{image1} A lot of bad things happened to the Milwaukee Brewers in the second half of the 2004 baseball season, but good things have reigned since the off-season began.

First, a new owner arrived: Mark Attanasio. He seems committed to both winning baseball and winning baseball in Milwaukee. The previous regime was, too, but had annual excuses for failing on both counts.

Then, the Brewers got themselves a catcher. Damian Miller might be 35 years old, but his .264 career batting average would have tied Geoff Jenkins for second on the club in 2004. And his 58 RBI last year were just two behind Keith Ginter's total of 60, good for third on the '04 Brewers.

Next, the Crew added another talented arm to its future starting rotation. Atlanta prospect Jose Capellan is 6-4, 235 pounds and throws 100 mph. He was the best pitching prospect for a franchise that has been defined by pitching greatness for the last 15 years.

Capellan zoomed through three levels of minor-league ball in 2004, going 14-4 with a 2.32 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 139 and two-thirds innings. He was roughed up during a September call-up with Atlanta, but all reports had him as the team's top prospect. To get him, Doug Melvin gave up All-Star closer Dan Kolb.

Finally (for now, at least), on Monday the Brewers dealt center fielder Scott Podsednik, reliever Luis Vizcaino and a player to be named to the White Sox for slugging left fielder Carlos Lee.

This final move will probably be the most controversial among Brewers fans, but it's also the best. Lee may or may not enjoy the most success among the acquisitions, but his arrival is more significant for its symbolism than his eventual production.

First and foremost, Lee makes a decent amount of cash. He's slated to earn $8 million in 2005, which is known as "Jenkins money" in these parts. Podsednik and Vizcaino probably won't make one-quarter that amount combined next year, but Melvin -- with Attanasio's backing -- pulled the trigger just the same.

In today's economic landscape, this is a start. Yes, Lee fills a gaping hole in the lineup as a righty slugger who actually makes contact (just 86 Ks in 591 at bats last year compared to 105 in 640 for Podsednik). But he also stamps the Brewers as more than just a bottom-feeding pauper in a league where money doesn't talk, it screams.

Second, as Melvin mentioned after making the deal, it signals to Brewers fans the team is serious about improving -- and not simply waiting until a bumper crop of still-young prospects hits town for good sometime in 2006. This matters, and the gate receipts will show it.

And what do Kolb, Podsednik and Vizcaino have in common? Yes, all were among the team's more reliable players and all were making affordable salaries. What else? All of them were salvaged from the scrap heap. In net terms, the Brewers got all three for free. Now, those shrewd roster moves have landed the top pitching prospect in the Braves farm system and an established, power-hitting outfielder who batted .305 with a .366 OBP last season. Not bad.

Of course, to get something worthwhile you have to give something up. Podsednik led the majors in stolen bases a year ago with 70, all while hitting just .244. He's likely to bump his average up at least 25 points or so in 2005, which is good news for the White Sox. But Lee is eminently more valuable to the Brewers. He can bat cleanup and protect Lyle Overbay or bat fifth and protect Jenkins. And he adds a righty power component to a lineup that slants far to the left. Plus, moving Podsednik paves the way for either rookie David Krynzel to start immediately or for steady vet Brady Clark to add at bats; neither is a terrible option.

The 2005 bullpen is undoubtedly weaker. But the Kolb move is a calculated gamble worth taking. One wonders why the Braves would give up a "can't miss" prospect, and Capellan did miss all of 2002 with elbow trouble. And the Braves haven't made the playoffs every year since 1991 (save the strike year) by making dumb trades.

However, Kolb looked spotty in the last two months of the year and seemed to lack confidence. He couldn't summon a strikeout when he needed one, and he walked batters that led directly to blown saves. One wonders if he didn't harness too much of his electric 2003 stuff last year in an effort to be more consistent; sometimes, a closer needs to blow people away.

Vizcaino pitched in over 70 games and was a candidate to replace Kolb as the closer. Instead, that role will fall to Mike Adams, Jeff Bennett or an upcoming acquisition. Saves can be an overrated commodity at times, especially for a team not expected to contend next year, and Melvin surely had that in mind over the past week.

The best thing about these moves? It appears that the future is finally arriving. Krynzel could start in center field; J.J. Hardy is already expected to win the starting shortstop job next spring; Capellan could be in a rotation featuring fellow youngsters Jorge de la Rosa and Ben Hendrickson; and Lee will be only 29 in 2005.

They haven't turned the corner yet, but the Brewers finally appear poised to meet the future.