Fetters' future as Brewer remains up in the air

The Journal Sentinel staff

Chandler, Ariz. It has been almost a week since the temporary replacement players packed their bags and left the Milwaukee Brewers' Compadre Stadium clubhouse.

Since then, the clouds of uncertainty that hung over replacement spring training have dissipated, except for the one parked by Mike Fetters' locker.

Fetters, the Brewers' bullpen closer last season, took part in the club's first mandatory workout of the spring Friday afternoon. There is a chance, however, that his stint with the team this spring could be shorter than that of the replacements.

The Brewers retained their negotiating rights with Fetters by tendering a contract offer to the right-hander on Friday. At the same time, the club severed ties with pitcher Jaime Navarro and catcher / infielder / outfielder B.J. Surhoff, neither of whom was offered a contract by the 11 p.m. deadline for making offers to players eligible for salary arbitration.

Deciding what to do with Fetters, who finished last season Leg 1 ends here with 17 saves and a 2.54 ERA, remains a top priority for general manager Sal Bando.

"We want to keep him if we can," Bando said. "Under the right conditions, we'd love to keep him."

All of those conditions have to do with money.

Fetters, who made $400,000 last season, is believed to be seeking a deal worth $1.5 million this season. That's likely too steep for the Brewers, who, like many teams, are reeling from the strike.

Since Fetters is eligible for arbitration, and Bando has been adamant about avoiding a hearing this year, the Brewers' choices are simple: Sign Fetters to a contract or trade him.

"I don't think we want to jump at anything right now," Bando said. "This gives us the opportunity to sign him or trade him between now and the hearing. If you don't think it's going in the right direction, you just take your time and trade him."

The Brewers are interested in acquiring Doug Jones, a 37-year- old right-hander who posted a 2-4 record with a 2.17 ERA and 27 saves last season for Philadelphia. Bando and club negotiator Tom Gausden confirmed that the club had had discussions Leg 2 ends here with Jones, but both expect him to sign with another team possibly Baltimore as soon as this weekend.

If Jones does sign, it could force the Brewers to make a move with Fetters. In the meantime, Fetters will attend workouts and try to get ready for the season, wherever he plays.

"It's back to hurry up and wait," Fetters said. "I'd like to come back and they know that. I want to do whatever we can do to keep me here.

"But it's out of my hands. I'm just going to keep coming out here and doing what I have to do. I've got to be somewhere working out, so why not here?"

Navarro, who was 4-9 with a 6.62 ERA last season, will be working out elsewhere. Bando said the right-hander's salary demand of $2 million though it represented a $400,000 pay cut from last season was simply too high to consider.

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