Possibly lost in all the hype of hiring a new manager was the fact that the Brewers quickly and quietly cut their losses with Trevor Hoffman and Doug Davis, and also declined the $2.25 million option they had on Gregg Zaun.
I have a question for all of you. Would I be crazy for thinking the Brewers should think about possibly bringing him back at a slightly lower price? Would that make me a bad person?
I love George Kottaras’ bat as much as anyone (probably not as much as Jack Moore), but it’s so painful watching him defensively that it almost makes me want to cry. His spot on the roster is far from guaranteed, or at least it should be.
The Zaun Experience is generally seen as a negative one due to the painfully slow start he had to the season and the fact that his year was done just as he was getting hot. Even though he’ll be 40 this year, he wants to play, and I think he still could as a solid back-up. Like Kottaras, he’s patient at the plate, but with the added bonus of being a switch hitter. Defensively, I’m going to guess Zaun’s arm isn’t going to be as good as it was pre-shoulder surgery, but the sad truth is that it’s still probably better than Kottaras’.
Jonathan Lucroy would — and should — be the undisputed #1 catcher, but I do think he could still benefit from having a veteran like Zaun backing him up. I know I’m dangerously close to sounding like Bill Schroeder here, so please, someone talk me out of this. If Zaun doesn’t find a job elsewhere and still wants to play, should the Brewers consider bringing him back?
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