2021 Free Agents

[DR28]

Pederson has 149 innings of experience at 1B for the Dodgers in 2019. He apparently wasn't great there, and they started using Bellinger more there because of it.

 

Yelich was his high school team's regular 1B, but has not played there as a pro I don't believe.

 

Interesting... Really curious if we would add Joc to play 1B.

[MNBrew]

Apparently the Brewers are showing interest in Joc Pederson according to Rosenthal from the Athletic.

To play 1B? Or are they actually considering a Yelich to 1B move, which I would support 100%!

 

Pederson has 149 innings of experience at 1B for the Dodgers in 2019. He apparently wasn't great there, and they started using Bellinger more there because of it.

 

Yelich was his high school team's regular 1B, but has not played there as a pro I don't believe.

I don't get the interest unless there's already something brewing re: Garcia. Pederson's career numbers in terms of BA, OBP, OPS, & K rate aren't much better than Eric Thames' career numbers (except for K rate), and are mostly slightly less than Thames' overall MIL stats (yet Pederson got paid Dodgers money for his production). Baseball Reference's dWAR on Thames is pretty negative, but Thames play a solid if unspectacular 1B. We need corner IFs that move the needle re: improving the offense and offensive profile of our club, not another Garcia-type signing which, if Pederson were signed to play 1B or to move Yelich to 1B (that's Yelich, the GG-winning OF), would amount to an added body but not any better hitter.

[Yount19]

Joc had 6 errors in 20 games at 1B..

[MNBrew]

^^Point of my post (2 up): We might as well sign Thames instead because invariably he'd be cheaper, already plays 1B, and would be cheaper for likely similar production.

[MrTPlush]

It would actually be a decent sign. When everyone is healthy Garcia can just float around the OF as the #4 guy. Then of course injuries etc. gets him a lot of starts too.

 

Don't know why Joc has to be the 1B...throw Garcia there. Garcia is a monster at 6-4, so if tall 1B excites you he would make more sense anyway.

[nate82]

It would actually be a decent sign. When everyone is healthy Garcia can just float around the OF as the #4 guy. Then of course injuries etc. gets him a lot of starts too.

 

Don't know why Joc has to be the 1B...throw Garcia there. Garcia is a monster at 6-4, so if tall 1B excites you he would make more sense anyway.

 

Defensively Garcia is better than Yelich so if anyone should be moving to 1B it is Yelich.

[pacopete4]

So far, the winter meetings have been a dud.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

So far, the winter meetings have been a dud.

 

I don't know, seeing the Reds inexplicably get demonstrably worse is nice.

[wibadgers23]

So far, the winter meetings have been a dud.

 

OMG no kidding. At this rate, we might not see any significant activity until January.

[Jopal78]

It would actually be a decent sign. When everyone is healthy Garcia can just float around the OF as the #4 guy. Then of course injuries etc. gets him a lot of starts too.

 

Don't know why Joc has to be the 1B...throw Garcia there. Garcia is a monster at 6-4, so if tall 1B excites you he would make more sense anyway.

 

Defensively Garcia is better than Yelich so if anyone should be moving to 1B it is Yelich.

 

What's the difference between Vogelbach and Pederson? Neither hits left handed pitching at all. Their average and on-base percentage against right handed pitching are almost indentical (.225/.350 for Vogelbach, .238/.349 for Pederson) Vogelbach's OPS+ against right handed pitching is actually better than Pederson's (116 to 110). Thus it makes no sense to sign Pederson as First Baseman against right handed pitching.

 

As a corner OFer, I suppose I could see it as Pederson has played all three outfield spots in the major leagues, and CF and LF extensively. They could rotate him through so they all get regular at bats and stay rested, but unless their interest is tied to the fact that there isn't a market for Pederson and he may come as a bargain; it doesn't really address any of the holes on their team, and thus doesn't seem all that logical either.

[brewerfan82]

If you rotate these guys between 1B, LF/RF, and CF, he definitely would provide some extra punch against right handed pitching, and against lefties you've got some thump coming off the bench when a team is stuck with a RHP reliever due to the 3 batter minimum rule. But you definitely still need to find a capable 1B against left handed pitching then.

 

2018-20 vs. RHP

 

2018-20 vs. LHP

[markedman5]

[DR28]

Damn, we could have afforded Santana at 2 yrs, $17 mil....

 

We're gonna have **** 1B production again this year.

[DR28]

We better end up with someone like Mitch Moreland then.

[wibadgers23]

Yeah that sucks but wonder if he wanted to stay in the AL due to the DH. Then again, maybe the Brewers just didn’t want to pony up the money.

[MadThinker88]

Yeah that sucks but wonder if he wanted to stay in the AL due to the DH. Then again, maybe the Brewers just didn’t want to pony up the money.

 

Santana has been a DH in the past (spending a majority of 2016 there) & made it clear he disliked it.

He put in the work to improve his skills at 1B in order to limit being a DH moving forward.

[wibadgers23]

So who’s left for 1B and 3B options on the open market? I’m looking at the top 50 free agents according to mlb trade rumors and there weren’t a lot to begin with and now Carlos Santana is gone. I feel like we’re screwed at those positions unless Stearns can swing a trade.

[pacopete4]

I’m not sure what people were expecting when Vogelbach was resigned. More than likely, he’s the guy.

[PeaveyFury]

I’m not sure what people were expecting when Vogelbach was resigned. More than likely, he’s the guy.

 

I refused to believe that's the case, even though that's probably the case.

[DR28]

Vogelbach is not our everyday 1B, he's terrible over there.

[DR28]

So who’s left for 1B and 3B options on the open market? I’m looking at the top 50 free agents according to mlb trade rumors and there weren’t a lot to begin with and now Carlos Santana is gone. I feel like we’re screwed at those positions unless Stearns can swing a trade.

 

First Basemen

 

Matt Adams (32)

Asdrubal Cabrera (35)

C.J. Cron (31)

Derek Dietrich (31)

Todd Frazier (35)

Marwin Gonzalez (32)

Howie Kendrick (37)

Tommy La Stella (32)

Jake Lamb (30)

Mitch Moreland (35)

Logan Morrison (33)

Daniel Murphy (36)

Renato Nunez (27)

Rangel Ravelo (29)

Pablo Sandoval (34)

Danny Santana (30)

Justin Smoak (34)

Eric Thames (34)

Ryan Zimmerman (36)

 

Third Basemen

 

Asdrubal Cabrera (35)

Zack Cozart (35)

Maikel Franco (28)

Todd Frazier (35)

Mike Freeman (33)

Greg Garcia (31)

Marwin Gonzalez (32)

Jedd Gyorko (32)

Adeiny Hechavarria (32)

Brock Holt (33)

Ha-Seong Kim (25) — subject to KBO posting system

Tommy La Stella (32)

Jake Lamb (30)

DJ LeMahieu (32)

Brad Miller (31)

Joe Panik (30)

Travis Shaw (31)

Eric Sogard (35)

Justin Turner (36)

 

I want Mitch Moreland and Asbrubal Cabrera personally.

[DR28]

Christ, if we didnt want to spend $17 mil on Santana... Not a chance we sign Joc.

[TURBO]

I feel like we’re screwed at those positions unless Stearns can swing a trade.

 

Rinse and repeat, the life of a Brewers fan. *sigh*

[TURBO]

I’m not sure what people were expecting when Vogelbach was resigned. More than likely, he’s the guy.

 

I refused to believe that's the case, even though that's probably the case.

 

this and that.

[Eye Black]

Will Sammon of The Athletic put out this piece yesterday that looked at seven position players that could be options for the Brewers in free agency, Which free agents are realistic targets for Brewers and fill their needs?

 

Included in the players discussed as possibilities for the Brewers are Tommy LaStella and Didi Gregorius. One player not mentioned in Will’s article that I think remains an outside possibility is Marcus Semien. There have been reports that teams have asked Semien about his willingness to play 3B (which sounds like something the Brewers would do), and I think the shortstop market is going to be depressed this offseason by the fact only small markets really have a glaring need at shortstop (Reds, A’s). The Angels were in the market for a shortstop, but they traded for Jose Iglesias to fill their need. Next year star shortstops Francisco Lindor and Corey Seager are expected to be available as free agents as well as other good shortstop options like Trevor Story, and Trea Turner will hit the market the following season. I think there is a chance Semien’s market won’t be as strong as he hoped for and he settles for a one year deal (similar to Gregorius last season). Now whether the Brewers would be willing to pony up $14-$16 million for a one year deal with Semien is something we can debate, but I don’t think it’s completely out of the realm of possibilities.