The Milwaukee Brewers don’t have a third outfielder. They have multiple players who make good fourth or fifth options. Blake Perkins, a defensive whiz. Garrett Mitchell, who has promising pop for a center fielder – when healthy. Jake Bauers, a solid platoon piece in the corners or at first base. Christian Yelich, who is really a DH. Don’t forget Brandon Lockridge, a fine defensive replacement in a pinch.
Alongside Sal Frelick in right and Jackson Chourio in left or center, they don’t have a starting-caliber name on the roster. That’s fine, but not for a team serious about building on last season’s magical run and taking it one step further. Given organizational precedent, of course, it’s unlikely the Brewers will take any worthwhile swing in free agency.
If they did, however, former Gold Glover Harrison Bader would be hard to beat as a high-upside impact player in a salary range far below the likes of a Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, or any other name priced several galaxies beyond the Brewers’ payroll.
Adding Bader could do worlds for both depth and starting lineup upside
Let’s be real. Rolling out a Perkins-Mitchell platoon in center isn’t a serious answer for what should be a World Series contender next season. Neither is asking Yelich to log real innings in the corners or over-relying on Bauers. Adding an outfielder in free agency makes sense. More than that, it should be seriously explored.
General manager Matt Arnold won’t, but a guy like Bader fits much of what the Brewers look for in that he does a lot of things well. Good speed, solid power, draws walks and can still make plays in the field. In his ninth career season for the Twins and Phillies, Bader enjoyed a resurgence at the plate, slashing .277/.349/.449 with 17 home runs and a 3.9 WAR.
No longer elite with the glove, even at 31 he is a better option than either Perkins or Mitchell. He’s the type of player who would fit perfectly as the regular starter with Perkins as a backup. Making one of Mitchell or Bauers expendable would be a good thing.
The only problem is, Arnold wouldn’t be able to sign him for couch change and a gas coupon. Per Spotrac, Bader’s market value is around $10 million per year, putting him well above Milwaukee’s preferred free-agent price range. Even if he took less – he signed for $6.25 million last cycle coming off a far less successful year – it’s unrealistic to think the Brewers would come close to considering him as an option.
Which is unfortunate. Among mid-tier options, Bader might be the most appealing name available. Austin Hays, who had success in Baltimore but has fallen off since, could be another name to watch for teams willing to reinforce the middle of their rosters.
Neither are likely to end up in Milwaukee. Instead, the Brewers seem happy to take their typical platoon route, making do with what cheap options are available. Coming off the most wins in franchise history, however, the stakes are different. It’s also sorely apparent that the roster of position players was just a tad deficient, team-wide slump or not, to compete with the likes of Los Angeles in the NLCS.
It doesn’t help justify the offseason inertia that Chourio spent appreciable time injured last season, as did Mitchell, Bauers, and Perkins. Isaac Collins, traded to Kansas City, is no longer an option. The Brewers have left themselves a thin margin for error while rivals upgrade. Milwaukee may not have Dodgers money, but the team can afford to improve around the margins via pieces like Bader. Fans, of course, won’t be surprised when they don’t.
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