Brewers Sign Veteran Third Baseman and Outfielder Brian Anderson

[Brock Beauchamp]

The Brewers have come to terms with the 29-year-old third baseman and outfielder, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Can the former promising young player get his groove back in Milwaukee?

Reports are coming in that the Milwaukee Brewers have come to terms with third baseman and right fielder Brian Anderson, formerly of the Miami Marlins.

Anderson, still only 29 years old, looked to be a rising star with the Miami Marlins, posting a .811 OPS and 114 OPS+ over the 2019 and 2020 seasons but has fallen back to earth the past two seasons, posting just a .681 OPS and 90 OPS+.

It wasn't only Anderson's offense that slumped in 2022. Formerly a solidly well-above-average defensive third baseman, according to DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), Anderson slid into below-average territory last season, posting a -4 runs number over 371 innings played at third base.

Nonetheless, this could likely see Luis Urias shift over to second base for the Brewers on Opening Day while Anderson handles the hot corner on a near-daily basis.

On the surface, the acquisition looks like an upside play by Milwaukee to rehabilitate a formerly promising infielder still on the right side of 30 years old. Miami has been notoriously poor in developing hitters over the past several seasons, so the Brewers may see something to unlock in Anderson's bat. Last year's defensive slide could be an aberration or a longer trend of decline but given Anderson's age, he should remain acceptable on defense for at least one or two more seasons.

Even more strangely, Anderson, a right-handed hitter, also carries reverse splits similar to Keston Hiura. Throughout his MLB career, Anderson has a .766 OPS against right-handed pitching and only a .702 OPS against southpaws. As a result, over the past few seasons, Miami has shielded him against left-handed starters, and he has faced over three times as many right-handers in his career as lefties.

This move also puts into question the future of Keston Hiura, who has become even more redundant on this roster with the addition of another infielder who hits righties better than lefties.

 

Anderson's deal with Milwaukee maxes out at $5.5 million, a relative bargain if performance escalators are met. Information in this article will be updated as it becomes available.

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