3rd Base Candidates

[sveumrules]

In 2019 we got an MLB worst 73 wRC+ & 0.1 WAR (only 3rd worst!!) out of 3B, we also got an MLB worst 56 wRC+ & -0.9 WAR out of SS...and still won 89 games.

 

I think Gyorko/Sogard can clear that level of production & won't hinder the team from winning a comparable number of games in 2020.

[Ennder]

I expect that 3B is going to be an easy position to fill with a mid season acquisition if things aren't going well. I don't have any concerns at all about 1B.

[Soupbone]

I'm with turborickey. I have very little confidence that 3B is going to be even league average. Oh I know we can take their stats from a given time. Or say their splits are going to add up to something. But Sogard/Gyorko wouldn't play for a LOT of teams. We are supposed to be in a "window of contention" and this does not look good.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I'm with turborickey. I have very little confidence that 3B is going to be even league average. Oh I know we can take their stats from a given time. Or say their splits are going to add up to something. But Sogard/Gyorko wouldn't play for a LOT of teams. We are supposed to be in a "window of contention" and this does not look good.

 

While I typically preach benefit of the doubt, I too am worried as well that the production at 3B is going to be terrible. Sure, we could get very good production at other spots to help mitigate it, but why should we need to be in that situation? At the same time, as sveumrules says above, our 3B production last year was pretty meh. And both Gyorko and Sogard aren't making enough where their salaries are going to stand in the way of making an improvement at that spot if warranted. If Stearns has proven anything, it's that he isn't going to sit on his hands and allow a spot to be a black hole long term. Shaw was given a pretty decently long leash last year, and multiple chances, but it isn't like they just kept running him out there for the whole season. if the current plan doesn't work. I expect them to pivot relatively quickly.

[brewmann04]

Both guys are basically backup players at best. But they will be our combination starting 3rd basemen. I can see any way of being positive of our 3rd base prospects

[A Swing and A Drive]

Perhaps we'd match up as trade partners with the Diamondbacks on a 3B option.

 

With the acquisition of Starling Marte last week from the Pirates, it pushes Ketel Marte back from CF to 2B and Eduardo Escobar from 2B to 3B.

 

This pushes left handing hitting Jake Lamb (29) to the bench or 1B/3B platoon situation.

 

They also have right handing hitting 3B/1B Kevin Cron (27) sitting at AAA and major league ready.

 

They also have Seth Beer (23) and Pavin Smith (24) in the minors for future coverage at 1B.

 

I think either Lamb or Cron could be had via trade.

 

It would also be a dream come true to possibly trade for a 1B of the future and make Seth Beer a Brewer! lol

 

 

Maybe something like:

 

OF Corey Ray

RHP Trey Supak

 

for

1B Seth Beer

3B Jake Lamb

[JohnBriggs12]

Everyone is basically ignoring Healy? I understand his defense is sub par and he's coming off an injury, but he's a guy that averaged 25 HR and 75 RBI in his first 2 and a half major league seasons and he's only one season removed from that.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Everyone is basically ignoring Healy? I understand his defense is sub par and he's coming off an injury, but he's a guy that averaged 25 HR and 75 RBI in his first 2 and a half major league seasons and he's only one season removed from that.

 

No one is ignoring him, but he's gotta prove that he's healthy. I think Stearns basically said that they don't know if he will be ready to start the season, and they were happy to have the option of sending him to AAA if he isn't.

[wntrtxn21]

Everyone is basically ignoring Healy? I understand his defense is sub par and he's coming off an injury, but he's a guy that averaged 25 HR and 75 RBI in his first 2 and a half major league seasons and he's only one season removed from that.

 

No one is ignoring him, but he's gotta prove that he's healthy. I think Stearns basically said that they don't know if he will be ready to start the season, and they were happy to have the option of sending him to AAA if he isn't.

 

Healy's had problems getting on base the last two years and is coming off hip surgery last September. He is an absolute butcher at 3B, and with the outfield and 1B covered, there is no place for Healy to play.

[Ennder]

Both guys are basically backup players at best. But they will be our combination starting 3rd basemen. I can see any way of being positive of our 3rd base prospects

 

 

This simply is not true at all. Sogard has put up about 1.2 WAR per full season in his career and last year was one of his best years so no reason to expect that number to be faulty. Gyorko has been a 1.7 WAR player on average during his career coming off of his worst season. There is no reason to think that these two guys combined can't put up something like 1-1.5 WAR. That is below average still but it certainly isn't backup at best. Hernan Perez is backup at best, these guys are much higher quality than that. Both of them have put up seasons that were above average within the past 3 years and that was without playing a full season. It is unlikely that 3B isn't an upgrade over the putrid results we got from it last year. 1B, 3B, RP and probably SS are all upgrades over last season. LF probably will be as well. The question is if it can make up for the downgrade at C and SP.

[pacopete4]

Moose is AVERAGE. The Reds paid big for AVERAGE. Why can't fans get this straight?

[TJseven7]

the Brewers total production at 3rd was 73 wRC+ (30th) & 0.1 WAR (28th).

 

Yet, when I said 3b was a minor issue after Sogard got signed people just wouldn't hear it. It's not going to be hard to replace 3b/2b from last year with Hiura Sogard and Gyorko. It's very likely to be significantly better. The only area MKE lost was at catcher. At catcher that loss is mostly defense.

 

I wouldn't have paid Moose what he got, but people need to realize 2b/3b 2019 to 2b/3b 2020 isn't about Moose. It's about a full year of Hiura coupled with Shaw's disaster last year.

[Warning Track Power]

the Brewers total production at 3rd was 73 wRC+ (30th) & 0.1 WAR (28th).

 

Yet, when I said 3b was a minor issue after Sogard got signed people just wouldn't hear it. It's not going to be hard to replace 3b/2b from last year with Hiura Sogard and Gyorko. It's very likely to be significantly better. The only area MKE lost was at catcher. At catcher that loss is mostly defense.

 

I wouldn't have paid Moose what he got, but people need to realize 2b/3b 2019 to 2b/3b 2020 isn't about Moose. It's about a full year of Hiura coupled with Shaw's disaster last year.

I guess another way to spin positivity here is to just look at the names and not the position. The 2019 Brewers 2B/3B combination of Moustakas and Shaw are replaced by 2020 Brewers 2B/3B combination of Hiura and Sogard/Gyorko. When looking at the 2019 production of Moose and Shaw versus the expected production of 2020 Hiura and Sogard/Gyorko, one can make the case that the 2020 version is much better.