Improved lineup has team eyeing return to winning They have a legitimate ace and what looks like an improved lineup. Will it be enough to push the Brewers back into the win column? Manager Ned Yost thinks so. The Brewers enter his third season at the helm with a new cleanup hitter in Carlos Lee, acquired in a trade with the White Sox, and a new everyday catcher in Damian Miller, a free agent pickup. Both players performed well with runners in scoring position. That was a sore spot for the 2004 Brewers, who jumped out to a great first half on the strength of a solid pitching staff only to struggle after the All-Star break when the offense shut down. Yost says that experience will make all of his players better. The team also has a new owner in Mark Attanasio, whose arrival has infused some excitement into the community and the clubhouse. The payroll jumped from $27 to $42 million under Attanasio's watch, and expectations have risen accordingly. BATTING ORDER 1. Brady Clark, CF He will not steal 70 bases like Scott Podsednik, but the team thinks Clark's high on-base percentage and sparkling defense warrant a promotion. 2. Junior Spivey, 2B Can he stay healthy? His loss last July keyed the team's second-half slide. 3. Lyle Overbay, 1B A tale of two halves: Overbay batted .344 before the All-Star break and .245 after. The team is looking for a full, consistent season. 4. Carlos Lee, LF The Brewers traded for his power bat, and Lee did not disappoint in Spring Training. Can he parlay his spring success into another 30-homer, 100-RBI season? 5. Geoff Jenkins, RF He stayed healthy for all of 2004, and the longest-tenured Brewer thinks that 40 homers and 120 RBIs are in his reach. His switch from left field to right will be under the microscope. 6. Wes Helms/Russell Branyan, 3B Both were bright spots in spring, and will probably start the year in a platoon. Branyan brings his left-handed power bat, and Helms is looking to bounce back from a dismal 2004. 7. Damian Miller, C Chad Moeller is an able defensive backup, but the team likes Miller's bat. He batted .324 with runners in scoring position last season with Oakland. 8. J.J. Hardy, SS Play defense, kid. That's all the Brewers are looking for from their prized prospect, the first of a wave of talent making its way toward Milwaukee. ROTATION 1. Ben Sheets, RHP The Brewers scored 19 total runs in his 14 losses last year, including only one run in nine of those games. With even a bit of run support, he would have been a Cy Young Award contender. 2. Doug Davis, LHP A mechanical adjustment led to a few extra mph on his fastball and a breakout season. If Davis can just match his numbers from 2004, the Brewers would be thrilled. 3. Victor Santos, RHP One of GM Doug Melvin's best finds in 2004, Santos won nine of his first 12 decisions before fading down the stretch. He's had a terrible spring and will have to pitch well to hold his spot. 4. Chris Capuano, LHP Like his former Diamondbacks teammate Spivey, health is the key for Capuano. He struggled with quadriceps, triceps and elbow injuries last year and worked to increase his flexibility over the winter. 5. Gary Glover, RHP Out of minor league options, Glover had to win a job or face a possible release. He won the job with a nearly flawless spring. BULLPEN A strength in recent seasons, the Brewers' bullpen is now the team's biggest area of concern. The unit was blown up over the offseason, and gone are 2004 mainstays Dan Kolb, Luis Vizcaino, Brooks Kieschnick and Jeff Bennett. Right-hander Mike Adams will get a chance to close games, but there are questions about his ability to handle the sometimes-heavy workload. Ricky Bottalico is coming off a rough spring, but he had a good year for the Mets in 2004 and has loads of experience closing games. Other bullpen roles will have to be settled as the season wears on. OPENING DELAYED The Brewers stayed largely healthy all spring, then suffered a spate of maladies in the final week. Clark and Branyan were shut down with illnesses, Branyan's bout of strep throat was so bad that his availability for Opening Day is in question. Spivey was just gaining strength in his surgically repaired left shoulder when he suffered a concussion in a scary collision on the basepaths. Depth may become an issue if any of those players miss time. SPRING CLEANING Priority No. 1 in the offseason was upgrading the offense, and the results in spring looked good. The Brewers ranked at the top of the Cactus League in most offensive categories, bolstered by Lee's quick start at the plate and solid performances from a number of prospects. But the pitching was shaky, especially in the bullpen. That means Sheets and Davis, two guys who have struggled with back problems, are more important than ever. All reports in Spring Training were that both pitchers are healthy and ready for the season. BURNING QUESTION Will the bullpen get the job done? The offense looks improved with the offseason additions of Lee and Miller, and the largely-unchanged starting rotation has another year of experience. But despite the open competition for roster spots, few relievers stood out in Spring Training games. Yost is banking on the idea that pitchers tend to clamp down once the regular season begins. ON THE RECORD "I think everyone, even at other teams, see that there is some promise here now. But that said, you can't just keep getting younger and younger. At some point, you have to keep your players. I think we may be at that point now. [New owner Mark Attanasio] wants to put a good product on the field, and I think he understands that that starts with veteran leaders around those younger guys." -- Jenkins --

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