2014 was Disappointing for the Milwaukee Brewers

MILWAUKEE–

If you saw the preseason predictions for the Milwaukee Brewers, then saw their final record without ever paying attention to the season, you would not have been surprised with the results. For the most part the Brewers were picked to finish either third or fourth in their division and have a record right around or below .500. Well, the Brewers finished the season 82-80, barely a winning season, and finished third in the division, behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. It would seem that Milwaukee was a team that everyone thought they would be, but if you watched them through the summer, you know they could have done more.

The Brewers started the season with a bang, getting their 20th win before the calendar turned over to May. The team then slowed down in May before picking it back up in June and would eventually have a six game lead in the division. By the All-Star break, however, the Brewers saw that lead shrink to one, managing to keep the lead by beating the Cardinals on the last game of the first half. After the All-Star break, the Brewers continued to struggle, but were able to maintain their division lead going into August.

After losing two out of three to the Cardinals, the Brewers took two of three from both the San Francisco Giants and five of six from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the span of two weekends. The Brewers beat their former teammate Zack Greinke for the second time in a week and were able to solve the puzzle that is Clayton Kershaw after facing him for a second time. With a sweep of the Dodgers in LA, Milwaukee had the best record in the NL with only a month and a half to go. Then things began to unravel. In the final 37 games, the Brewers managed to go just 12-25, including a nine game losing streak. The division reign that had lasted 150 days was over and they fell out of the second Wild Card spot shortly thereafter. The offense that had been, statistically, the best in the NL during the first half was gone. Their pitching struggled early in September, but was able to right the ship for the last few weeks, but it was not enough as they could not score.

One of the few bright spots in the lineup was Jonathan Lucroy as he was able to finish with a .300 average and break the doubles record for a catcher with 45. He also managed to tie the Brewers’ doubles record with 53. Overall, however, the offense was dismal. There is no one reason for this, but it can be pinpointed on several different aspects. First of all, the Ryan Braun that had been coming up big all through his career was gone as his thumb continued to bother him and messed with his swing and timing. There was also the lack of a solid offensive first baseman. Even with a struggling Braun and poor production from the first base spot, there are plenty of other offensive weapons that should have scored runs. There was a lack of confidence and some players seemed to be pressing to come through with the run scoring hit, while others like Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett were struggling with lingering injuries. When all of these factors come together, you get a struggling offense and the Brewers saw a once promising season turn to disappointment and end without a trip into the postseason. If the Brewers are able to avoid just one of the losing skids they encountered in July and then September, or at least limit the damage between the two, then they may be in the postseason, but this is not the case.

Now that the 2014 season is officially over, it is best to look forward to this offseason and the 2015 season. Many believe that Ron Roenicke may have managed his last game. This could happen, but the most likely scenario is him returning to the Brewers dugout next season. Should the Brewers decide to let him go there are no candidates that would be any better than Roenicke, so that may be one reason he stays. Also, he is well liked in by the players and, unless he lost the clubhouse, the Brewers front office are likely to give him one more chance. With the comments made by Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin, there may be some changes on the coaching staff, but as of now, that remains to be seen.

In regards to those on the field, one of the first things that needs to be addressed is the first base position. Ryan Braun, who is getting surgery on his thumb Thursday, could be an option and Gerardo Parra could be the starter in right field. Hunter Morris is a second option, but the Brewers may not be ready to hand him the starting job quite yet. The third, and most likely option, is a free agent signing or a trade. The Brewers could go and sign a guy like Adam LaRoche or contact the Colorado Rockies and convince them to change their mind and trade away Justin Morneau. No matter what the Brewers decide to do, they are going to need better offensive production from their first baseman and is likely going to be a priority this offseason.

There is a good possibility that Milwaukee will compete again next year as they are bringing back all of their starting pitchers from this year and most of their bullpen. Outside of a few changes on the bench, most of the positional players should be returning as well. Hopefully Braun’s thumb gets better and he returns to form. Should that happen, it would be a boost for this team. Jean Segura, who seemed to turn the corner a little bit with his bat in September, would definitely help if that carried over into next season. Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy, Khris Davis, and Scooter Gennett will all return next season after successful 2014 campaigns and should Aramis Ramirez decide to pick up his option, will also be back next year. The Brewers rotation right now will look the same with the likes of Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, Yovani Gallardo, Wily Peralta, Mike Fiers, and Jimmy Nelson. As of right now, if Fiers continues his success from this past season, Nelson may be the odd man out, unless Doug Melvin ends up trading someone away. The bullpen should have little change with guys like Jonathan Broxton, Brandon Kintzler, Will Smith returning as well as Jim Henderson and Tyler Thornburg both coming back from injuries. Zach Duke may leave via free agency this year and Francisco Rodriquez is also a free agent, but has expressed interest in returning to Milwaukee.

All things being considered the Brewers do not need any major additions outside of first base to compete again next year. They are likely to aquire another bullpen arm or two and some infield bench players to replace the likes of Elian Herrera, Rickie Weeks, Lyle Overbay, and Mark Reynolds. If Doug Melvin brings in the players that the Brewers need, this time next year October baseball will return to Milwaukee. So mark your calendars. On April 6, 2015, Brewers baseball returns for another season, and it could be the start of something good, and hopefully finish that way too.

~Joey Grundl