5 Potential Chain-Reaction Effects of Sal Frelick Playing Third Base

The Milwaukee Brewers have valued flexibility and welcomed unconventional defensive positioning for a while now. However, turning one of your top outfield prospects into a semi-regular third baseman within a handful of weeks during Spring Training might be a new level of craziness (or genius). With no one grabbing the third base job with authority and a surplus of highly-valued talent in the outfield, Murphy's wild idea gained traction and appears to be a legitimate part of the 2024 plan. If Sal Frelick is up to the challenge, as many have touted, it will give the Brewers greater roster malleability and affect MLB playing time for a few others.

Garrett Mitchell gets a regular starting role
Most saw the projected outfield trio of Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Frelick leading the way in 2024. Under that plan, Mitchell was likely to serve as the fourth outfielder, with some even thinking he might start the season in Triple A to develop his bat. If Frelick is manning third base even occasionally, Mitchell's elite defense and tantalizing offensive tools become essential pieces of the puzzle.

Murphy seems to like Mitchell's upside. He has had Mitchell bat leadoff quite a bit, either as a sign he might like him in that spot or simply to make sure Mitchell gets plenty of at-bats against MLB-caliber pitchers, in order to better evaluate him. Mitchell might have the biggest gap between the floor and ceiling of any player in the upper levels of the Brewers organization. His high strikeout rate (worse than Joey Wiemer's) is a significant concern, but his potential to wreak havoc by pressuring the defense on the bases could be a game-changer.

Garrett Mitchell hit the first pitch he's seen in the big leagues since April 18 for a double. I don't know about you, but I've seen enough to put him on the WC Series roster. pic.twitter.com/bStQqINqFl

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) September 28, 2023

Either Joey Ortiz or Brice Turang loses playing time
Milwaukee will still mix and match at times around the infield, but adding Frelick to the recipe takes innings and at-bats away from someone else. Since Murphy appears to be all-in on a Turang rebound, it more likely means fewer opportunities for Ortiz, at least in the early going. The slick infielder acquired in the Corbin Burnes trade would have seen a fair amount of time at third before the Frelick experiment took root, but now it's probably more of a part-time role when a southpaw is on the mound.

Should Turang's bat continue to falter and Ortiz prove his mettle at the dish, that could swing more second-base playing time toward Ortiz as the year progresses. Again, this is an effect of Frelick's ability to cover the hot corner, meaning Ortiz is more available to handle second if Turang looks like his 2023 self offensively. We'll also see how it impacts Andruw Monasterio's role, if he opens the season on the 26-man roster. With Oliver Dunn optioned to Triple A and Tyler Black reassigned to minor-league camp, Monasterio has the inside track to the final position-player roster spot, assuming the Brewers don't go with three catchers.

Three catchers make the Opening Day roster
Murphy isn't typically a fan of carrying three catchers, as it limits in-game flexibility around the rest of the field. However, having Frelick cover infield and outfield spots is like having two players in one. That opens the door to try a trio of catchers, although it would mean one fewer backup infielder or outfielder. It's impossible to ignore what veteran Eric Haase has done in Arizona, slashing .414/.469/.897 with four home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI in 32 plate appearances. While analyzing spring stats is often a fool's errand, Haase has proved to be a valuable backstop in the past, 2023 notwithstanding.

The other impetus for keeping Haase might come down to defense. Although William Contreras will catch the vast majority of innings, there could be concern about Gary Sánchez's defensive ability. Sánchez's poor reputation behind the dish with the New York Yankees might have been overblown, and the Brewers are wizards at improving catchers' defensive skill, but there is still legitimate cause for doubt. The perceived issue could be a reality, as Sánchez has four passed balls in just two games at catcher. He will be on the 26-man for his offense and (probably) see plenty of time at DH, but the defense early in the season might warrant a more extended look at Haase, too.

Joey Wiemer or Blake Perkins make the Opening Day roster
Since Frelick won't be an everyday outfielder in this scenario, the Brewers will want to have an additional outfielder for matchup-based offensive moves, defensive purposes, and to fill holes when Yelich takes some turns as the DH. If Frelick was planning to be only an outfielder, it wouldn't have been guaranteed that a fifth outfielder would be necessary. Now, it feels inevitable.

With Yelich, Frelick, and Mitchell all left-handed sticks, Perkins (a switch-hitter) and Wiemer (a righty) complement them nicely. But who is it going to be? On offense, Perkins gives the Brewers better at-bats and walks more often than Wiemer, but strikes out at a similar rate. Wiemer has far more power and a greater upside in terms of skill. Defensively, they both cover a lot of ground, though Perkins is a purer outfielder and Wiemer has the better arm. It comes down to how much the Brewers value Wiemer getting daily at-bats, because he will not get regular chances at the plate if he remains with the big-league club.

Frelick struggles at the plate
Fans don't want to think about it, but position changes often dampen offensive production. Plenty of players go through issues at the plate when learning a new position or bouncing back and forth. As athletic and competitive as Frelick is, it does take exceptional talent and mental strength to pull this off in the major leagues. It's one thing to do it in spring training, or for a few innings at a time, but when the bright lights are on and the challenge is more frequent, it can take a lot out of a player.

Most believe Frelick will take a step forward with the bat, regardless of other factors. It's important to remember that one facet of the game can impact another, and it will be interesting to see how Frelick handles it. Should he struggle early on at the plate while trying to balance the two positions, will Murphy decide to pull back on the experiment? As with most decisions, it will come down to weighing the overall, teamwide pros and cons and how they affect the Brewers' success.

All of these roster decisions hinge on the assumption that Jake Bauers, acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees, has a spot on the roster as a left-handed first baseman and DH. Milwaukee saw something they liked in him, and he's out of options, so one would think he gets a shot to open the season. The Brewers didn't give up anything precious in exchange, but GM Matt Arnold might not be keen on exposing Bauers to other teams, risking losing him before he steps foot on the field. 

Regardless, the "Frelick-at-third" plan becomes more intriguing as the 2024 season draws closer. It will be fascinating to see how this strategy will impact several players (and Murphy's in-game choices) to begin the new year. How confident are you that playing Frelick at third base will help the Brewers more than it hurts?