27-year old Manny Parra looked decent in the bullpen at the start of the year for the Brewers. He pitched in 17 games in relief for the Brewers this year and he was 1-3 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. But injuries ransacked the starting rotation so the Brewers needed him in that role and he has been truly awful. Parra has started 14 games this season for the Brewers and he is 2-6 with a 6.01 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP. In his last two years with the Brewers, Parra has pitched in 58 games (41 starts) in which he is 14-20 with a 5.99 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. The Brewers need to call someone up to replace Parra in the rotation so they can put him back in the pen where he pitched decent for them earlier this year.

The Brewers have sent 40-year old lefty swinging outfielder Jim Edmonds to the Reds for 28-year old lefty swinging outfielder Chris Dickerson. Edmonds played in 73 games for the Brewers this year and he was 62 of 217 (.286 avg, .843 OPS) with 38 runs scored, 8 homers, 20 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. He played well for the Brewers this season but this was a trade they had to make as Edmonds is considering retirement after this year. Chris Dickerson can handle all three positions in the outfield defensively. Dickerson played in 20 games for the Reds this year and he is 9 of 44 (.205 avg, .495 OPS) with 9 runs scored and 3 stolen bases. He has now played in 148 games in his three years in the majors and he is 110 of 401 (.274 avg, .789 OPS) with 60 runs scored, 8 homers, 30 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. This is a trade I like for both teams as it gives the Reds a veteran player for the stretch run while the Reds get a player who could be solid down the road.

The Brewers have placed 24-year old CF Carlos Gomez on the 15-day disabled list with a concussion. Gomez has played in 75 games for the Brewers this year and he is 56 of 246 (.228 avg, .635 OPS) with 33 runs scored, 5 homers, 22 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. The Brewers have recalled 24-year old righty swinigng Lorenzo Cain to replace Gomez on the roster. Cain played in 3 games earlier this season for the Brewers and he was 3 of 5 (.600 avg, 1.400 OPS) with 1 run scored. Look for Cain to get a lot of P.T. this time around for the Brewers as Jim Edmonds is also gimpy right now.

The Brewers were rumored to be dealing Corey Hart at the trading deadline. Not only did the Brewers keep him…..they signed him to a three year contract extension. Hart has played in 95 games for the Brewers this year and he is 105 of 363 (.289 avg, .905 OPS) with 52 runs scored, 23 homers, 75 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Hart is on pace to set new career highs in runs scored (86), homers (24) and RBIs (91) if he finishes strongly. The Brewers were smart to lock up Hart for a few more years as they challenged him this spring and he has responded big time.