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Mat Gamel, who ultimately was the Brewers first baseman, retore his ACL this spring training after having spent the majority of 2012 out with the same injury. With Corey Hart also recovering from a knee injury, the question now is, who plays first base? Options were available some weeks ago with Lyle Overbay and Casey Kotchman. Unfortunately, they have already signed, and the question is, do we give Hunter Morris the callup or go looking to see who's still out there?

#Mat Gamel #Brewers #first base #Corey Hart #2013 #knee injury #mlb

Mat Gamel has ACL's of tissue paper

People weren't terribly upset when Corey Hart went down with an injury because they figured Mat Gamel could fill in for the month or two until Hart was ready to play. Guess again. The fragile kneed one tore his ACL again and is finished for the foreseeable future. I guess these two turds really didn't want to be dealt.

The good news is we get to see much-hyped prospect Hunter Morris, albeit a lot earlier than we should. Morris was the Southern League MVP and the Brewers minor league player of the year last season, hitting .308 and 28 home runs at AA Huntsville. He probably isn't ready for the big leagues yet, but stranger things have happened. I would rather see him there than their other potential options, but we will see how spring training goes. The team plans on giving Taylor Green, SS Alex Gonzalez (who has never played anywhere but SS), and non-roster invitee Bobby Crosby a shot to earn the spot should Morris falter.

Word on Hart a month or so ago was that he was ahead of schedule in his rehab, but even if that is the case he is still not expected to be game ready by the end of April.

#Mat Gamel #Brewers

Mat Gamel is like the 2013 Mets. His season's over before it begins.

#mat gamel #milwaukee brewers #new york mets #baseball #mlb #torn acl

Other 40-man roster notes

Once a player is added to the 40-man roster, his "options" start to become an issue. There are a couple Brewer players that are out of options and are not necessarily a guarantee to stick with the big league club.

First, and perhaps most concerning considering his performance late last year, is pitcher Mark Rogers. Rogers has been around a long time and has fought through a variety of arm issues, some career threatening. Last year he stepped up in the second half of the season and made a number of really solid starts for the Brewers before being shut down to prevent another injury. This year, he will be given an opportunity to snag a spot in the rotation, but he definitely is no lock. If the Brewers don't add any starting pitching, which would be shocking, I think he can maintain a spot in the rotation. However, if he isn't one of the 5 starters it will be interesting to see what the Brewers decide to do with him. They could use him in the bullpen, but his value decreases greatly and there is injury risk if they need to push him back to the rotation. Finally, if he doesn't make the 25-man roster it is hard to imagine him not being snagged by someone off of waivers. His history as a top prospect and his recent success (albeit small) in the majors make him a cheap option for a team looking for a back-end starter.

Next you have the curious case of Mat Gamel. There has already been an inquiry into his availability by the Seattle Mariners, so he is a definite trade candidate if the team feels that they can get something they need in return. I don't think Gamel is in danger of not making the 25-man roster, but he has effectively lost his starting spot and his struggles with coming off the bench in the past make him less valuable as a substitute. He has value as a left-handed hitter off the bench, something the Brewers sorely lack, but if he can't make the adjustment to being a part-time player it doesn't really matter. I've never been completely sold on Gamel, but the potential is there. Right now, I think there is probably a 60/40 chance that he gets traded before next season.

The final two younger players that are out of options are infielder Jeff Bianchi, who spent some time with the club late last season, and pitcher Fautino De Los Santos, the pitcher they received in return for George Kottaras at the deadline last year. I don't see Bianchi being anything more than a utility infielder in the majors and it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Brewers lost him. He is being made even more expendable by SS Jean Segura's success in the Dominican Republic thus far during Winter League. The job is Segura's to lose and I see the Brewers making a play for a veteran SS to back him up or perhaps step in should Segura fall on his face, something I don't foresee happening. De Los Santos, however, is a different story. The Brewers bullpen was their downfall last season (along with some extended slumps by a handful of regular starters, but it is easier to blame the bullpen). De Los Santos is the kind of pitcher that the Brewers want to stock their bullpen with: hard throwing, strike out pitchers. The knock on De Los Santos is that he has control issues. There isn't anything that is more frustrating than watching relievers come into the game and walk guys. That being said I think that he has a good chance of earning his way into a bullpen spot, but if he can't, I don't expect him to clear waivers. A 96+ MPH fastball is too much for many GMs to resist.

#Fautino De Los Santos #Jeff Bianchi #Mat Gamel #Mark Rogers #Brewers

Seattle Mariners inquire about Mat Gamel's availability

According to the BrewerNation blog, the Seattle Mariners' GM, Jack Zduriencik, asked after Mat Gamel. Zduriencik was the Brewers' Director of Scouting when Gamel was drafted so there is familiarity there. The Mariners have a good deal of organizational pitching depth, something that the Brewers could use some of. Brewers' manager Ron Roenicke has expressed an interest in keeping Corey Hart at 1B permanently, a place where he performed better defensively than was expected.

This was just an initial talk, if something were to get done it would probably be at the Winter Meetings in December. I don't think the Brewers were looking to unload Gamel, but if the price was right I don't think Doug Melvin would even hesitate. Mat Gamel has proven little, except that he needs consistent at-bats to have success at the plate. If Corey Hart were to stay at 1B full-time there are not enough at-bats to go around for Gamel to get any regular time, because he isn't major league ready at any other position (except for a spot start occasionally). Seattle could be just what Gamel needs to jump start his career. If Seattle doesn't offer up a suitable return for him, however, the Brewers would be happy to keep him to provide competent left-handed hitting off the bench, if Roenicke and the coaching staff can figure out a way to keep him hitting without playing every day.

#Mat Gamel #Milwaukee Brewers #Seattle Mariners

Tidbits - In and around the dugout

The Timber Rattlers are the Midwest League Division Champs. Their championship series is this Wednesday. Go Rattlers! Mat Gamel was taking grounders yesterday at Miller Park. It is not yet known if he'll be playing in the upcoming Arizona fall league. Chris Narveson reports he is ahead of schedule in his arm injury recovery. He had surgery on his rotator cuff earlier this year. Reports say that he is throwing from 90 feet. If anyone is going to the Brewers game on Wednesday, September 12, there will be a special ceremony recognizing Chipper Jones and his retirement. It is rumored that Ryan Braun will be presenting him with some sort of award.

#Timber Rattlers #Mat Gamel #Chris Narveson #Chipper Jones #Brewers #Braves #mlb #milb