One down, four to go: Shouse is signed

Ah, to be left-handed…and 39.
Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reported that the Brewers signed arbitration-eligible Brian Shouse to a one-year, $2 million, deal.
Shouse, obtained from Texas in May of 2006 became the lone southpaw in the Brewers’ bullpen for the entire 2007 campaign, posting a career best 73 games, a 3.02 ERA, and 32 K’s over 47.7 IP, including 12.0 scoreless IP’s in the month of July and a 1.16 home ERA on the year.
While Shouse’s signing was never in doubt, it is nice to see him get rewarded…and well before the deadline for filing arbitration figures.
With just 8 days remaining until arbitration figures need to be exchanged, Brewers’ GM Doug Melvin has just 4 arbitration-eligible–starting pitchers Chris Capuano, Claudio Vargas, and Dave Bush, plus shortstop J.J. Hardy. Shouse’s deal was likely done first as it will likely be the easiest and the least expensive for Melvin.