How Brewers should shuffle infield after Willy Adames departure, Yankees trade

The past few weeks for the Milwaukee Brewers have been busy, as they have seen star shortstop Willy Adames sign a huge deal with the San Francisco Giants before sending elite closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees.

Nestor Cortes Jr. was the big name the Brewers got in return for Williams, with the pitcher coming off of an injury hindered season now expected to slot into the rotation and impress in a contract year. Perhaps the real boost for the Brewers will be infielder Caleb Durbin; the 5-foot-6 switch-hitter is versatile and showed real promise in claiming the Arizona Fall League Breakout Prospect of the Year award this past fall.

The infield will experience a lot of variation this season as Pat Murphy looks to find the best combination for the team. Let's take a look at how they should shuffle around the diamond.

Projecting the Brewers' Infield After Willy Adames Departure, Yankees Trade

First Base - Rhys Hoskins (for now)

Rhys Hoskins was the big offseason acquisition for the Brewers heading into the 2024 season and, despite a hot start, he struggled to leave a real impact on the team. The first baseman missed the 2023 season with a serious injury, and it may be unfair to have expected him to be back at his best last summer, but he hit a measly .214/.303/.419 with a negative -0.2 WAR. That didn't exactly set the world alight. However, he was second on the roster with 26 home runs and added 82 RBI. That's a solid return. He found himself in the DH slot at times, alternating first base reps with Jake Bauers.

Rumors from Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic this week suggested that the Brewers are open to moving the veteran and his $22 million contract after he accepted his player option. Tyler Black is likely to see some opportunities at first base this season, but whether he is the long-term option there has yet to be seen.

For now, it is likely to be Hoskins manning the position, as the Brewers hope he can start well to improve his trade value (unless they make another deal this offseason).

Second Base - Brice Turang

Durbin and Joey Ortiz offer versatility, but the easiest decision here is that Gold Glove winner Brice Turang will keep second base locked down, and he may well be in for a shot at making the All-Star team this season. His defense at second backed up the rotation the Brewers used in 2024 brilliantly, and that was a rotation that thrived on a lot of movement. Turang's defensive output was essential.

In just his second year in the majors, Turang took quite a significant leap offensively to splits of .254/.316/.349 with a 4.7 WAR and .665 OPS. The second baseman isn't a big power-hitting threat, but he registered 57 RBI and 50 stolen bases, another weapon he provides the Brew Crew. Having that danger on the base paths is just another issue for the opposition to worry about.

Second base is Turang's but Ortiz, Durbin and even Andruw Monasterio can slot in if needed.

Shortstop - Joey Ortiz

Losing Adames as the team's leader in home runs and RBI is going to be really tough for the Brewers to replace, but moving Joey Ortiz over from third to shortstop looks like the best route to go. The third baseman came over in the Corbin Burnes deal and really flourished in his first season in Milwaukee, hitting 11 home runs, notching 60 RBI, and posting 11 stolen bases, all on solid splits of .239/.329/.398 with a .726 OPS. Having played just 15 times for the Baltimore Orioles in the 2023 season, this represented a good showing from Ortiz considering it was his first real experience in the majors in a new city.

There is the possibility the Brewers go out and add a specialist shortstop this winter with the likes of Ha Seong-Kim available, but that would then hinder one of the Brewers' youngsters, causing them to miss vital playing time as they look to progress and build for the future.

Turang can slide over to short if needed. Monasterio is perhaps the most versatile on the roster, and Durbin can do a job there, too. Ortiz looks like the best option to move more permanently, and a partnership with Turang would be one of the best defensively in the league. Cooper Pratt or Jesus Made are the long-term options for shortstop, but both are a couple of years away from arriving in the majors.

Third Base - Caleb Durbin

Durbin is listed as a second baseman, but has shown versatility to play across the infield. He was expected to make the Yankees' 40-man roster this coming season, but now he becomes a real promising piece for the Brewers moving forward and gives Murphy options as to how to use the infield. In the AFL, he hit .312/.427/.548 with five home runs in 24 games, to go with his league record 29 stolen bases.

Aaron Boone recently had high praise for Durbin, calling him a "stud with great bat-to-ball skill and elite ability on the base paths." He and Ortiz might be swapped round and experiemented with throughout the season, but it feels he might be best suited to slot in at third for the start of the season, while Ortiz slides across to shortstop. Brock Wilken is expected to arrive this coming season, but he struggled in 2024 and may continue to develop in the minors.

It will be a much changed infield for the Brewers in 2025, but Murphy's options look great. An overflow of young talent is a good problem to have, and will allow them to experiment with a variety of combinations.