...pass.
Derek Fisher...pass.

Those would have been great free agent signings 5-10 years ago. Not now. But who knows. We are talking about the Bucks.

An under the radar guy out there for me is Delonte West. Besides his final two years with Boston and his second season with Cleveland, the 29 year old has never really had a predominate role with a team. He's coming off a season with Dallas with the highest PER rating of his career (15.3). West can play both guard positions. At 6-4, West plays pretty decent defense as well. At age 30, former Buck Mo Williams might end up being an option. 33 year old Keyon Dooling is looking for a team as well.

I think a signing that a lot of Bucks fans have been asking me about and wanting is Nate Robinson. Nate is coming of an impressive career year with the Chicago Bulls. We can all thank Derrick Rose for the showcase Robinson put on last year. One very misleading thing about Nate is that his style fits in well with the Bulls, who are a big team in terms of height. The Bucks are opposite. We've been very small in recent years. I fear that if Nate came to the Bucks, he would be smothered in our style of offense.

The one positive entity that surrounds Nate Robinson is that he could come at a very inexpensive price. He'd likely cost 3/4 of what Udrih would cost. And, at a low price like that, Nate could be appealing to a team at the trade deadline. Bringing Nate in at that price gives the Bucks some room to add depth at another wing position. (SG/SF Richard Hamilton, SG Gary Neal, and SF Austin Daye in particular).

Finally, Nate Robinson signed a baby at the Vegas Summer League. Moving along...

Putting the free agency madness aside, there is one sign and trade opportunity out there that could help solve this point guard dilemma. It involves a move that I actually wrote about in a previous article regarding the Bucks free agency/offseason.

The Indiana Pacers like them some Brandon Jennings. It's documented. It's what they immediately talked about once the offseason began. They originally tried to pawn off Danny Granger and his crazy contract on the Bucks in exchange for Brandon Jennings (Granger will make 14 million in 2013 coming off an injury ridden season.) However, something that caught my eye is actually something I could see happening.

The Milwaukee Bucks sign and trade point guard Brandon Jennings and a 2014 and 2015 second round pick to the Indiana Pacers for point guard George Hill.

Obviously, if the Pacers want Jennings, they don't need to be paying George Hill his contract to be a back up. Speaking of his contract, it is all too familiar with what the Bucks were willing to pay another point guard. George Hill's remaining contract with the Pacers is good for 4 years, and it pays exactly 8 million dollars annually. It's mirror image of what we offered Teague.

Now, this move is only likely if the Bucks decide not to use this season as a transitional one and they actually want to compete. All signs point to this year being transitional and the #TankForWiggins trend seems to be likely. That's why I'm just speculating here.

I think that is an important thing to remember coming out of this free agency period with the Bucks. I think it's wise to save your emotions with the Bucks when it comes to this stuff. With the way we drafted this year, I feel we are heading into the right direction. I believe that with who we brought in for free agent signings are trade chips, role players to mentor our rookies (Zaza, Delfino, and Ridnour to teach Wolters and Giannis). In the end, I think at best we will be a lottery team, regardless if Jennings comes back or not. That is unless we make a big move involving Jennings.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

Brewers First Half Report Card: The Bullpen

To wrap up the mid-season grading of the Milwaukee Brewers, below is how the bullpen ranks up. Unlike last year, the bullpen has actually been a bright spot for the Brewers this season. Minus a few hiccups here and there, the bullpen has been a dominate force the National League. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Brewers bullpen ranks 3rd in the NL in ERA. With that, here we go.

Tyler Thornburg – A

Thornburg has only thrown 13.1 innings this season, but he has been very useful in his short time in the big leagues. He has compiled a 1.35 ERA and has only walked four batters while striking out nine. His biggest vulnerability last season was giving up the homerun ball. This season, he has yet to surrender a homerun (although Gomez and Schafer both pulled back balls that would have been homeruns with Thornburg on the mound). In my opinion, he deserves a spot in the starting rotation (at least on a trial basis). With the way the season is going (which is way, way down the drain), we may as well see what he can do for us.

Francisco Rodriguez – A
 
The Brewers’ current closer has a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings this season. He has struck out 25 while walking 8. He has only given up two homeruns this year, which is pretty impressive because that seemed to be one of his biggest weaknesses last season. He has limited opponents to a .200 batting average off of him and is a crisp 9/9 in save opportunities. Personally, I don’t think he can keep these numbers up for much longer so I’m hoping that we can ship him off to a contending team before he comes back down to earth.

John Axford – B+

While he struggled mightily for the entire month of April (losing his closer’s role to Jim Henderson), he was eventually able to get back to being the dominant John Axford who fans enjoyed watching in 2011. He has a 3.72 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched in 2013. He’s walked 17 batters, struck out 40, and has allowed 6 homeruns. He is 0/4 on the season in save opportunities, but has been very effective when used in the seventh and eighth innings. He probably has done enough to earn his closer’s role back, but with K-Rod and Henderson both currently on the team, Axford probably won’t get many opportunities to close out games for awhile.

Burke Badenhop – B
 
Overall Burke has been pretty effective for the Brewers this season, although his 4.14 ERA doesn’t necessarily reflect that. He has thrown 41.1 innings and has only given up four homers, while allowing 9 walks and striking out 30. In his career, he has always had more success getting out right handed hitters, but this year his splits are pretty even. If used in the right circumstances, he can usually get the job done.

Brandon Kintzler – B+

Kintzler owns a 2-0 record with a 3.40 ERA in 39.2 IP this season. He has only allowed 2 homeruns and twelve walks while striking out 37. He has not allowed any unearned runs to score this season. While other guys have had good months and bad months, Kintzler has been relatively consistent for the Brewers all season long. He has done a very good job getting the Brewers through to the next inning with the lead. He has zero blown saves and has recorded 9 holds this season. He’s been used in pretty much every situation this season with the exception of the closer’s role, and has shown that he’s a versatile bullpen pitcher who can be very useful for this team in the future.

Mike Gonzalez – C

While he has a respectable 3.00 ERA for the season, he hasn’t exactly been as efficient of a pitcher as some of the basic pitching stats would suggest. He has an 0-3 record this season with three blown saves to his name in 33 innings pitched. He has issued 17 walks while striking out 40 and giving up four homeruns. These all look like pretty good numbers, but you have to account for the fact that he is a “left handed specialist,” meaning that he comes into games with the specific purpose of getting out left handed hitters. Often times this means that he will be inheriting a couple of baserunners, and it’s his job to keep these runners from scoring. This season, Gonzalez has allowed 48% of inherited baserunners to score. FOURTY EIGHT PERCENT! He has a LOB% of 88% with his own baserunners, which is much better, but these are not the kind of numbers you want to see out of your left handed specialist. He was all sorts of awful in April and then seemed to figure it out in May, but hasn’t been overly impressive since his good month of May.  He has a WAR of 0, which means that he has no positive impact compared to others who are in the same role as he is. Overall he’s done an okay job, but has done a pretty poor job of getting left handed hitters out – which is what the Brewers primarily would like to use him for. He’s actually been better facing righties than lefties this year, which is kind of strange, but hey, at least he’s getting someone out?

Tom Gorzelanny – A+

Gorzelanny has probably been the Brewers overall best pitcher in 2013. He has been used both as a bullpen man and a starter, and Roenicke just announced that Gorzelanny will remain in the starting rotation permanently after his last outstanding start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a 1.88 ERA in 52.2 IP. Most of these innings came out of the bullpen, but he has made a couple of spot starts for the Brewers this season. He has walked 20 and struck out 50. All three of his losses this year are undeserving, and two of them came in his last two starts, where he allowed zero earned runs in a combined twelve innings pitched. He has only allowed 5 homeruns this season and is holding opponents to a .196 batting average, which is outstanding. With all of the problems the Brewers have had with their starting rotation this season, it’s nice to see a guy be able to step up and help out when the Brewers desperately needed someone.

Jim Henderson – A

Henderson was installed as the closer when John Axford was removed from the role after a very poor start to the season. Jim has a 3-3 record with a 2.41 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched. He has converted 10/13 save opportunities this season and has only allowed two homeruns. He has walked 14 and struck out 35. He was virtually impossible to score upon during the first month and a half of the season, but has looked more vulnerable as of late. He had a DL stint earlier this season thanks to a tweaked hamstring and lost his closer’s role to K-Rod. He hasn’t seemed to be able to have as much success in the eighth inning as he had when he was closing games, but I think this is more of a coincidence than a “mental” thing. If (well, hopefully “when”) K-Rod is traded, Henderson may get his closer’s role back. It will be interesting to see if he could go back to being lights out in the closers role or if he continues to struggle like he has been in the seventh and eighth inning lately. Overall, he’s been better than anyone could have hoped for this season.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

Brewers First Half Report Card: Starting Pitchers

The Brewers starting pitching has been their most obvious Achilles’ heel this season, so this piece was rather painful to write. Each starter has shown potential and has had a (small) handful of encouraging outings, but it seems like every time an individual pitcher takes a step forward one start, they end up taking two steps back their next time out. You know your season isn’t going very well when the biggest positives in your rotation come from spot starters out of the bullpen who are filling in for injured starters. Here are my grades for the Brewers starting pitchers for the first half of 2013.

Kyle Lohse; B+

Despite having a 4-6 record, Lohse has a respectable 3.43 ERA and has pitched better than his numbers this year. He has started 16 games and almost always manages to keep the Brewers in the ballgame the entire time he is pitching. He’s gotten terrible run support from the Brewers offense in most of his starts this year, so that explains his poor record. He has given up 102 hits and has only surrendered 17 walks in 102.1 innings pitched, giving him a WHIP of 1.16 on the season. With the exception of three poor starts (two of which could have been attributed to injury), Lohse has been good and is definitely the Brewers most consistent starting pitcher.

He has failed on the mound as well as on the road.

Yovani Gallardo; C

Yo is currently 6-8 with a 4.78 ERA in 101.2 innings pitched. He has started 18 games this season and is averaging somewhere between 5  1/3 and 5 2/3 innings per start. This is not exactly the type of production you want to see out of one of your supposed “top” pitchers. You usually hope for at least six and probably even seven innings out of your number two starter each time out, but Gallardo has had a difficult time even getting out of the fifth inning on a consistent basis this season. It seems like it takes him thirty pitches to get through the first inning every single time out and there have been multiple starts when he has failed to go more than four innings. He has struck out 82, given up 38 walks and has allowed 11 homers this season. Just when he seems to have found his “stuff” one game, he goes out and gets lit up in his next couple of starts. Although the Brewers defense hasn’t been the best this season, good pitchers will continue to churn out good starts despite having to get some extra outs. Gallardo has failed to do this, and seems to give up unearned runs more often than stranding them. His high pitch counts in early innings are a big problem and are something that he needs to work on.

Marco Estrada; C -

When it was announced in spring training that Estrada would be the Brewers’ number two starter, I knew this season would probably be less than enjoyable to watch, at least from a pitching standpoint. Estrada had impressive stuff in some of his starts, but in the bad ones when he was “off,” he was REALLY off. He has a 5.32 ERA and a 4-4 record in 12 starts for the Brewers. He walked 18 batters and surrendered 14 homeruns in 69.1 innings pitched. He is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and recently suffered a setback in one of his rehab outings so the Brewers are unsure as to when to expect Estrada back. He averaged 5 2/3 innings per start, so unfortunately he fits in just fine with the rest of the rotation.

Wily has lots of learning to do still.

    Wily Peralta; D

Wily has a 5-9 record with a 5.27 ERA on the season. He has started 18 games and is only averaging 5 1/3 innings per start. Peralta’s outings this season have been an adventure, to say the least. He still has a lot of learning to do and progress to make in the big leagues, but with the team struggling mightily, this is a good year to work on his game. He’s a pretty puzzling pitcher to figure out, because it seems like he’ll either go out and throw 7 innings of shutout ball, or he’ll get lit up and not make it through the fourth inning; there’s really no in-between for him. He’s been pretty bad in the majority of his starts this season, but the Brewers’ defense hasn’t helped him out.  I have noticed a lot of times that after the defense makes an error or Peralta makes a bad pitch, he gets frustrated and tends to lose his concentration. This is definitely something that he needs to improve upon if he wants to have success in the major leagues. While it is unfair to hold young pitchers to as high of expectations as you have for more experienced pitchers, you can’t really afford to have your pitchers frequently failing to make it out of the fourth or fifth inning, especially when you have one or two other starters who have the same problem. Wily definitely has some more work to do in the big leagues, but on the bright side, it can really only go up from here.

Alfredo Figaro; C

Figaro was forced into the starting rotation when the Brewers lost other pitchers due to injury and poor performance. Figaro is now also on the disabled list, but did an okay job while filling in as a starter. He started the year in the bullpen, but Ron used him so minimally in April that sometimes I forgot that Figaro was even on the team. He is very susceptible to the homerun ball and that has shown in his last couple of starts. He currently has a 4.64 ERA in 21 games – 5 of those are games in which he has started. He has surrendered 13 homeruns this season, which is the third highest on the team after Lohse and Estrada (both have given up 14). Overall, an acceptable performance as a spot starter, but I think he is better suited for long relief out of the bullpen.

Donovan Hand; A 

I saved the best for last in case the first part of this article depressed you as much as it depressed me to write. Hand has only made two starts for the Brewers, but he was very impressive in both of those starts. He has appeared in 11 games this season and has pitched very well almost every single time out. Hand, who had been in the minor leagues his entire career up until this season, has a 2.63 ERA in 24 innings pitched. He has only walked 3 batters in 24 innings, which is pretty impressive. He has 14 strikeouts to go along with those walks and has only allowed 7 earned runs this season.  I know it’s pretty sad when the most impressive part about your teams’ starting rotation a is a rookie pitcher who has only made two starts, but hey, you have to try and find a positive somewhere otherwise you may go crazy. Hand has exceeded my expectations so far this season and I can only hope that he can keep pitching like he did in his previous two starts.

As you can see, the Brewers pitching has been pretty sad this year and could possibly get even worse if the Brewers find a trade partner for Lohse and/or Gallardo. However, the Brewers do have a few up and coming pitchers in the minor leagues who could be ready for next year, so not all hope is lost. Just all hope for this season.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

Brewers First Half Report Card: Offense

As you very well know, baseball is a team sport, not an individual sport. However, I thought it would be fun to hand out grades based off of individual performances. Here’s a breakdown of how I think each Brewers position player has performed this year.

Yuniesky Betancourt (1B, 3B); D+

While he was somehow productive for the entire month of April (I’m still trying to figure out what exactly happened there), his play has been abysmal lately. He is currently on pace to break records that nobody wants to break. His defense isn’t completely horrible at first base, but if I never have to watch him play third base ever again, it will still be too soon. There are really only 4 things that you can count on Yuni to do anymore – pop up, strike out, hits into a double play, and run slower to first base at a slower pace than Lou Piniella walking to a pitching mound. Well, it seems like that long, anyways.

Ryan Braun (LF); B+

He’s had a terribly hard time trying to stay healthy this year and he is currently on the disabled list. There were a couple weeks at the end of April and in early May when he was providing typical Ryan Braun production, but after his thumb injury really started to bother him, he began striking out in bundles. Even if this is a “down year” for Braun, he still owns a .304 batting average and has batted in 36 runs this season. He has 9 home runs on the year, and has also hit two triples. He was still getting hits consistently before landing on the disabled list, but you could tell he was having a hard time swinging the bat. Hopefully once his thumb heals up, we will see the vintage Ryan Braun back in the 3-hole.

Nori Aoki (RF); B-

He has been a pleasant surprise for the Brewers for the past couple of seasons. While he has had a couple of cold spells this year, he has been relatively consistent offensively throughout his time in the big leagues. However, he is prone to getting thrown out on the bases fairly frequently. This is something the Brewers struggle with as a team, but I’ve noticed it with Nori more than any other player. This is not a trait that you want to have in your lead-off hitter, especially with a player such as Jean Segura hitting behind him. His defense also tends to be rather shaky at times. When you look at the statistics, they tell you that he is a good defender, but when you watch him play in a game, you see otherwise. He often takes poor routes while attempting to catch fly balls that most outfielders would catch easily. He also plays very deep in the outfield (I’m not sure if this is because this is what he is comfortable with, or if it’s because the Brewers coaching staff thinks that this is what’s best) and this allows the opponents to get singles more often than they would if he wouldn’t be playing at the warning track for every single player. Overall, he has been a solid player and provides good offense as a lead-off hitter, but when you’re getting picked off bases consistently and giving away runs on defense, this offsets your offense production.

Carlos Gomez (CF); A

If you would have told me before the season that on July 2^nd Gomez would have a batting average in the .300s, I would have asked you how much you have had to drink today. This is just a remarkable season for Gomez, and he keeps impressing Brewers fans more and more every day. His current splits are .309/.349/.557. His defense is also impeccable – exactly 1 fly ball has gotten over Gomez’s head this year, and that play resulted in an error. He makes playing center field look easy. (Although, after watching Nyjer Morgan play center field for the Brewers the last two seasons, a random little league player could make playing center field look easy… Kidding. Kind of). He does occasionally get picked off base when he probably shouldn’t, but he’s gotten better with that recently. He already has 16 stolen bases on the season and has only been caught stealing 3 times. He’s one of the few bright spots on the Brewers this year and I think he has a legitimate shot at finishing the year with a batting average in the .300s.

Logan Schafer (LF; CF; RF); C-

Logan saw limited playing time at the beginning of the season, but once Ryan Braun was placed on the disabled list, he’s taken over in left field for the majority of the games. While his offense hasn’t been very impressive this season, his defense has almost made up for it. He’s already gunned down 2 players at the plate this season from the outfield and covers a ton of ground on defense. He has plenty of speed, so I’m kind of surprised that he doesn’t try to bunt for base hits more often. Overall, an average/acceptable performance for someone who is trying to fill in for an MVP.

Aramis Ramirez (3B); B-

While he has been productive at times this year, he has been dealing with an injury since the beginning of the season when he slid into second base and jammed his knee in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This landed him on the disabled list and he still is not able to play every day. He currently has 47 hits, only 5 of which are homeruns. He also has 11 doubles. These aren’t exactly the kind of numbers that you want to see out of your cleanup hitter, and you have to believe that his knee injury is interfering with his power numbers this season. Hopefully he will able to regain full health and revert back to his pre-injury form.

Jean Segura (SS); A

Segura’s performance this year has probably come as an even bigger surprise to me than Gomez’s breakout year. Segura has impressed both offensively and defensively. He has struggled recently, but has delivered an outstanding performance so far this season. His current splits are .325/.358/.503. He also has 24 stolen bases on the year and has only been caught stealing 3 times. He shows incredible range at shortstop and has a very strong throwing arm; we’ve already seen him throw out plenty of base-runners from his knees. There’s not much more I can say about Segura other than he has been unbelievable this year. Poor Angels

Rickie Weeks (2B); C+

While his first six weeks or so of the season were completely terrible both offensively and defensively, he has been a hitting machine lately. I myself was about ready to give up on Weeks, but then at the beginning of June he started to prove all of the doubters wrong. He just won the Brewers’ player of the month award for June and has worked his way out of a platoon. I don’t know if some of his struggles at the plate were mental, or if the slight changes that he made to his batting mechanics helped or if there was some other reason for his struggles, but he has certainly earned his starting job back.

Jonathan Lucroy (C); A-

Lucroy also had a slow start offensively this season, but he has also been hitting a lot more recently. He is currently batting .267 and leads the team with 42 RBI. I don’t know if “clutch hitting” is real or not, but if it is, he has been the definition of clutch. Even when he was struggling, he always seemed to get his hits while there were runners in scoring position. He is also fantastic at framing the ball while catching. I gave him an A- because even though his offensive numbers aren’t as impressive as they have been in previous years, he has been very good at calling and catching games this year. People often give all of the credit to the pitchers when they have good performances, but Lucroy definitely makes the pitching staff better. (Or, should I say, not quite so horrible).

Martin Maldonado (C); C

Martín was never known for his hitting in the minor leagues, and that’s starting to show this season. He’s always been an excellent defensive catcher and has an outstanding throwing arm. His offense this season has not been good, but he’s done a good job calling and catching games. For a backup catcher, this production is about all you can ask for.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.

Brewers Sign 5 International Players

Happy International Signing Day!

The Brewers have agreed to terms with the following five players from Latin America, pending the passage of physical examinations as well as the standard Major League Baseball age/ID investigation:

C Johel Atencio (Panama)

Johel signed with the Brewers for $130,000. He is a 17 year old catcher out of Panama. His bat is his biggest tool. He is a right hander, stands at 5-10, and weighs 185 pounds. He's got a nice, smooth swing. Seems to possess good opposite field power. Here's a small sample video of him:


SS Henry Correa (Dominican Republic)

He's 16 years old. He's you average 6-0, 165 pound teenager. Can't find much on him. I'll continue my research after I publish this and update accordingly.

RHP Nelson Hernandez (Venezuela)

He's 16 years of age, and a lanky 6-2, 170 pounds. Again, not much on him. I'm digging the internets.

SS Franly Mallen (Dominican Republic) 

This is a good signing, and I'm actually surprised the Brewers got Franly. The kid can hit, and hits well. Scouts are really high on his bat. As he develops it is believed he will hit for power as well. He just turned 16 years old a month and a week ago. It is unknown at this time what he signed for, but I'm sure it will be in the $700,000-$800,000 range. He was ranked #22 on MLB.com's Top 30 international prospects.

CF Nicolas Pierre (Dominican Republic)

The biggest signing the Brewers made was to Nicolas Pierre, who had been talked about in previous reports to have a lot of interest from the Brewers. He was ranked the #20 overall international prospect by Baseball America and #28 on MLB.com. He's projected to be a center fielder in the big leagues. Like many international guys who signed today, he's only 17 years old. He's 6-3, 170 pounds. He bats right handed, and possesses great bat-to-ball skills that have said to impress scouts. He signed for $800,000.

All five players will report to the Brewers’ Academy in the Dominican Republic.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.