5 Free Agent Options to Bolster Third Base for the Brewers

[Ryan Pollak]

They've reinforced the pitching staff and found their backup catcher. Now, how can the Brewers fill their third-base vacancy via free agency?

Image courtesy of © Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Brewers need upgrades at the corner infield positions. Their projected starters at those positions are Andrew Monasterio at third base and Jake Bauers at first.

The Crew can make do with these guys for the start of the season if they please, or even add prospect Tyler Black to the equation. However, there are a lot better bats out there in free agency. They've already dipped their toes into the free-agent market, bringing back both Colin Rea (one year, $4.5 million, plus a club option) and Wade Miley (one year, $8.5 million with an option and some incentives) and adding pitcher Joe Ross and catcher Eric Haase on cheap deals. Maybe they can look into deeper waters for some pop in the lineup.

With the payroll currently projected to be around $93 million, the Brewers should have upwards of $20 million to spend. Today, we look at 5 options (from unrealistic to realistic) who could man the hot corner. We’ll save first base for another day. Here are five players the Brewers could sign from free agency to play third base.

5. Matt Chapman (Highly Unlikely)

The former Toronto Blue Jay is easily the best third baseman on the market today. That being said, it will not be easy to get him, and the price tag might simply be out of the Brewers' range. Chapman is coming off a season wherein he hit .240/.330/.424, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. He had an average exit velocity of 93.4 MPH off the bat, making him one of the hardest hitters in MLB last season.

He not only delivers that power (and perhaps considerable upside beyond last year's numbers), but also provides a great glove on defense. Chapman won his fourth career Gold Glove at third base in the American League in 2023. At the age of 30, Chapman still has plenty of good years left in him and would be looking for a long-term contract. However, since he is the best on the market, there will be a lot of other teams vying for his services.

The Cubs, Giants, Mariners and Yankees could all look to buy the talented third baseman. MLB Trade Rumors projects Chapman to get a deal somewhere in the six-year, $150-million range. The Brewers could pay that type of money, but wouldn’t be able to make another move, unless they trade a big contract away.

The Brewers are a long shot when it comes to Chapman. The market is quiet right now on him, though, which could work to the Crews advantage. If they could pick up the former All-Star, the organization would have the third base position locked up for years to come. Chapman was Matthew Trueblood's top free-agent fit for the Crew earlier this offseason.

4. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (Unlikely)
If the Brewers want to add a cheaper defense-first option, then Kiner-Falefa would be a great choice. A former Gold Glove winner at third base in 2020, the sometime New York Yankee has hit .261/.314/.346 for his career. Whether the pitcher throws lefty or righty, Kiner-Falefa consistently gets on base at a near-average rate. Don’t expect too much power from the infielder, however, as his career total of 26 homers in six seasons illustrate.

Despite the lack of pop, the Brewers are one of the many teams reportedly interested in IKF. With Christian Yelich, William Contreras and Willy Adames already providing the power in the lineup, the Brewers might be looking for a more of guy who gets on base, and who plays superb defense at multiple positions while hitting at the bottom of the lineup.

Sounds like the Brewers are in on Kiner-Falefa which isn’t shocking.

Burnes and Adames to the Dodgers seems to be something everyone can sort of see happening. I’m still not sure I see them moving Adames.

Also, this is kind of funny ⬇️ https://t.co/OaS9umdZU2 pic.twitter.com/TtyvNsoPyJ

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) December 6, 2023

Kiner-Falefa is 28, one of the youngest available third basemen. If the Brewers want him, the team will have to beat out the 11 other teams who have shown interest in him.

Spotrac has IKF valued at around $6.5 million a year. If he’s looking for a multi-year deal, he's not likely to find any more than that as an annual average, but two years and $14 million could be reasonable. It might be a slight overpay, but his versatility and glove make it plausible.

3. Justin Turner (Possible)
Back in the 2020-2021 offseason, the Brewers were interested in Turner, before he opted to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then in 2022, the Dodgers bought out his club option, and Turner became a free agent. The Brewers tried once again to bring him to Milwaukee, only for the Red Sox to sign him to a deal.

Guess what? Turner is a free agent once more, and the Brewers have a small hole in their corner infield positions. He’s now 39 years old and he is not showing any signs of slowing down, at least at the plate. For the Red Sox, Turner hit 23 home runs, drove in 96 runs and had a .276/.345/.455 slash line. Believe it or not, this was his worst line since his tenure with the Mets, from 2010-2013. At this point, he might have another year or two before he really falls off, which is all the time the Brewers really need to develop their infield prospects.

Turner has experience playing first base; that’s just another position at which the Brewers could use an upgrade. The Crew would only need to give Turner a one-year deal (maybe with an option) to bring him in. The only team, besides the Red Sox, who may be preventing him from joining Milwaukee is David Stearns's Mets. They need some sort of pop in their lineup and have recently shown interest in Turner, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. With Stearns having more money to spend, he could finally bring in the bat he's been craving for years. Or maybe the Brewers offer a $10 million annual deal, with Stearns striking out on Turner for a third time.

2. Gio Urshela (Likely)
Urshela will be entering his age-32 season, with a career .277/.322/.423 slash line. His home run numbers might not jump off the page, but he is a right-handed batter who consistently gets on base. His strikeout rate was at 15.8 percent last year, and those contact skills seem to be sticky for him.

What would make this signing even better is his ability to hit against left-handed pitching. The Brewers struggled to find a consistent bat against lefties last year, even among right-handed hitters who seemed like they ought to have thrived in such matchups. If skipper Pat Murphy intends to use the same matchups-based lineup flexion Craig Counsell did during his tenure, then Urshela seems like a regular in the lineup.

Like Turner, Urshela has experience at first base, too, making way for an upgrade at both corner positions in the infield. There hasn’t been a huge amount of news on him. Why is that? Urshela’s 2023 season came to an end early, after he suffered a left pelvic fracture in June. He signed a one-year, $8.4-million contract last offseason and will surely come cheaper this year.

As mentioned earlier, he hasn’t been in discussions with any teams, at least in the public eye. The Brewers could offer something similar to what he made with the Angels in 2023. They could probably get away with paying less due to the injury risk, but he should be ready to go at the start of spring training.

1. Mike Moustakas (Most Likely)
This is not a suggestion. Rather, it's an acknowledgment that this is the direction the team could most likely go. But a reunion with Moustakas could be a nice way to ease Monasterio into the starting role. Since his days with the Brewers, Moustakas has been a part of the Reds, Rockies and (most recently) the Angels. Last season, Moose signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies and got off to a hot start. In 47 games, he had a .270/.360/.435 slash line, with four home runs and 17 RBI.

His line could’ve been inflated thanks to Coors Field, but his hitting didn’t stop after he was traded to the Angels in June. Yes, his batting average and on-base percentage declined, but he was still able to hit eight more homers in the second half of the season. It was the first time Moustakas played more than 100 games since 2019.

Injuries have seemed to derail his career. Whether it was calf strains or a heel contusion, Moose was never seeing time on the field. This season might have helped build up his confidence in hitting, as he was posting on-base numbers like his prime years.

He may not be the same guy he was back in 2019, but the Brewers could benefit from his bat in the lineup. With the addition of Moustakas, the Brewers could create a platoon at third base. He was more successful hitting against right-handed pitchers, whereas Monasterio saw the ball better against left-handed pitchers.

It wouldn’t even cost as much, as Spotrac suggests his market value to be somewhere in the $4 million range. It’s not the best upgrade at the hot corner, but it can be serviceable for the one year while the likes of Tyler Black and Monasterio develop.

Honorable Mention: Josh Donaldson
If the Brewers don’t want to spend a lot of money via free agency, then they could bring back Donaldson on a cheaper one-year deal. There has to be a reason they brought in the veteran to play third base.

After being released by the Yankees, Donaldson joined the organization on a minor-league deal in late August, making him eligible for the playoff roster. With Monasterio’s struggles in a second trip around the league, the Crew called up Donaldson to play third base regularly. He wasn’t hitting the best during the regular season, but had two hits in seven plate appearances in the postseason. His bat looked quicker and he made harder contact than many expected when he first signed.

According to Josh Wegman of The Score, Donaldson will only play another season given the right situation. Donaldson would sooner ride off into the sunset than chase one more season of playing time with a rebuilding team. If he doesn’t find the right team, we may have seen the last of the Donaldson. The brewers are that right team; it's less clear whether he's the right player for them.

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How much the Brewers want to spend this offseason remains a mystery. It’s fair to say the organization has quite a few options. They already missed out on Jeimer Candelario, but what’s left out there can still help. Which players would you like to see the front office go after? What other positions should the Brewers look at to upgrade? Let us know in the comments below.

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[Stubby66]

Cmon seriously you gotta do a better job of writing things realistically that may actually happen.