The Milwaukee Brewers could definitely use some pop on the left side of the infield. After benefiting from 43 homeruns between Willy Adames and Joey Ortiz in 2024, they’ve gotten five so far this season from their starting shortstop and third baseman. To address this need, they could pursue the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon, a perennial 20-homer hitter and three-time Gold Glove finalist at the hot corner: MLB.com writer Mark Feinsand lists the Brewers among McMahon’s best-fit destinations. Certainly his bat would help, but is third base a position to target in a trade?
Milwaukee Brewers’ Biggest Hole Is the One at Shortstop
Adames’ free agency departure shook up the Brewers lineup in a big way, forcing Ortiz to shift from third to shortstop. The transition has not been a smooth one. With Ortiz playing in 72 of 74 games coming into Thursday, the Brewers had accrued an MLB-worst -1.9 Wins Above Average at the position. Per Fielding Bible metrics, his defense has cost them five runs.
Things aren’t going any better at the plate. Ortiz entered this afternoon with 2 homeruns, 11 RBIs, and a .506 OPS – this after a productive 2024, in both the batter’s box and the field, playing third. What the Brewers really need is someone to relieve some of the burden at short – not a third baseman.
Over there, Caleb Durbin is holding it down after a slow start. He’s shown improvement offensively, smashing a two-run shot versus Chicago. Overall, of course, the stick isn’t his strong suit. The homerun was only his third of the season, bringing him to 24 RBIs. He came into the day slashing .216/.307/.311.
His value is in his glove, with which he has saved the Brewers five runs. His defense has given him a solid 0.7 WAR overall, starting-caliber value in 53 games played. He’s done enough to deserve the starting job.
Ryan McMahon Is Appealing Add, But Only If Brewers Figure Some Things Out Beforehand
Shortstop is Milwaukee’s biggest need, but unfortunately there isn’t as much of a market. Thus, despite the potential for a backlog with Durbin, McMahon is an intriguing option.
Of available infielders at the sub-blockbuster level, the lifelong Rockie might be the most valuable. Since a horrendous April in which McMahon hit .126, he’s been raking at the dish: .274 AVG, .376 OBP, nine homeruns and 20 RBIs. His defense has been phenomenal as usual.
He would be the everyday third baseman in Milwaukee, relegating Durbin to spot sparts and perhaps a trial at shortstop, where he played 17 games in the minors last year. Trying someone else at short might actually not be a bad idea if Ortiz continues to struggle. Lately, though, he’s shown a bit of life. Including a 2-4 day in the Brewers’ 8-7 win this afternoon, he’s gone 10-34 since June 7.
30 years old, McMahon is under contract through 2027 at $16 million per year after this season – he would be more than a rental. Manager Pat Murphy could plug him in anywhere in the top six spots in the lineup, supplying discipline and some badly needed power.
If the Brewers do go after him, though, they’ll have to either accept benching Durbin, who hasn’t earned a demotion, or see if he can play shortstop while backing up third on the depth chart. Based on performance, he and Ortiz would both get playing time in a platoon, obviating the need to rely on negative options simply for lack of alternatives. Meanwhile, the offense would get a boost.
Durbin’s growth and Ortiz’s poor play have put the Brewers in a strange spot. They might have to think outside the box in order to improve the roster, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take a swing in the trade market.
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