Brewers: Former Giants 3B Zach Green Signs Minor League Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers remain busy on the transaction front, announcing the minor league signing of Zach Green.

This isn’t going to be the Brewers’ whole plan at third base for 2021.

The Brewers biggest needs this offseason are at the corner infield spots, and they will have to make additions to the organization to fill those needs. While they have signed corner infielder Zach Green to a minor league contract, this is not the core of the plan the Brewers are making.

It’s a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Last year, guys like Logan Morrison and Justin Grimm were signed to the same type of contract.

Who Is Zach Green?

A former third round pick of the Phillies back in 2012, Green, 26, spent several years in the Phillies organization with some decent numbers, making it all the way up to Triple-A in 2018. He became a minor league free agent that winter and signed with the Giants.

In 2019 in Triple-A for the Giants, Green hit .282/.380/.659 with 25 homers, 64 RBIs, and a 1.039 OPS. He earned a call-up for a limited time in 2019, making his major league debut, although his offensive numbers were not strong in the limited sample size of just 14 at-bats. He went just 2-for-14 with a double and six strikeouts.

In 2020, Green was at the Giants’ alternate training site, did not earn a call to the big leagues and became a minor league free agent once again. This time, he’s latched on with the Brewers.

In his minor league career, Green has a .262 batting average with an .800 OPS and 89 homers.

The Brewers not only lack corner infield depth at the big league level, they also lack corner infield depth throughout the organization. They don’t draft very many corner infielders and they have a lack of prospects at those positions, which is partly why the big league team has a huge need at those spots right now and no one to fill them.

By signing Green, the Brewers are adding to their organizational depth at third base and at first base. That way, just in case something happens to whomever is playing at the corner infield spots at the big league level, they’ll have some depth to fill the hole.

The Brewers need organizational depth at the corner infield spots, and not just big league depth. For that reason, they brought in Green and will give him a chance to prove himself.

There will still be other moves made to address first base and third base at the big league level this offseason.