Look Ahead: Brewers not likely to stand pat during trade season

You might have read over the weekend that Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he has no trade discussions going on right now.

While that might well be true, the "right now" part is the key. As he showed last year with his July 7 deal for CC Sabathia, Melvin is aggressive with midseason deals, and doesn't always wait until right before the July 31 deadline to make them.

"We've done it every year," Melvin said, pointing to his 2007 acquisition of setup man Scott Linebrink, in addition to last year's Sabathia deal.

The feeling this year was that Melvin would wait to see if the Brewers would play well enough to justify another big midseason acquisition. With Milwaukee 10 games over .500 through Sunday and alone in first place after a weekend sweep of the Reds, that no longer seems to be an issue.

What's more likely to have Melvin waiting is uncertainty about what the Brewers need most. While many fans and even some Brewers players want to see him make a play for Jake Peavy, Melvin still isn't sure that the greater need isn't for a hard-hitting infielder to replace Rickie Weeks.

"The toughest part is identifying what you need," Melvin said. "One day you think it might be an extra pitcher -- and then we don't hit for a week."

The Brewers players seem to like the idea of getting a pitcher, and particularly like the idea of getting Peavy.

Left fielder Ryan Braun, who got to know Peavy during the World Baseball Classic, admits that he kept in touch with the Padres right-hander.

"I've talked to him a few times," Braun said. "We'd love to have him. But a lot of things would have to happen."

Three things that would have to happen, beyond Melvin deciding that pitching is his biggest need: One, the Brewers would have to part with enough prospects to satisfy the Padres (not out of the question). Two, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio would have to agree to pick up a contract that pays Peavy $15 million, $16 million and $17 million the next three years (not a given in small-market Milwaukee, but not at all out of the question, given Attanasio's aggressive nature). Three, Peavy would have to agree to go to the Brewers.

Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman said that while he thinks the Brewers would be "a great fit" for Peavy, he's also far from sure that his longtime Padres teammate would agree.

"What he sees in Milwaukee is the ride between the Pfister Hotel and Miller Park on some gloomy days. ... You run a path from the Pfister to Miller Park, and that's not a very pretty drive."

Hoffman has learned to like his new home.

"You've got an outstanding city, and the people are friendly," he said. "It's got a nice feel to it."

So does this Brewers team, which would happily welcome Peavy (or an infielder) but isn't pressuring Melvin to make a deal.

Could the Brewers acquire another front-line starter -- like Jake Peavy -- before the deadline? (US Presswire)

"We're playing great with what we have," Braun said.

Given Melvin's history, they'll have more sometime soon.

The other stories to watch this week:

Randy, Rick and Doc: Randy Johnson, who is 45, will be shooting for history Wednesday night in Washington, with his first attempt at a 300th career victory. Rick Porcello, who is 20, will look for a different kind of history a night earlier in Detroit.

The Tigers right-hander has won five straight starts. According to research through baseball-reference.com, only one American Leaguer that young has won six straight starts in the past half-century. Wally Bunker of the Orioles was 19 when he won six straight in 1964.

The last 20-year-old in either league with even a five-start winning streak was Dwight Gooden, who won seven in a row for the 1985 Mets.

Gooden and Porcello aren't similar pitchers, but Gary Sheffield says they do share one important similarity. Sheffield is Gooden's nephew, and he was Porcello's spring training teammate with the Tigers.

"Doc was fearless," Sheffield said. "He always felt like he wanted the hitter to worry about him, as opposed to him worrying about the hitter. That's a comparison [with Porcello]. From what I saw this spring, he was poised, and he has that look on his face that he understands."

Oh, and as for Johnson's chances of winning Wednesday? Well, on the Nationals' just-completed trip to New York and Philadelphia, opposing starters went 6-0 with a 3.52 ERA. Sunday, Jamie Moyer won for the first time since April, earning his 250th career win.

Glavine's coming back, could Vazquez (eventually) be going? Tom Glavine has one last rehabilitation start scheduled (Tuesday at Class A Rome), and by the weekend he could be joining the Braves rotation. With super-prospect Tommy Hanson pushing for a call-up, and with Tim Hudson due back from Tommy John surgery later this year, the Braves will soon have a glut of starters.

Meanwhile, the Braves are still searching everywhere for a hitter, preferably one who doesn't add a lot to their payroll.

Here's one solution, suggested by a scout familiar with the Braves: Trade Javier Vazquez, who makes $11.5 million this year and $11.5 million next season, and try to get a big hitter in return. Vazquez has a limited no-trade clause, but he also has a 3.58 ERA and 86 strikeouts (tied with Johan Santana for the National League lead).

Three games to watch: 1. Giants at Nationals, Wednesday. We just don't get that many chances to watch a guy try for 300 wins. Come to think of it, we just don't have that many Nationals games that are worth tuning in for, either. Fortunately for us (but maybe not for Johnson), worth-watching rookie Jordan Zimmermann starts for Washington.

2. Rangers at Yankees, Thursday. With the 30-win Rangers going East this week to test themselves against the Yankees and Red Sox, any of the six games would do. But how better to test yourself than against CC Sabathia, who starts Thursday's game against Brandon McCarthy?

3. Phillies at Dodgers, Thursday. Cole Hamels and the Phils return to Dodger Stadium for the first time since Hamels' pennant-clinching Game 5 win in last October's NL Championship Series. The only run he allowed that night came on a Manny Ramirez home run. Here's guessing that won't happen again Thursday.