The Brewers Need A Third Baseman In 2025: Here Are The Internal & Free Agent Options

Mind you, the team could keep Joey Ortiz at third base, move Brice Turang to short, and add a second baseman. But for this article, let’s keep things simple. Let’s just say Ortiz slides over to shortstop for 2025, and the club shops for a third baseman. 

Here are some options for next season:

Internal Options

Oliver Dunn: Dunn showed a nice glove in limited playing time in 2024, but his bat has a big hole in it, making him an unlikely everyday player. Is it possible? Sure. But it’s unlikely. Fans like to point out the 21 home runs Dunn hit at AA in 2023. But outside of 2023, he has never had double-digit home runs and holds a career .248 average in the minors. It’s just not that inspiring. But who knows?

Tyler Black: The team doesn’t seem to trust Black’s glove enough for him to be the full-time third baseman. Perhaps they will revisit things in 2025 and live with Black’s weak arm. But I find it unlikely. Black may get some reps at third base but on a limited basis.

Brock Wilken: Not ready. The man demonstrated some nice power at Biloxi but only hit .199. He needs more time.

Mike Boeve: Boeve missed part of 2024 with injuries but hit a robust .306 in 66 games at Biloxi. However, he lacks power, and - like Tyler Black - he has a weak arm. The team will probably give him more time in the minors as they figure out his long-term position, which may be first base.

Andruw Monasterio: He’s an adequate reserve who isn’t that good. 

Free Agents

The free-agent options at third base are not particularly exciting. The good players will be too expensive. Most of the other free agents are past their sell-by dates. One may have a nice rebound campaign in their bat, but to count on such a thing would be foolish.

Too Expensive
Alex Bregman, Ha-Seong Kim. Unless a perfect storm brews up, the Crew won’t be fishing in these waters. 

Please No
J.D. Davis. Davis is a hack in the field and should be avoided. 

Too Old
Justin Turner. Respect to the man as he can still hit, but at 40, he’s done being a full-time (or even part-time) fielder.

Mediocrity
Gio Urshela and Paul DeJong—neither of these guys is inspiring. DeJong has some pop in his bat but not much else, and Urshela does a little bit of everything but not much else. 

Rebound candidates
Wilmer Flores, Brandon Drury. Flores and Drury are just a year removed from quality seasons, but both had miserable years in 2024. Drury’s year was shockingly bad, with a .169 batting average and a sub-.500 OPS. This after two straight .800 OPS years. Flores was not quite as bad in 2024, but not by much. He was never the best fielder and may be best suited for first base. 

Injury concerns
Yoán Moncada. Moncada has only played in 208 games in the past three seasons. But at 29, he is the youngest of this group of free agents. His batting averages over the past four years are .263, .212, .260, and .275 (note the last number was for 2024 and included only 40 at-bats). He has hit double-digit homers five times and produced seasons of 4.0+ bWAR in 2019 and 2021. Moncada has been erratic, which is probably tied to his injury history. When healthy, he has produced. 

Trade Candidates

There are many trade options out there, but I’ll hit on three that could be available.

Eugenio Suárez. The Diamondbacks third baseman is owed $15 million on a team option for 2025. The club will likely pick it up, as the 33-year-old Suárez hit .256 with 30 home runs in 2024. Such numbers would nicely replace Willy Adames' production. The big question would be if Arizona would trade Suárez. The man’s production has often been erratic - and he strikes out - a lot. And there’s the $15 million. The Diamondbacks have some options to take over third if they move on from Suárez, but none are clear-cut. Thus, dealing him would be a risk. Suárez shouldn’t cost too much as a one-year rental, but other teams would likely be in the market for him if he were made available, driving up the price.

Ke’Bryan Hayes. Really? Hear me out on this one. Hayes had a poor 2024 and struggled with back issues. He’s under contract for at least five more seasons for $43 million. So why would the Brewers want him? The answer is to look at Hayes’ 2023 season. He hit .271 with 15 home runs and a solid .762 OPS while playing outstanding defense. He had consecutive seasons of 4.4 and 4.0 bWAR in 2022-23. 

The Pirates are the Pirates and may want to move on from Hayes and his contract. While $8 million a year isn’t cheap, it’s not expensive either. If the Pirates are willing, Hayes shouldn’t cost much to acquire (other than taking on the $40+ million contract). 

Also, Hayes will turn 28 in January, so the team won’t just be getting him in his twilight years. But let’s not think he’ll turn into a slugger. He is not going to replace Adames’ numbers. If he hits .258 and a dozen home runs (basically his career averages), he’s doing pretty well, assuming his defense remains top-notch. That, however, is a big question. Hayes’ defense is where he derives a majority of his value. Back injuries are tricky, just look at Christian Yelich. 

In the end, the Pirates would have to be interested in dealing with Hayes, and the Brewers would have to be convinced that his back problems are a thing of the past. But a Turang/Ortiz/Hayes infield would be sweet to watch. 

Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Another Pirate? This move would really annoy fans, as many will want a power bat. Kiner-Falefa is not a power bat. He’s a glove-first infielder who hits for a decent average - and modest power. He has never hit more than eight home runs in a season. He doesn’t walk often but doesn’t strike out excessively, either. In 2024, it added up to a .269 batting average and a sub.-700 OPS. But he did produce 3.6 bWAR.

Adding Kiner-Falefa to play third base would essentially be doubling down (or would it be tripling down) on slick-fielding, light-hitting infielders. Kiner-Falefa/Turang/Ortiz would be a pitcher’s delight. But such a move would mean sacrificing power in 2025. 

Kiner-Falefa’s ability to play all over the infield would fit nicely with the club’s penchant for defensive flexibility among its players. He will be 30 in March 2025, and he has one year (at $7.5 million) left on his deal. So, any trade should not cost the team much, and there is no long-term commitment. 

What will the Brewers do in 2025?

As always, the answer is that they will look at everything. There is no clear-cut answer. They’ll poke around the trade market, inquire about free agents, and assess their internal assets. 

Ultimately, don’t expect a big free-agent signing like Alex Bregman. Instead, expect them to look at Suárez as his production and acquisition cost would fit in with the team’s philosophy. If Suárez is unobtainable or costs too much, the next step would be to look at free agents with a higher upside. The guy that jumps out is Yoán Moncada. He is a risk due to his injury history. But if he stays healthy, he would be a nice addition. Moncada won’t hit 30 home runs, but he’s historically been a solid defender at the hot corner, and if you can get a .756 OPS - his career number - that’s a big win. 

After that, I wouldn’t be surprised if the club went after someone on a low-cost deal - or even a minor league deal - in hopes they would rebound. Brandon Drury fits this mold. He’s a right-handed bat who could be paired with the left-handed Dunn. Of course, you must feel good that Drury can rebound after an awful 2024. 

If the club wants stability and predictability - a guy they can send out to third base every day and get a respectable performance (but not much else) - then Gio Urshela or Isiah Kiner-Falefa are your guys. They won’t hurt you but won’t help you that much either. 

I want to stress that these are just some options for Milwaukee in 2025. The team could consider adding a middle infielder and keeping Ortiz at third base. But that opens up a whole new set of options, which I’m sure the Brewers will consider in 2025.

The organization will undoubtedly look at middle infielders, both minor and major league, who they could shift to third base. 

Also, the club will check out the minor league shelf of third base prospects - using Devin Williams and perhaps Tyler Black as trade bait. Just don’t expect a Coby Mayo-like prospect coming to Milwaukee.