2021 Free Agents

[DR28]

I just gave this terrible feeling the 3B we have now is what we’ll be going into ST with.

 

Sure hope Im wrong.

[nate82]

I have a feeling that Robertson is going to have a 2017 Jesus Aguilar type of a year.

[brewtank34]

I have a feeling that Robertson is going to have a 2017 Jesus Aguilar type of a year.

 

Place this off the optimism thread.

 

I’m hopeful. He seems to be pretty confident in his abilities. Gotta like that.

[JohnBriggs12]

Things that puzzle me from various posts. Why would they sign another LH first baseman or another RH third baseman? They'll already be strapped trying to find AB's for Vogelbach. As for 3rd, a premier bat like Turner made sense, but Gyroko? They have two RH hitting third basemen at the top of their depth chart. Doesn't it make more sense to look at a lefty hitting 3rd basemen with some pop to platoon there? The two left are Shaw and Lamb. Not a great choice but both have had success in the major leagues and facing primarily RH pitching should be able to produce some power at least. I would have preferred Brad Miller but he couldn't wait for Turner to make up his mind and signed elsewhere.

[DR28]

Yea we missed out on a bunch, Marwin, Asdrubal, Miller.

 

Only ones left are Lamb and Shaw.

[brewerfan82]

Before anyone has a meltdown about not getting a big name 3rd baseman, here's a reminder of what we do have already...

 

2017-19 Minor League Stats:

 

2018-20 vs RHP (MLB):

 

2018-20 vs LHP (MLB):

 

Due to sample sizes, you can probably place less/no weight on Robertson's minor league numbers and Green and Mathias' major league numbers, but there's reason to be hopeful that some combo of Urias (still only 23 years old), Robertson (27), and/or Green (27) could put together some nice production this season and Mathias (26) looked like he could be a nice utility player as well last year.

 

That said, a veteran, left handed bat would be nice, but I don't think it's the end of the world going into Spring Training with this group fighting for a share of the spot. If it does look like it's going to be an issue, there may be more possibilities to bring someone in as teams drop players in the spring and players become available via trade during the season.

[RollieTime]

Not a fan of Lamb at all, but he makes sense as a lefty platoon for third. We should be able to get at least average production out of third with a platoon of Lamb/Green/Robertson. Green concerns me with his K rate and I feel like he would strike out north of 40% of the time at the MLB level. But he does have some serious pop. Robertson has had some success.

 

I think we would be fine, but we really lack that big bat to put in the cleanup spot behind Yelich which is my big concern. Thinking that we will rotate Narvaez, Garcia, Robertson as possible cleanup hitters if Hiura is in the 2 hole is kind of a gross thought. I do see Narvaez rebounding and Garcia bouncing back some, but I see teams just pitching around Yelich and making the rest of the team beat us. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him walk 120 times this year and having pitchers challenge the rest of the lineup.

[DR28]

I dont see Keston in the 2 hole, he’ll be our cleanup hitter.

 

I see it as Wong, Cain, Yelich, Hiura, Narvaez, Garcia

 

Narvaez and Garcia rebound to the hitters they are, thats a good top 6.

[DR28]

I would be totally fine with Gyorko and Walker or bringing Jake back home.

 

Gyorko becomes our everyday 3B.

 

Wong

Cain

Yelich

Hiura

Narvaez

Gyorko

Garcia

Urias

 

Woodruff

Burnes

Walker or Odorizzi

Houser

Lindblom

 

Yea that team definitely competes for the Central.

[MVP2110]

Why do you all believe it won't be Yelich in the two hole? That's where Counsell has pretty much always hit him in the 2 hole since he's been here

[brewcrewdue80]

All remaining free agents with a 2021 projected WAR of 0.5 or higher, from Fangraphs' tracker-

 

1. RHP-Jake Odorizzi = 1.7

2. RHP-Rick Porcello = 1.7

3. RHP-Matt Shoemaker = 1.5

4. RHP-Taijuan Walker = 1.2

5. LHP-Brett Anderson = 1.2

6. OF-Jackie Bradley Jr. = 1.1

7. OF-Brett Gardner = 1.0

8. RHP-Mike Leake = 1.0

9. IF-Maikel Franco = 0.9

10. IF-Travis Shaw = 0.7

11. LHP-Cole Hamels = 0.7

12. OF-Yaisel Puig = 0.7

13. RHP-Homer Bailey = 0.7

14. C-Tyler Flowers = 0.7

15. OF-Kevin Pillar = 0.7

16. IF-Jake Lamb = 0.6

17. IF-Todd Frazier = 0.6

18. LHP-Gio Gonzalez = 0.6

19. RHP-Trevor Cahill = 0.5

20. IF-C.J. Cron = 0.5

21. RHP-Aaron Sanchez = 0.5

22. RHP-David Robertson = 0.5

 

Statistically speaking, Odorizzi, Anderson, Walker in that order of starting pitchers.

 

Here's the question or crunch. Does Lauer have any options left? You have gotta believe that SP atm looks like Woodruff, Burnes, Lindblom, Houser, and Lauer. With Peralta interchangeable. I just wonder how much faith the team sees in Lauer as a RP vs faith in Peralta as a SP. Then you consider what does Milw have in the pipelines? Signing any of the FA 3 I put in order of best to sign, blocks the position from any pipeline potentials.

On the other end. Anderson, Walker are probably best for sign and deadline flip for cheap. While Odorizzi should cost some more.

 

Again with what hitters are left out there, none really move the needle vs potential of what already have. So why waste money chasing 1 extra win? If that.

[trwi7]

Before anyone has a meltdown about not getting a big name 3rd baseman, here's a reminder of what we do have already...

 

2017-19 Minor League Stats:

 

2018-20 vs RHP (MLB):

 

2018-20 vs LHP (MLB):

 

[brewmann04]

Any potential remaining Starters out there?

[markedman5]

Yeah....Brett Anderson for one.

 

I’d be fine signing him......can’t count on Lauer or Hauser.....certainly not both.

 

Peralta is a bullpen piece at this point IMO.

[DR28]

Why do you all believe it won't be Yelich in the two hole? That's where Counsell has pretty much always hit him in the 2 hole since he's been here

 

In the 3 hole so he'll have 2 good OBP guys in front of him, I would rather have a 3-0 game vs a 2-0 game.

[SandyTolan]

Seems clear the Brewers need someone who hits RHPs well. Now that Cabrera (switch hitter) is gone, RH 3B like Gyorko don't make as much sense. Franco at least has even splits against RHPs. Here maybe the best option, of the free agents, would be Jake Lamb, with a career OPS against RHPs north of .800. But maybe a trade is in the offing - that might be the best bet.

[MVP2110]

Why do you all believe it won't be Yelich in the two hole? That's where Counsell has pretty much always hit him in the 2 hole since he's been here

 

In the 3 hole so he'll have 2 good OBP guys in front of him, I would rather have a 3-0 game vs a 2-0 game.

 

That's fine, and there is analytical debate about if your best hitter should be in the 2 or 3 hole, but it seems clear Counsell will bat Yelich 2nd considering that's what he's done a far majority of the time since we've had Yelich

[DR28]

Why do you all believe it won't be Yelich in the two hole? That's where Counsell has pretty much always hit him in the 2 hole since he's been here

 

In the 3 hole so he'll have 2 good OBP guys in front of him, I would rather have a 3-0 game vs a 2-0 game.

 

That's fine, and there is analytical debate about if your best hitter should be in the 2 or 3 hole, but it seems clear Counsell will bat Yelich 2nd considering that's what he's done a far majority of the time since we've had Yelich

 

Hmmm I guess we'll see.

 

Not sure how I feel about moving Wong or Cain to RBI spots of the lineup... I would rather have them 1-2 so they can get on base for Yelich, Hiura, Narvaez, Garica to drive them in.

[pacopete4]

I'd be okay with having Cain in the 1-2 spots IF he is back to being good Cain. If not, to the 7-8 spot he goes and you hope he has some elite defense still in him. Man, what a concern this guy is going forward. Heck, he may not even play.

[DR28]

I'd be okay with having Cain in the 1-2 spots IF he is back to being good Cain. If not, to the 7-8 spot he goes and you hope he has some elite defense still in him. Man, what a concern this guy is going forward. Heck, he may not even play.

 

Stearns already said he's coming back for 2021.

 

I haven't heard anything about players being able to opt out in 2021.

[pacopete4]

I'd be okay with having Cain in the 1-2 spots IF he is back to being good Cain. If not, to the 7-8 spot he goes and you hope he has some elite defense still in him. Man, what a concern this guy is going forward. Heck, he may not even play.

 

Stearns already said he's coming back for 2021.

 

I haven't heard anything about players being able to opt out in 2021.

 

He said he believes he will be back, yes. But he's another year older and wasn't all that great in his last season. He is a huge question mark heading into the season.

[JosephC]

I wonder what is up with Odorizzi? A few weeks ago the media were treating it was a foregone conclusion that he was signing a deal with the Red Sox. Lately it seems like the only team he's been linked to has been the Mets, but basically the Mets have been linked to every available pitcher since they lost out on Bauer. Nightengale recently reported that Odorizzi had been seeking a 3 year, 45 million dollar deal, but Odorizzi has to know by now that he's much more likely to end up with a Paxton-like deal. Just have to wonder if the Red Sox remain the top bidder and Odorizzi is just sitting around seeing if he can suck and an extra million or two out of them.

 

I'd kind of like to see the Brewers take a look at him if he is down to Paxton contract territory. Odorizzi was awful last year but he was never healthy, started the year with a back problem, then got smacked with a line drive in the chest, then had a blister issue. No reported arm problems that I heard of. Odorizzi started 182 games in the prior 6 seasons, so remarkably durable with over 30 starts per year over that stretch. 3.88 ERA/4.09 FIP/2.8 K/BB. Even with the awful 2020 numbers, since the beginning of 2018 he's been a 4.11 ERA/3.88 FIP/2.8 K/BB pitcher.

[DR28]

Mr Allen.... Can you do the baseball reference thing on Lamb and Shaw?

 

I say we add either of those two to platoon with Robertson and then sign Odorizzi... Done, decent offseason I guess.

[MVP2110]

I really prefer Shaw over Lamb. Lamb has been really bad the last few seasons. Shaw atleast showed a few signs of life last season. I think a Shaw/Robertson platoon could be fine at 3rd atleast until the deadline

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I really prefer Shaw over Lamb. Lamb has been really bad the last few seasons. Shaw atleast showed a few signs of life last season. I think a Shaw/Robertson platoon could be fine at 3rd atleast until the deadline

 

Jake Lamb is so weird to get a read on. He looked utterly terrible with the Diamondbacks last year. Like Travis Shaw circa 2019 bad. But then they DFA'd him, and he went to Oakland and proceeded to put up an .882 OPS, albeit in only 45 ABs (so about 2 weeks worth of games). Other than that small sample, he hadn't put up solid stats since 2017. But ... he is only 30 years old, and has 29- and 30-homer seasons on his resume.

 

Travis Shaw is about six months older than Lamb, but also had a much larger sample last year, and put up a roughly league average to slightly below league average season. He also has more recent success, with a very good 2018 on his resume.

 

I think I would be OK with signing either of these guys, but they would need to be on short leashes, and the Brewers would have to be willing to cut the cord if they turn into black holes with the bat.