It's Official: I Love the Trade For Nyjer Morgan

I admit I was nervous when I first heard that Doug Melvin had shown interest in Nationals' center fielder Nyjer Morgan. I had heard the stories, had seen the clips, and feared that Doug might be sacrificing clubhouse chemistry in his attempt to go "all-in" in 2011. Melvin quickly shot down the rumor, only to acquire Morgan two days later for Cutter Dykstra. After the trade I wrote about Morgan, mainly focusing on his struggles last season and the problems that followed, while closing by mentioning his plus-defense and speed.

2011 Brewers Free From Contracts of Hall, Suppan

Suppan Drops the Ball

Jaymes Langrehr wrote Wednesday that the Brewers' opening day payroll should sit near that of 2010 (roughly $90 million) once salaries are finalized for Rickie Weeks, Shaun Marcum, and Kameron Loe. Yet fans and analysts alike expect the 2011 Brewers to be significantly improved from the 2010 squad (though some still don't quite buy it). The main reason the Brewers find themselves able to field a better team this year at a similar cost to last year: freedom from the burdensome contracts of Bill Hall and Jeff Suppan.