Additions likely to come for Brewers after Meetings

"The way we look at it is, the trades last year, getting [Jonathan] Broxton, getting [Gerardo] Parra, and [Aramis] Ramirez coming back, adding [Adam] Lind -- that's $36 million worth of players," Melvin said, referring to players acquired in the past five months. "I look at it as maybe we've done our work ahead of time. We're [still] open to doing things."

Filling out the bullpen is at the top of Milwaukee's to-do list, though Melvin expects those deals to happen later in the winter. Club officials spent part of Monday viewing video and dissecting scouting reports on relief pitchers available in free agency and potentially available via trade.

Ron Roenicke discusses the state of the Brewers, the team's closer situation, and provides an update on Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez

At the moment, Melvin said, the Brewers don't plan to make a play for Francisco Rodriguez, who made the National League All-Star team and logged 44 saves in 2014 before hitting free agency. Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras will surely seek a multi-year contract, and the Brewers already owe Broxton $9 million next season. They also think right-hander Jeremy Jeffress or left-hander Will Smith could close in the future.

The list of free-agent relievers available remains long but not necessarily deep. It is particularly thin of left-handers, with Joe Beimel, Craig Breslow, Francisley Bueno, Phil Coke, Neal Cotts, Joe Thatcher and Wesley Wright among those available.

"Relievers are getting more expensive all the time, like everybody else is," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "It's more specialized, and I think bullpens are more important in today's game than they've ever been. So that's what we're looking at. Or maybe there is a piece to trade to get somebody we really like. I know Doug's working at it hard, and all the guys up there are looking at a lot of people."

"I don't think you're going to get any deals right now," Melvin said. "It's too close to the holiday season."

Likewise, Brewers officials are taking the long view relative to their own starting rotation, which currently features six pitchers for five spots. If the Brewers keep all of them, young right-hander Jimmy Nelson would probably begin next season in the bullpen, Roenicke said.

But the depth will allow Melvin to listen to trade offers as the winter wears on. Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse could be moved, since each right-hander is entering the final year of a contract, with Gallardo due $13 million and Lohse due $11 million.

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Additions likely to come for Brewers after Meetings