Bleacher Report - Articles by Lance LeQue

Brewers sign Catalanotto to minor league deal

Lance LeQue — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:27:00 -0400

(story courtesy Brewers.com)

The Milwaukee Brewers signed utility man Frank Catalanotto to a Minor League contract on Tuesday, adding a versatile veteran—and another left-handed bat—for organizational depth.

Catalanotto will report to the Brewers' year-round baseball facility in Phoenix for 5-7 days of workouts before he's assigned to a Minor League affiliate, a spokesman said. It's possible that he could eventually replace Brad Nelson on the Brewers' bench if Nelson doesn't hit a hot streak.

Entering this week's series, Nelson, who made his first Opening Day roster by hitting .354 in Spring Training, is 0-for-20 in 18 games. He reached base for the second time this season on Saturday when he drew his second walk.

Catalanotto is a .292 hitter in 12 seasons with three American League teams while playing both corner outfield positions, plus first, second and third base. He spent the last two years with Texas, but was released at the end of Spring Training when the Rangers opted to add Andruw Jones to the roster. Texas swallowed Catalanotto's $6 million salary for this season, so the Brewers would only owe him a prorated portion of the Major League minimum salary for time he spends in the big leagues.

Prior to his release, Catalanotto went 3-for-10 with a run scored for Team Italy in last spring's World Baseball Classic.

He has history with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, who was Texas' GM in November 1999 when Catalanotto was traded along with Francisco Cordero, Gabe Kapler, Justin Thompson and Bill Hasselman in a blockbuster deal that sent Juan Gonzalez to Detroit. Melvin has since brought Cordero, Kapler and Thompson in for separate stints with the Brewers. Now Catalanotto joins the list.

My Take

I think this should be another great move by Melvin. Catalanotto should be a nice addition, and hopefully he'll provide similar to what Gabe Kapler did for the team. Nelson isn't necessarily hurting the team, but he can certainly get better while receiving regular at-bats in AAA.

With the 26th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft...

Lance LeQue — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:16:00 -0400

The Green Bay Packers select: Clay Matthews, LB from USC.

Analysis: The Packers add a versatile outside linebacker to their 3-4. Matthews' multi-dimensional game serves as the perfect complement to Aaron Kampman. As a credible rushing threat with underrated cover skills, Matthews gives Dom Capers the ability to mix and match rush schemes. Though he only spent one season as a starter at USC, he has the potential to be a solid pro in the Packers' defense.

My Take: I'm not so thrilled with this pick. While Matthews should be a solid pro, I think the Packers could've drafted a better linebacker, with more experience. Rey Maualuga, also from USC, and James Laurinaitis from Ohio State have been successful linebackers for more than just a year.

I'm also not too happy that we traded our secoond and two third-round picks to get him and a fifth round pick. The Packers now don't pick until the fourth round, so they might regret giving up so much. Look for them to trade down in the fourth or fifth round.

Milwaukee Brewers Release OF Trot Nixon

Lance LeQue — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:37:00 -0400

(courtesy Associated Press)

Veteran outfielder Trot Nixon was released by the Milwaukee Brewers, leaving three players competing for two outfield spots on the opening-day roster.

Nixon, who will be 35 on April 11th, was a non-roster invitee with four hits in 38 spring at-bats.

Brewers manager Ken Macha on Wednesday said the decision was tough because Nixon’s career meant so much to him. Macha managed Nixon for four years in Boston’s minor league system.

Macha asked general manager Doug Melvin to release Nixon now so he might catch on with another major league team. Nixon has 137 homers and 555 RBI with a .274 average over 12 seasons, 10 with Boston.

Tony Gwynn Jr., Chris Duffy, and Brad Nelson are the finalists for the two back-up slots.

My Take

It's disappointing that the Nixon experiment didn't work out as well as the Brewers would've liked it, but at least it'll give the youngsters (Gwynn, Duffy, and Nelson) a shot to earn a big league roster spot. Hopefully the Brewers won't regret losing the veteran presence in the clubhouse that Nixon would offer, but maybe we'll see two of these three guys become productive as pinch hitters, runners, or defensive replacements.

Good luck to Trot with finding another team. There's still probably enough left in the tank for another year or two.

Favre "Officially" Retires

Lance LeQue — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:21:00 -0500

(story courtesy NFL.com)

Brett Favre swears this is the real deal—no more last-minute comebacks.

The 39-year-old quarterback retired again Wednesday and insisted he won't look back. Well, at least for now.

"I have no reason to wonder why you would be so skeptical," Favre said Wednesday with a slight chuckle after announcing that he was leaving the game after 18 record-setting seasons.

Favre, who retired last March but returned a few months later, kept this goodbye simple—no tearful farewell or jam-packed news conference. He spoke to the New York Jets on Wednesday morning, telling team owner Woody Johnson, general manager Mike Tannenbaum, and new head coach Rex Ryan that he was calling it a career.

"I have family and friends who are like, 'All right, Brett. Is this the real deal?"' Favre said during a conference call. "To me, it is. It is. Believe me. It's been a wonderful career, I couldn't ask for anything more. It was worth a shot for me to go to New York. I wish I could've played better down the stretch. I didn't.

"It's time to leave."

The Jets placed Favre on the reserve-retired list, meaning the quarterback's retirement paperwork had been filed with the NFL—something he didn't do last winter with the Packers.

"Emotionally, I'm OK with it," said Favre, who spent the day on his bulldozer and doing yard work on the grounds at his home in Kiln, Miss. "I really felt like it was time. Obviously, the circumstances last year were a lot different. Physically, if I felt better, we may not be having this conversation, but I think that's more than anything the writing on the wall."

Favre's decision came six weeks after his only season with the Jets ended in disappointment as New York went 1-4 down the stretch and failed to make the playoffs.

A major reason for the collapse was Favre, who threw nine interceptions in those five games. He said he played with a torn biceps tendon in his right arm that got worse later in the season and needed a cortisone injection after the team's Week 14 game at San Francisco.

"It's something that obviously I was able to play with," Favre said. "I don't think I was nearly as productive as the season progressed, but it very well could be fine next year. I'm well aware of that. But then again, it could linger and bother me throughout the year, and I just felt like it was time. I think that, to me more than anything, was a wakeup call."

Favre insisted that even if he felt better next season, he's still done with playing.

"It's nothing I would second-guess, no," he said.

If this is indeed it for Favre, he leaves the game with a slew of NFL records, including career touchdown passes (464), completions (5,720), passing yards (65,127), regular-season wins (169), and interceptions (310).

"With Brett, there was always the possibility that he wouldn't play the second year," Johnson said. "We were hoping to get one good year out of Brett Favre. We picked him based on, in our opinion, his giving us the best chance to win last season. We were disappointed not to have made the Super Bowl, but we did some very good things with Brett."

The Jets improved from 4-12 in 2007 to 9-7, but the late-season woes cost head coach Eric Mangini his job—and perhaps tarnished Favre's legacy a bit.

"I honestly believe I did everything I could do," Favre said. "I'm proud of everything I've done."

New York hired Ryan to replace Mangini, and he, along with Johnson and Tannenbaum, repeatedly said they wanted Favre to return. Instead, Favre spent several weeks after the season at home—at the suggestion of Tannenbaum—away from football before deciding to retire.

"It would've been fantastic to be coaching Brett," Ryan said. "It's a sad day to see him leave, to see him retiring."

The three-time NFL MVP holds the mark among quarterbacks with 291 consecutive starts, including the playoffs, despite playing through several injuries throughout his career.

"The longevity of his career and his love for the game is truly inspiring," All-Pro kick returner-running back Leon Washington told The Associated Press. "I'm privileged to have played with not only a Hall of Fame QB but also a great role model."

Favre said he felt discomfort in his arm "for quite a while." It turned out to be a torn biceps tendon, and he opted not to have surgery.

Favre said he began to realize the end might be near when he consistently underthrew his receivers in Week 16 versus Seattle.

"I threw it, and it didn't end up where I wanted it to," he said. "That, to me, was an eye-opener."

It wasn't all bad with the Jets for Favre. He threw a career-high six touchdown passes, tying Joe Namath's team record, in a 56-35 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4. Favre also helped rejuvenate the franchise, drawing thousands of fans to training-camp practices.

Favre finished with 3,472 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, but his 22 interceptions were his most in three seasons.

Taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1991 draft, Favre was traded after the season to the Packers for a first-round pick. During his 16 years with Green Bay, he helped lead the team to consecutive Super Bowls, including a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI in the 1996 season.

"Congratulations to Brett on a remarkable career," the Packers said in a statement. "The Packers organization wishes him and his family well. Brett always will hold a special place in Green Bay Packers history, and we remain committed to retiring his number at an appropriate time in the future."

My Take

At first, I figured "Oh boy, here we go again..."

But then I realized a few things. For one, Favre has an injury. There also wasn't a dramatic press conference. It was as simple a retirement as any other player would have.

I'm actually glad he's done playing, now. In my opinion, he's been retired for a year, already. Once he left the Packers, he was retired in my eyes.

I can't wait for the day the Packers retire Favre's jersey. He is truly a legend, not only in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but all of America.

Milwaukee Brewers 2009 Preview

Lance LeQue — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:34:00 -0500

52 days, 20 hours, 15 minutes. That's how long Brewers fans will need to wait to see their team play meaningful games, again.

It hasn't seemed too long of an absence, but any kind of absence from baseball is a sad thing.

The Brewers, coming off of a 90-72 campaign in 2008, have lost their top two starting pitchers (CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets). They've lost three key relief pitchers (Salomon Torres, Brian Shouse, and Guillermo Mota).

They've lost three key veterans (Gabe Kapler, Russell Branyan and Ray Durham). They've lost a great pitching coach.

What have they gained? The Brewers made a handful of signings in free agency, among those included are: Trevor Hoffman, Jorge Julio, Braden Looper, Trot Nixon, Mike Lamb (re-signed), veteran infielder Craig Counsell (re-signed), and Mike Cameron (re-signed).

Personally, I think we lost more than what we gained. I think that another 90-win season is possible, as long as everyone stays healthy, and contributes regularly.

Of course, there will always be injuries. It happens to every team, in every sport. However, the Brewers will need to rely on their younger stars to carry the team this year.

The team has an older, more experienced look and feel to it. Some say that nothing is left in the tank of legendary closer, Trevor Hoffman. I disagree.

When you look at Hoffman's stats from last season, they aren't half bad. When you take into consideration the team he was playing for, you can't help but wonder how he did so well.

Julio, the Brewers' first signing of the off-season, can be a productive arm in the bullpen. He's even closed for teams, in the past. I feel pretty confident in the back-end of the bullpen knowing that Hoffman, Julio, and (possibly) Villanueva will be around.

Heck, you can even throw David Riske into the mix. (Doesn't anyone else remember that he still plays in Milwaukee?)

The front end of the bullpen will have a different look to it, though. There will almost certainly bet that a youngster will be on the Opening Day roster for the Crew. I predict Mitch Stetter will be the new Brian Shouse.

I like Stetter, and I think he can do just as good a job as Shouse did. Also, Todd Coffey will more than likely have a spot reserved for him. You might even see Tim Dillard and/or Mark DiFelice starting the season in Milwaukee.

So, overall, I think the Brewers' bullpen will look a little something like this, on Apr. 7:

Closer - Trevor Hoffman
Setup Man - Carlos Villanueva
Short Relief - David Riske
Short Relief - Jorge Julio
Long Relief - Seth McClung
Long Relief - Mark DiFelice
Lefty Specialist - Mitch Stetter

I'd rate that bullpen a six or seven out of 10.

As for the starting rotation...it might be a little brutal. The Brewers must make sure nothing happens to any of their starters, otherwise, it could be a long season.

While the rotation isn't necessarily horrible, it could be better. Some people say that Gallardo is the next Sheets, in that he'll always be injured. However, Gallardo's injuries can arguably be described as "freak" or "fluke."

Gallardo and Parra should be OK, Bush might be a surprise, Suppan needs a good year, and Looper should be solid. If anyone goes down, in comes Seth McClung to take their place—at least until Chris Capuano is 100 percent healthy.

When Capuano comes back, possibly some time in May, he could take over for someone struggling in the rotation, or he will be used in the bullpen. An early trade could also free up some space.

The offense is almost exactly the same as last season. The only players the Brewers lost were bench players, and the only players the Brewers gained were bench players. Therefore, I present you my projected bench for the 2009 season:

Trot Nixon - OF/1B
Mike Rivera - C
Mike Lamb - 1B/3B
Craig Counsell - IF
Tony Gwynn Jr. - OF

I think you can expect a couple trades at some point during the season. GM Doug Melvin practically made it obvious when he explained that the reason not as much money was spent during free agency was so the team could leave money open for a move during the season.

I also think that pretty much everyone on the team, even Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, has something to prove this year.

Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra have the opportunity to prove themselves as some of the better young pitchers in the game. Jeff Suppan needs to have a somewhat decent year if he wants his job in Milwaukee any longer.

Dave Bush needs to prove that he's a quality number three or four starter. Chris Capuano simply needs to stay healthy (and hopefully have a season similar to his 2005 breakout year).

Rickie Weeks still needs to develop into the phenom that he's capable of being. J.J. Hardy has the opportunity to prove he's Gold Glove worthy. Bill Hall needs to stay consistent (hopefully he can put up numbers similar to his breakout year of '06).

Corey Hart can prove that he's an annual 20-20 threat. Braun and Fielder can prove to be one of the best, young duo's in the major leagues. Trevor Hoffman needs to prove there's still gas in the tank for another year or two. Carlos Villanueva can prove he's the future closer of the Brewers.

I could go on, and on.

The 2009 Milwaukee Brewers have a chance at being a very good, very dangerous team. This year will be all about opportunity. The team is good enough to top last season's Wild Card berth with, hopefully, a Division title and a deeper playoff run this season.

My projected record: 88-74, NL Central Champions, Loss in NLCS to New York Mets.

Milwaukee Brewers: 2009 Preview

Lance LeQue — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:55:44 -0500

Fifty-three days, 14 hours, 31 minutes. That's how long Brewers fans will need to wait to see their team play meaningful games, again.