The Brewers signed former-Cub Aramis Ramirez to a three-year deal, reportedly worth $36 million. Ramirez will be the Brewers everyday third baseman.
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With his role filled and the non-tender deadline approaching tonight, the Brewers traded Casey McGehee to the Pirates for reliever Jose Veras.
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McGehee was the Brewers 2010 Team MVP, but experienced a major drop-off in production this past season. He was eventually usurped at third by Jerry Hairston Jr, who started at third base for most of the postseason.
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Veras is a large reliever who features a 94 MPH fastball. He\'s 6\'5\" 235 pounds. Last season in Pittsburgh, he was 2-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 79 appearances, with 54 hits and 34 walks in 71 innings, and 79 strikeouts.
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Last season with the Cubs Ramirez hit batted .306 with 26 homers and 93 RBI on a very meager team.
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With third base covered, Taylor Green will likely be given a shot at winning the first base starting role. My guess is Green and Mat Gamel will be brought into Spring Training on equal footing and told that the starting position at first base is theirs to win.
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Gamel is out of minor league options, so the Brewers probably dont\' have any choice but to put him on the major league roster. If he doesn\'t win the 1B job, he\'ll likely be the primary bat off the bench and fill the utility infielder role that Craig Counsell used to.
