Milwaukee Brewers: Outfield depth options possible?

The championship window for the Milwaukee Brewers is wide open. As such, they could stand to sign an extra veteran outfielder on a Minor League deal in case there’s an injury to the four outfielders on the Major League roster. We’ve got four names that could make sense, and take a Minor League deal with a contending team.

The Milwaukee Brewers have six outfielders on their 40-man roster. Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Ryan Braun, and Ben Gamel are locks to open the season on the 25-man roster. However, the only depth options behind them are Tyrone Taylor and Troy Stokes. The Brewers may want to add a veteran option in case there’s an injury to one of their big four names. (Looking your way, Braun)

There are several veteran options still available on the market, and one of them could end up signing a Minor League deal with an invite to camp to secure a job for the 2019 season. The Milwaukee Brewers could find a fit with any one of the following names to provide an insurance policy for their starting outfield.

Curtis Granderson

You might remember Curtis Granderson from baseball seasons such as last year. The Milwaukee Brewers added Granderson as a depth option for the stretch run in 2018. He really couldn’t have performed better with the Brewers than he did.

In 54 plate appearances with the Brewers, Granderson produced a .846 OPS. He blasted a pair of homers, and drew 12 walks. He also made the NLDS and NLCS rosters, and appeared in both series.

He’ll turn 38 years old in March, and is still without a contract for the 2019 season. There were rumors of retirement, but Granderson stated that he intends to play next year. Beyond that, only Granderson really knows. But he needs to find a deal for the 2019 season. At this point, it’s unlikely that he gets a Major League deal, but he could sign a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training. The goal for him there would be to either make the 25-man roster, showcase his skills for other teams, or spend a few weeks in Triple-A and hope for an injury or opportunity with the Major League team.

While Granderson isn’t an every day player any more, he could help most Major League teams in a reserve role. If there’s an injury to the Brewers outfield, Granderson could slide into a platoon situation, and provide depth until the team gets fully healthy again. The Brewers rolled the dice with Granderson in 2018, and there’s a non-zero chance that they could try again in the upcoming season.

Melky Cabrera

It’s hard to believe that Melky Cabrera is only 34 years old. He’s been on a Major League roster since 2005, has an All-Star MVP award, and won a World Series in 2009. He featured as a regular in the Majors until last year when he signed with the Cleveland Indians, and played a reserve role for a team that expected to go on a deep run in the playoffs.

Cabrera slashed .280/.335/.420 in 78 games with the Indians. He bashed six homers and stole one base in two attempts.

Cabrera will likely sign a Minor League deal somewhere, but he could look for a deal that offers a clearer path to a Major League role. Waiting for Braun to need time on the disabled list might not be what Cabrera is looking for. He could also look to sign with a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers or reunite with the New York Yankees in an effort to add another championship to his resume.

Cabrera would supply quality production at a corner outfield spot if the Brewers lost an outfielder for an extended period of time, but he’s the biggest long shot to make our list. There have been rumors of a reunion with the Indians, and that’s the most likely scenario at this point for Cabrera.

Matt Joyce

Matt Joyce was paid $6 million in 2018 by the Oakland A’s to post a .208/.322/.353 slash line. He was also plagued by back issues for most of the 2018 season.

This came after Joyce blasted 25 homers and drove in 68 runs in 2017.

Joyce will turn 35 years old during the 2019 season, and needs a bounce back season if he wants to get another shot at a Major League deal. First, he needs to prove that he’s over his back issues, and can get back to hitting the way he used to. A Minor League deal would give him time to prove his health, work out the kinks in his swing, and bide his time until there’s an opportunity on a Major League roster.

If his back is 100-percent, Joyce could provide an offensive boost when or if the Milwaukee Brewers need an extra outfielder. Joyce is a lefty who absolutely mashes right-handed pitching. Joyce could also fill in for Eric Thames if he needs time on the DL.

With the Milwaukee Brewers current contender status, they need to add depth at the Triple-A roster so as not to derail their season if there’s an injury to one of their key pieces. While they had a surplus of outfielders as recently as a year ago, that’s simply not the case in 2019. The Brewers could stand to add a veteran to stash in Triple-A, and any one of these names could make sense if the market conditions are right.