The Milwaukee Brewers had a number of things go wrong in 2013, finishing 74-88,
Doug Melvin
well off of the 2012 mark of 83-79.
Injuries hurt the Brewers, and Ryan Braun’s 55-game suspension didn’t help either. They finished the 2nd half strong and had a winning record during Braun’s suspension, but Melvin said he can’t continue to stand up and talk about a strong second half finish, after a slow first half.
The month of May was a killer for the Brewers, finishing with a 6-22 record. Melvin said it’s something they need to take a serious look at, trying to figure out how to stay away from the slow starts.
The biggest area of concern this season came at the first base position, but that doesn’t mean the Brewers general manager will be targeting just that position during the offseason. The first base fix could be as simple as signing Corey Hart to a 1-year, incentive laden contract, or the fix could be somewhere other than the current roster.
Who will play second base next season, Scooter Gennett or Rickie Weeks. It may come down to a platoon, but Melvin said he wasn’t going to decide that in the offseason. That’ll be a position battle for spring training.
Melvin acknowledged that there has been some talk internally about letting Khris Davis take over the left field job and moving Ryan Braun to right field.
The Brewers will go into next season with Kyle Lohse, Yovani Gallardo and Wily Peralta anchored in the starting rotation. Marco Estrada is also a likely fit there, but Doug Melvin said Estrada needs to become more durable. He spent two months on the disabled list this past season. The fifth and final spot could belong to Tyler Thornburg who pitched well down the stretch for the Brewers.
Melvin also acknowledged that he’s seeking an extension with Segura much like he did with Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy.