Popular Brewers trade target just had surgery that calls his availability into question

With Joey Ortiz on hand as the best internal option for the Milwaukee Brewers to replace Willy Adames at shortstop, a hole has been left on the other left-side-of-the-infield spot: third base.

Milwaukee has a ton of different options on the free-agent and trade markets if they elect to go external rather than having a prospect, say Tyler Black, come up and take the spot.

Should the Brewers choose to go the external route, one player that stands out as an option that's also previously been mentioned as a fit before, is Maikel Garcia of the Kansas City Royals. Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase posted on X a picture from Garcia's personal Instagram account sharing that the infielder had recently underwent right elbow surgery.

This news makes Garcia's availability on the trade market a bit more complicated, but the good news is that he should be ready to go for 2025 spring training, as relayed by Anne Rogers of MLB.com via a team official.

Prime Brewers trade target Maikel Garcia undergoes elbow surgery

The skills Garcia brings to the field that could be of interest to the Brewers couldn't be more apparent. He's young and controllable, he's blazing fast and he plays strong defense all around the infield. This past season, the 24-year-old made it into 157 games for the Royals, recording 39 extra-base hits, driving in 58 runs and going 37-for-39 in the stolen base department.

The Brewers are always a team that values speed on the bases and in the field, so Garcia and his 66th percentile Sprint Speed and sharp baserunning etiquette would be welcomed in Milwaukee.

On defense, the infielder calls third base his home the vast majority of the time, but he's capable of also playing an above-average shortstop and a well-above-average second base. This past year, he finished in the 76th percentile in Outs Above Average and 68th in Arm Strength. The ability to put up numbers like this at multiple positions, especially third and short, make him all the more valuable.

Garcia doesn't quite the fit the mold of a traditional power-hitting third baseman, but a potential role on the Brewers could look more like an oft-used utility player who gets a ton of playing time all around the infield. The fact that he's under team control through the 2029 campaign will surely make him harder to land in trades, but he's a glove-first player who doesn't have a strong bat to lean on. Ultimately, he could be a solid and somewhat affordable piece for Milwaukee should they choose to pursue him.

More Brewers News from Reviewing the Brew