While the Milwaukee Brewers were standing around watching all the contenders make trades at the winter meetings to improve their teams, Brewers fans had to be pulling their hair out as GM Doug Melvin sat silent and spent none of owner Mark Attanasio money.

The Brewers had just set an attendance record in 2007 when 2,869,144 fans walked through the turnstiles at Miller Park to watch an exciting Brewers season that once again ended it heartbreak as the Crew folded like a cheap accordion down the stretch and let the Cubs overtake them as NL Central Division champs.

Milwaukee already had let All-Star closer Francisco Cordero sign with the Cincinnati Reds via free agency in the offseason. Cordero signed a 4 year, 46 million dollar contract to take over as the Reds closer. The Brewers offered Cordero 42 million over the same period.

If the math is done right, that means that Attanasio would have had to spend 1 million extra a year to keep one of the best closers in the game in the left field pen at Miller Park. If Attanasio didn’t have the extra million dollars to spend he should asked the diehard fans of the Brewers to chip in to keep Cordero.

Milwaukee could have ran a promotion for a game dubbed, “COME SUCK SOME SUDS TO SAVE ONE OF OUR STUDS”. Fans attending the came wouldv’e been treated to 5 dollar beers instead of the normal price of 6.50. Milwaukee fans would’ve had to drink 7 extra beers at that game to save Cordero. Those seven extra brews would offset the cost of the original 6.50 selling price, keep Cordero in town, and gave free bus rides home to every fan attending that day’s game.

Melvin and Attanasio finally pulled the checkbook out and signed a pair of former All-Stars in closer Eric Gagne and catcher Jason Kendall. The Crew also signed LHP Randy Choate (Diamondbacks), RHP Guillermo Mota (Mets) , RHP David Riske (Royals), and RHP Salomon Torres (Pirates).

The Brewers also signed a pair of their own players (OF Gabe Kapler and reliever Brian Shouse) to one year deals. 

The Brewers biggest signing off the offseason easily was the acquisition of outfielder, Mike Cameron, who will roam center field this season at Miller Park.

The deal guarantees Cameron more than $6 million and could pay nearly $12 million more if the Brewers exercise a 2009 club option and Cameron hits a pair of incentives. 

The three-time Gold Glove center fielder was with San Diego in 2007. He is a career .343 hitter in 10 games at Miller Park, but only garnered serious interest from the Brewers this month. The team had preferred a left-handed hitter and high on-base percentage player, but Melvin instead centered on Cameron, a right-handed hitter with relatively high strikeout numbers, after returning from a holiday in Hawaii and consulting with new Brewers bench coach Ted Simmons, who had been in the Padres’ front office.

“Ted said, ‘If you can get him, go get him,’” Melvin said. “In the end, [Cameron] filled a lot of the things we were looking for.”

At the top of his list is defense, a major weakness of the 2007 Brewers. Cameron won Gold Glove Awards in 2001, 2003 and 2006.

The Brewers upgraded the defense tremendously as they fixed two positions with one signing. Bill Hall will return to third base this season and NL Rookie of the Year, Ryan Braun will move to left field. Hall (CF) and Braun (3B) were horrendous defensively in 2007.

The Brewers everyday lineup once Cameron is back from his 25 day suspension should look like this: Hart (RF), Hardy (SS), Braun (LF), Fielder (1B), Hall (3B), Cameron (CF), Weeks (2B), Kendall (C), and the pitchers position.

Yost has plenty of options with these eight individual and he can tweak his lineup anyway he wants as long as he protects Braun and Fielder. If Yost finds the right 1-2 combo at the top of the order and find a solid 5 spot to protect the Brewers two biggest bats, Milwaukee could shatter every offensive record in the history of the their franchise this season.

Don’t forget that the Brewers have a very deep bench and they have a solid core of players waiting for a chance to play down in the minor leagues.

For Yost 2008 is very simple for him. WIN YOU STAY, LOSE AND YOUR GONE.