Brewers: 5 Free Agents the Team Should Target This Offseason

There are some considerable upgrades available on the free agent market, but will the Brewers pull the trigger?

With plenty of players still to choose from, president of baseball operations David Stearns and the rest of the Brewers front office have some decisions to make in regards to filling out their roster before Opening Day on April 1. GM’s, analytics personnel and scouts all around the league have their work cut out for them this offseason, as they attempt to assess players and their potential fit with their respective organization based on a shortened 2020 season.

For the Brewers, it’s pretty well known throughout the organization that the biggest needs are at the corners of the infield and maybe a backend starter or reliever just in case a blockbuster deal is made for Josh Hader.

Sure, there are big names out there with the likes of Trevor Bauer, JT Realmuto, George Springer and several more, but the Brewers know their situation. Stearns has already openly come out and stated there may be a potential payroll cut due to the coronavirus so things might be tricky, but they’re looking for a needle in a haystack or two to get back to the playoffs for an impressive fourth straight year.

The Brewers payroll in 2020 ranked 24th in the majors but that’s what makes the recent success in Brew City so sweet for baseball fans. Milwaukee is in a great spot right now with some phenomenal young talent in the form of Christian Yelich, Brandon Woodruff, Devin Williams, Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader along with many more, but there are still some key pieces missing that were exposed towards the end of last season that need to be addressed.

This offseason’s free agency period could really help bolster up the roster and make another postseason run. Here are a few players that the Brewers front office might want to look at signing for the upcoming season.

Marwin Gonzalez

A player that took over at third base for the injured Josh Donaldson in Minnesota, Marwin Gonzalez was the Swiss Army Knife for the Twins and he was the glue that kept them together at times. Gonzalez played in 23 games at third base, 21 at second base, 14 at first base and 8 in right field.

He’s a switch hitter that had an average of .211 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI’s for the AL Central-winning Twins in what was a down year for him at the plate. Gonzalez is looking to get back to the form he was in back in 2017 when he hit .303 and had an OPS over .900 for the Astros.

And you may ask yourself: Wasn’t that the year of the trash can scandal in Houston? It was, but research shows that interestingly enough, that Gonzalez was hitting BETTER before the Astros started doing it mid-June (.322 BA, .412 OBP, 12 HR prior).

An adequate fielder that will make the plays he’s supposed to and career .261 hitter with the ability to hit from both sides of the plate seems appealing and coming off a down year, he won’t be too pricey. He’s also in the MLB record books in the sense that he hit 25 consecutive home runs with nobody on base, a streak that may never be broken.

The biggest question when it comes to Gonzalez is his consistency. Can he get back to that 2017 form or will the jack of all trades/master of none continue to be a downside for the 31-year-old utility man? Maybe with an everyday role at one of the corner infield spots, Gonzalez can become an important piece for a Brewers team that needs to find a way to be more productive on offense.

Tommy La Stella

A name that some Brewers fans may remember, Tommy La Stella was a Chicago Cub from 2015 to 2018 and while he never shined in the Windy City, he’s turned around his career and established himself as an everyday player in the infield.

The year after he left the NL Central, he was an All-Star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished that 2018 campaign hitting .295 with 16 home runs (more home runs than the rest of his career with 15 total).

While 2019 may look like a bit of a down year for La Stella, don’t let the numbers fool you. He raised his on-base percentage to .370 which was the highest in his career and had the least amount of strikeouts in all of baseball with only 12.

While he may not be the biggest name in free agency for infielders, La Stella is primed to have another successful season and look to continue his reputation as one of the toughest outs in all of baseball.

La Stella saw most of his time at second base last season, but did make six appearances at third base for the A’s. He’s a serviceable fielder, but where he makes his money is at the plate and especially against right handed pitching.

Interestingly enough, La Stella contemplated retirement during the 2016 season with the Cubs and took some time to go back home and ponder the decision. At the time, he felt his love of the game fading away, but that break from baseball brought him back and hungry to make his mark in the MLB.

It will be a challenge to pry La Stella from Oakland as he was traded there from the Angels during the middle of last season, but one of the best contact hitters in the MLB could serve the Brewers well if he chooses Milwaukee.

Carlos Santana

As one of the most coveted free agents on the market, Carlos Santana will have suitors lined up out the door trying to sign the 34 year old first baseman.

The 2019 All-Star had a bit of a down year in Cleveland and the Indians decided to decline his $17.5MM option. He posted an average below .200 for the first time in his career but still maintained an OBP of .349 which is above league average.

The major reason he recorded that high of an OBP during an underperforming season was because of his AL-leading 47 walks drawn. Santana has always had a keen eye at the plate, registering over 100 walks in a season four times in his 11 year career and that’s only a part of what makes him so good.

And when he does get into one, take note of the exit velocity because Santana hit 60 baseballs with an exit velocity of 95+ mph last season, better than the likes of Tim Anderson, Justin Turner and Ronald Acuna Jr.

Prior to the madness that was the 2019 season, Carlos Santana had driven in 75 or more runs six seasons in a row. With the Brewers coming at 24th out of 30 teams in the RBI category last year, you’d be hard pressed to find a Brewer fan that doesn’t like what this guy brings to the table. Add on the fact that he’s a switch hitter, which adds to his versatility that much more and gives Craig Counsell the opportunity to be flexible with Santana in his spot in the lineup.

We don’t have Drew Carey writing stories here at Reviewing the Brew, so we don’t know if the price is right, but the 2019 Silver Slugger winner is among the most desired names out there right now and would ensure some pop and quality at-bats at a much needed position for the Crew.

Justin Wilson

In a bullpen that currently only has two lefties, the Brewers could target Justin Wilson, a relief pitcher that has already played for two NL Central teams in the Pirates and Cubs.

Wilson has blossomed into a reliable arm with some nasty stuff in his nine years in the league. His four seam fastball clocks in around 95 mph on average and registers a high amount of swings and misses but his best pitch might be his cutter which can hit 91 mph and generates a ton of ground ball outs.

To give you a sense of Wilson’s stuff, think back to the Brewers offense in 2018. Yes, the team that was among the league leaders in home runs and top half of basically every offensive statistic there is. Justin Wilson gave up five hits in 20 plate appearances against the Brewers along with zero home runs allowed and zero runs allowed at all.

One of the best attributes that Wilson possesses is his ability to go complete innings instead of situational lefty on lefty matchups, although he does excel against left-handed hitters. As a matter of fact, about 35% of his batters faced in 2020 were lefties and they struggled to say the least.

Left-handed hitters went 3 for 25 against Wilson last season and he had a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.50 – that’s efficient pitching. He went 6-3 in his last two seasons in New York with an ERA just above 3.00 and was one of the most relied upon arms for the Mets.

The market suggests a year or two deal around $5MM a year for his services but it would take quite the pitch to bring him to Milwaukee. Wilson would only add to the strength that is the Brewers bullpen and as mentioned, they could use another southpaw, especially with the unknown future of Josh Hader.

The free agent market has been slow to develop so far but Winter Meetings are currently taking place. Perhaps that will spark some movement from the Brewers toward some of these five options.