Milwaukee Brewers are in the offseason. So is everyone else in baseball. You wouldn’t know if considering the lack of news going around. The hot stove does not typically warm up right away. And add in the fact that no one made any money, the hot stove isn’t happening in the same way we would expect it to be. One of the names that many Milwaukee Brewers fans will talk about this season is Ryan Braun. Will he return to the team he played for his whole career or will Braun look elsewhere next season? Or will Braun retire from the game itself? All three are likely on the table. But it does seem like the Designated Hitter will be in both leagues yet again. That’s a big plus to Ryan Braun. ESPN’s Buster Onley wrote this about Nelson Cruz, but this could be applied to Braun and many others.

But he is 40 years old, and for all practical purposes, he is limited to the DH position. Regardless of whether the universal DH is again negotiated for use in 2021 — the safe bet is that it will, unless the MLB and players’ union animus erupts to the point of complete dysfunction — Cruz might get a lot of teams’ interest, but probably not big, big dollars. There are a lot of DH types available, and Cruz has reached the age when teams are leery of players breaking down and being unavailable. Everybody would love to have someone like Nelson Cruz, but there might not be a lot of willingness to pay good money for a DH.

Braun would be a shoo-in for Milwaukee if the DH comes back to the National League. Brewers likely want him back, and they could make sure he doesn’t play the outfield as much. Braun could have one more swan song next season with fans at both Miller Park and stadiums across the United States. Except those fans usually boo him then Braun hits a home run in their face. To end your career with a 60-game season and a back injury doesn’t feel right. Maybe Braun doesn’t care, but there is a redemption angle present for the Brewers’ slugger.

Longtime podcast listeners will remember that I said I would do a ‘Ryan Braun memorial pub crawl. This is whenever Braun leaves Milwaukee. It is still on the table as long as we can do those things. So don’t think I’m welching out on my idea. Let’s hope it’s next winter, not this one.

Charlie.