Thoughts about the second-half Brewers, all while wondering how Craig Counsell feels about the new guy in the clubhouse taking liberties with his initials:

• If it's a choice between CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets on which free agent to pursue at the end of the season, Milwaukee should go for the guy who's starting Friday night in San Francisco and not the one who started the All-Star Game for the National League Tuesday.

Sabathia is a hard-to-find left-hander, he's almost two years younger than Sheets, is more durable (one disabled list visit vs. six), is a more prolific hitter (.289 career average vs. .077) and has a better track record for giving his team chance to win (a 135-104 record in his starts vs. 103-105).

Sabathia reportedly wants to sign somewhere in the NL — because he likes to hit — and he'll have a better sense of the Brewers and their makeup after spending four months with them. If Sabathia's track record holds up — he's 42-18 with a 3.26 ERA from August through October in his career — that time together will be spent in the heat of a pennant race.

So if owner Milwaukee owner Mark Attanasio wants to pursue Sabathia, he'll have first dibs and both sides should have good data to analyze. Sabathia might want to end up closer to his roots in San Francisco. There also is the possibility that the Brewers have others plans for their rotation in 2009. But right now, if there's a choice to be made between aces, it's Sabathia.

• Incidentally, how do you define an ace? Sabathia is 2-0 in his two appearances for Milwaukee and he's ended losing streaks both times.

• If Brewers general manager Doug Melvin can somehow pry pitcher Zack Greinke from Kansas City before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, it will completely eliminate any perceived pitching gap that currently exists between Milwaukee and the rest of the NL playoff contenders.

Greinke (7-5, 3.48 ERA) is a starter for the Royals, but has worked out of the bullpen and has the kind of hard-throwing command (his strikeout-to-walk ratio is outstanding) that suggests he might be better saving games. But the Royals are reluctant to part with Greinke, in part because they control him contractually through 2010.

• Until further notice, the turning point for the Brewers this season came May 18 when All-Star left fielder Ryan Braun offered his "We didn't expect to win" line after a loss in Boston. Milwaukee is 32-19 since and has moved from last place, seven games out, to third place, five games behind the Cubs.

• Until further notice, the most telling quote for the Brewers this season came from Attanasio, whose blow-your-mind $90 million payroll triggered this sobering reality: "If we win the World Series, we might break even."

• The Brewers and Cubs have made big moves, but St. Louis can tilt the balance of power in the NL Central without making a single trade. Just sign free agent Barry Bonds and plant him behind Albert Pujols in the Cardinals batting order. That's one way to knock Brett Favre off the national marquee.

Contact Andy Baggot at abaggot@madison.com or 608-252-6175.