AGRI Biz

Rumors have surfaced in recent days that Milwaukee Brewers' GM Doug Melvin has talked with Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski over the possibility of acquiring starting pitcher Edwin Jackson. Jackson is being shopped in a cost-cutting move by the Tigers. Jackson is coming off the best statistical season of his career, and he is under team control for two more years. He made $2.2 million in 2009. It was a tale of two ...

Building and maintaining a consistent winner in baseball is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. In football, basketball, and hockey rosters can completely change over within the course of two or three years. The economics of baseball don't allow such turnover to take place. Guaranteed contracts and no-trade clauses tie a team to player regardless of performance or injury. While reconfiguring the economics of the game ...

One of the most important attributes in building a pitching rotation is the durability of the pitchers. When a team can rely on a starter to go out every fifth day to make his start, they have the foundation for a very good rotation. When Brewers' GM Doug Melvin looks over a list of available starting pitchers this winter he'll find few pitchers that are more reliable and durable than Jon ...

Commissioner Bud Selig recently sat down with Bob Costas for an interview that aired on the MLB Network. Among the topics discussed was the possible inclusion of Pete Rose in the baseball Hall of Fame. The topic of Rose and his possible admittance into the Hall has been one of baseball's most hotly debated issues since his lifetime suspension in 1989 by former commissioner Bart Giamatti. He voluntarily accepted the ban from ...

Although the offseason has barely begun, the Milwaukee Brewers are already making their plans for this time next year. Rebuilding, retooling, or reloading; call it whatever you like but that's what the Brewers are using the 2010 season to do. While this may be hard for fans to swallow only a year after making the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, it's a harsh reality of being a small ...

Much in the same fashion that CC Sabathia was the top pitching prize last winter, John Lackey will find himself in that position this winter. Lackey may find more suitors than Sabathia did, but he won't command nearly the same contract the big lefty did. No fewer than eight teams have been linked as possible destinations for the Angels' ace. The Angels, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Rangers, Brewers, Orioles, and Astros have ...

Remarkably inconsistent. It's a phrase that not only describes Brad Penny, but almost all the pitchers on the free agent market this winter. There are no "sure things" on the market, and any pitcher that Brewers GM Doug Melvin decides to sign will come with a big risk in one way or another for the Milwaukee Brewers. Penny had a tumultuous 2009. It started off signing in Boston over the winter for ...

With JJ Hardy finally dealt, it's time for Brewers GM Doug Melvin to focus on fixing the starting rotation. We've already looked at Erik Bedard and Mark Mulder as possible answers, and now let's take a look at a former Brewer who is willing to come home again: Doug Davis. Davis pitched in Milwaukee from 2003-2007 before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Johnny Estrada. Davis compiled a 37-36 record ...

Now that a day has passed, and Brewers' GM Doug Melvin has spoken about it, it's time to figure out what the acquisition of Carlos Gomez means for the Brewers this offseason. Melvin commented at his press conference yesterday that he received no offers for pitching that he felt was worth trading Hardy for. Gomez fit a need for the Brewers, and he was comfortable enough with the offer to make ...