Is Randy Wolf Heading to Baltimore?

The Orioles are looking to bolster their left-handed options in the bullpen this week, and they are inching closer to signing former Brewers starter Randy Wolf. The thirty-six year old Wolf was released by Milwaukee last week after going just three-and-ten with the team in 2012.

Wolf's thirteen poor performances this season came just months after going thirteen-and-ten with a 3.69 ERA in 2011. He also tallied the sixth most shutouts of any pitcher that year, and won his first postseason match-up. Those numbers wouldn't stay with Wolf as he entered this season, giving up a 5.69 ERA before his tenure with the team ended.

Still, Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said that he sees promise in the aging lefty, especially as a closer. Wolf won just a single start in his last nineteen, and Showalter hinted to the possibility that Wolf will join the teams only other left-hander in the bullpen, also a former starter, Brian Matusz.  Wolf has a ten million dollar guarantee to soften the blow of being sent somewhere, and the Orioles are in the playoff hunt. 

B.J. Coleman Might Make Packers Practice Squad

B.J. Coleman just might make the Packers practice squad. He’s got the size for pro football, but with limited snaps during the 2012 training camp, he’s not likely to take over for Harrell as backup to Aaron Rodgers. One thing he already has is a very strong arm. When you get picked up late in the NFL draft, just getting a solid look is plenty to be happy about.

Coleman came to Chattanooga from the Tennessee Vol’s. His best season came in 2010-11, when he played in eleven games and scored 26 touchdowns. His passer rating for that season was a solid 137.8. In his senior year, his numbers dropped a bit, but he played in only seven games. The Packers picked him up as a raw talent, and that’s just what he is right now.

Coleman Shows Off Talent At San Diego

At this point, Coleman is getting half the snaps that Harrell is getting, and that’s not many, seeing that Harrell is getting just two to Rodgers’ four. If that sounds confusing, it is. Basically, Coleman might get the table scraps during practice and the fourth quarter snaps of preseason games. Speaking of, he managed to put together a nice drive late in the game against San Diego. If it weren’t for a fumble by Marc Tyler, there might have been an opportunity for Coleman to take a few chances at some deep passes to the end zone before time ran out.

Coleman is pegged as a quarterback who works best inside the pocket. That’s not going to fly if he wants to play for Green Bay. With a receiving core like the Packers have, you have to scramble left or right, find an open receiver, and make that completion. Rodgers did so well outside the pocket last season; you might think that guys like Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings are masters at extending the play. It’s a bit of both here, and Coleman needs to make mobility part of his game plan. That, and understand defensive set ups, pick up blitzes, calling audibles, and everything else that comes with being a quarterback in the NFL.

Ryan Braun 2012 Stats as of Today | Will He Be MVP of the National League?

It sure looks like Ryan Braun will make that 20-20 mark onceagain.  He’s just one stolen base away from the magic number.  I suppose that there is nothing magical to being fast on your feet.  Hitting a minimum of 20 home runs is something more akin to magic.  We have over a month of baseball to be played and Braun just might hit 35 homers for the season.  Will he have the same number of stolen bases?  That’s harder to predict. 

Since his wobbly start in 2012, Braun is batting .304, with 29 home runs.  He’s one of the bright spots on the Brewers offense.  He’s already been hit by twice as many pitches this year as compared to the entire 2011 season.  Basically, most of his numbers are close to how he performed last season, save for stolen bases, and on base percentage.  It’s tough to beat .397 in that department, but he’s darn close.

Braun Draws More Intentional Walks Compared to Past Seasons

One thing that has changed for Bran is the number of intentional walks.  Without Fielder to threaten opponents, teams have chosen to walk Braun nine times so far this season.  That’s compared to a whopping total of two last year.  When the next batter is not much of threat, you take the shot at walking Braun. 

As always, Braun is nearly error free on defense.  You don’t expect much when it comes to errors from the outfielders, and Braun has just one to his name as of today.  He may not get the MVP title in 2012, but his numbers once again prove that he’s one of the best in baseball.