Is Andruw Monasterio Losing His Place as the Milwaukee Brewers' De Facto Utilityman?

In 2023, Andruw Monasterio was a fun story, with the Venezuelan notching clutch hits and playing perfectly passable defense during the dog days of the season. Last year, on the other hand, revealed something different. Recording a .575 OPS while playing subpar defense at both second and third base, Monasterio hindered the Brewers during times when they may have liked a more robust complement to their left-handed batters.

Monasterio has attempted to add strings to his bow, gaining experience manning the outfield grass in the Venezuelan Winter League and even stepping in to play first base on occasion in 2024. Monasterio is a fantastic clubhouse guy, happy to take on any role that puts the team first. Not many players would have taken the limited playing time as well as Monasterio did, turning up every day with a smile on his face and looking forward to an opportunity to play ball. Many would have turned the environment more toxic in such a situation, and it's entirely to Monasterio's credit that he encapsulated the profound joy of being a Major League Baseball player.

That being said, a higher-upside replacement is likely to garner more playing time and avoid the clubhouse issue in doing so. Monasterio's struggles at third base were palpable, and by season's end, there wasn't a place that the Brewers were comfortable fielding him. This is critical for a utility player, particularly with the way in which the Brewers roster is set up. Unfortunately for Monasterio, there appear to be others with a higher defensive capability and versatility in spring camp at the moment.

With Caleb Durbin looking good to make the Opening Day roster, the Brewers would have room for an additional utility man, from the group of Tyler Black, Vinny Capra, Monasterio and Oliver Dunn. The Brewers kept Capra on their 40-man roster throughout 2024, despite a mediocre .261/.348/.382 slash line with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Capra has started hot this spring, but this isn't the main reason for the pressure on Monasterio, especially as the home run power likely isn't sustainable. Rather, it's the fact that Capra plays an above-average third base, second base and even a passable shortstop, giving full infield cover off the bench while bringing to the plate the same strong swing decisions Monasterio brings—all while elevating the ball extremely well:

Then you have Dunn, who has spent the offseason trying to develop more coverage within the strike zone and, like Capra, has started the exhibition season swimmingly. As a left-handed hitter, it's unlikely the Brewers would want Dunn to replace Turang (ahead of, say, Durbin or Capra), but he graded out very strongly at the hot corner in 2024 and possesses far and away the most upside of the spare infielders vying to make the roster. Dunn's raw athleticism may further complicate the matter, but the Brewers may want Dunn (who has options remaining) to develop further at Triple A and target a mid-season callup.

Black regressed noticeably in 2024 with the bat, and has defensive limitations at every position on the infield, which would inherently disqualify him from being the Brewers' "utility infielder". He's likely to start the year back in Triple A, in search of more offensive thump and a steadier defensive home. For now, at least, he should be excluded from the infield conversation.

So you have two options, both with better defensive capabilities and slightly (or significantly) higher upside with the bat. Yet, ultimately, it may come down to this: Monasterio and Dunn have minor-league options remaining; Capra does not. The Brewers prize such depth and how it allows them to ensure coverage throughout a season.

The real worry for Monasterio is what happens if Capra performs admirably on the Brewers as a defensively versatile infielder, and Dunn gets to grips with his swing after seasoning in Triple A. In that scenario, where does he fit in the pecking order? Cooper Pratt, Brock Wilken and more are going to be vying to push their case in 2025, toward Nashville and beyond. There's a very real situation in which, if Monasterio doesn't crack the Opening Day roster, he may not don the Brewers blue again.