Brewers: 4 Position Battles to Watch Throughout Spring Training

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.