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Examining the Future of the Hot Corner for the Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers face many question marks regarding their roster at the end of the 2015 season. One position that will surely be the focus of offseason chatter among Brewers officials is the hot corner, third base, where they will look to solidify the position both in the present and in the future. On July 23, the Brewers traded Aramis Ramirez to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ramirez had been their everyday third baseman and cleanup hitter since the 2012 season. He stated in spring training that he plans to retire at the end of the season, so the Brewers have known for a while that they are in need of a replacement. Below, I will outline different third base options for the Brewers this offseason.

Who’s at Third Now?

Shortly after the trade of Ramirez on July 23, manager Craig Counsell and general manager Doug Melvin both said that Hernan Perez would see the first bulk of everyday time at third base. Perez, only 24 years old, was claimed off waivers from Detroit on June 2nd and had excelled in a utility roll for the Brewers until the Ramirez trade. He saw time at both third base and second base, primarily against left-handed pitching. His defense at third base, however, had been questioned. Since the trade of Ramirez though it’s been Perez’s bat that has received the bulk of the questions. Since July 23, he is only hitting 10 for 53 (.189 BA) with no home runs and 4 RBI.

After the conclusion of the trade deadline, the Brewers summoned utilityman Elian Herrera from their Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs, and he has most recently seen a lot of the time at third base. Herrera has bounced back and forth between the minor leagues and major leagues over these past two seasons with the Brewers, and doesn’t project to be more than a utility player in the Major Leagues at 30 years old. In 48 games with the Brewers this season, Herrera is hitting .230 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI this season, but hitting .304 since being recalled on July 31st.

Another third base option for the Brewers on their current roster is Jason Rogers. Rogers was known throughout the Brewers minor league system for his bat, but has only seen 61 career games of Major League experience. Primarily a first baseman in the minors, Rogers saw limited action at third base during the beginning of the 2015 MLB season, but he really struggled defensively. Listed as weighing 253 pounds, Rogers does not have much range at the hot corner. He is a good option at first base against left-handed pitching, but the Brewers and Counsell have openly said that they want to stay away from playing Rogers at third base.

Clearly, the Brewers lack stability at third base at the moment.

Who’s in the Minors?

The Brewers current third baseman at Triple-A Colorado Springs is Matt Dominguez, who they claimed off waivers from the Houston Astros on June 16 of this year. After playing 152 games in 2013 and 157 games in 2014 for the Astros, Dominguez did not make the Major League team out of Spring Training and has yet to appear in the Majors this season. His best season in the Majors came in 2013, where he hit .241 with 21 home runs and 77 RBI. The power is there for Dominguez, but he does not hit for much average, as he boasts a career .233 average in well over 1200 at bats. He has also struggled defensively in the Majors, as he made a combined 27 errors during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Dominguez has appeared in 46 games for Colorado Springs this season, where he is currently hitting .259 with only 1 home run and 17 RBI. He is not making nearly enough of an impact in the minors to warrant a call up anytime soon.

More notably, the Brewers have the #14 ranked prospect in all of Major League Baseball playing for their Double-A affiliate in Biloxi at the moment. At only 21 years old, shortstop Orlando Arcia is currently hitting .300 to go along with 5 home runs, 54 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. He projects to make the Majors in either 2016 or 2017, and take over the shortstop position for the long run. So, what exactly does this have to do with third base? Arcia will almost certainly play shortstop in the Majors, where the Brewers already have Jean Segura manning the position. The presence of Arcia could prompt a position change among the Brewers brass, and it will have to involve Segura. The Brewers could have two options here—they could move Segura to second base and Scooter Gennett to third base, or they could simply move Segura to third base, where he has the arm and athleticism to play the position. Would they go as far as considering a position change at the end of this season? Or are the Brewers going to explore a trade for Segura or Gennett? Many, many questions here, so stay tuned.

Off-Season Free Agency:

When the Brewers signed Ramirez in 2012, not only did they acquire a third baseman for three and a half years, but they also acquired their cleanup hitter, which they needed after the departure of Prince Fielder. The Brewers will understandably search the free agent market this offseason for third base options, and they’ll specifically look to upgrade at the position with a middle-of-the-order back. However, the options seem few and far between.

There are a few free agents that the Brewers could pursue. First, there is ex-Cardinal World Series hero, and former Brewer killer, David Freese. Freese, who is now 32 years old, excelled during his time with the Cardinals between 2009-2013, where he was a big part of the World Series-winning team in 2011 and runner-up team in 2013. He came up with a flurry of clutch hits, and always made big plays in the field. He was an All-Star during the 2012 season with the Cardinals, where he finished the season hitting .293 to go along with 20 home runs and 79 RBI. He has always struggled with his health, however, which has hurt his production over the years. The Cardinals traded Freese to the Angels during the 2013 offseason, and he has hit .252 over the past year and a half for the Angels. The Brewers could look to give Freese two or three years on the free agent market, but his age and health history could factor into their decision to do so.

Another free agent this offseason will be former Brewers third baseman, Casey McGehee, who spent the 2009-2011 seasons with the Brewers. In 2010, McGehee had a breakout season, where he hit .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBI. But, during the pennant race in 2011, McGehee only hit .223 and lost both regular season and postseason playing time to mid-season pickup, Jerry Hairston Jr. The Brewers traded McGehee to the Pirates over the 2011 offseason, and he struggled during the 2012 season with the Pirates and the Yankees. He then played the 2013 season in Japan, before signing with the Marlins for the 2014 season. In 2014, he put up great numbers for the Marlins, hitting .287 with 4 home runs and 76 RBI. He was traded again this past offseason to the San Francisco Giants, where he was designated for assignment twice, and has most recently signed with the Marlins again. He is only hitting a combined .207 this season. A 2016 reunion with the Brewers seems rather unlikely with those inconsistent numbers.

We could also shoot for the stars and pray that the Brewers miraculously throw $100 million to Orioles slugger Chris Davis this offseason, who has limited experience at third base, but nonetheless has appeared at third in 91 career Major League Games. He could also play first base once Adam Lind’s contract is up. His 53 home runs in 2013 would look really good in the middle of the Brewers lineup, but he’s expected to ask for $100 million this offseason. He also only hit .196 in 2014, and he currently leads the Majors in strikeouts this season despite his 29 home runs and 80 RBIs. Sorry Brewers fans, but this just doesn’t look like a good idea.

Trade Scenarios:

The Brewers could also look to make a trade for a third baseman this offseason. They could look to trade for an established third baseman, or they could take a chance on a player that hasn’t quite panned out yet at the Major League level. Below are some possible trade partners:

  • Miami Marlins: Current 3B Martin Prado is a free agent at the end of the 2016 season. With the Marlins in rebuilding mode, they may look to start fresh at the hot corner and rid themselves of the remainder of Prado’s contract. While he is only signed for one year, he could make an instant impact mentoring young players. He is also a career .289 hitter, and has postseason experience with Atlanta. He can play nearly any position on the diamond.
  • San Diego Padres: The Padres have two young players on their roster that have yet to make a true impact at the Major League level, but have a lot of potential. First, there is Will Middlebrooks, who was acquired last offseason in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. Middlebrooks wowed many scouts during his rookie season in 2012, where he hit .288 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. But, his season ended after only 75 games due to a broken wrist. Ever since that injury, Middlebrooks has really failed to put it all together. He has only hit a combined .213 since the beginning of the 2013 season, including a .212 average in 2015 with San Diego. The Padres could sell low on Middlebrooks, who is only 26 years old. They also have second baseman Jedd Gyorko, who signed a long contract  that lasts until 2020. But, it’s an affordable contract, as he will be making only $7 million during each year of the contract. While he has seen the bulk of his Major League time at second base, he has plenty of minor league experience at third base. The Padres were talking about moving him at the deadline.
  • Pittsburgh Pirates: One player here comes to mind, and that’s Pedro Alvarez. The Pirates have Josh Harrison and Jung Ho Kang as third base options for the future, so they have most recently played Alvarez at first base. A change of scenery could be good for Alvarez, as he’s struggled at the plate over the past few seasons, hitting no better than .233, struggling to remain healthy, and playing subpar defense in the field. If the Pirates look to upgrade at first base over the offseason, they may look to trade Alvarez. The Brewers should come calling if they do!
  • Cleveland Indians: The Indians just traded for the contract of Chris Johnson from Atlanta, who has most of his Major League experience at third base. With the presence of Johnson through at least the 2017 season, the Indians are experimenting by playing former top prospect Lonnie Chisenhall, a natural third baseman, in right field. If Chisenhall does not pan out in the outfield, he could become appealing to teams as a third baseman. He’s still only 26 years old, and could be an appealing option for the Brewers since he still has three more years of club control.

Conclusions:

  1. The Brewers do not have any viable options for third base, both presently and in the future, that are currently on the Major League roster.
  2. The Brewers do not have a deep farm system of third basemen, but strength at the shortstop position could soon prompt a position change.
  3. Free agency and trade options are also limited this offseason for the Brewers. Creativity is a must.
  4. The Brewers need a long-term answer, as opposed to a short-term answer. A middle-of-the order third baseman would be a huge asset for the Brewers moving forward.

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