While the Brewers were floundering in 2003, fans could sit at Miller Park and dream of the future. They'd heard about the prospects just starting to make names for themselves in the minor leagues and the natural thought was, once those players get to Milwaukee, happy days would be here again.

Now Bill Hall is gone. So is Ben Sheets. J.J. Hardy, it appears, is on his way out and Corey Hart, if rumors are true, could possibly follow.

Those four, in some way or another, have long been considered the future of the Milwaukee Brewers; the nucleus and structural foundation that would put the franchise back among the better in the National League and end near four decades of futility – broken only by sporadic success.

Sheets' name will forever be linked to the question "what if." Hall's Milwaukee legacy will be one of clutch hits, pink bats and whether its fair or not, unfulfilled promise. Hart and Hardy haven't been bad with the Brewers, they just are the guys that, due to circumstances, are moveable.

A few years ago, Brewers fans watched Hardy struggle through his first half of major league baseball, batting a whopping .187. Rickie Weeks joined the team that year, too, and first started to emerge in 2009. Hart hasn't been the same since his September swoon a year ago.

This crop of talent hasn't been a failure. No matter how quick it was, the Brewers did make it to the playoffs last season. They've posted the team's first consecutive winning seasons since 1991-92. The've won numerous awards, put Milwaukee back on the map and, most importantly, brought people out to Miller Park in record numbers.

Now, it seems like it may be time for general manger Doug Melvin and the Brewers' brain trust will need to head back to the drawing board. Certainly, the No. 1 priority this offseason will be looking for pitching, but it would be unwise to expect a free-agent cure all. More than anything else, he needs to start developing some arms in the minors.

Yes, Melvin will have to go shopping this winter, and pitching comes at a cost. The list of free agents isn't that impressive and if Melvin is truly looking for a top-of-the-rotation kind of arm, he's going to have to part with some players .

So somebody has to go, even if it means dealing people that were once considered untouchable. Parting with players once considered the core of a team isn't uncommon. It's baseball's version of the "Circle of Life."

Down on the farm, there's a lot of promise. Escobar is already in Milwaukee and Mat Gamel could be a mainstay by next season. Lorenzo Cain, sidelined with an injury earlier this year, has been impressive in the outfield. Brett Lawrie looks like he's on the fast-track to the majors after getting a bump to Class AA late in the season.

Way. Way down the ladder, pitchers like Wily Peralta, Cody Scarpetta and Eric Arnett are learning to hone their craft and Mark Rogers looks like he his finally recovered from the injuries that plagued his first years as a professional.

Even with three million fans, the Brewers still play in a market of limited resources. They're not alone. Look at the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics, franchises considered to be a benchmark against which other teams of similar market size are measured; their sustained success is due in large part to an ability to consistently cultivate talent and turn that talent into other pieces to the puzzle over the long term.

No, the Class A righty acquired for Hall won't likely be a 20-game winner, but if the Brewers do have to trade one of their big names, it's going to be for players that can make a difference in the future.

The foundation is still there. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder – no matter how long he remains in Milwaukee – are the kinds of players that franchises build around. The Brewers aren't going to make the playoffs this year, but they're far from heading back to another 26 year playoff drought.