Milwaukee Brewers: Scooter Gennett available?

The San Francisco Giants announced that they have released infielder Scooter Gennett, and called up infielder Mauricio Dubon. Could Gennett reunite with the Milwaukee Brewers for the stretch run?

Scooter Gennett should be a familiar name to Milwaukee Brewers fan, and not just because he’s gone by ‘Scooter’ for the majority of his adult life. Gennett was drafted by the Brewers in 2009, and played in Milwaukee from 2013 to 2016. He was released during Spring Training in 2017, and signed with the Cincinnati Reds. Gennett’s two years in Cincinnati saw him hit 50 homers and post a .303/.351/.508 slash line in 295 games played.

Could the Milwaukee Brewers look to add Gennett as a bench option for the stretch run?

What happened to Gennett in San Francisco?

Gennett was traded to San Francisco at this year’s trade deadline, and the move hasn’t worked out.

Gennett got off to a rough start to the season after suffering a bad groin strain as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He missed the first three months of the year, and struggled once he got off the Injured List in Cincinnati. He was sent to San Francisco, and struggled there as well.

For the 2019 season, Gennett owns a .226/.245/.323 slash line in 42 games. He’s managed only two homers and 11 RBIs in 139 plate appearances. He also owns an amazing 41 strikeouts with only two walks this year.

Does Gennett offer anything for the Brewers?

Unless he can take the ball every fifth day and work six or seven innings, the answer is, ‘no’. Gennett had a good run with the Milwaukee Brewers, and a better run with the Cincinnati Reds, but he’s not a solution to the team’s current issues. The Brewers need pitching. They don’t need a struggling infielder.

If the Milwaukee Brewers brought in Gennett, he would take at bats from Keston Hiura and Mike Moustakas. Both of those situations are bad. He also can’t play shortstop well enough to push Orlando Arcia out of the starting lineup, and the team has better options for the outfield. He might be an upgrade over Cory Spangenberg, but even that’s debatable after the season Gennett has posted.

The Milwaukee Brewers may look to reunite with Gennett during the off season as a 25th man / utility player, but he’s not going to help the team in 2019. Gennett is better off going home, cashing his remaining checks, and getting healthy for the 2020 season.