Brewers: Camp tour | 
Outlook | Cactus/Grapefruit League stops
PHOENIX -- Five things to know about the Milwaukee Brewers:
1. Not to put much pressure on rookie shortstop Alcides Escobar, but when Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is asked about giving Escobar a chance, he compares it to trading Lyle Overbay after the 2005 season to make room for Prince Fielder. That's not to say the Brewers expect Escobar to hit the way Fielder has. They do believe he's ready defensively, and that he has the overall skills to become a star.
2. While the Brewers believe Escobar is ready, the other motivation for trading shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Twins for center fielder Carlos Gomez was that it saved money at two positions. Hardy and center fielder Mike Cameron made a combined $14.65 million in 2009; Gomez and Escobar will make about $1.5 million. Melvin used that savings to pay for pitching; newly-signed starters Randy Wolf and Doug Davis will make $14.75 million this season.
3. Anyone who questions the Brewers' decision to trade for CC Sabathia two summers ago ought to check out Milwaukee's 2009 attendance. Even though Sabathia left for the bigger money in New York, the 2008 playoff appearance helped push the Brewers past 3 million last year. Preseason sales were down a touch this year, but with a good start, the Brewers will likely top 3 million again. At worst, they probably fall to only around 2.7 million.
4. Owner Mark Attanasio made an effort to keep Sabathia, and now Attanasio seems determined to try to keep Fielder around for a long time. Fielder isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season, but the team has already begun negotiations for a long-term deal. It's hard to say what chance they have, since a 25-year-old who has averaged 43 home runs the past three years could break the bank on the open market. But Brewers people say they believe Attanasio will give it a good try, to the point where Fielder will at least have an offer he could consider accepting. As for Fielder, he says only that there's no urgency yet to get a deal done, and that he's happy with the Brewers. "I'm definitely hopeful," he said. "Milwaukee's been good to me. I'd love to get something done."
5. Left-hander Chris Capuano, who won 18 games for the Brewers in 2005, is in camp this spring after missing most of the past two seasons following Tommy John surgery. It's hard to know what to expect from Capuano, who made six rookie and short-season Class A starts last August. "If I didn't feel I could contribute, I'd be in law school right now," said Capuano, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa in economics from Duke.
