Brewers: A guide to utility man Brock Holt

With the recent acquisition of former Red Sox Brock Holt, many Milwaukee Brewers fans aren’t familiar with the versatile utility player.

There’s no doubt that Milwaukee Brewers fans were pretty upset when it was announced that Hernan Perez would be going to the cross-town rival, Chicago Cubs. Losing Perez meant we were down a utility player and we needed to find one that could be versatile just like him.

Bring in Brock Holt.

It was surprising to most Red Sox fans when it was rumored that the folks at Fenway weren’t going to be bringing back Holt, someone that was very loved in the clubhouse and loved by the fans. It even came to a surprise when the Red Sox announced their ’18 MVP Mookie Betts would be taking a trip to the west coast and trading in the red for some blue, signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When it was said that Holt was going to be a free agent, I instantly knew that the Brewers needed to bring this guy to Milwaukee. He’s versatile, hard-working, well-loved in the clubhouse setting, everything that you could look for in a genuine baseball player. It really was surprising to see that Brock Holt was available so late in the off-season, as I was sure he was going to be snatched up quick.

What Can We Expect with Holt?

Honestly? Anything. When it comes to versatility, Holt’s got it. Primarily playing at second base in the 2019 season, but he’s played every position but catcher and pitcher for the Red Sox. He’s the textbook definition for valuable versatility that coaches and managers look for.

Offensively, Holt isn’t really someone that delivers a whole ton of power, batting a career average of .271 and an OBP of .340, he has shown improvement as he continues to play. 2019 plagued him with injury and a scratched cornea so he only hit three home runs and posted .297/.369/.402.

Looking at Holt overall as a player, he’s solid. ‘Brockstar’ was quite literally an All-Star in 2015, the only Red Sox player to be named an all-star in that year. Since his breakout in 2014, he’s been posting some good wRC+’s at 97, 98, 87, 50, 109, and 103. Okay, the two middle years aren’t the greatest, but the other numbers surrounding them make up for those poor performances. But, keep in mind that he was also dealing with some serious head injuries when he wRC+’s were low.

Outside of baseball? He really is the definition of a good guy. Holt loves his fans, he donates to local charities, spends his down-time visiting sick children in hospitals and so much more to name, it deserves its own separate article. He’s what some fans could call ‘A Good PR Guy’; he fits that image of what a team would want the image of the baseball club to be. Even if you’re a non-baseball fan and you know who Holt is? You’re a fan of him.

Red Sox fans, I’m sure you’re upset over losing Holt, but, no worries! Milwaukee is going to take good care of him and he is already loved by everyone in the clubhouse. Manager Craig Counsell said in a WISN article, “I told him that you don’t know where you’re going to play, you just know that we’ll find a spot for you to play, he comes with a great reputation from everywhere that he’s been.”

It’s unsure on Holt’s definite position within the lineup and where he’ll be playing defensively, but, I could definitely see him within the platoon of second base with Keston Hiura and even making some short-stop appearances along with Orlando Arcia and Luis Urias, once he is 100% healthy from his hand surgery. But, like stated earlier, Holt’s comfortable playing anywhere as long as you aren’t throwing him on the mound or behind the plate.

It even came to a surprise to Holt when he discovered that he probably wasn’t going to return to Boston, as he spent so much of his time there, he didn’t imagine himself in any other uniform but a Red Sox one. He left an emotional post on social media as he made his departure from Boston, remarking that Boston turned a “Texas boy into one of your own.” It was a tearjerker, to say the least.

For you Red Sox fans that are having a little bit of a hard time accepting this change, I urge you to check out Cape Cod Baseball League’s beat reporter Sarah Griffin’s “Depressed Red Sox Fan’s Guide to Becoming a Brewers Fan.” I guarantee that’ll help the transition become more smooth.

So, welcome to Milwaukee, Brock Holt! You are in good hands with the Brewers fans.