Brewers finally release Suppan

With his $10 million contract hanging around our necks, Doug Melvin and Mark Attanasio seemed to be hoping for a miracle resurgence from Jeff Suppan this season. When it didn't happen, they didn't seem to know what to do with themselves - or him. Already stuck paying for Braden Looper and Bill Hall's contract while they're no longer on the team, the Brewers seemed loathe to admit to another wrong contract.

But with the emergence of Kameron Loe, Zach Braddock and John Axford, the Brewers could no longer make excuses for trotting Suppan out in low-leverage situations while he wasted a roster spot and we constantly had to shuffle to make room for arms that are performing better.

Melvin was a bit defensive about the Suppan signing, rattling off the contracts of all the other FA pitchers that were signed during the same off-season.

Adam McCalvy has all of Melvin's comments here.

From J-S' Tom Haudricourt's Brewers Blog, Suppan's statement:

As I expected, Jeff Suppan did not want to do interviews with reporters about his release by the Brewers today.

Instead, Suppan released the following statement:

"I want to thank Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin for all they have done for my family and me, especially how they handled this situation. I"ve played with a number of organizations and the Brewers are one of the classiest.

"When I signed in 2007, I was committed to winning and to this day I still am. Nobody is more disappointed with how things have turned out. I enjoyed my time here in Milwaukee, as both a player and a member of the community. As such, I will continue my involvement with the Brewers Charities for the remainder of the 2010 season. My commitment to this cause and the people it serves is unwavering.

"I wish the current organization, its fans and especially my teammates all the best."