I used to be a very strong supporter of Yost, but seeing Jason Kendall play virtually every game, while a very good Mike Rivera sits, worries me. I'm afraid that come September, Kendall will be worn out. I realize Kendall wants to play every day, but shouldn't a manager just insist that playing time be spread out for the good of all players?
-- Gene G., New Glarus, Wis.

I would be worried if there were signs of Kendall wearing down. If his bat looked slow and his strikeout numbers spiked. If opposing baserunners started stealing at will. If he stopped hustling to first base. If he dragged around the clubhouse.

None of those things are happening. Kendall hit .169 in July but has rebounded to .264 (19-for-72) in August with an on-base percentage around .350. I'll take that from my eight-hole hitter, especially given Kendall's contributions behind the plate.

There's also the behind-the-scenes matter of Brewers pitchers preferring to throw to Kendall. That's no knock on Rivera, who also calls a good game, but if I am the manager and my starters come in and say they prefer one guy, and think they have an edge with a certain one guy, I'm going to give them that edge.

With the Brewers most likely losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets this offseason, will the Crew depend on their young talent or will they look to sign another quality starter? Also, does Jeremy Jeffress have a chance to make the Brewers' rotation next season?
-- Kevin, La Crosse, Wis.

On Jeffress, who has looked good since his promotion to Double-A Huntsville, I'd say no chance. Based on how the Brewers have handled guys like Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra, Jeffress should be an option either late in 2009 or at the start of 2010.

I could see the Brewers in the market for pitching this winter, though they might have to go the trade route to get it because I agree that Sabathia and Sheets will likely go elsewhere. Jeff Suppan has two more years left on his contract after this season, and Gallardo, Parra and Dave Bush will probably be back. Seth McClung could be an option for that last spot if the Brewers cannot make any moves. If that's the case, the Brewers will be relying heavily on Gallardo and Parra to develop into a legitimate 1-2 punch.

What will the Brewers do with their starting rotation if they reach the postseason?
-- Erik L., Oconomowoc, Wis.

That's going to depend how they are positioned going into the final week. Yost surprised me Sunday morning by mentioning that Sabathia, Bush and Sheets are currently lined up to start the final regular-season series against the Cubs at Miller Park. That means he'll be juggling Bush's spot somewhat to line up Sabathia to pitch a potential postseason opener Oct. 1.

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But I still think we need to let September start to play out before we start predicting the postseason rotation. The Brewers would be a dangerous team, especially in a best-of-five Division Series, with Sabathia and Sheets at the top of the rotation and postseason veteran Suppan as the No. 3.

Can Parra be a candidate for Rookie of the Year?
-- Steven R., Menasha, Wis.

Nope. He entered the season with 77 days of Major League service, too many to qualify for rookie of the year honors.

I have been hearing a lot of rumors about the Brewers possibly trading J.J. Hardy after this season, or sometime in the future, to make room to bring up Alcides Escobar. Though I would like to see Escobar, I just don't see losing J.J. for him, especially the way he is playing now. I am curious if the club has given any thought to changing the position of one of them to second base, or even third base, to try to keep both?
-- Mike B., Janesville, Wis.

It almost certainly has come up in the club's internal discussions, and given Escobar's range and athleticism at shortstop, I assume it would be Hardy who moves to, say, third base. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is obviously high on both players because he refused to part with either to acquire reliever George Sherrill from the Orioles.

I suppose this issue could come up as early as this winter if the Brewers decide that Bill Hall is not the best long-term option at third base. Or, since shortstops are in such high demand, it's possible that a team could lure away either Hardy or Escobar if they offer a pitcher in return. Either way, it is not a front-burner issue for Melvin and Co. over the next month.

Should we read anything into the fact that with the exception of West Virginia, all of the Brewers farm clubs have losing records and will miss the playoffs this year after most every team last year went to the playoffs?
-- Barry L., Kenosha, Wis.

It is interesting to see such a dramatic turnaround. That Double-A Huntsville team does have a winning overall record and was an offensive monster in the first half, when it came down to one loss. It was amazing that they didn't qualify for the postseason.

It's tempting to read too much into Minor League records and disregard all of the moving around that happens at the various levels. I suppose the simplest explanation is that the Brewers have promoted so many young players to the Majors over the last two years, including Parra, Gallardo, Ryan Braun and others. So many of those players were bunched together on the same team over the past few years that it makes sense they were good. Triple-A Nashville could be very good next season.

So to answer Barry's question, I don't have any good answers. Anybody have any thoughts? Let me know and it can be a topic for a future mailbag.