With Brewers management aiming to move closer to a World Series, this off-season could get interesting. It has been no secret that Milwaukee’s owner Mark Attanasio is upset with how the 2022 season unfolded. Already, the Brewers have been busy re-acquiring catcher Payton Henry from the Marlins. With free agency around the corner, the Brewers need to develop a plan for who they want to acquire.
Brewers’ Staying Busy?
Milwaukee could be on the verge of something special. Considering the injuries and struggling to hold onto wins, narrowly missing the playoffs was an improvement from where the team was. Making the playoffs would’ve made the 2022 season less disappointing, but Brewers fans still had higher expectations.
Sign Reliever Trevor May
One of the more intriguing relievers available is Trevor May. May broke into the league with the Minnesota Twins, but it took three league stints before he found himself. In 2018, the then 28-year old registered a 3.20 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched. In 2019, May logged his best career season with an ERA of 2.94 across 64.1 innings.
97 from Trevor May to get out of the 7th! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Wnuy5FkIqM
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 21, 2022
May left Minnesota for the New York Mets in 2021. In two seasons in New York, May pitched 87.2 innings and had an ERA of 4. After multiple injuries and struggles with consistency in New York, May became a free agent and now could add value to the Brewers bullpen. His combination of high-end velocity and break influence is rare and May has proven that during his dominant times. Giving May a two-year deal to get out of his head and maintain his health would be a low-risk option for the Brewers to add pitching.
Re-sign Utility Jace Peterson
The Brewers have a handful of free agents scheduled to leave the team. Among them is utility man Jace Peterson, who had arguably his best season in 2022. In 328 plate appearances, Peterson batted .236 with an on-base percentage of .316. Peterson knows how to get on base and in the modern day MLB the ability to do so is becoming more valuable.
NO ONE'S stopping Jace Peterson 💪#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/scj8NuRfje
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 3, 2021
The Brewers had a team OBP of .315, which ranks 13th in the MLB. The only players with a higher OBP this season for the Brewers than Peterson were Christian Yelich (.355), Kolten Wong (.339), and Luis Urias (.335). Peterson adds versatility and an ability to get on base in limited at bats. For a limited price, the production will certainly be worth it for the Brewers, which makes bringing back Peterson one of the better decisions for the team.
Sign Utility Jurickson Profar
Jurickson Profar made his MLB debut at 19-years old before earning a roster spot at 20. In 2018-19, Profar found his stride crushing 40 homers before joining the Padres the following year. The production at the plate hasn’t been the same since, with 2022 being the closest replication in production with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. The defense, however, has been exceptional for Profar who logged four errors all season in the outfield.
This play won the Padres the game.
Jurickson Profar has made so many plays this season that might not end up on Sportscenter but end up helping the Padres win.
Fantastic player. pic.twitter.com/zIKQn5VwAJ
— Devine Sports Gospel (@DevineGospel) August 10, 2022
This season was the breakout for Profar who seems to have put everything together again. Profar recorded a 3.1 WAR in 2022 which is nearly half of his career 6.3 WAR. Out of the other players mentioned on this list, Profar would be the most expensive player to acquire for the Brewers. Given his defensive highlight reel and the sudden increase in power again, there should be a competitive market for the 29-year old. Along with this, Profar has also played every position besides catcher and could provide flexibility to the Brewers.
Trade for Catcher Danny Jansen
One player who has found himself in a sticky situation is Danny Jansen. Both Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen split time at catcher for the Blue Jays, and each of them also missed time due to injuries. However, the most interesting part is that Kirk and Jansen were both All-Star candidates. Now, the Blue Jays are looking to move on from one of their catchers to solve their logjam.
Alejandro Kirk won the American League Silver Slugger at catcher and was also named an All-Star starter. Kirk has made quite the case to solidify his starting job after hitting .285 in 2022. Kirk also only struck out 58 times in 541 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Jansen only had 248 plate appearances but still hit 15 home runs and hit .260 in an injury plagued season.
The Blue Jays haven’t come out and made Jansen or Kirk available yet. However, due to their current situation and the success of Kirk, Jansen will likely move on. The Blue Jays are currently flooded with talent and need to make room for other players. They have had a desire to bolster their starting pitching after spending 2022 to add hitters. A trade involving Adrian Houser could make a lot of sense for both sides.
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