Brewers: 3 Free Agent First Basemen The Brewers Need To Sign

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The Brewers will need some help at first base in 2021 and these free agents could help.

It’s no secret that the Brewers are going to need to make an addition at first base this offseason. Justin Smoak, Logan Morrison, and Jedd Gyorko are free agents and Milwaukee will need an upgrade.

But who can they get?

There aren’t really any high-profile first basemen on the market, especially after Carlos Santana signed with the Royals.

However, there are still some options that could help out this Brewers offense. The only current option the Brewers have is Daniel Vogelbach and he’s more of a designated hitter than he is a first baseman. Even if the Brewers wanted to put him there, they need someone else to pair with him.

If the Brewers do go the free agent route to fix this hole instead of the trade route, here are three players who need to look at signing.

1. Daniel Murphy

Here’s a previously productive yet possibly past his prime option. Daniel Murphy has been one of the best contact hitters in the league over the last 6 years or so. But despite heading to Colorado in 2019, his batting average dropped to .279 and his OPS+ dropped from 107 to 88 from 2018 to 2019.

Murphy’s power numbers took a bit of a slide and he only hit three home runs in 40 games for the Rockies in 2020. Perhaps his down numbers in 2020 can be attributed to the weirdness of the season, but Murphy is heading into his age-36 season and decline is a possibility.

A stop in Miller Park might jolt his offensive numbers back up for a career resurgence. In 125 career ABs in Milwaukee, Murphy has a .296/.376/.456 slash line with three homers and 11 RBIs.

Murphy was primarily a second baseman earlier in his career but has made the full-time switch over to first base as he’s gotten older. In parts of 10 seasons at first, Murphy has a net +21 DRS, by far his best defensive position.

He can handle the role and if the Brewers believe there still is something in that bat where he can be productive regular with some pop, he would be a good short-term fix in Milwaukee. With his left-handed swing, Murphy could thrive.

This move might feel a little like Justin Smoak last year, but Murphy has a longer track record of success and a much higher ceiling and much higher floor than Smoak ever had.

PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 07: C.J. Cron #26 of the Detroit Tigers in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 7, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

2. C.J. Cron

Despite taking on a sort of journeyman role, playing for four different teams over the last four seasons, C.J. Cron could be a great fit with the Milwaukee Brewers.

A right-handed hitter, Cron could platoon well with Daniel Vogelbach at first base and provide just as much power to the lineup.

From 2015-17 with the Angels, Cron consistently hit 16 homers a season while being kept in a part-time role since Albert Pujols was also in LA. After moving around to Tampa Bay and Minnesota and getting more playing time, his power numbers increased as well, hitting 30 homers with the Rays and 25 homers with the Twins.

In 2020, Cron signed with the Tigers but only played 13 games before missing the rest of the season due to knee surgery. He was off to a great start, hitting four home runs in those 13 games with an .894 OPS.

Cron is going to turn 31 years old in January, so he’s not old enough to have to worry much about a decline like with Daniel Murphy.

In his career, Cron is a .257 hitter with 118 homers, a .776 OPS and 111 OPS+.

He’ll likely strike out somewhere between 20-25% of the time, which isn’t too bad for a power hitter like Cron. He was up around 30% in 2020, but with such a small sample size, it’s hard to put much stock into that. His career strikeout rate is at 22.5%, which is easier to handle.

Cron doesn’t have much positional versatility, only playing first base or DH, but he has +7 Defensive Runs Saved at first in his career.

Another one year deal for Cron would be the likely outcome this offseason. He signed for $6.1MM with the Tigers in 2020 and given that he’s coming off knee surgery, that number is likely to decrease in 2021.

Perhaps the Brewers could bring Cron in on a one year, $4-5MM contract to be a stopgap at the first base position, and possibly be a platoon partner for Vogelbach, but Cron can handle everyday first base responsibilities.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 07: Mitch Moreland #18 of the San Diego Padres reacts after hitting an RBI double during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Two of the National League Division Series at Globe Life Field on October 07, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

3. Mitch Moreland

The Padres declined the $3MM option on Mitch Moreland‘s contract back in November, making Moreland a free agent.

It was a tale of two seasons for Moreland, hitting .328 with a 1.177 OPS and eight home runs in just 22 games for the Red Sox earlier in the year. Then he was traded to San Diego at the deadline and hit just .203 with a .609 OPS and two home runs in 20 games for the Padres.

It makes sense why the Padres wouldn’t want him back after that, but his overall numbers on the year are still strong.

Moreland has been a pretty consistent offensive presence in his career, posting a career .252/.320/.448 slash line over his 11 seasons. He’ll provide somewhere between 15-25 home runs a season and will be a slightly above league average bat.

At this point in his career, the 35 year old Moreland is more likely a platoon option at first base against right-handed pitchers.

Because Moreland is a lefty bat, he’s not an ideal platoon partner with Vogelbach, who’s currently on the roster. If things change and the DH is allowed in the NL next year, then Moreland becomes a far better fit on the roster.

There’s a glut of left-handed first base/DH-type hitters to fill a platoon on the market, which is likely to suppress Moreland’s salary demands. He might not get much more than what his $3MM option was on the open market.

That makes him affordable for the Brewers.

Most of these players might wait to sign until there is more clarity on the DH being in the NL next year.

Next. Good, Bad, and Ugly of a potential Josh Hader trade. dark

Most of the options on the market are going to be one-year stopgap fixes at the position. If they want a long-term solution, a trade is the most likely route. If they can’t get one in a trade, a free agent like one of these three players make the most sense.

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The Brewers will need some help at first base in 2021 and these free agents could help.

1. Daniel Murphy

2. C.J. Cron

3. Mitch Moreland

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