Brewers' GM Doug Melvin has done exactly what he hoped to do entering the current offseason: add two legitimate starting pitchers to a dreadful rotation that finished with a combined ERA over five last season.

While Randy Wolf and Doug Davis will never be confused with CC Sabathia and Roy Halladay as dominant starters, they are stabilizing forces to a rotation that is desperate for consistency.

The Brewers dropped from 90 wins in 2008 to 80 wins in 2009. They played all of last season without Sabathia or Ben Sheets, each of whom contributed for prolonged lengths of time the year before. It's a testament to the rest of the team to lose two All-Star pitchers but only see a 10 game decline in wins.

The Brewers actually got off to a great start last season, holding a record of 30-20 on June 1, the best 50-game start in team history.

Injuries and sub-standard play then began to take over in the rotation. Manny Parra spent time in the minors, while Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, and Seth McClung all spent time on the disabled list.

Their replacements weren't able to fill the void, and the Brewers finished 50-62 for the remainder of the year.

Enter Wolf and Davis. Wolf has made at least 33 starts the last two seasons, while the only year Davis has made less than 33 starts (26) was in 2008 when he missed time for cancer treatment. In other words, fans will be able to count on the two newest Brewers to make every scheduled start in 2010.

Critics will say Wolf and Davis are nothing more than middle of the rotation pitchers. While that may be a slap in the face to their abilities, average pitchers are exactly what the Brewers need this season.

The Brewers have Yovani Gallardo, who showed in 30 starts last season that he is more than capable of being the "ace" of a pitching rotation. In just 185 2/3 innings pitched last season, Gallardo finished with 204 strikeouts and a 3.73 ERA. His 13-12 record was a result more of a lack of run support than anything he did on the mound.

Gallardo may be the best pitcher on the staff but don't look for him as the number one pitcher. Wolf will likely get that role, not because of money, but due to he and Davis being left-handed pitchers. Gallardo will be slotted between the two so teams won't be facing lefties on back-to-back days.

The top three spots, barring injury, will indeed be Wolf, Gallardo, and Davis. The final two spots will be filled in Spring Training. Jeff Suppan, Manny Parra, and Dave Bush will compete for the jobs.

As much as every Brewers fan would love to see Jeff Suppan cut, that just isn't going to happen. Suppan has done great work for Brewer-related charities, and while that won't win any games on the field, it is something that the majority of people like seeing in their athletes. Also, Suppan has a very good relationship with owner Mark Attanasio. More than anything else, that will keep him in Milwaukee for the final year of his contract.

That leaves one spot for Dave Bush and Manny Parra. There is a large contingency of fans that would be just as happy to see both of them leave along with Suppan.

Bush was having a very good year prior to getting injured in Florida off a Hanley Ramirez line drive. He was never able to come back completely healthy and finished the season with a record of 5-9 and a 6.38 ERA.

He will enter 2010 with a clean bill of health and look to build upon the very good first half he was putting together prior to the injury.

As bad as 2009 was for Dave Bush, it may have been worse for Manny Parra. Although he finished with a record of 11-11, he spent time in the minors for lack of control and ended the season with an ERA of 6.36.

As was the case last year, Parra will be the wild card for the 2010 rotation. No one has ever questioned his physical abilities. All the doubts creep up when talking about Parra between the ears. Fans that saw him pitch last year can attest that at times Parra looks scared to be on the mound.

If, and it's a BIG if, Parra can step up mentally and have his focus and intensity match his physical gifts, he is capable of being as good as any left-handed pitcher in the league. He has a dynamic fastball and breaking pitches that can fool the best hitters in the game.

Because of his immense talent, look for Parra to end up as the fifth starter in the rotation. Although three lefties in a rotation could be problematic, all three bring enough differences to the mound to be effective.

Bush will likely take over the long reliever role occupied by Seth McClung last season. He has experience coming out of the bullpen both for the Brewers and in college at Wake Forest.

Fans may not be very excited at the idea of a rotation of Wolf, Gallardo, Davis, Suppan, and Parra, but they should be. Barring injury, this rotation will be a significant upgrade over the 2009 rotation. If these five can get through their six innings on a regular basis, they will turn the game over to a very good bullpen that won't give up very many leads.

Even though the offense may be down a bit with the losses of Mike Cameron and JJ Hardy, the pitching staff doesn't need to be great for the Brewers to be a playoff threat in 2010. Staying healthy is the key for the pitching staff's success.

A season of healthy average pitchers will make fans forget a season of below-average, injury-riddled pitchers last season. Average in baseball is actually a very good thing. Average for the five starters on the Brewers' staff in 2010 should equal an exciting September of baseball once again in Milwaukee.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.

It has been a very difficult past couple of years for fans of the Green Bay Packers.

Everyone knows the relationship between the Packers and Brett Favre broke down two years ago. Neither side is blameless, but hopefully both sides can mend the fences in the years to come.

Whether you agreed with Favre's decision to keep playing or not, it was his decision. One of the many reason Packer fans fell in love with him was his unwillingness to ever quit or give up, and unfortunately that became the same reason that many of those same fans came to loathe him.

The separation has worked out well for both teams. The Packers found out they had a potential All-Pro quarterback, and Favre was able to continue his dream of playing the game his love.

Fans around the league bemoaned Packer fans for a feeling of betrayal from Favre. Critics said it was just a game and there was no reason for fans to feel such feelings towards an athlete.

That's where the critics were wrong. Yes, it's just a game, but sports are supposed to be a release from reality. Cheering or booing Favre is exactly what sports SHOULD be: something to take one's mind off of earthquakes, unemployment, and a recession. Love him or hate him, Favre gets people to care one way or another.

After the Vikings beat the Packers in the Metrodome earlier this year, I felt devastated. I had felt Favre was the one on the wrong side of things in his feud with Packers' management.

Watching him lead the hated Vikings to a victory over MY Packers was like a kick in the gut. I thought to myself that this is how fans of Muhammad Ali must have felt in his first fight with Joe Frazier. One feels at a loss when one believes in something so much only to see that belief come up on the short end of victory.

The Saints physically punished Brett Favre for four quarters on Sunday night. Even the harshest Favre critic must nod their head in appreciation for what the 40-year-old pulled off against New Orleans. There is no quarterback, past or present, which could have taken the abuse that Favre did and still almost lead his team to victory. He once again defied the odds and showed why he will go down as one of the all-time greats.

Did Favre have a lapse in judgment at the end of regulation? Absolutely. His possible final throw as a Viking turned out the same way as his final throw as a Packer, an interception. Each pass will haunt Favre as he will wonder 'what if' in the future, but neither will change the legacy he left in Green Bay or the fantastic season he led Minnesota to.

There will still be a large number of Packer fans that will have a very difficult time ever forgiving Favre for playing for the Vikings. Although that is each individual's prerogative, it's now time to move on, regardless of Favre's decision to play or retire next season.

Whether you believe Favre's words about the Packer situation or not is irrelevant. The one constant in his career has been his ability to battle through anything and compete like few others ever have.

I have been one of Favre's harshest critics over the past few seasons, but tonight I hurt for him as much as I did two years ago after the Packers lost the NFC Championship game to the New York Giants. He has a magical way of transcending the uniform he wears, and he opens up his emotions in a way that few athletes ever have.

The breakup of Favre and the Packers is one of the most painful in the history of sports.

Time will soften the pain Packer fans have felt over the past few years. Eventually, Favre will be welcomed back at Lambeau Field with arms wide open. For now, Viking fans must now be subjected to the same wait and see game Packer fans were forced to endure for several years.

The inevitable has happened to the Milwaukee Bucks. After starting the season with an 8-3 record, they have fallen on hard times and currently sit third in the Central Division with a record of 12-18.

Milwaukee's early season success was highlighted by rookie Brandon Jennings' 55 point statement game against the Golden State Warriors. It appeared the Bucks had the steal of the draft and the league's next great point guard.

While Jennings is leading the team in scoring and assists, 19.5 points and 6.1 assists per game, he isn't receiving much help from the rest of the roster. Michael Redd, most notably, is having a difficult time adjusting to Jennings' game and the up-tempo style he brings to the team.

This is nothing new for Redd or fans of the team. He struggled meshing his style with former point guards T.J. Ford, Mo Williams, and Ramon Sessions. Ford and Williams were traded, while Sessions was allowed to leave in free agency.

Like Jennings, all three prefer to play an up-tempo style of play and can score the ball as easily as they can dish it to their teammates. Redd's strong suit is being a jump-shooter and nothing more. Due to injuries, he's unable to put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop on a regular basis.

A knee injury caused him to miss the start of the season as well as a few weeks once he initially came back from the original injury. Redd has only played in 14 of the team's 30 games, making only six starts. His 11.1 points per game this season is over nine points under his career average of 20.3. He and Jennings don't play together often and when they do, the offense is very painful to watch.

With Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets having a fall out, the Bucks should make a serious effort to trade for the disgruntled star. Although McGrady may not be the player he once was, he would fit into the Bucks' offense much better than Redd currently does.

The Bucks would not be risking too much trading for McGrady. His contract expires at the end of the season, and Milwaukee would then have more financial flexibility if he leaves. It also gives him time to play with Jennings and the rest of the young Bucks roster to see if he would be a good fit long-term for the team.

Although the Rockets would like to trade McGrady for an expiring contract, getting Redd wouldn't be a horrible idea for them. He is under contract until after the 2011 season and would be a nice compliment for Yao Ming when he returns. He would give the Rockets a great shooter and give more room for Yao to work in the post.

The two contracts don't quite match up, so the Bucks would have to include more players than just Redd.

Charlie Bell could give the Rockets another solid jump shooter, although he is under contract for two seasons after the 2010 season. He doesn't make a large salary, so he could be a viable option.

Joe Alexander is also another player that could be dealt from Milwaukee. He has fallen out of favor with coach Scott Skiles and hasn't lived up to expectations for the Bucks since they made him the eighth overall pick in the 2008 draft. He is currently injured but his contract expires at the end of the season.

Luke Ridnour would be a third possibility to be traded, although that seems unlikely. His $6-plus million contract expires after the season, but he has been a key member of the Bucks' bench and has played well when paired on the floor with Jennings.

The Bucks could also throw in a first-round draft pick to the Rockets to make the trade more tempting. Milwaukee is a young team and they are in a position where they need to add quality veteran players, not take a chance on another rookie that may or may not pan out.

A package of Redd, Alexander, and a first round pick for McGrady could be a win-win for both teams. While fans of the Rockets may not find it appealing, they need to look at it both in the short and long-term for the team. They receive another shooter to pair with Yao, get salary relief, and a likely lottery pick in the 2010 draft.

The Bucks get a former scoring champ looking to prove his former team wrong in their evaluation on his current talents. If it works out, the Bucks could have another star to pair with their Rookie of the Year candidate. If McGrady is a bust, they will have an immense amount of payroll to build upon their current roster heading into the future.

Even if the Bucks can't make a deal for McGrady, it is time for them to move on from Michael Redd. Redd is a great person off the court and still possesses a great deal of talent on the court, but he has run off three talented point guards. The franchise can't allow him to do the same to a fourth. Brandon Jennings has taken over as the face of the franchise from Redd in the fan's eyes, and it's time the franchise views Jennings the same way.

After a very disappointing 2009 season, fans of the Milwaukee Brewers are anticipating GM Doug Melvin to make several moves this winter involving the pitching staff to bring the team back to prominence in 2010. Regardless of the pitching acquisitions, the Brewers will need some luck as well as several players having career seasons to achieve the success they did in 2008.

The Brewers have the talent already on their roster to compete and win the NL Central. In addition to the pitchers acquired for the starting rotation, there are five keys in 2010 the Brewers must do in order to bring playoff baseball back to Milwaukee.

Make Mat Gamel a full-time starter

Mat Gamel has bounced back-and-forth between the Brewers and the Nashville Sounds over the past two seasons. The inconsistent playing time stunted his growth at the plate and in the field. He hit .246 in 128 at-bats and made seven errors at third base in only 191 innings of action.

He has a very inaccurate arm but that could improve with a regular role in the starting line-up. Even if it doesn't, the Brewers are no strangers to having a below-average fielder at third. Ryan Braun committed 27 errors at third in his rookie year of 2007.

Gamel's bat isn't at advanced as Braun's was, but he would still be a boost in the line-up. Casey McGehee had a breakout season in 2009, but no one is expecting repeat success for him in 2010. Gamel has the ability to be a big run producer, and his left-handed bat will help balance out a predominately right-handed hitting team.

McGehee can come off the bench for both Gamel and Rickie Weeks when needed. He performed well as a pinch hitter last year and should be able to adjust to that role again quite well.

Youth will be served

If Mat Gamel is named a starter for 2010, it will only add to the youth movement started by the organization already. JJ Hardy, Mike Cameron, and Jason Kendall are all gone and will likely be replaced with Alcides Escobar, Carlos Gomez, and Jonathan Lucroy.

Escobar has been handed the shortstop role with the trade of Hardy. He performed well enough at the end of the year to convince management that trading Hardy was the right move. Defense will be improved as Escobar has more range and a stronger throwing arm than Hardy. He has also developed significantly at the plate at every level in the minor leagues.

Carlos Gomez came to the Brewers in the Hardy trade, signaling the end of the two-year Mike Cameron era. Gomez is praised by everyone for his defensive work, and many see him as a future Gold Glove winner. The Brewers will lose a lot of power with Cameron's departure, and Gomez will need to show better plate discipline in order to remain an every day player.

Jonathan Lucroy had a very good year in the Minors and followed that up with a spectacular showing in the Arizona Fall League. His play led Melvin to comment that he would not be surprised to see Lucroy as a starter in 2010, taking over for Jason Kendall. Although Kendall could return, it's quite unlikely due to the lack of available monetary funds.

Three new, young players up the middle defensively is a big risk for any team to take. Each will be counted on to show improvement at the plate to go along with an already solid defensive foundation. Adding Gamel to the mix over McGehee will make the Brewers one of the youngest teams in the league.

Let them run

Manager Ken Macha was very hesitant to let any of his players run last season. With Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder in the middle of the line-up, he felt anyone on base was already in scoring position.

The Brewers won't have as much power in their line-up in 2010, and they will need to incorporate a more aggressive, speedy approach on the bases.

Gomez, Braun, Escobar, Weeks, and Corey Hart are all capable of stealing at least 20 bases. Only Braun stole 20 bases last season and that number was low due to hitting in front of Fielder. As a team, the Brewers only stole 68 bases in 2009, ranking 14th out of the 16 National League teams.

While Braun may still not run as much as he would like, the other four should be putting as much pressure as they can on opposing pitching staffs. The Brewers should look to steal more bases and use the hit-and-run much more than in past seasons.

Manny be Manny

While Manny Parra will never be confused with Manny Ramirez, the former should start acting more like the latter in order to live up to his potential.

No one will argue the talents of Parra. He has the ability to be one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers in the league. His problems are as much mental as they are physical. He seems to pitch well until the first sight of trouble and then seems to be overwhelmed by the moment, looking for any excuse to get off the mound.

He is entering his third year as a full-time starter for the team but has only pitched in 332 innings. 

Parra faces the age-old question of which came first: the chicken or the egg? To become successful, he needs to pitch with confidence, but to become confident on the mound; he needs to experience some level of success. No matter how it happens, Manny Parra must fulfill his potential and become a top-notch compliment behind Yovani Gallardo in the rotation.

Make the Prince a King

Prince Fielder is already signed for the 2010 season and under team control until after the 2011 season. It has been widely speculated that Fielder will leave the Brewers once he becomes a free agent, but the Brewers need to do everything in their power to sign him to a long-term deal as soon as possible.

Although locking up Fielder would constrict the Brewers' budget, it wouldn't totally restrict them from competing in the future. They could sign him to an average of $20 million a year and still maintain a payroll between $85-90 million.

Not only will this give the team a show of confidence for the future, it will also serve as a show of good faith to the fan base that the Brewers are serious about being perennial contenders.

Fielder showed in 2009 that when he is taken care of financially, he produces on the field. Prior to the year, he signed a two-year, $18 million contract with the team. He proceeded to have his finest season as a pro, breaking the club record for walks and RBI.

As with any small market team, it will be difficult for the Brewers to compete for the playoffs every year. They are in a unique situation to already have established superstars while bringing in new, potential stars to the team. With such talent, no one should be surprised if Milwaukee once again asserts themselves as a playoff contender in 2010.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.

When the Brewers traded JJ Hardy for Carlos Gomez, they sealed their fate as to how they will acquire starting pitching this winter. Other than John Lackey, the free agent class for pitchers is rather underwhelming, but Brewers' GM Doug Melvin is determined to find two starters on the market.

The Brewers still have players they could trade for pitching, most notably Mat Gamel. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that while a trade isn't out of the question, it is unlikely to happen unless the Brewers find another team willing to offer comparable pitching talent that is the equivalent of Gamel.

In the report, they note the logjam the Brewers could have in the infield. Rickie Weeks and Casey McGehee will enter the season as the starters at second and third base respectively. Gamel will serve as the primary back-up at third, while McGehee could also fill in for Weeks at second on occasion.

If the Brewers decide McGehee is capable of being a full-time player, they could still decide to trade Gamel. He is, by far, the player that could bring the most in return to the Brewers. Should the Brewers decide to go ahead with a trade of Gamel, what could they hope to get in return?

In the eyes of most fans, the Brewers received an unspectacular return for JJ Hardy. They wanted to focus on his 2007 and 2008 seasons as selling points, while ignoring his awful 2009 and hoping to get value from his previous successes as opposed to his current flaws.

While Gamel hasn't set the league on fire in his time in the majors, he is still a top left-handed hitting prospect that is under team control for several more seasons. The Brewers would like to get back a pitcher they could insert directly into their rotation with team control over the player for at least a couple of seasons.

Projecting possible trade partners is difficult. One must take into account that the trade must make sense for both teams, not just the Brewers trading Gamel to a team for the best possible pitcher, regardless of whether the other team needs Gamel or not.

The Red Sox, Tigers, Marlins, Orioles, Twins, and Mariners could all be looked at as teams that could give the Brewers young, controllable pitching and still have a need for Gamel in return.

The Red Sox and Tigers currently have options at third base; however both Mike Lowell and Brandon Inge are free agents after the 2010 season. Acquiring Gamel now could shore up third base for either team in the long-term.

The Red Sox wouldn't give up Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard for JJ Hardy, but would they be willing to give up either for Mat Gamel. Michael Bowden is another name that came up in the Hardy talks. If Milwaukee thinks any of the three are legitimate future starters, dangling Gamel would be a smart move.

Edwin Jackson is reportedly being shopped by the Tigers. He is under team control for two more seasons. Gamel could see time at third base and designated hitter for the Tigers before taking over for Inge in 2011.

The Marlins are constantly looking to get younger and shred potential high-salary players. Ricky Nolasco is under team control for three more years and could be a huge addition to the Brewers' rotation. The Marlins could insert Gamel as an immediate starter.

The Orioles will be trying to replace Melvin Mora. Gamel could team with Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Brian Roberts as the foundation of the offense. Jeremy Guthrie is under team control for three more seasons. His numbers aren't overly impressive, until you remember he pitches in the same division as the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays.

Milwaukee and Minnesota have already been involved in one trade this winter; could they be partners for another? The Twins have a ton of young pitching they could trade and they have a hole to fill at third base. While none of the Twins' starters may be future superstars, filling a spot in the bottom of the rotation for the next several years is also a very important need.

The Brewers talked with the Mariners at the trade deadline about acquiring Jarrod Washburn. Mariners' GM wanted both Alcides Escobar and Gamel for the three-month rental of Washburn. Obviously, that is something Doug Melvin never gave serious thought to. The Mariners have several young pitchers that could appeal to the Brewers, and if the Mariners don't re-sign Adrian Beltre, they'll have a need for a third baseman.

Trading Gamel will net the Brewers a good starting pitcher. It will also mean they are trading off the best hitting prospect currently in their organization. Casey McGehee is anything but a sure thing to maintain the type of production he produced in 2009. Given all that, Melvin will be very hesitant to give up Gamel.

The Brewers are likely to overspend for mediocre starting pitching in free agency. That's what the market will dictate. The Brewers would be smart to spend as little on these pitchers as possible and continue to develop pitchers in their own system. With the uncertain futures of McGehee and Prince Fielder, Mat Gamel is too valuable to trade unless for a top-of-the-rotation arm.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.