Okay, after looking back at the offense it was painfully obvious that there needs to be several upgrades in the offseason. The pitching staff is a different story, however. We will see a great deal of turnover with the pitchers but most of that will be because of free agent losses and not the trades likely coming for a few of the bats.

There's really no other place to start with the pitchers other than CC Sabathia. No matter what happens this offseason, CC will always be hailed as a hero in Milwaukee. Sabathia made 17 starts for the Brewers and really was the reason that the team made it to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years Sabathia finished with 11-2 record for the Brewers with an ERA of 1.65. I have no problems with his performance in the playoffs. I simply think it was a case of him hitting the wall and having nothing left to give. While I would love to see CC back in a Brewers uniform next year, I think it would be a horrible financial decision for Mark Attanasio. CC is going to command a minimum of $20 million a season and that would be roughly one quarter of next season's payroll. That's just bad business for a mid-market team to take on that kind of financial burden. Sadly, I say good-bye to CC and I will be forever grateful for an unbelievable three months of baseball that he produced.

Ben Sheets has almost certainly pitched his last game for the Milwaukee Brewers and I don't know of too many people that are sad about it. Sheets was able to make 31 starts for the Crew but again experienced injuries issues. Sheets' agent has now come out and said that all Sheets needs is rest and his arm will be fine for 2009. Sheets finished with a career-high 13 wins and will likely look for a 5 to 6 year contract wherever he signs, for between $15 and $18 million a season. There is some thought that the Brewers could re-sign Sheets if the injury concern becomes too much for some teams. Like CC, I say let Sheets go and take the draft picks you'll get in return. I could see Sheets going to Atlanta or Houston next year. Let them deal with the constant threat of a season-long injury. The Brewers need to spend their money elsewhere on less injury prone players. 

Jeff Suppan may turn into a huge burden for the Brewers the next couple seasons. Suppan is due $25 million over the next two seasons. He finished the year with a record of 10-10 with a 4.96 ERA. Really? That's what $12.5 million buys you in baseball these days? The Brewers will have to hope that whatever arm issue Suppan had at the end of the year go away this winter and that Suppan can be an effective 4 or 5 starter for the team next year. Maybe the Brewers can get lucky and get the Yankees to suck up his contract in a potential deal sending Prince Fielder to New York. That would almost make up for his abortion of a performance in Game 4 of the NLDS.

I thought Manny Parra fared very well in his first full season on a Major League club. It was quite clear at the end of the season that Parra's arm was shot but he did have a couple of nice relief outings after being removed from the starting rotation. A 10-8 record with a 4.39 ERA is a very nice season for a middle of the rotation pitcher and I only see Parra getting better the longer he pitches. Injuries were a concern for him in the Minors but hopefully he has turned the corner on that. Parra could be as high as the number two starter next year or as low as the number four depending on what happens this off-season. Parra is a lefty still learning how to pitch to Major Leaguers and Jason Kendall will continue to be a huge part of any success Parra achieves.

Dave Bush may embody the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers better than any other player. He started the year in the starting rotation, eventually got sent down to Triple A, but then returned and pitched relatively well the rest of the season, including a very good performance against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS. Bush has proven to be a great pitcher at Miller Park but well below average on the road. Although his 9 wins were his fewest in his three years with the team, his 4.18 ERA was the lowest since his rookie season in Toronto in 2004. Bush will again be counted on next year to be a mid-rotation pitcher for the Crew. I don't worry about wins, strikeouts or any other stat with Dave Bush other than quality starts. Bush seems to "lose it" faster than any other starter on this team so any time he notches a quality start; it is a reason to smile.

Seth McClung and Carlos Villanueva may have been the most versatile pitchers for the Brewers. Both men started for the team but their most valuable service came in the bullpen. Villanueva turned into a solid long reliever after not making it as a starter. CV saw his ERA rise but did a good job at cutting down on his walks. I would love to see him get another shot at starting but I think he will continue to see time in the bullpen and serve as our long-man with the possibility of an occasional start. McClung stepped into the rotation when CV struggled but went back to the pen after CC's arrival. He became a jack-of-all-trades at the end of the year and proved to have the moxi needed to pitch in big games and not be consumed by the moment. I loved McClung's attitude and fastball down the stretch. I hope he gets the shot to be the closer for the Brewers next season.

So I talked earlier about Jeff Suppan's outrageous contract but guess what $10 million can buy you in baseball? For that low price, you can get 46 1/3 innings, 7 blown saves and an ERA of 5.44 in 50 games. Thank you very much Eric Gagne. In the immortal words of Brett Myers: Boom, outta here!

Salomon Torres blew as many saves as Gagne but over a longer period of time. I was surprised that Torres' arm didn't fall off at some point during the last week of the year. Torres' option for next year will likely be picked up but I hope for his sake that he's moved back into a middle reliever role to not destroy his arm. 

As great as Brian Shouse has been for the Brewers the last few years, I think his time has come to move on. It will likely cost $3 million for a LOOGY and with Mitch Stetter stepping up, I think Shouse can be let go. He will like be a Type B free agent and garner a draft pick should another team sign him.

David Riske and Guillermo Mota were both horrible in my eyes. The good news is that we don't have to bring Mota back next year. The bad news is that Riske is under contract for another two seasons. I hope his arm problems work themselves out now that he had surgery.

I saved my thoughts about Yovani Gallardo until last for a reason. He is the key to the Brewers pitching staff for the next few years. Yo is obviously a genetic freak having overcome to knee surgeries in 8 months. Gallardo will only be 23 at the start of next season and it's a bit scary to think just how good he can be. He never seems to be in a situation that he can't handle. That mental make-up, along with a continually improving body should mean a great 2009 for Gallardo. Yo managed to pitch only 24 innings in 2008 but they were a very impressive 24 innings. After missing the first couple weeks of the season, Gallardo made three straight quality starts before Prince Fielder tried ending his season on May 1st. Not even fat Prince could keep Gallardo out for the whole season. His start against Pittsburgh on September 25th came when the Brewers had no pitchers on full rest and he got the team through a very tough spot. His seven strikeouts in four innings gave fans a glimpse of what might be ahead for next season. 

When looking back on the 2008 season, it will forever be about CC Sabathia. Hopefully fans will also remember the key contributions from Bush, McClung, CV, and Torres. The Brewers will gain draft picks for Sabathia, Sheets, Shouse and even Gagne. Who will replace them? Well, there may never be a replacement for CC but if the Brewers can get another frontline starter and a solid reliever, things won't slip as far next year as many fans think. 

Today's song goes back to 1997. In honor of what almost was for the Brewers, enjoy "Semi-Charmed Life", by Third Eye Blind.