BREWERS TRADE GINTER
The Brewers sent KEITH GINTER to the Oakland A's last week. In return they got reliever JUSTIN LEHR and outfield prospect NELSON CRUZ.

Wasn't it inevitable that Ginter would end up in Oakland? He's the poster-child for the Moneyball philosophy. He's got a modest salary, good power, takes his walks and strikes out a ton.

I liked Ginter a lot. He is a perfect guy to have on the bench, he could play 3B, 2B, LF and RF. As I said earlier, good OBP and good power. Still though, I don't think trading him is a deal that'll make or break the Brewers in '05.

I was hoping that Ginter would get a shot at being the everyday 3B, but if they break camp with RUSSELL BRANYAN and a healthy WES HELMS, that should be a decent platoon. The Brewers are betting that Helms will bounce back and be the '03 version of himself, not the terrible '04 version.

The Crew needs arms in the bullpen, so Lehr serves that purpose. Nelson Cruz is a highly regarded prospect--one who has five tool potential and could be ready for the big leagues by '06 or '07.