Milwaukee Brewers' Talented Farm System May Prevent Them from Addressing Their Infield Needs

In a preseason poll, I guessed that the Brewers' 2025 MVP would be Sal Frelick because I foresaw a need for him to play third base. Of course it would be nice to see Sal being treated like the Gold Glove right fielder that he is, but the low-rent state of the Brewers doesn't allow for that. We just saw Jackson Chourio kick a game because Frelick was bypassed to play center field. Versatility is the glue that holds this team together. My preseason vision included tangible outfield contributions from Garrett Mitchell and Tyler Black, but, barring that, Frelick moving to third would merely leave a hole in the outfield.

You've gotta wonder what Black has to do to get some playing time.  I'd make this a sink or swim situation for him.  Toss him at 3rd and tell him to have at it.  He can't possibly hurt that side of the infield from an offensive standpoint.  Durbin and Ortiz are just horrific with the bat.  I'd hate to see Pratt, Made or any of the others rushed up at this point.  Black is either gonna break through or he isn't.   

Attendance is down 5K per game. The Brewers should rent or trade for a 3rd baseman for this year and next to make an effort to compete or fans will stop coming to games completely. It’s not like Wilken or any of the other prospects at the position are a sure thing. Arnold should not be afraid to trade some of that talent in the minors to acquire a proven big leaguer. I don’t buy the small market excuse either that the Brewers can’t afford to play in free agency. That’s just BS owners want the fans to believe. Attanasio has lots of bucks. He should spend some to invest in his team and fans will return.

16 minutes ago, Bob K said:

Attendance is down 5K per game. The Brewers should rent or trade for a 3rd baseman for this year and next to make an effort to compete or fans will stop coming to games completely. It’s not like Wilken or any of the other prospects at the position are a sure thing. Arnold should not be afraid to trade some of that talent in the minors to acquire a proven big leaguer. I don’t buy the small market excuse either that the Brewers can’t afford to play in free agency. That’s just BS owners want the fans to believe. Attanasio has lots of bucks. He should spend some to invest in his team and fans will return.

The trade that would make the Brewers' lineup potent would be for Nolan Arenado, who is owed $74 million for the next three seasons and who needs to leave St. Louis in order for the Cardinals to launch a youth movement that Chaim Bloom will oversee. Outgoing President John Mozeliak has "Trade Arenado" atop his to-do list, but Arenado has been playing hard-to-leave. He has spoken fondly of the Brewers in the past, but I kind of doubt that Matt Arnold would want him to interfere with his own youth movement, not to mention adding a sizable salary to the payroll. 

3 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

April/May attendance numbers aren't really comparable with full season numbers.

School is still in session and it hasn't been nice out for more than two days in a row yet.

I think the point is that the Brewers have become hard to watch. They need an injection of slugging to be competitive, and they're not getting enough from Yelich, Contreras, Chourio, Ortiz and Mitchell. 

I don’t see any possible 3b upgrade that’s enough of a “sure thing” to bring this team into contention.  They’re going nowhere without better contributions from their stars.
 

I don’t really mind if this turns into a soft rebuild year.  It’s not my preference, and we aren’t quite there yet, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. A lot of stars seem to be aligning for our division rivals this year. Let them have their moment, get a high draft pick for once, come back rejuvenated next year.

7 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

It can hurt but what is more likely is that it delays their development. In extreme cases, it can really get into someone's head and they never develop. Would they have developed otherwise? Hard to say but it's possible.

But what can more easily happen is that if you push a guy two levels and he isn't ready, he's so hopeless out there that he falls into bad habits that later need to be unlearned. Or he's so bad he gets benched and no longer receives the reps he should be getting. Either way, his development isn't only paused, it's pushed backward.

A pitcher rather than a position player, but Nick Neugebauer comes to mind.

On 5/13/2025 at 5:58 AM, Jake McKibbin said:

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers have a problem on the left side of their infield. It was an area of major concern coming into the season, where the front office hoped for a solid season from Joey Ortiz and passable offensive production from Oliver Dunn and Caleb Durbin to manage this season. That hasn't played out so far, with the Brewers placing dead last at a 26 WRC+ from third base, and 29th out of 30 teams with a 31 WRC+ at shortstop. 

Having two such black holes at the back of a lineup (that isn't blowing off the roof at the top, either) creates myriad offensive problems. It's beginning to look like the Brewers need some external help, if they want to compete in 2025. Internally, the next cab off the rank at Triple A is likely to be Bobby Dalbec, and while he has some thump, he hasn't been able to hit enough at the big-league level to make that count, with a slash line of .199/.272/.328 in 520 plate appearances since the start of 2022.

The problem the Brewers have (perhaps it's just a "problem," really, but it's a thing) is that from Double-A Biloxi on down, the talent occupying the left side of the infield is tantalizing. Brock Wilken has rediscovered his form early this season, increasing his swing rate as the season has progressed and slashing .382/.476/.912 in May, with five home runs and a 23.8% strikeout rate. Note: all of this is occurring in one of the toughest offensive environments in pro baseball, the Southern League. Wilken's defensive action and range have improved markedly since entering the Brewers system, and after a lost season in 2024, he seems to be regaining some of his first-round draft pedigree. Pairing solid defense with on-base skills and some heavy raw thump would be a sight for sore eyes on this Brewers team.

Even more highly coveted is shortstop Cooper Pratt. Defensively superb at shortstop, Pratt is just 20 years old and sporting a 13.4% strikeout rate to a 9% walk rate in Double A. A very young player for the level, Pratt hasn't shown the same thump as Wilken, but has considerable polish at the plate. He's demonstrated good swing decisions and an ability to get into his pull side for some power. Sporting a 109 WRC+, Pratt was recently rated as high at Baseball America's No. 28 prospect in all of baseball, with the chance of more power still to come from the 2023 draftee.

The timeline for Wilken and Pratt is likely to be 2026, with both expected to reach Triple A at some point this season. It's possible Wilken could go on a tear and force his way into conversations by September, but 2026 seems a more realistic timeline for both. The real chance that at least one of these two, or possibly both, could be there next Opening Day leaves the Brewers in somewhat of a bind, especially when you consider that Mike Boeve and Luke Adams may also be at the highest level of the minors by that point.

When you think of the emergency Willy Adames trade made in 2021, the Brewers didn't make a splash on a one-year rental. Mark Attanasio and Matt Arnold have both talked about the need to balance winning now and winning in the future, with an even priority between them. It's the same situation as the Quinn Priester trade, where the Brewers saw something they could mold and benefit from over a number of years. They don't make big trades for one-year rentals.

If the Brewers are as high on Pratt as the rest of the league, while Wilken continues to flourish, they mightn't feel the need to upgrade significantly on the left side of their infield. They'll hope for some bounce-back from Joey Ortiz, who just shouldn't be producing at his current level with the sheer talent he possesses; and that one of their two infield talents can break with the team next season.

The cost of acquiring another shortstop blocked or squeezed on their current depth chart—such as a Jordan Lawlar, Marcelo Mayer or Alex Freeland—would be extortionate. Instead, to make full use of the farm system coming through with Wilken and Pratt in 2026 (accompanied by a wave of talent, in Josh Adamczewski, Eric Bitonti, Jésus Made and Luis Peña the following year). the Brewers might deploy their resources elsewhere this trade deadline.

In an ideal world, Brock Wilken would be at Triple A already, having never suffered a fractured orbital bone in his face and without the accompanying eyesight issues that followed. He would be closing in on a promotion, and the wave of talent behind would flow seamlessly in tow. Alas, that's not how it's panned out, and the question becomes whether the Brewers are tempted to throw some chips into this 2025 season, or if their poor start and general malaise have left the front office reluctant to spend on a rental bat that may have little-to-no impact on their overall ability to even reach the playoffs.

Instead, Durbin (who looks more like a utility player than an everyday starter) is garnering a lot of reps at the hot corner, while Ortiz is working his way through timing issues with a shortened leg kick. For the production provided, both are being given a lot of leeway simply because there isn't anyone better to fill those roles.

With a loaded farm system, the timeline for the Brewers has reached an awkward point. Consistently intent on competing year in and year out for the playoffs, their third base and shortstop positions have left much to be desired. Reinforcements are coming, but not rapidly enough to assist in 2025. How should the Brewers address the situation? let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

 

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They should make a trade regardless. There are prospects we can trade and make things happy