Strengths:  Talent.  It is there, you just have to get past the Ryan Braun circus to see it.  Carlos Gomez is an excellent center fielder and Jean Segura is a potential star at short.  Aramis Ramirez at third is a quality middle of the order bat, and Jonathan Lucroy is a far better catcher than he gets credit for.  Add that to a rotation that starts with Kyle Lohse and Yovani Gallardo, and you have a solid start to a quality team.

Weaknesses:  Bullpen and right side of the infield.  Jim Henderson should not be a closer, but he is by far the best arm in the bullpen, and the right side of the infield has two guys that have no business starting in major league baseball.  The Brewers top three prospects are pitchers that are MLB ready for 2014, and they have a first base prospect, Hunter Morris, could challenge for playing time next season, but none are difference makers.

Off-Season Needs:  They need to bolster the bullpen, but won’t be able to make a big splash money wise.  They will not be able to compete for the biggest names, but Edward Mujica wouldn’t be a bad sign.  As far as the right side of the infield, James Loney and Omar Infante could serve as decent values and lift the Brewers into contenders in 2014.

2014 Projection:  The Brewers are in a bit of a tough spot.  They have enough talent to be competitive, but not nearly enough to be real championship contenders.  At the same time, they are as small market as it comes, and have a less than impressive farm system.  They could make a couple decent sized moves this season and make a run at the playoffs, or they can look to move some of their bigger names to get younger and more talented throughout their organization.

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