Is Ben Sheets "Pulling a Favre"?

Ben Sheets has always been thought of as the "Brett Favre" of the Brewers. They were both easygoing Southern boys never afraid to speak their minds, and they were the leaders of their respective teams. But after each of their respective offseasons, it appears they may have one more thing in common: screwing their former teams.

Favre's screw-ups have been well documented on this site, and I'm kind of in a good mood right now, so I won't bring it up.

As for Sheets, he can't find a job, and now it looks like he's headed for surgery. A surgery that could keep him out of action until the second half of 2009. A surgery which would likely cost the Brewers the Class A draft pick they were going to receive if he signed with another team before the June draft. A surgery which the Brewers could be footing the bill for.

The only positive in this whole situation is that Sheets didn't accept arbitration with Milwaukee and then decide to have the surgery. So that saves us a cool $12 million.

Still, Melvin has offered Sheets two deals to return to Milwaukee—arbitration, and an incentive-laden deal in January—and Sheets declined them both. As if to say he never wanted to pitch in Milwaukee again.

I've thought this whole Sheets free agency process has been sketchy from the start, and now he's going to cost the Brewers money and a draft pick.

So while Sheets' shenanigans aren't nearly as bad as Favre's were—yet—it's still sad to see another former Wisconsin great turn his back on his former team.