Article: Should the Brewers Extend Brian Anderson?

[Harold Hutchison]

The offseason signing of Brian Anderson didn’t generate a ton of waves, but Anderson has proven to be a solid acquisition so far for the Brewers. Through Thursday, he has posted a 108 OPS+, and has held down both third base and right field at various points of the season. Should Milwaukee try to keep him around for the long term?

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

 

The Brewers have had some difficulty keeping third base nailed down, with a different primary starter every season since Travis Shaw posted 4.5 wins above replacement in 2018. Now, some of those who ended up as the primary third basemen, like Jace Peterson and Luis Urias, often played other positions in addition to third base. Anderson is no different, having split time between third base and right field.

But is he worth keeping around?

Miami Marlins

Anderson came up with the Miami Marlins, where he posted a career .750 OPS while primarily playing third base and right field, with brief stints at first base, second base, left field, and shortstop. His best seasons, 2018-2020, saw him put up a 162-game average of 35 doubles, 20 homers and 80 RBI, per Baseball Reference.

In 2021 and 2022 he declined, dealing with injuries, but still put up an OPS+ of 87 and had a total of 9.7 WAR, or about 1.9 WAR a season. His worst year, 2022, saw him put up 0.5 WAR.

However, the Marlins lost patience, and granted him free agency this past November. The Brewers signed him for $3.5 million, and he becomes a free agent after the season.

So Far With The Brewers

Anderson has been a crucial player for the Crew, holding down third base in the absence of Luis Urias, who is on the 60-day injured list. Through the games of May 25, he is hitting .236/.326/.430, for a .756 OPS and a 108 OPS+. The Brewers carry a 1.5-game lead into the weekend, and Anderson has been a superb offensive contributor. He clearly has earned a spot in the lineup, even when Urias returns from the IL. But at age 30, is he worth keeping around beyond 2023?

Prospects In The Minors

The Brewers, of course, have Tyler Black hitting up a storm in Biloxi, and it seems like he will force his way to Nashville sooner rather than later, while Patrick Dorrian is handling third at Nashville and Cam Devanney has struggled at AAA.

Black, though, is a left-handed hitter, and in 2022, he spent a lot of time on the shelf, which not only affected his regular-season performance, but also his time in the Arizona Fall League. There is also the fact that AA to MLB in a year is a huge jump, and the Brewers have seen other prospects (Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer) struggle in the majors at first.

So, it would seem prudent for the Brewers to keep Anderson around, given that Urias missed significant time in 2022 and 2023 with injuries. But what will he cost?

Comparable Players

Danny Santana earned comparable money to Anderson prior to 2023, but since his August 2022 release, he has not been in a league per Baseball Reference. Jeff Baker played from 2005-2015, and earned a maximum of $2.1 million from the Marlins in 2015, his last season. Jeremy Hermida bounced around five teams from 2005-2014, and earned $3.345 million in 2010. It looks like Anderson could command some sort of pay increase for his performance with the Crew.

Should the Brewers decide to lock Anderson down, it would make a lot of sense both as a hedge against the injury history of Urias and Black and to maybe serve as a platoon partner for Black in the 2024-2025 timeframe. The best choice would be to offer him a two-year contract at $5 million a year, with a team option for 2026.

It might seem expensive, but given the massive rash of injuries the Brewers have seen in 2023, Brian Anderson is probably one of the better insurance policies to have around.

 

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[jay87shot]

I would be ok with like a 1 year extension and say 5/6 million but not much more or longer. With Miller playing well and Urias close to being back Anderson should be in RF more. He has had a nice year but is still just an average player in my mind.

[BlightyBrew]

I would.  The Brewers won't.  They only like to keep filling the same holes in roster every year.  Which is pretty much the same holes they make for themselves.

Anderson is the 3B.  Turang plays SS and Miller at 2B.  When Willy and Urias get back to the active roster,  Willy is at SS/Urias is at 2B with Miller as the utility player.  Turang gets sent down.  Ride with Taylor in RF.

 

 

[ClosetBrewerFan]

i'd be ok with extending Anderson.  2yr deal for $10M would be ok.  I doubt Anderson would go for a 1yr extension as he will want the security of a longer deal.  He has some flexibility being able to play 3B/RF and likely a few other positions.  Question is with his injury history, not sure the Brewers would do it

[endaround]

$5 million per year? Anderson is an above average 3B or an above average RF if healthy. Anderson should get at least  2 years $22 million with a 3rd year option.

[wiguy94]

There’s no need to rush to extend him. He’s a guy who was non-tendered largely because of his recent injury history keeping him off the field/unproductive on the field. Rushing to extend him because he’s stayed healthy for 50-ish games could seriously backfire for Milwaukee.  

[LouisEly]

51 minutes ago, endaround said:

$5 million per year? Anderson is an above average 3B or an above average RF if healthy. Anderson should get at least  2 years $22 million with a 3rd year option.

Then how come he was available for 1 year, $3.5M in late January?

Two months isn't going to convince any GM to give him $11M/year for multiple years if none were willing to give him more than $4M for one year a couple of months ago.

[Jopal78]

Sure, if Anderson took an extreme cut rate deal like those suggested above. But  in reality that’s not going to happen.
 

People around here must really not pay attention to going rates for free agents in todays game.

Anderson, if he keeps his production up, will be a 10 million a year player at  minimum, and given the dearth at 3B league wide most likely in the 12-13 million dollar range, a price at which the Brewers won’t be interested. 

[endaround]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

Then how come he was available for 1 year, $3.5M in late January?

Two months isn't going to convince any GM to give him $11M/year for multiple years if none were willing to give him more than $4M for one year a couple of months ago.

Because he played in 67 games in 2021 and 98 games in 2022. So yes he'll be available for $5 million if he has a season ending injury this year in the next month.

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, endaround said:

Because he played in 67 games in 2021 and 98 games in 2022. So yes he'll be available for $5 million if he has a season ending injury this year in the next month.

His injury history is exactly why I wouldn't want to give him any sort of extension, so no thanks to extending a 30 yr old guy who can't stay healthy because he's a corner IF/OF option who's hitting about 0.250 and OPS-ing in the mid-700s - pretty much his career norms.

The Brewers should be looking for ways to upgrade his roster spot moving forward, not solidify him into it.