If you happen to miss out on the Cole Hamels sweepstakes, there is a potentially interesting consolation prize worth pursuing: the Brewers are calling up Dana Eveland into their rotation in place of the injured Ben Sheets. He will make his 2006 debut on Saturday at home against the Mets.
Eveland isn't the prospect that Hamels is (which isn't a slight, Hamels is just that good), but he's a good pitcher in his own right. Part of the reason he doesn't get quite the same acclaim is likely because of his weight -- he's a pudgy 6-1, 240 pounds, and while he's been working on his conditioning, his stature has been compared to that of David Wells in the past.
Eveland made his big league debut with the Brewers last year as a 21-year-old fresh out of Double-A, but he didn't make a good impression, posting a 5.97 ERA while averaging 6.54 K/9 in 31.2 IP. But you see, that actually works to your advantage, because that's as far as many of your fellow owners will see. What they may be missing is that he's posted a career 2.67 ERA while averaging 8.87 K/9 over three minor league seasons.
In six starts for Triple-A Nashville this year, Eveland has posted a 0.75 ERA, striking out 33 in 36 IP while holding the opposition to a .177 average. With both Tomo Ohka and Ben Sheets on the DL, Eveland may be able to stick around for at least a month, and if he fares well, you never know what could happen. If anything, though, picking him up now is a good idea, as he'll undoubtedly be up later in the season even if he can't stick for longer than a few weeks right now.