This isn't as brutal as the time the Pittsburgh Pirates traded him in-division for a small pouch filled with colored beads, but the Milwaukee Brewers have signed Aramis Ramirez, keeping the slugging third baseman in the National League Central, keying the full-fledged rebuilding process for the aging Chicago Cubs' core, and filling the biggest sinkhole of any National League postseason contender. Because as uncertain as Ramirez's production will be over the three year, thirtysomething million dollar contract, one thing is true: He won't be as terrible as the Brewers' third basemen were last year, because that would be almost impossible.
↵Last year the Brewers' waiver-wire fleecing of the Cubs for Casey McGehee, a AAA slugger who combined a first baseman's bat with a first baseman's ability to play third base, finally came back to haunt them—after two excellent years as a cheap answer at third his bat collapsed, and he managed a line of just .223/.280/.346 over 155 games.
↵That was bad enough—between a win and a win and a half worse than the proverbial replacement player. But the Brewers' replacements for McGehee were even worse, hitting just .146. And that's why, even if he's an average player next year, the Brewers have added four wins to their bottom line in 2012.
↵Of course, now they have to figure out that whole first base thing. Lance Berkman's taken, guys.
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