Brewers Interested In Lyle Overbay

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers are getting desperate.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Brewers are interested in free agent first baseman and former Brewer Lyle Overbay. The Houston Astros are also vying for Overbay’s talents.

In 2013 for the New York Yankees, Overbay was a solid fill-in for Mark Teixeira, who went down for the season with a wrist injury. He hit .240 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI in 145 games. While that’s decent for a player who is way past his prime, Overbay had a tough time getting on base. He posted a .295 on-base percentage and struck out 111 times while only walking 36.

The Brewers claim they are in need of a first baseman – a claim that doesn’t make much sense to me. They have Juan Francisco, who is basically a lottery ticket, and they have one of their top prospects, Hunter Morris, waiting in the minors. Either of them would be a better option than Overbay, who turns 37 in a few weeks.

If the Brewers were to sign Overbay it would be a one-year contract, meaning the Brewers would have to play first base musical chairs again in 2014. Overbay is nothing more than a stopgap, and signing him would be pointless.