This move doesn't really hurt the Brewers too much down the line. They are clearly all in for this season, but they might as well be. Sad to say Brewers fans, but Fielder is not coming back. No way they can afford him, even before they bought their rotation. So if you've only got one more year of a respectable 1B, one more year of some protection for Braun, you might as well go for broke. And then after the year, when Fielder is elsewhere, set some of what you would have paid him aside for Braun, and some of it for Fielder's replacement. Not a bad move at all for a team who's window was closing soon anyways.
It will be interesting to see how KRod performs now that he's out from under the microscope in a small market and not closing games. As a Cards fan, I hope Axford implodes with the new threat to his job and KRod earns his bonus, leaving no one in the Milwaukee pen next year.
The NL Central is at the mercy of the Cards' offense coming together. If it does this move won't matter a bit for Milwaukee, if St. Louie continues to be inconsistent and injury ravaged, Milwaukee or Cincy will win it anyways. As things stood before this move, Milwaukee had to be the favorites to make the playoffs anyway, but if St Louis gets healthy and plays to potential Milwaukee is on the outside looking in. I don't expect the race to be close enough for this trade to matter. Either the Cards fall off (which they should have done by now, and I still expect) or heat up which is very possible now that most of their starters are back. The Brewers may have to worry about Cincy and Pittsburgh, but St Louis will end up either too far ahead or behind to worry about by the end of August.
