Brewers interested in shortstop Didi Gregorius?

Reports are starting to circulate that the Milwaukee Brewers and shortstop Did Gregorius may have mutual interest. How would Gergorius slot into the 2020 roster? What kind of deal would he sign?

Robert Murray, formerly of The Athletic, was the first to report that the Milwaukee Brewers interest in shortstop Didi Gregorius. There was smoke around Omar Narvaez and the Brewers, and that deal came together quickly. Could the Brewers make a move for Gregorius soon?

How would Gregorius fit into the Brewers roster?

Well, there are two options here, and neither are a great fit for the Brewers current roster.

Gregorius could push incumbent Orlando Arcia for at-bats at shortstop, or he could take over third base.

However, Arcia already has competition in the form of the recently acquired prospect Luis Urias. In fact there’s a non-zero chance that Urias takes over shortstop outright. Adding another player at shorstop to further cloud the situation at short makes little sense.

Gregorius has played exactly two games at third base in his Major League career, and that was in 2014 when he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He only racked up 10 innings at third base over five years ago. This has to be the most likely landing spot for Gregorius if he signs with the Brewers…right?

Is there another option?

Gregorius stands at 6’3″, so he could conceivably try his hand at first base. The Brewers covet versatility, so a willingness to try multiple positions would be seen as a positive by team management.

Is this another round peg in a square hole?

The Brewers got away with it for the past two years with the situation with Mike Moustakas and Travis Shaw. Adding Gregorius would put the team in a similar situation again.

What kind of deal would Gregorius sign?

Jon Heyman reported that Gregorius is willing to sign a one-year ‘prove it’ deal now that he’s completely recovered from Tommy John surgery. A one-year deal would allow Gregorius to try again at a big contract next year if he’s able to deliver another productive year.

Given that the Brewers covet value, and signed two veterans to one-year ‘prove it’ deals last year with Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal. If Gregorius wants to follow a similar path, Milwaukee is an ideal partner to work with.

A Gregorius signing would add to the infield, but it’s unclear exactly how he would fit. It’s not an ideal signing, but the team has done well with a lot of signings that weren’t quite ideal. This looks like it could be another if the rumors are true.