5 Burning Questions Facing The Brewers Right Now

Question #4: Can an answer be found at third base?

Third base was the big problem position for the Brewers this year as they struggled to find consistency. Luis Urias was the planned starter, but he injured his hamstring on Opening Day and missed a lot of time. Brian Anderson then took over but eventually lost his starting job. Andruw Monasterio came up and was solid but lacked power for the position. Josh Donaldson joined the team late and was okay but not spectacular.

Third base, and frankly both corner infield spots, have been a revolving door for years. The Milwaukee Brewers need an answer at the hot corner that provides the power hitting ability that's required of the position. In the previous slide I mentioned that Mark Canha could lock down first base, leaving third base as the biggest obvious need.

During his end of season press conference, GM Matt Arnold mentioned two names for playing time at third base next year: Monasterio and minor league prospect Tyler Black. Black has a great pedigree as a hitter but you never know what you'll get with rookies. The Brewers relied on a number of top prospects in 2023, but they all went through struggles at the plate and Black may not be any different.

Last year, the Brewers biggest need was a catcher and Matt Arnold swung big, landing William Contreras in a three team trade. Could Arnold swing big for a third base upgrade this offseason?

The free agent market is pretty weak. Jeimer Candelario and Matt Chapman are the top options but Chapman is coming off a down year. Candelario may be in a bidding war and the Brewers don't usually get involved in those. Matt Arnold surely can get creative and the trade market may be a better place to look, but third base needs an answer if this offense is going to be as good as it needs to be.