3 former Brewers fan favorites who are still seeking jobs as 2024 spring training approaches

2. DH Keston Hiura

Keston Hiura was a somewhat polarizing figure in the Brewers fanbase. A former first round pick, Hiura arrived in 2019 with incredible hype and praise. His pure hitting ability was exciting those in the front office and he had plenty of power as well. His rookie season went as well as hoped, but it was all downhill from there.

Hiura slumped in 2020 then struggled hard in 2021, losing his everyday job and never really getting it back, yo-yoing between Triple-A and the big leagues and never finding a rhythm. Then-manager Craig Counsell pigeonholed Hiura into a platoon role as a right handed bat facing lefties, but Hiura struggled against lefties and was much better against righties. His reverse splits and poor defense didn't help him break Counsell's lineup.

Coming into 2023, Hiura was out of options, and was DFAed. He was outrighted to Triple-A where he spent the entire season, destroying the International League with a .308/.395/.565 slash line, 23 homers, and 77 RBIs in 85 games.

Hiura elected free agency at the end of the season and despite his strong numbers in the minors, he's still without a team heading into 2024 spring training. Hiura is a defensive liability that is limited no matter where you put him in the field. That makes him a tough fit on a big league roster considering his struggles at the plate the past few years in the big leagues.

Hiura's going to be looking at minor league deals in all likelihood, especially at this point in the calendar. His hope is to get into a camp somewhere and hit his way onto the roster. He's proven he's better than Triple-A, but hasn't proven he can succeed in the big leagues. It's a tough spot to be in but a rebuilding team could take a flier on a minors deal and hope Hiura can find the form that made him a Top 10 pick all the way back in 2017.