Brewers: Ranking The Best Offseason Acquisitions In 2020-21

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Early on in the offseason there were times when it felt like David Stearns would never make a move. Brewers fans were frustrated because they saw an opportunity to catapult to the top of the division standings.

Fellow NL Central teams also weren’t making moves, but the market just needed to heat up. If you know how David Stearns operates, you know he rarely leaves any stone unturned.

Once the stove started to heat up though, it almost seemed rare to not see the Brewers linked to a player. Some of the biggest names in free agency were seriously looking at Milwaukee as a destination. The list includes but is not limited to the likes of: Justin Turner, Jackie Bradley Jr., Marcus Semien, Marcell Ozuna, Rich Hill, Shin-Soo Choo Tommy La Stella, Trevor Rosenthal, etc.

Stearns and the Brewers front office were even right in the middle of one of the biggest trade rumors of the winter when they were linked to José Ramírez.

The reality of being a small market team can be a demoralizing feeling at times, but the Brewers were still quite active this offseason. So what were the best moves they made? Lets rank them.

6. SP Jordan Zimmermann

On February 9th, Jordan Zimmerman was signed to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. The Wisconsin native and UW-Stevens Point product will be competing for a fifth starter spot with Adrian Houser, Eric Lauer and Freddy Peralta.

So far in one appearance in Spring Training, he has appeared in one game and has allowed three hits, one hit batsman and one earned run in one inning of work.

Zimmermann has a nice career resume but has struggled as of late. In his first seven years in MLB with the Nationals, he was one of the best under-the-radar pitchers in the game going 70-50 with a 3.32 ERA in almost 1,100 innings of work and 178 starts. He led the league in wins in 2013 with 19 and was selected as an All-Star in 2013 and 2014, finishing in the top seven in the Cy Young race in both years.

After he left the nation’s capital, he signed a five-year, $110MM deal with the Detroit Tigers and things didn’t go as planned. His first year in Motor City was the only out of his five there, that he had a winning record at 9-7. Since that first year, Zimmermann has gone 16-34 with an ERA of 6.36 and gave up the most earned runs in the league in 2017 with 108.

A change of scenery could be huge for the revitalization of Jordan Zimmermann’s career but he has lost about four miles per hour on his fastball and encountered forearm, back, shoulder and UCL injuries in the past five half decade. It’s probably unlikely that he makes the Opening Day roster, but from the Brewers’ point of view, it’s a low-risk signing for a strike-throwing former All-Star.

In one inning of work in Spring Training, Zimmermann has given up a team-high three hits, one earned run, one hit batsman and has one punch out.

5. RP Brad Boxberger

The one-time AL saves leader signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on February 14th with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Brad Boxberger is looking to add to the already strong Milwaukee bullpen. The one thing the Brewers don’t have much of though in their relief pitchers is experience. Boxberger is a nine-year veteran that has been with five teams throughout his career.

This is a big month of March for him as he’s fighting for one of the few available bullpen spots on the Opening Day roster. In one inning of action in the Cactus League, Boxberger walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He’s coming off a nice 2020 campaign where he had a 3.00 ERA in 23 games and struck out 18 batters. He isn’t one of the many high velocity guys that Craig Counsell would have at his disposal as his fastball only averages out at 92 mph, but he does produce good spin on his heater, that actually ranks in the 90th percentile according to Baseball Savant.

Boxberger also produced a ground ball rate of 51.9%, the highest of his career thus far. Keeping the ball on the ground with the defense up the middle that is Orlando Arcia, Luis Urias and Kolten Wong sounds like a recipe for success for any Brewer pitcher this season.

We did predict Brad Boxberger to make the Opening Day roster, but it won’t come without fierce competition from the likes of J.P. Feyereisen, Ray Black, Angel Perdomo amongst others. It’s a good problem to have for skipper Craig Counsell, but with Boxberger signing to a minor league contract, he could definitely be one of the first guys called up if he accepted a minor league assignment and started off in Triple A Nashville.

Given struggles and injuries that are bound to arise throughout the relievers, I expect to see him on the major league roster this season.

OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 19: Daniel Robertson #2 of the San Francisco Giants bats during the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on September 19, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Giants 6-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

4. INF/OF Daniel Robertson

One of the more talked about names of this offseason once he was acquired was Daniel Robertson, and some of the things said about him might not be fair. When he was signed on January 12th, it was pretty well thought that he’d be one of the Crew’s infield utility men. He is a solid defensive player all around the diamond and has been trending upwards in the hitting department after slashing.333/.417/.333 in 13 games with the Giants last year.

But the lack of moves done to address the third base position put Robertson in an awkward spot. Fans were complaining about him being the potential starter at the hot corner. Now don’t get me wrong, Robertson could very well have a breakout season with Milwaukee this year, but he won’t begin the year as the day-in-and-out starter anywhere on the infield more than likely. He’s one of those guys that the Brewers cherish as an interchangeable piece.

Robertson was a first round pick in the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft but has yet to really live up to the hype that comes with being selected so early. The flashes he showed last year were enough to get him a non-guaranteed big league deal and this year could be a turning point in his career as he’s only on a one-year agreement with the Brewers.

He’ll get plenty of playing time as it’s safe to assume that more reps would only benefit the one-time highly touted prospect.

3. 3B Travis Shaw

The Mayor of Ding Dong City has inked a return to the place where he flourished and had some of his best years. On February 16th, Travis Shaw and the Brewers agreed to a non-guaranteed deal worth $1.5MM with another potential $1.5MM in incentives if he earns a roster spot. There’s also an opt-out option included that goes into effect on March 15th. The Brewers finally signed a third baseman just a couple weeks before the start of Cactus League games.

Similar to the players before him on this list, Shaw is looking to prove something with Milwaukee in 2021. While he’s had a tough last couple seasons, a reunion with the team that he hit over 30 home runs with in consecutive seasons may be the spark both sides need. In terms of pure production 2019 and 2020, Shaw would be more towards the back of the list, but given the fact that it’s a position of desperate need and Brewer fans have seen what he can do in Milwaukee, it’s a clever signing for David Stearns.

Travis Shaw had a horrendous 2019 season. It was an ugly ending for who many thought would be the starting 3B for the Brewers for the foreseeable future. But he did have a nice rebound year in Toronto last season. He hit .082 points higher and had more hits in 36 less games last year for the Blue Jays with one less home run. The strikeouts will always be an issue for Shaw, but if he can counteract those strikeouts with extra base hits, he could have a real impact on this team.

The competition at third base is already an interesting one as Craig Counsell has said multiple times that Orlando Arcia will be getting some time there with Luis Urias at shortstop. The problem is Arcia just doesn’t profile there as well, but the Brewers have become accustomed to not worrying about who “fits” where.. In two games down in Arizona, Shaw has gone 1-3 with two walks and an RBI to his name.

Don’t expect 2017/2018 Travis Shaw to just pop out of nowhere, but this was a very intelligent signing by the man that acquired him from the Red Sox in the first place.

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 24: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox looks on on deck during the ninth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on September 24, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

2. Jackie Bradley Jr. OF

Like a thief in the night, David Stearns worked his magic, once again luring an intriguing talent to Milwaukee. The Brewers agreed upon a deal to bring Jackie Bradley Jr., a one time All-Star and Gold Glover, to Milwaukee on a two-year $24MM contract with the second year being a player option.

This move shot up this list of offseason acquisitions thanks to the best season of his career at the plate coming in 2020 where he slashed .283/.364/.450. His batting average and on-base percentage were personal bests along with the highest walk percentage of his career at 10.6% and lowest strikeout rate at 22.2%. Bradley Jr. also belted seven home runs and hit 11 doubles to go along with five stolen bases, putting it all together offensively during a very abnormal COVID-impacted season.

In the field, he has been one of the best in the game for the last handful of years or so. Since 2015, JBJ’s +33 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) in center field is tied for fifth in the majors in that span, and his 19.9 UZR (Ultimate zone rating) is sixth. The Brewers now have three players in the outfield that have won a Gold Glove and with the recent addition of defensive wizard Kolten Wong, Milwaukee looks to boast one of the best defenses in baseball.

It may seem a bit confusing how Craig Counsell plans to maneuver the crowded outfield but if anyone can do it, it’s him. This is also not to say that there isn’t a possibility of a trade to be made that could move Cain or Garcia prior to the start of the season, but this current quartet of outfielders would probably be one of the best and deepest in the league.

1. 2B Kolten Wong

Are you surprised? Well I hope you aren’t shocked seeing him at #1, but I bet on February 5th you were. That was the day the Brewers made their biggest splash in the offseason. It was a two-year contract with a club option for a third season worth $18MM on the deal and the club option pushing the total to $26MM, if exercised for the best defender at his position in the MLB.

There was little to no speculation to the Brewers being in on Kolten Wong, but the front office swooped in and snagged the two-time Gold Glover from one of their division rivals. He will undoubtedly be the starting second baseman for Craig Counsell and will help sure up a position where the Crew struggled at defensively last year.

At the plate, Wong is a serviceable hitter that has a keen eye and can wreak havoc on the base paths. He owns a career slash line of .261/.333/.326 and has become one of the best in baseball at putting the bat on the ball and avoiding strikeouts, something the Brewers so desperately need. Not to mention, he had a career average over .300 in 217 plate appearances at Miller Park…hopefully the trend remains true at newly named American Family Field.

Kolten Wong was an important signing for the Brewers and fans should be excited to see the dazzling display that he puts on at second base. Couple a strong addition to the defense with a productive season at the dish and Wong could be one of the most underrated additions this offseason throughout the entire MLB.

Next. 3 Players Most Likely To Be Traded. dark

Stearns and the rest of the front office have done their part assembling pieces that appear to be in contention for a playoff spot for the 4th season in a row. Now it’s up to the players and coaches to produce and bring October baseball to Milwaukee once again.

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Brewers: Ranking The Best Offseason Acquisitions in 2020-21