[BirdWatcher]

With Opening Day not far away, the Brewers have begun to weed down the number of players in camp, sending several pitchers back to AAA, including starting pitchers Eric Johnson and Steve LaCoste, both of whom will provide decent insurance in case of injuries on the big league club, and reliever Jordan Stephens, who is in need of a bit more seasoning before joining the Brewers bullpen.

Somewhat more complicated was the situation with both starting pitcher Jimmy Daniels and reliever Dave Harder, as both were out of minor league options and needed to be put on waivers in order to designate them for minor league assignment.
The Brewers very much hope that Daniels clears waivers as he is a great leader among his peers (considered a captain) and still has the potential, at nearly 25 years of age, to be a back-end of the rotation starter.
On the other hand, if the 25-year old Denver native Dave Harder is plucked off waivers by another club rumor has it that Denver management won't be that upset. Harder was once considered a premium prospect but his second pitch, a slider to complement his very excellent sinker, has never developed beyond sub-par status and his control appears to be a lost cause. Perhaps a change of scenery is what he needs. But at this point he is considered strictly a AAA pitcher by Brewers management.

It doesn't look like any of the other players likely to be cut prior to Opening Day are yet out of options, though in a few cases, such as Jose Careaga, they are down to their last minor league option.