Milwaukee Brewers: A look at the 2018-2019 free agent class

With the GM Meetings looming, and the free agent market open, the Milwaukee Brewers are going to be hard at work.

The team has plenty of money to work with for free agents. And they have prospects to deal in the trade market. Sure, there will be some moves that need to be made to remain competitive in the NL Central in 2018. But the time for the Milwaukee Brewers to really strike may be with the next free agent class.

There are plenty of massive potential names like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado to beef up the class. But that is not how the Brewers tend to work. Overall it has the potential to be a much stronger group than this years. And that opens up opportunities. Even for cheap gems.

Obviously any look into the future will be based on current needs. Who knows, maybe a Brett Phillips emergence could happen at these positions in the coming year. But for now, there seem to be better answers off in the distance.

Carter Capps

I know, I said cheap. But Capps is a great back end of the bullpen talent. He can bridge the gap very well to Corey Knebel in the late innings. Between Capps electric fastball and his funky delivery, he would find a welcoming home in Miller Park. He might cost the amount of a high end reliever, but it would be worth it for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Freddy Galvis

Galvis is a guy who the Crew might be able to trade for now. There is a very small chance he gets extended because of J.P. Crawford in Philedelphia. With experience at second base, Galvis could fit right into a Brewes uniform and be an every day starter. By the end of 2018, he will be a Phillies backup. Making not only the market look enticing, but also Milwaukee.

Matt Harvey

Yes, he is awful as of late. That is where the cheap part comes in. Sign a once dominant pitcher for next to nothing and let Dereck Johnson go to work. The key to the success of Harvey as a Brewer is Johnson. Without this wizard coaching the pitchers, who knows where Chase Anderson would be. Give him Harvey and let him work.

Jose Iglesias

In all reality, Iglesias will probably still be in Detroit when this free agent class hits the market. However, if he is not, then there is an opportunity to pounce. This won’t be a dirt cheap contract, and Orlando Arcia will still be holding down the shortstop position. But Iglesias can play second and he is excellent at the plate.

D.J. LeMahieu

There is a gluttony of prospects ready to take over the Colorado infield. That makes LeMahieu expendable. A feared hitter a couple years ago has taken a couple steps back. With the heights of Colorado helping his swing, that could hurt his contract numbers as well. He is a solid second baseman though.

Joe Kelly

Now that Kelly is being used as a bullpen arm he is fantastic. He can put everything he has into pitches and that is resulting in him hitting triple digits on the radar gun. Certainly impressive, and helpful to have in a relief. However, years of struggles may hinder his potential earnings. He is another great option to plug into the pre-Knebel bullpen.

Brian Dozier

This is another option at second base. He will cost more because of his track record of success. However, his age will make it a smaller contract as far as years go. There is no reason not to go after Dozier if the Milwaukee Brewers still have an opening in the four hole defensively.

Justin Wilson

Next: GM Winter Meetings preview

This guy looked great closing out games for the Detroit Tigers in 2017. After being moved at the trade deadline to the Cubs he fell off. There is a chance this depletes his potential worth once he hits the market. Being a lefty that will add extra value to the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen.