Greinke expects excellence from Brewers' staff

MILWAUKEE – Of all the moves Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin made last winter, none was bigger than the deal which brought right-hander Zack Greinke to Milwaukee.

Melvin parted with a package of highly touted young players, but the move paid off as Greinke went 16-6 with a 3.83 ERA and led the Brewers to the playoffs for just the second time in 29 years.

Now, with a year in Milwaukee behind him, Greinke, 28, is ready to get back to work. After beginning last season late due to a broken rib suffered playing pickup basketball before spring training, Greinke is in top shape with another two weeks until pitchers and catchers report.

"I don't really think about the past a whole lot, I guess," Greinke said during the team's annual winter fan fest. "I've really just been, the first month maybe, just relaxing and having fun, and working out and stuff, doing what you enjoy doing. Trying to get ready for next season is really how the offseason's been."

Losing Prince Fielder will be a big blow to the Brewers' lineup, which finished fifth in the National League with 721 runs, but Greinke noted the addition of slugging third baseman Aramis Ramirez as a reason for optimism in 2012.

Ramirez is 0-for-9 lifetime against Greinke, but he's well aware of the power Ramirez brings to the batter's box.

"He's one of the best right-handed hitters I faced last year," Greinke said. "He's a really solid hitter. No, he's probably not Prince Fielder, but he's very, very good. So our team shouldn't miss too much."

Offense, though, wasn't the Brewers' strongest suit last season. The team's pitching, especially the rotation, was stellar from start to finish. All five starters posted double-digit victory totals and seemed to get stronger as the season progressed.

Add in one of baseball's best bullpens, especially after the All-Star break addition of Francisco Rodriguez, and the Brewers featured some of the most dominant pitching in the game last year. All five starters return, as do Rodriguez and closer John Axford, leading Greinke to believe that a repeat performance isn't out of the question.

"Our pitching staff is really kind of what, I feel, it didn't carry us completely, but was a (big) part of our year last year," Greinke said. "It's going to be tough missing (LaTroy) Hawkins and (Takashi) Saito back there, but with K-Rod and (Axford), we'll have the best eighth and ninth in baseball maybe. So, we've just got to get through seven instead of six this year."

Greinke is entering the final year of a four-year, $38 million extension he signed with the Royals after winning the AL Cy Young Award 2009. He has expressed interest in remaining with the Brewers but does not currently have an agent.

"It'd be me in charge as of right now," Greinke said. "So, we'll see how long that lasts.”