Milwaukee Brewers: Spring Training Position Battles

The trucks have left Milwaukee and are heading to Arizona. Pitchers and catchers will follow on February 13th. Spring Training is about to start, and the Milwaukee Brewers should have several key position battles to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

While the Milwaukee Brewers have a pretty good idea of who will head north for Opening Day in late March, several key positions need to get settled. How will the starting rotation shake out? Who gets bumped to the bullpen? How about the bench? Is the starting second base job still up for grabs? These questions still need to get answered before the first pitch of the 2019 season is thrown.

What happens at second base?

A combination of Hernan Perez, Cory Spangenberg, and Tyler Saladino will make the 25-man roster. Or all three. Or a current unsigned free agent will get added to the mix.

The only news that’s been confirmed about the Milwaukee Brewers second base situation is that prospects Keston Hiura and Mauricio Dubon won’t make the 25-man roster.

The best case scenario right now, is that the Brewers add Derek Dietrich, and pair him with either Spangenberg or Perez. Dietrich provides the versatility the Brewers have come to love, and he’s a better option at the plate than any of the current options.

However, he does need to be paired with a hitter capable of handling left-handed pitching. Dietrich posted a .274/.342/.420 against righties last year, but only managed a .227/.283/.423 slash line against lefties. Perez managed a .783 OPS against lefties last year.

At this point, it’s far more likely that the Milwaukee Brewers go with a platoon at second base rather than anoint a full-time starter. Perez and Spangenberg should get the majority of the playing time, unless there’s an addition to the roster.

Who makes the starting rotation?

Well, Jhoulys Chacin and Corbin Burnes are as close to locks in the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation as there is. After that, there are at least five pitchers vying for three spots.

Brandon Woodruff appears ready to make a leap. Freddy Peralta is on a similar path. Jimmy Nelson is also fully healthy, and looking to start on Opening Day. It’s unlikely that he gets the nod to take the ball on March 28th.

Zach Davies and Chase Anderson are also still on the 40-man roster, and under contract for 2019. While both should make the rotation under normal circumstances, there’s a non-zero chance that the Milwaukee Brewers start the season with both Davies and Anderson out of the rotation.

A trade of one would be ideal, but the Brewers have to find a partner to make a deal with. If it hasn’t happened by now, it may not happen at all.

It wouldn’t come as a huge shock to see the Milwaukee Brewers start the year with an unusual rotation construction to keep their arms fresh. They could also use the 10-Day DL to stash starters, or play the ‘option’ game with a few of their younger starters. It’s clear that the Brewers value their depth, but it remains to be seen if it’s going to work out in their favor in 2019.

What about the bullpen?

Well, Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, Jeremy Jeffress, and Alex Claudio are locks for the 2019 25-man roster.

After that? The situation gets murky. The Milwaukee Brewers will probably start the season with at least 12 pitchers on the 25-man roster. Five are expected to be starters, and four were just named. That leaves three additional spots for relievers or starters who don’t make the rotation.

Depending on how the Brewers construct their Opening Day roster, there might only be one or two spots left for the rest of their pitchers. Jacob Barnes will likely claim one spot, and Matt Albers is under contract for 2019, and should stake a claim to the other. It would take an absolute disaster of a Spring or an injury to push Albers off the roster.

Junior Guerra is also expected to contend for a bullpen spot. If the Brewers have 13 pitchers on the Opening Day roster, Guerra is completely safe. If it’s only 12, he could end up back in Triple-A to start the season.

Names like Taylor Williams, Aaron Wilkerson, Bobby Wahl, and Jake Petricka are also on the 40-man roster, but need an impressive Spring and an injury or two to work their way onto the 25-man roster.

The fact that the Milwaukee Brewers have so few positions up for grabs is a sign that they’re in contention. The roster could still use a few upgrades, but the major construction is done. The Spring is the time for GM David Stearns to figure out what he has on the Major League roster, and there aren’t a ton of decisions that need to be made. The Brewers could use a better option at second base, and they could always add an elite arm, but those additions are more likely to occur near the trade deadline than they are right now.