The Milwaukee Brewers have some work to do this offseason if they are to repeat their success from 2023. Ta hey certainly do have a strong base to work with, though. Pat Murphy won NL Manager of the Year in his first season at the helm, leading one of Major League Baseball‘s youngest rosters to a level of success few outside of their own clubhouse believed they could achieve.
Star rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .275/.327/.464 with 21 home runs, 79 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. He became the youngest player in MLB history to have a 20-20 season in the process.
All-Star catcher William Contreras won his second consecutive Silver Slugger after hitting .281/.365/.466 with 23 home runs and 92 RBI. Astonishingly, he also played in 155 games, 120 of which were at catcher.
Young second-year players Brice Turang and Sal Frelick made their marks defensively, each taking home a Gold Glove at their respective positions.
Indeed, the future is bright, but there is still a lot of work to do.
The Milwaukee Brewers Need to Replace Willy Adames
Of course, the biggest question surrounding the Brewers this offseason is how they will replace the offensive production of shortstop Willy Adames. Last season, the final year of team control, the fan-favorite hit .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.
He set the Brewers franchise record for home runs in a season by a shortstop and became the first player at his position in franchise history to have a 30-20 season.
Now a free agent, there is little to no hope that he will be returning to Milwaukee. Murphy has already said that Joey Ortiz, who hit .239/.329/.398 with 11 home runs, 60 RBI, and 11 stolen bases while playing third base last season, will move over to shortstop.
This move is likely why the Brewers traded for Ortiz in the first place when they sent Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles. But while that solves the problem defensively at shortstop, it creates a new hole at third base and does not account for replacing Adames’ offensive production.
MLB Analyst Predicts the Milwaukee Brewers Will Trade Tyler Black
Since Milwaukee does not spend big money in free agency, their answer at third base may come via trade. One MLB analyst, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, believes that the Brewers may use their fifth-overall prospect, Tyler Black, to help them find a player who will help fill an immediate need:
“The 24-year-old probably fits best at first base, and while he lacks prototypical power for the position, he could profile as a Brandon Belt-type with solid on-base ability and doubles pop to go along with some legitimate wheels.
“If he proves he can handle third base at the MLB level, he could be the answer there with Joey Ortiz expected to shift to shortstop, but he could also be used as a trade chip to acquire a more proven veteran piece.”
As Reuter mentions, Black also could be moved to third base if the Brewers feel he can play there. However, Black hit just .204/.316/.245 in 18 games with Milwaukee in 2024. And while that is a small sample size, he hit .258/.375/.429 with 14 home runs and 67 RBI (to go with 20 stolen bases) down at Triple-A Nashville.
Black is certainly an intriguing prospect that could net Milwaukee a MLB-caliber third baseman or starting pitcher at the winter meetings.
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