Brewers showing signs of life

The signing of Matt Garza provided the spark for a successful offseason. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

It’s hard to imagine that there’s much to look forward to with a team that finished at 74-88 in 2013, but the Milwaukee Brewers are the exception to this rule. Perhaps you’ll say I’m biased when it comes to them, but I have reason to believe they’ll bounce back this season as they’re finally finding some life.

After all, what’s the sense in being a fan if you don’t have a little optimism?

The Brewers’ front office has somewhat restored my faith in the team. While some people may argue it’s a matter of who they got, I say it’s a matter of the Brewers getting anyone to begin with. I cannot say that I am surprised by the signings of Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds as they wanted a first base option. What surprised me was the money splashed at Matt Garza. However, the train didn’t stop there.

Even though they didn’t get him, the Brewers made a $60MM attempt for the Cuban first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu, which means they’re thinking in the right direction. Re-signing Francisco Rodriguez and agreeing to a deal with the young Yirver Gilbert Lara are all positive signs going forward. General manager Doug Melvin knows what this team needs and that swift kick in the pants couldn’t have waited any longer.

It’s no secret that Melvin wants this team to compete in 2014, but the question is can they get it going off the ground? The additions of Garza and Francisco are nice on paper, but will they pan out? I would like to say yes, but logically I can’t answer that. There’s also the factor of will Ryan Braun perform well and can Aramis Ramirez stay healthy? All these and more are obvious concerns fans have had heading into this upcoming season and justifiably so.

As of right now, we have no idea where this team stands, but I’d imagine many analysts don’t have them getting out of fourth place in the National League Central. I think the Brewers could prove everyone wrong should things shift their way, but that’s true of any team. The attitude however is something that speaks larger than the signings; the attitude shows us that the front office still has faith in this team.

No one knows for sure where the Brewers will land come the end of September, but 2014 may just be a building block in the years to come. Regardless, Melvin seems confident in his team now, and why shouldn’t he? I fully believe the Brewers will finish above .500 this season, you can mark that down!