Kuzul

This is a difficult time for many of those who believe the game will forever be tainted by the Performance Enhancing Drug era.

I refuse to call it the “Steroid Era” as many of the so-called cheaters never actually took a steroid. If you’re going to label something, it may as well be accurate.

I will admit that some of the things MLB players did during this time disgusts me. It’s not so much the fact that they cheated, but that they were so smug and arrogant that they thought they could get away with it.

So here we are with Hall of Fame ballots in our hands with blank looks on our faces. How are we supposed to vote? From this point on, how are we supposed to determine which players from this era deserve enshrinement and which deserve to be left outside with their noses pressed against the windows of the Hall of Fame?

In my opinion the players have to be taken on a case by case basis.

It is patently unfair to just take the players from the PED Era and lump them all together in one uniform group. There are some players that have never been linked to a PED, but have had guilt projected upon them nonetheless. I’m in favor of protecting them because they are being hunted as well.

I am going to look at not only PED users, but also those who have been unfairly targeted by some as being guilty by association.

I know this is a passionate subject for many, but passion should not suspend a person’s rationality. Unfortunately for many, it does.

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Every season there seem to be a few pitchers that burst onto the Major League scene. Some are already well-known prospects, while others seem to sneak in the back door.

The 2010 season was no exception. A good example is Mat Latos. While he’s missing a “t” in his name, he didn’t miss the strike zone a whole lot while taking the mound for the Padres.

He was one of the pitching prospects that made it big-time. As I’m sure you aware, more prospects bomb than live up to the hype, so the success stories get a lot of ink.

So who might be some of the young pitchers be that are poised to break out in 2011? If you’ve read some of my other work, you’ll probably recognize some of the names.

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Okay, before anyone totally freaks out, this is not a “Brewers are looking to trade Prince Fielder” story. This is strictly a what-if scenario, plain and simple.

As we know, there are some teams out there that have had a disappointing offseason thus far. Their fans are clamoring for their team to do something. As a result, a team might be looking to make a splash the size of Prince Fielder doing a cannonball into the proverbial MLB pool. 

It has been made clear that the Brewers are in “go for it” mode this season. What if one of those aforementioned teams gets desperate and makes an EXTREMELY aggressive and attractive offer to the Brewers for Fielder?

I want to take a look at 10 potential deals that may just get the Brewers to think long and hard about dealing their slugger while still allowing them to go for it this year. Other players could be included from the Brewers besides Fielder in any of these trade scenarios.

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Yes, I know the Brewers just traded ostensibly their top four prospects. Getting Greinke and Shaun Marcum in return was the shocker. I’ve been beating my head against the wall for a while, trying to get people to understand what the meaning of the word prospect is. At least the Brewers finally got it.

Even though the very top tier of the Brewers’ system is now virtually bare, the big club is stocked. With the Brewers’ 2010 first round pick, Dylan Covey, opting to stay close to home as a result of a medical condition, they will receive an additional first round pick in 2011.

GM Doug Melvin has also put the Brewers in a good position for the next few drafts. Losing Prince Fielder and/or Rickie Weeks to free agency will also net the Brewers even more additional draft picks. The same goes for Greinke in 2013.

Until then, this is what the Brewers have to work with down on the farm.

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We’ve been looking at free-agents and trade scenarios ad nauseam for a month now. Let’s see if we can focus our attention on something else. We can do it if we try. Take a deep breath.

Now answer this question. Besides trades and free-agency, where can you find other players to help your team win? If you answered the minor league system, you win! Something? No not really. I just wanted to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you didn’t answer the minor leagues, go learn to play cricket and don’t bother me.

Ah, here come the rookies. There could be can’t-miss top prospects that make the most of their opportunity in the majors (see Jason Heyward). But there also might be young players that jump out of virtually nowhere and make a splash. Let’s take a look at 50 of them and see just what kind of impact each may have this season.

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Doug Melvin has already traded for Shaun Marcum, a solid pitcher, to bolster the Brewers starting staff. Melvin has said he plans to go get another starter.  In that case, one down, one to go.

While drastically improving the starting rotation is a huge step, that isn’t the Brewers’ only roadblock to competing with the Reds and Cardinals for the NL Central in 2011.

Let’s examine 12 things that the Brewers must do in order to get where they need to go.

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Now that the Winter Meetings are over and Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth have signed mammoth contracts, what’s next? What other impact free-agents are still out there? 

It looks more likely this winter that there will be significant player movement via trade. In this economic climate it makes sense for smaller market teams to trade players who are looking at large salary increases in the near future in exchange for younger players that they can control for a significant amount of time.

Let’s take a look at 15 of the various rumors still circulating and see if they have any juice behind them.

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According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Brewers GM Doug Melvin confirmed that the Brewers were one of the teams that met with Carl Pavano and his agent, Tom O’Connel, on Tuesday.

Melvin was rather tight lipped about the meeting saying, “I don’t want to get into anything other than we met with him.”

According to most, Pavano is considered the next best remaining free-agent starter after Cliff Lee and that’s not saying much. This year’s free-agent class is practically devoid of impact arms and probably the next best one, Jorge de la Rosa, has already re-signed with the Colorado Rockies.

If the Brewers are serious in their pursuit of Pavano, they will have competition. There have been multiple reports that the Minnesota Twins are making a strong push to re-sign the 34 year-old right-hander. There have also been reports that the Washington Nationals have serious interest as well. I would assume that their interest may diminish if they are able to pry Cliff Lee away from his other suitors.

Many believe that Pavano and his agent are seeking a three-year deal in the $30-$40 million range. For a pitcher with a lengthy injury history like Pavano’s, the risk with that type of deal is enormous to a team like the Brewers.

The Brewers have been through this before. This stinks a bit like that massive failure that was Jeff Suppan. If Melvin is serious and spends that kind of money on Pavano, he needs to be prepared for the backlash he will receive from Brewer Nation.

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WOW!

That’s what came to mind when I read about the Washington Nationals signing OF Jayson Werth to a 7-year $126 million deal. Jayson Werth? Really?

That got me thinking. If Werth can command that kind of money, what is Carl Crawford worth? In the simplest terms, he is worth more. Let’s take a look at a few ways Jayson Werth made sure he is going to get it.

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According to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the Brewers and Dodgers are discussing a possible trade that would send 1B Prince Fielder to the Dodgers in exchange for 1B James Loney and closer Jonathan Broxton.

The Dodgers are a team in need of power and run production which Fielder would provide. Fielder’s HR, RBI, BB and OBP numbers would all dwarf the other player’s in the somewhat anemic Dodger’s offense.

While the Brewers would not be getting starting pitching in return, they would be getting a very capable 1B and a once-dominant closer. While Jon Axford acquitted himself admirably in the closer’s role for the Brewers, Broxton would be solid insurance if Axford were to falter in 2011.

The deal makes sense for both sides. Based on what I had been hearing, I am a bit surprised the Brewers would get as much as is being discussed. If Broxton can regain his form, this could end up being a steal for the Brewers especially if Fielder walks as a free-agent.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com