Brewers look to set foundation for improvement during spring training

By foxsports
Published

MILWAUKEE -- Wins and losses won't necessarily define the Milwaukee Brewers this season.

Given the turnover on the roster and the youth movement at Miller Park, success might be better measured in other ways.

Milwaukee is rebuilding, and manager Craig Counsell will start to lay down the foundation for the future in spring training.

"When we get to spring training we start preparing for the season. You define (success) by `Are we always getting better. Are we in a growth mindset? Is it moving forward?'" Counsell said. "That's a little bit of an abstract target but I think that's how it would be in any situation."

It's a top-down makeover a year in the making.

David Stearns was hired as general manager in September. Counsell is entering his first full season as skipper. There are several new faces on the coaching staff, including former Padres interim manager Pat Murphy.

And there's the spring training roster with lots of new names and notable prospects.

"The result is not as important as the preparation," Counsell said. "Our focus is on how do we prepare mentally and physically to get everyone in the best position to have success starting out."

Here's some things to look for when the Brewers open camp in Phoenix this week:

BEHIND THE PLATE: After slugger Ryan Braun, catcher Jonathan Lucroy is the team's most notable player. The respected veteran is looking to prove that the 2015 season was an injury-filled fluke after hitting just .264 with seven homers and 43 RBIs in 103 games. Lucroy started last spring training getting over a strained right hamstring. He missed time during the regular season with a broken left toe and a concussion.

A player with a .282 career batting average and solid clubhouse presence, Lucroy also could be an attractive trade target for a contender. He is owed $4 million this season, then can become a free agent.

BRAUN'S BACK: The Brewers plan to take it slow in spring training with Braun, who had offseason back surgery. The outfielder said at the team's winter fan outreach event on Jan. 31 that he was about a couple weeks behind his typical offseason routine.

After two seasons marked by injuries or suspension, Braun bounced back in 2015 by hitting .285 with 25 homers and 84 RBIs. He'll be an older veteran in an increasingly younger clubhouse.

STOPPING SHORT: The jewel of the Brewers' farm system is shortstop Orlando Arcia, who is slated to start the season at Triple-A. The trade of last year's starting shortstop in the big leagues, Jean Segura, to Arizona last month won't affect Arcia's developmental timeline, Stearns said.

But it will shine a brighter spotlight on the promising Arcia in spring training. He hit .307 with eight homers and 25 steals in Double-A last year.

GOING PROSPECTING: Rosters will be especially important for Brewers fans at spring training given all the new faces. Arcia is among a bevy of promising prospects.

Most appear to be at least a year or two away. Brett Phillips, who was acquired from Houston in the Carlos Gomez deal, could be the center fielder of the future.

Pitching prospects Zach Davies and Jorge Lopez had late-season callups to the majors in 2015.

ON THE MOUND: Barring another move, it is unlikely that Davies or Lopez would start this season in the rotation. The Segura deal brought starter Chase Anderson to Milwaukee, joining holdovers Wily Peralta, Jimmy Nelson, Taylor Jungmann and Matt Garza.

How Garza bounces back bears watching after he went 6-14 last year with a 5.63 ERA, which would have been the highest in the major leagues among qualifying pitchers -- he fell 13 1/3 innings short.

"I want to see it through. I want to be here when all the fruits come bearing," Garza said. "I'm going to do what I've got to do to stay here. That's be myself. That's be the old Matt Garza. Not the one that was an anomaly last year."