With Trade Deadline Looming, The Brewers Could Use Offensive Help But Lack An Obvious Spot

Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is just days away and based on their position in the standings, it stands to reason that the Milwaukee Brewers are buyers as they try to lock down a franchise-record fifth consecutive playoff appearance.

Ideally, president of baseball operations David Stearns would love to add a bat to bolster an offense that has come out of the All-Star break strong and has both the financial flexibility and prospect capital to make a deal happen.

What Stearns doesn’t have, however, is an obvious fit on the roster.

For the most part, Milwaukee is set at just about every position on the field, not just for 2022 but in many cases, for several years in the future. As of right now, the only regular starters not under team control beyond this season are second baseman Kolten Wong and designated hitter/outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

Of course, this hasn’t stopped Stearns before. In 2018, he swung a deal for third baseman Mike Moustakas at the deadline, even though Travis Shaw had established himself as the every day starter at the position and later added second baseman Jonathan Schoop despite planning to move Shaw there after acquiring Moustakas.

What the Brewers do need is somebody to fill the multi-position utility role left open when Jace Peterson landed on the injured list earlier this month.

Here’s a look at the Brewers’ position-player group:

Catcher

Starter: Omar Narvaez

Backup: Victor Caratini, Pedro Severino

Narvaez’s production has slipped a bit from last season but he continues to earn rave reviews for his work behind the plate and has one more year of team control remaining.

Caratini has performed well as Narvaez’s backup since he joined the team on Opening Day in a trade with the Padres after Pedro Severino was suspended 80 games for PED use.

Severino is back, giving Milwaukee three catchers, but while the team certainly isn’t looking to add a backstop, the team could deal one of the three – most likely Severino – as part of a package for offensive help or, to pick up a couple of extra prospects to tuck into the system or future deals.

First Base

Starter: Rowdy Tellez

Backup:

Tellez, 27, went into the weekend leading the team with 64 RBs and a .768 OPS while sharing the team lead with 20 home runs. After earning $1.9 million this season, Tellez becomes arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter.

Getting every day playing time has been a big reason for Tellez’s success this season but the Brewers could consider a move that could result in a platoon situation, with Tellez also getting time at DH if needed.

Second Base

Starter: Kolten Wong

Backup: Luis Urias, Mike Brosseau

Wong has not put up the kind of offensive numbers he did a year ago but any move at the position would also have to take into consideration Wong’s defensive skills, making a deal for a second baseman highly unlikely.

Shortstop

Starter: Willy Adames

Backup: Luis Urias

With Adames going into his first arbitration year, and Urias available to fill in if needed and former first-round pick Brice Turang waiting at Triple-A if needed, shortstop seems like another spot where the Brewers are more than set both in the near and long-term.

Third Base

Starter: Luis Urias

Backup: Mike Brosseau

Urias is quietly putting together another solid offensive season and since he’s only 25, still has a lot of time left to develop. The Brewers are more than willing to continue letting Urias come into his own, especially since doesn’t hit arbitration until after next season and still has two option years remaining.

Brosseau, meanwhile, is slashing .298/.371/.468 with an .839 OPS in 44 games this season and like Urias, doesn’t hit arbitration until 2023. He’s also emerged as a top-notch pinch-hitter so again, don’t expect much here.

Left Field

Starter: Christian Yelich

Backup: Andrew McCutchen

Regardless of what anyone thinks about Yelich’s numbers this season or his contract extension, he’s signed through at least 2028 and that’s all there is to it.

And when he’s needed a day off, McCutchen has more than adequately handled the job in left.

Centerfield

Starter: Tyrone Taylor

Backup: Jonathan Davis

Aside from the aforementioned utility role, center field could be the most logical spot for Milwaukee to upgrade.

After performing well in a fourth outfielder role the last few seasons, Taylor started to get regular time in center as Lorenzo Cain continued to struggle and had basically become the everyday starter by the time Milwaukee designated Cain for assignment in June.

Should the right deal present itself, Taylor could find himself back in the fourth outfielder role down the stretch with his power also serving as a threat off the bench.

Davis was called up after Cain was let go and while he’s highly regarded for his defensive skill, he’s slashing just .262/.365/.258.

The Brewers’ decision to part ways with veteran Lorenzo Cain

Right Field

Starter: Hunter Renfroe

Backup: Tyrone Taylor

Renfroe has been mashing the ball since coming back from the All-Star break and still has one more year of team control while Taylor has seen plenty of action in right over the last few years.