Brewers: 4 Position Battles to Watch Throughout Spring Training

Brewers Roster Battles: Bullpen Spots

The Brewers love their bullpen, and for good reason. They have relied heavily on it, and the bullpen has not disappointed. Craig Counsell has a knack for bringing out the best in relievers while they are here (Jordan Lyles, Drew Pomeranz), and don’t forget two of the most dominant relievers in the game: Josh Hader and Devin Williams.

But there are several players who are fighting for a bullpen spot. The Brewers have 11 pitchers in camp as non-roster invitees, and among those with the best shot of breaking camp with the team are Brad Boxberger and Blaine Hardy. Meanwhile, J.P. Feyereisen, Ray Black, and Bobby Wahl are three players who will also be battling for a bullpen spot.

Assuming the Brewers will carry an eight-man bullpen, there appears to be only one spot not accounted for. The Brewers have never been afraid of shuttling players back and forth, working to maximize usage of pitchers, and minimizing wear and tear on their arms.

Despite being a late signing, Boxberger appears to have the best chance to appear on the Opening Day roster. While you can never have too many left-handed arms, between Hader, Suter, and assuming Lauer is on the roster, it gets tougher to see a way for Hardy to make the team.

Feyereisen struggled in his small sample size this past season, and could make it back to Milwaukee at some point this season. Bobby Wahl only pitched 2.1 innings last season after coming back from a torn ACL, and could be a factor at some point this season. Ray Black has no options remaining, meaning if he does not make the Opening Day roster, he will be designated for assignment. Unfortunately for Black, that may be the fate coming, as he is on the outside looking in at this moment.

The Brewers rely heavily on the bullpen, and it has remained mostly the same from last season to this season, which will provide consistency, and continue to keep the team in games.

Brewers Roster Battles: Third Base

The Brewers missed out on Justin Turner, which blew up the plans for a big splurge in free agency, and made Spring Training more interesting, as there are multiple viable options the Brewers could go with to man the hot corner.

The Brewers signed Zach Green to a minor league contract this offseason, and then signed Daniel Robertson to a major league contract. Despite the positives that incumbent third baseman Urias has, he unfortunately does not have the power that is typically associated with the hot corner, and that is the biggest issue in handing the keys to the kingdom over to Urias.

The Brewers also have reportedly brought back Travis Shaw as a non-roster invitee. Given that Craig Counsell is a fan of people who can play multiple positions, and who hit left-handed, that could give Shaw a leg up in the battle for a roster spot.

Despite being the incumbent shortstop, Orlando Arcia has also been taking reps at third base, and Counsell has said he is open to using Arcia at third as well. The inclusion of Arcia into the contenders creates even more confusion right now. As it stands, Shaw is the only lefty in that group, which bodes well for him to make the roster, given the Brewers affinity for left-handed hitters, and Shaw has proven he can succeed in Milwaukee before.

Counsell is a fan of L/R matchups, and is quite open to platooning players. Between that, and the crop of players in Spring Training, it may very well be that no player will win the position outright, but instead on Opening Day we see a Urias/Shaw platoon, with Urias splitting time at third and shortstop. That may not be the most ideal setup, and it would be quite unconventional.

But unconventional is the way Craig Counsell manages.

Brewers Roster Battles: Shortstop

This battle is dependent on third base. Right now, there are lots of different combinations that the Brewers could run with, including Orlando Arcia at third. But the starting shortstop role is still undetermined. Arcia does have an advantage as the incumbent, but nothing is guaranteed.

Unlike third base, which appears to have numerous possible results, shortstop appears to only have two contenders for the starting spot: Orlando Arcia and Luis Urias.

When Urias was acquired, it appeared to many that Arcia’s days were numbered in Milwaukee. However, between COVID and a broken Hamate bone, Arcia was able to hold onto the job for one more year. Arcia is still only 26 years old, and could be making his fifth Opening Day as the starting shortstop. He is still a good defender, but has not panned out as well as some may have hoped given his prospect ranking.

Top prospect Brice Turang is 21, and is likely a year or two away from making an impact on the Brewers roster. He is in camp with the team, and technically may make the roster, though it is not likely at this point.

Shortstop seems to be the least up in the air of the positions battles to watch in Spring Training, with only two real contenders, but still there are a lot of different ways the dominoes could fall and resolve itself.

Could Arcia win the job outright, and force Urias back to third? Possibly. Could Urias win the job outright, forcing Arcia to the bench, and adapt to become a utility player? Potentially. Could David Stearns swing a blockbuster trade for Trevor Story? Unlikely, but weirder things have happened.

Ultimately, while there are plenty of knowns in regards to the Brewers roster. There are equally as many unknowns. Especially for a team that emphasizes depth and versatility as much as the Brewers do, these decisions and battles that will be won will have major ramifications on the season.