Brewers add Keon Broxton on Minor League deal

The Milwaukee Brewers still have a lot of work to do during the off season, but they’ve made a signing to add depth. Keon Broxton will return to the organization on a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training

After coming to the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal that sent Jason Rogers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015, Keon Broxton spent four years in Milwaukee. His success levels varied from a 20/20 season that came with a .299 on-base percentage to getting sent down to Triple-A.

Broxton is back in Milwaukee after a year away, but is this more of a depth signing or could Broxton actually see in-game action in 2020?

What happened to Broxton in 2020?

Broxton was traded to the New York Mets during the last off season for a trio of arms. One of which was Adam Hill, who was just dealt to the Seattle Mariners for Omar Narvaez. Broxton only stayed in New York until late May when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for international bonus slot money. He spent about a month in Baltimore before getting DFA’ed. He was claimed by the Seattle Mariners and stayed in Seattle until the end of the 2019 season when he was granted free agency.

In 2019, Broxton appeared in 100 total games between three different stops in the Majors. Broxton managed a .167/.242/.275 slash line in 228 plate appearances. He bashed six homers and stole 10 bases in 16 attempts. He also scored 24 times and drove in 16 runs. Broxton struck out 104 times last year which was good for a 45.6% strike out rate.

What’s next for Broxton in Milwaukee?

Broxton will be with the team in Spring Training. Unless there’s a rash of injuries at the Major League level, Broxton will likely get assigned to Triple-A or he’ll elect to become a free agent again in hopes of finding another team willing to give him a spot on the active roster.

Broxton will turn 30 years old in May, and it’s hard to see him fulfilling his potential as an every day outfielder. He’s never figured out how to put the ball in play with regularity and leverage his speed. He does have 20-homer power, but he’s never figured out how to cut down on the strikeouts. He’s capable of serving as a pinch-runner, a defensive replacement, or a right-handed hitter who can handle left-handed pitching, but the odds of a true breakout at his age and status are unlikely.