ESPN.com - Milwaukee Brewers

OFFSEASON PLAYER MOVEMENT

Player signed	Player lost
OF Scott Podsednik (waivers)	RHP Chad Fox (free agent/Red Sox)
C Robert Machado (re-signed)	OF Lenny Harris (free agent/Cubs*)
SS Royce Clayton (free agent)	OF Matt Stairs (free agent/Pirates)
SS Valerio de los Santos (re-signed)	C Jorge Fabregas (free agent/Devil Rays*)
RHP Dave Mlicki (free agent)	SS Jose Hernandez (free agent/Rockies)
C Keith Osik (free agent*)	RHP Nelson Figueroa (free agent/Pirates*)
RHP Todd Ritchie (free agent)	OF Ryan Christenson (free agent/Rangers*)
OF Brady Clark (waivers)
RHP Chuck Smith (free agent*)
C Eddie Perez (free agent*)
OF John Vander Wal (free agent*)
Acquired via trade	Players traded
C Javier Valentin, RHP Matt Kinney (Twins)	RHPs Gerard Oakes and Matt Yeatman
INF Ryan Gripp (Cubs)	C Paul Bako
*Minor-league deal

Complete List | 2002 Free Agents

Hot Stove Heater: Brewers
ESPN.com contributor John Sickels takes a look at the Brewers in Hot Stove Heaters: Are the Brewers doomed to another 100-loss season? Of course not. We're not trying to be overly negative here. Even average work out of some of the new faces and a slight improvement from the holdovers will help. The point is that there is no quick fix to the situation in Milwaukee. This is a multi-year rebuilding effort. Good years from the current roster will get the record closer to .500, but barring some spectacular development, getting past that will be very difficult with the current group.

Sickels: Minor-league report

SportsNation: Worst team?

Vander Wal agrees to deal


	Vander Wal

Outfielder John Vander Wal agreed Jan. 28 to a minor-league contract with the Brewers and was invited to spring training. He would get a $550,000, one-year contract if he's added to Milwaukee's major-league roster and would get the chance to earn $250,000 more in performance bonuses. Vander Wal, 36, hit .260 with six homers and 20 RBI in 84 games for the Yankees last season. He has a .264 career batting average in 13 major league seasons. Vander Wal is third with 17 career homers as a pinch hitter and sixth with 119 pinch hits. "John gives us proven leadership in the outfield and a quality bat off the bench," general manager Doug Melvin said. "He has experienced a great deal of success throughout his career, which will be a tremendous asset to our young players."

KURKJIAN: LET THE REBUILDING BEGIN

At least they're not trying to fool anyone this year. In their ad campaigns, the Brewers basically are acknowledging that they're not going to the playoffs, but they'll play hard. New management (club president Ulice Payne, GM Doug Melvin and manager Ned Yost) will be clear of all but $16 million in salary after this season, allowing Melvin to start rebuilding without cumbersome contracts.

NEWS AND NOTES

Telemundo 63 will broadcast 13 Brewers games in Spanish this season, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Feb. 11.
C Eddie Perez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Jan. 24 and was invited to spring training as a non-roster player. Perez would get a one-year, $500,000 contract if he's added to the major-league roster and the chance to make $150,000 more in performance bonuses.
The Brewers claimed OF Brady Clark off waivers from the Mets on Jan. 21. Milwaukee also signed RHP Chuck Smith to a minor-league contract and invited him to spring training.
The Rockies agreed to terms with former Brewers INF Jose Hernandez on Jan. 20.

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ULTIMATE STANDINGS

See how the Brewers fare among all 121 professional sports teams.

SportsNation's Ultimate Standings

Where do the Brewers rank?

2002 NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
TEAM	W	L	PCT	GB
St. Louis	97	65	.599	-
Houston	84	78	.519	13.0
Cincinnati	78	84	.481	19.0
Pittsburgh	72	89	.447	24.5
Chicago	67	95	.414	30.0
Milwaukee	56	106	.346	41.0
Complete Standings

Brewers Traveler Mug Our Price: $19.99	Brewers Moneyclip Our Price: $7.99
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GAMMONS: ART OF LOSING

GM Doug Melvin has spent his first winter with Milwaukee scrambling to find fill, and with Javier Valentin, Matt Kinney, Wes Helms, Todd Ritchie, Royce Clayton, John Vander Wal and Dave Mlicki, he has patched. Says GM Doug Melvin: "We have to change the mindset."

Read 9 Brewers Site Lines on Insider.
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ON THE FARM

Minor league affiliates:
Indianapolis Indians (AAA):
    Sched./Results | Stats | Official Site
Huntsville Stars (AA):
    Sched./Results | Stats | Official Site
High Desert Mavericks (A):
     Stats | Official Site
Beloit Snappers (A):
     Stats | Official Site
Arizona Brewers (R)
Medicine Hat Blue Jays (R)


AVG	J. Hernandez	.288
HR	R. Sexson	29
RBI	R. Sexson	102
RUN	R. Sexson	86
SB	A. Sanchez	37
WIN	B. Sheets	11
SV	M. DeJean	27
ERA	B. Sheets	4.15
Complete Team Statistics: Batting \| Pitching


C	R. Machado	ROTATION
1B	R. Sexson	B. Sheets
2B	E. Young	G. Rusch
3B	W. Helms	T. Ritchie
SS	R. Clayton	N. Neugebauer
LF	G. Jenkins	B. Diggins
CF	A. Sanchez	CLOSER
RF	J. Hammonds	M. DeJean


Feb 15: Agreed to terms with infielder Enrique Cruz, pitcher J.M. Gold and outfielder Cristian Guerrero on one-year contracts.
Feb 6: Promoted Geoff Campion and Steve Ethier to assistant vice president.
Complete Team Transactions


No significant injuries.