This electric prospect could be the Brewers' third baseman by the end of April

Throughout the offseason and into spring training, Milwaukee Brewers fans pleaded for the team to acquire a proven third baseman in an effort to patch up the obvious hole that the team had at the hot corner. Those pleas were partially addressed when the Brewers flipped their All-Star closer, Devin Williams, for Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin. Durbin wasn't the proven big-leaguer that fans were hoping for, but his "toolsy" skillset was at least something to be excited about.

However, when Opening Day rolled around, Durbin's absence from the big-league roster confused the fan base. The Brewers instead opted for second-year lefty Oliver Dunn and right-handed spring training superstar Vinny Capra as a platoon to cover third base.

Both Dunn and Capra have struggled to start the season. Dunn, who logged 41 games for the Crew last season, has yet to live up to his eye-popping 2023 season in Double-A. After his hitless effort in Tuesday night's matchup with the Detroit Tigers, Dunn's average has fallen to .171 on the season, while striking out in nearly a third of his at-bats. Capra got off to a hot start with a home run on Opening Day, but hasn't done much since, with his average falling to .100.

With Dunn and Capra off to slow starts, it might be time to give the Brewers' offseason acquisition, Durbin, his shot at the big leagues.

It's time to give Caleb Durbin a shot in the big leagues

Durbin posted a .275 average last season across three minor league levels, including a lengthy stint in Triple-A where he hit .287. His impressive performance in the Arizona Fall League (AFL), in which he hit .312 and broke the AFL stolen base record with 29 steals, instilled confidence in a Brewers team searching for an everyday third baseman.

This season, Durbin is hitting .280 in 50 at-bats. Neither Dunn nor Capra is anywhere near 50 at-bats, and they are not even close to Durbin's batting average. Additionally, Durbin, whose power has been questioned, has already slugged two home runs in Triple-A this year.

In Nashville, Durbin has started the majority of his games at third base, but he's mixed in two starts at second base as well. While Durbin is known for his solid defensive ability, he has already committed two errors in 64 innings of work at third base so far this year.

It's possible that the Brewers could try a different option at third base before giving Durbin a shot. In that scenario, the two likeliest candidates would be Andruw Monasterio and Raynel Delgado.

Monasterio has just two starts at third base this season with Nashville, but has shown an ability to hold down the hot corner at the big-league level in previous seasons. However, his Triple-A numbers this year have been far from superb. The 27-year-old is hitting just .149 and has yet to drive in a run this season. His .415 OPS is nearly half the number that Durbin has put up this season.

Raynel Delgado had a solid spring training, finishing his time in Arizona hitting .269. But he's also off to a slow start in Nashville, hitting just .175 with five RBIs and four stolen bases.

Therefore, Durbin is the clear favorite to come out of Nashville as the Brewers’ next third baseman. With April halfway over and the team hovering around .500, the Brewers should not waste too much more time before making a move with Durbin. It's clear the team was high on him as he was a key addition to the Yankees trade, so it's time to pull the trigger and see what he can do in the big leagues.