What is going to happen with Thames? He would not work well coming off the bench. Can't pinch-hit well and not an upgrade on defense.

-- @alanwehrenberg on Twitter

“Eric’s going to be on the team,” Craig Counsell said the other day, though that was before Mike Moustakas was added to the infield mix. With Moustakas, you can still keep Thames if the season begins with a 12-pitcher, 13-position player mix, which is possible given the number of relievers capable of full innings or multiple innings. In that scenario, it would be a group of reserves that includes Manny Pina as the backup catcher, Ben Gamel as the fourth outfielder, Hernan Perez and Cory Spangenberg playing all over the infield and outfield, and Thames backing up first base and the corner outfield spots.

Here’s what Counsell said about Thames when camp opened:

“The conversation [about Thames and Jesus Aguilar] has just flipped. It’s a flipped conversation. Eric’s going to be on the team. We were kind of debating that with Jesus. We were wondering if it would fit, and how he was going to play. There are certainly spots for Eric to play. We’ll find spots for Eric to play. Eric’s season was very similar to Zach Davies’ season. It got derailed by health. Eric was very much performing, got hurt, Jesus took off and his performance made it tough for Eric to get back in there. So, he never got on track.

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“The challenge for Eric is that he’s going to enter the season in a spot where getting on track might be a little more difficult because the at-bats aren’t going to be as regular. But, quickly, they could become regular. Who knows? That’s depth. That’s why there’s no reason to make statements about what’s going to happen all year.”

Thames struggled off the bench last year, but I think it’s premature to say it won’t work this year, when he has an entire spring to get into the right mindset. Counsell also made a good point that we don’t know what the landscape is going to look like when it comes time to set the Opening Day roster. So, let Spring Training play out and we will discuss this again in the final week of camp.

What kind of season should we realistically expect from Jimmy Nelson? Any word on an innings limit?

-- @TonyTorres_1 on Twitter

A great question that nobody can answer at this particular point, but I’m including it because I think the innings question is a valid one. I’m sure Nelson’s goal is to work 200 innings, but that does not sound realistic coming off an entirely lost season. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns has been saying that “Jimmy will tell us” how his comeback is going to go, meaning he will dictate the pace and the workload with how he feels and how he looks once opposing hitters start getting their hacks. Thanks to technology, the Brewers have all kinds of tools in addition to the eye test to help them make the right decisions.

Moose’s move to second not only makes sense for this team, but also for him in free agency, right?

-- @jrvater on Twitter

Sure. Versatility is not a new concept in baseball; think Paul Molitor moving all over the place early in his career, and Jim Gantner and Charlie Moore and even Robin Yount after a bum shoulder forced him to the outfield. But while it felt like those examples were the exception a few decades ago, now it seems like the norm, and if Moustakas can prove himself capable at second base, it can only help him open additional doors when he hits free agency again next winter. (There’s a mutual option on his one-year deal, but those are rarely exercised.)

If Aguilar struggles like at the and of last season can we expect Shaw to be tried out at first when either Dubon or Hiura are ready?

-- @ryankb333 on Twitter

Aguilar’s split OPS+ for the second half was 108, so he was still above league average, even when he struggled. He hit 11 homers in 220 at-bats after the All-Star break. I would suggest that it would take a lot deeper slump than that to prompt a change.

Which players are impressing you most so far from what you've observed?

-- @sandymaxx on Twitter

Too early. I’m reminded of Taylor Williams in his first big league camp, when he threw an electric live BP and was the talk of Maryvale Baseball Park. A few months later, he was having Tommy John surgery. We tend to get into trouble down here when we start drawing conclusions about what we see in these early workouts.

One thing I can safely say does stand out is how Yasmani Grandal captains the catching corps. I’m not in the huddle, unfortunately, but it looks from afar like he is clearly the leader of that group, and that bodes well for what being the No. 1 catcher entails.

Hey Adam, out of all the players at camp who would you say has the sweetest sound off the bat in BP

-- @daycmunro on Twitter

I love this question, and I’m going to ask around in the clubhouse to see what sort of responses I get. Off the top of my head, I would say the young catchers Jacob Nottingham and Payton Henry. They’re clones from afar, and the ball really jumps off their bats.

Considering we traded away Broxton, Phillips,and Santana who is the Brewers' 4th outfielder waiting in the wings?

-- @Esteurer32 on Twitter

It’s Gamel at the moment, and you’ll find some Counsell comments about him in today’s notebook. Beyond that, there’s a wave of prospect outfielders slated to begin the season at Triple-A San Antonio, led by MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Brewers prospect, Corey Ray. The closest to the Majors may be Tyrone Taylor, who had a big power year last season. Taylor and Troy Stokes Jr. are already on the 40-man roster. All three will play all over the outfield in the hopes of being ready for a call-up if needed.

Player that could be called up and play this year that people aren’t talking about

-- @brosenowedits on Twitter

I’ll say Taylor. The Brewers will do everything they can to keep Ryan Braun healthy and productive, but the occasional stint on the injured list is just a reality. We saw similar opportunities open up in recent seasons for Brett Phillips, Keon Broxton and others, and Taylor is positioned to help out when need arises.

Is fastball Freddy Peralta going to be a starter or a reliever?

-- @bradjiles on Twitter

Peralta might be needed in the Brewers’ bullpen at some point this season, but he’s a starter in the long-term. His performance last season showed that when he throws strikes, he’s as tough a starting pitcher as the Brewers have.

How does Mauricio Dubon look so far and can he make the club out of camp as a utility SS and 2B?

-- @JeffPawlinski on Twitter

The smile is in midseason form, which is a good thing for a player coming off major surgery. But the Brewers want Dubon to get his legs under him in San Antonio, so he will not make the club out of camp unless something happens to Orlando Arcia.

See you at the yard.