5 Recently Non-Tendered Players the Brewers Should Consider Signing

2. C Andrew Knizner

Another spot the Brewers need to address is at the catcher. Clearly their starting catcher spot is set with 2023 MVP vote-getter William Contreras at the helm. Currently, though, he has no backup as Victor Caratini became a free agent at the beginning of the offseason. Top 10 prospect Jeferson Quero will likely be the backup some day, but he missed a lot of his 2023 Double-A season due to injury and likely needs some time at Triple-A before making his MLB debut.

Perhaps, then, they could look to a recently non-tendered catcher from a division rival in former Cardinal Andrew Knizner. The 28-year-old had a decent year hitting in 2023, hitting .241 with a .712 OPS, but was essentially squeezed out of the picture in St. Louis with other younger players ready to take a larger role.

The Brewers do tend to value strong defense out of their backup catchers and Knizner falls a little short in that category with a career -13 defensive runs saved and 21% caught stealing rate. We all know the wonders Milwaukee's catching development team can work, though, so if he can hit perhaps they can turn the defense around.

3. OF/DH Austin Meadows

It seems as though every offseason the Brewers take a shot on a player who could have a bounceback season. One such player with a strong pedigree and multiple seasons of proven offensive success is former ninth overall pick Austin Meadows.

Meadows has a career .259/.333/.472 slash line and 120 OPS+ in six seasons with the Pirates, Rays, and Tigers. His strongest seasons were in 2019 when he hit 33 homers and 89 RBIs with a .922 OPS and was an All-Star and in 2021 when he hit 27 homers and 106 RBIs. He received MVP votes in both of those seasons.

Then came 2022 and 2023. It started with missed games due to vertigo and an achilles issue and then resulted in him stepping away from the game entirely to address his mental health. Meadows has been working on a return to MLB and would be a great story if he's able to complete that process. And with the designated hitter position being such an issue for most of 2023, the Brewers should give him a look.