Brewers: 5 Budget Free Agent Targets To Consider

Name a better duo than the Milwaukee Brewers and budget free agent signings in the offseason. I bet you can’t.

Will the Brewers make any big moves this offseason? Will they trade Josh Hader? Will Brewers fans be happy with the decisions they make? Of course not. But, Milwaukee is always good at finding solid talent to help fill their roster while holding the crutch of being a small market team.

Here are some possible cheaper/budget options that the Crew could sign to help complete their 2021 roster.

1B Carlos Santana

I know, I know. You’re already angry at me and saying that Carlos Santana’s contract wouldn’t be cheap. But, if they could get him at around $6MM to $7MM for a one year deal, the Brewers would solve their first base hole. And they still have Daniel Vogelbach for depth and designated hitter as long as the new rule sticks. That is, unless Ryan Braun re-signs and also plays DH.

Santana had 34 home runs in 2019 and led the league in walks last season for Cleveland. Besides the walks, he had a fairly disappointing year. But he is primed for a comeback year, and the Brewers front office are usually all-in on possible comeback players if they believe there’s still something left in the tank.

I’ve see plenty of MLB free agent lists with Santana going to the Brewers, so why not jump on the bandwagon? It would be great to see Santana in a Brewers jersey. They need offensive power next year to compete in the NL Central.

Santana seems like the perfect fit as well. Mitch Moreland is great option, but will probably sign a multi-year deal in a bigger market. Eric Thames and Ryan Zimmerman would also be solid options, but most of the free agent first baseman are in the same boat.

A lot of them are in their early to late 30s, coming off a down year and looking for a chance to get one more big league contract before retirement. If Santana signs somewhere else, I see the Brewers going after Thames or Jedd Gyorko. But, Santana should be the focus. And $6MM isn’t going to break the bank for big potential power.