3 crucial organizational needs for Brewers to address in the 2024 MLB Draft

Brewers Draft Need #2: Catcher

The Brewers place a very high priority on the catcher position. Not only is the quality of the defense there crucial to the Brewers run prevention unit, getting offensive production out of that spot is also a priority. Milwaukee has shown the ability to teach catchers how to improve defensively, something they've done with Omar Narvaez and William Contreras.

The Draft isn't about addressing immediate team needs, it's about projecting needs a few years out and keeping a pipeline of talent available at those positions. Catcher could be one of those needs.

William Contreras has a few seasons of team control left and unless he agrees to a contract extension, it's very possible he could find himself traded away before he reaches free agency. The Brewers do have a top catching prospect in Jeferson Quero that could be the catcher of the future.

However, Quero suffered a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder early this season and will miss the whole year. While the Brewers feel confident that Quero's elite throwing arm will return to pre-injury levels, there's a potential that it doesn't. Outside of Quero, the Brewers don't have much for catching prospects behind him in the minors. He's the only catcher in the Brewers top 30.

Should the Brewers draft a catcher early on, by the time he's ready for the big leagues it would be right around the time Contreras is reaching free agency or being traded away, barring an extension. Contreras' dwindling team control, the uncertainty with Quero, and lack of a top catching prospect behind him makes catcher an area of need to address in this year's Draft.

Possible fits: Sam Houston State's Walker Janek and Stanford's Malcolm Moore are first round options the Brewers could take to headline this class. Cal's Caleb Lomavita could be another day one option. NC State's Jacob Cozart and Texas Tech's Kevin Bazzell also are logical Brewers targets.