Milwaukee Brewers: 5 most interesting players non-tendered

5. James McCann

James McCann found himself without a contract after the non-tender date. If the Milwaukee Brewers want to add a younger option than Erik Kratz to their roster or if they miss out on the top targets, McCann may make sense. He only earned $2.35 million last year, and may agree to a backup role, or add competition to Spring Training.

McCann appeared in 118 games with the Detroit Tigers in 2018. He posted an anemic .220/.267/.314 slash line with eight homers and 5.7% walk rate. However, it came with a .282 BABIP and a line drive rate over 22%. McCann’s career BABIP is almost 20 points higher than what he posted last year, and his line drive rate indicates that he made good contact.

McCann also grades out very favorably as a defender, and would provide a boost behind the dish over the current options.

McCann also posted a .253/.318/.415 slash line with 13 homers in 2017. Those numbers combined with his skill behind the dish make McCann an intriguing option for the Milwaukee Brewers if they miss out on the top targets.

He’s only 28 years old, has a season of control beyond 2019, and has skills that make sense for the Milwaukee Brewers current roster. He could work as a backup or if the Brewers miss out on any of the bigger names, but he’s not an obvious upgrade.

4. Blake Parker

How does another reliever capable of striking out over a batter per inning sound? Blake Parker posted a K/9 over 9.00, and an ERA below 3.50 last year. He’s worked in the ninth inning, and as a bridge to a closer before. He’s racked up 24 saves in his Major League career.

Parker doesn’t overpower hitters, but he is capable of working in the 92-to-94 MPH range. He also boasts a splitter and a curve that he can mix in.

2019 will be Parker’s age-33 season, but he won’t become a free agent until after the 2020 season.

The 2018 season proved that bullpen depth matters as much as rotation depth. The Milwaukee Brewers need to add arms that can either serve as a bridge to the closer and occasionally take the ball in the ninth inning. Parker can do both, and he shouldn’t cost a ton or require a multi-year commitment.

He make a lot of sense for the Milwaukee Brewers, and GM David Stearns should at least put a call in to see what kind of a deal Parker is looking for.

3. Billy Hamilton

Why not add a dimension to the Milwaukee Brewers offense that was lacking a bit last year? Billy Hamilton has game-changing speed. He doesn’t hit much, but he has impressive defensive range, and can steal bases seemingly at will.

Hamilton swiped 34 bases in 44 attempts last year. He also slashed .236/.299/.327. The good news is that he posted an 8.3% walk rate which represents his best mark at the Major League level. The bad news is that he also struck out at a 23% clip.

Hamilton would serve as a fourth outfielder/late inning defensive replacement/pinch runner extraordinaire for the Milwaukee Brewers if they were to sign him.

The Brewers lacked a true base-stealing threat on their bench last year, and Hamilton would definitely provide an upgrade.

Hamilton will become eligible for free agency after the 2019 season if he only signs a one-year deal. However, 2019 will only be his age-28 season. Hamilton is still a capable athlete who can handle center field, and play in the middle of the infield in a pinch.

If Hamilton wants to rebuild his value with an eye toward free agency after 2019, he may sign a one-year deal. If the Milwaukee Brewers can boost their bench with an elite talent like Hamilton without a long-term commitment, they should look into it.

2. Yangervis Solarte

Wilmer Flores is also an option, but he’s only 27 years old and already has early onset arthritis in both knees. Yangervis Solarte doesn’t come with red flags around his health, and offers similar versatility.

Solarte had a rough year at the plate in 2018 for the Toronto Blue Jays. He slashed only .226/.277/.378 in 506 plate appearances. He did hit 17 homers, but those homers came with a lot of outs, and not nearly enough runs produced. Solarte’s -1.3 WAR ranked among the worst among qualified players in 2018.

The good news is that Solarte can handle either second base or third base, and he posted four consecutive years of positive WAR values before falling off a clip in 2018.

He managed a 2.6 WAR in 2016 with the San Diego Padres. He slashed .286/.341/.467 with 15 homers and 71 RBIs in 443 plate appearances. Perhaps a return to the National League would help?

Solarte’s value is beaten up, and should sign for less than the $4 million he pocketed in 2018. If the Milwaukee Brewers want to add depth to their second base situation, and a ‘just-in-case’ option for third base, Solarte makes a lot of sense if the team misses out on their top targets.

1. Brad Boxberger

If the Milwaukee Brewers sign anyone who was non-tendered, please let it be Brad Boxberger.

Boxberger is coming off a down year, but he’s still a solid relief option with skills that should interest the Brewers.

Boxberger racked up 32 saves last year with most of them coming in the first half of the year. He got off to a fast start to his 2018 campaign with a 1.77 ERA through his first 20 1/3 innings of the season. However, he struggled down the stretch, and ended the year with a 4.39 ERA.

He did post his second consecutive year with a K/9 over 11.00, and would add another power arm for manager Craig Counsell to turn to in the late innings. He won’t turn 31 years old until late May, and made it through the 2018 season without a DL stint. Boxberger missed time in 2017 with forearm issues, but appears to have put those behind him.

The Milwaukee Brewers will add to their bullpen at some point this off season. Boxberger can generate strikeouts, and has a proven track record. He did appear to wear down in the second half, but he missed a lot of time in 2017, and that may have impacted his conditioning for 2018. Boxberger ended the year healthy, and fits in with the Brewers roster construction. He’d become another arm that Counsell could use to shorten games, and take some of the burden off of Corey Knebel, Jeremy Jeffress, and Josh Hader.