Crew's pro scouting director preps for Deadline

PHILADELPHIA -- Brewers pro scouting director Zack Minasian would have preferred to spend Monday prepping for a midseason addition. But despite a 7-4 win over the Phillies in which the Brewers matched their season high with 16 hits, the reality of a sellof looms.

"You look at the standings and there aren't many teams where we are," Minasian said before the Brewers improved to 30-48, leaving 27-51 Philadelphia as the only Major League team short of 30 wins. "We'd be doing ourselves a disservice if we weren't honest with ourselves about where we're at."

As head of the team's 15-man pro scouting department, it is Minasian's responsibility to know the 29 other organizations from top to bottom. He built and has been maintaining a handbook with detailed data about rivals' depth charts, organized into a number of different categories including top prospects, underperformers, blocked players and more.

"Just talking to [the scouts] as a group, I told them it's OK to be mad; it's OK to be disappointed, but we can't lose our energy," Minasian said. "We have a responsibility to the organization to go out there and scout. Your focus changes, but it is an opportunity to have an impact. And I think for a scouting director and scouts, we love having an opportunity to have an impact."

Video: MIL@PHI: Lind hits an RBI double to open the scoring

Monday was a good night for some of the Brewers' potential trade chips. Aramis Ramirez came off the bench to hit a go-ahead double, outfielder Gerardo Parra added two hits and first baseman Adam Lind had a hit, a walk, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. All could be dealt before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, as could starter Kyle Lohse, a veteran in the final season of his contract who is scheduled to start Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.

If the Brewers go for a bigger impact, they could weigh offers for center fielder Carlos Gomez or shortstop Jean Segura, both former All-Stars signed beyond this season.

The challenge for Minasian and other Milwaukee front office officials is that many of their most tradable players are enduring down years. Lohse owns a 6.28 ERA, and Ramirez is batting .217 with a .256 slugging percentage in the wake of his go-ahead double on Monday.

"I'm trying to get going every single day," Ramirez said. "I'm working in the cage and stuff. It hasn't happened so far, but it's not because I'm not trying or I'm not working."

Minasian is with the team in Philadelphia as part of a rotation of front office officials who take road trips. He spent time Monday mingling with scouts from contenders who have been compiling reports on Brewers and Phillies players in anticipation of the Deadline.

"I don't have a problem going up to them and asking, 'What are you here for?'" Minasian said. "Doug [Melvin, Milwaukee's veteran GM] has a very good reputation for being straightforward and I try to do the same thing. We are straightforward with clubs about what we can and can't do.

"You don't want to play GM. That can cause problems. But I think exchanging thoughts from team to team is never a bad thing. In the end, the two general managers have to make a decision."