Milwaukee Brewers: Andres Blanco Joins The Organization

Before Easter, there was a mystery surrounding the Milwaukee Brewers. News broke that they were going to sign an infielder with MLB experience.

Now, the mystery is over; it is Andres Blanco. There was a lot of uncertainty and guessing, all started by Tom Haudricourt. Aaron Hill was a popular guess, but alas, not a correct one. Blanco will be joining the Milwaukee Brewers organization on a minor league deal.

It would seem that Blanco will slide into a starting role in Colorado Springs, while providing depth in case something terrible happens. The Brewers were able to scoop him up after the Giants cut him towards the conclusion of Spring Training.

Meet The Player

The promise was that Blanco had MLB experience. But how much was anyone’s guess. It turns out that the newest signing has played in parts of 10 seasons, but that totals 536 games. The Venezuelan infielder will soon turn 34, and provides depth around most of the infield.

Blanco is a career 2.3 WAR player. The most games he has played in one season is 106 back in 2015. That year he hit .292 with seven homers, both career highs when he got a significant amount of playing time.

Why Sign Him?

Depth is important to have. The Milwaukee Brewers have plenty of outfield depth; that is fairly obvious. First base is deep too. But what Blanco does is bring somewhat of a safety net the infield. It will be very helpful going forward.

Even if it will not be a high caliber call up, it will be a serviceable one. Blanco is a career .250 hitter that can plug into the lineup without the team losing a ton of talent at a position. Though he will play third most often for Colorado Springs, he has more MLB experience at second and shortstop.

Brewers Relevancy

Unless Blanco is hitting over .500 through his first couple months in Triple A, there is no reason for him to be more than injury insurance. So for now, he can be considered highly irrelevant.

Bold Blanco Predictions

If Jonathan Villar continues to disappoint, this could be a time for Blanco to step up and play in the majors once again. Of course, Eric Sogard and Hernan Perez also have to fizzle out. Though it is more likely that Mauricio Dubon gets the shot before Blanco. Either way, the Brewers are just biding time until Keston Hiura is ready to take over at second.

Any other bold predictions would be laughable. Though he has played short and third, there is little fear that Travis Shaw or Orlando Arcia will give up their position. So second or injury are the two options for Blanco to see the Milwaukee Brewers. His chances are not excellent.

Next: Key Takeaways From Opening Series

Regardless of his chances, Blanco is now a part of the Milwaukee Brewers organization. The hope is that he will not even be considered for the top level, because that means there is consistency at second and a fully healthy infield. However, depth is never a bad thing to have.