The Brewers Still Need Infield Help For 2025, Here Are Three Infielders To Target

The Brewers trade of Devin Williams to New York Yankees for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin addresses a couple of glaring holes in the team’s roster: starting pitching and infield depth. But let’s not kid ourselves about Durbin - he will not be unquestioningly given a starting position in 2025. He might be a nice story, but some believe he projects as a utility player rather than an everyday infielder. Sure, Durbin can put the ball in play, and he has plus speed. But he doesn’t hit the ball hard, which limits his upside. Could Durbin be an everyday infielder in the majors? Yes, but the likelihood is small. 

No matter your take on Durbin, the Brewers should be looking at providing infield competition for 2025. With Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang, the team has flexibility in how they line up their defense. With that in mind, this article looks at three players who could handle second or third base next year in Milwaukee. None of these players has a sure starting spot in the big leagues in 2025, so they shouldn’t break the bank to acquire - assuming their teams are open to dealing them. 

Brett Baty, 3B, NY Mets
Baty represents a guy with a bright pedigree who has lost his shine. Baty, drafted 12th overall in 2019, was a top 50 prospect a few years ago, hitting .300+ at Triple A with power. But he has underwhelmed at the major league level. Over the past two years, he's logged more than 500 at-bats yet has struggled with a .607 OPS. He has been surpassed at third base by Mark Vientos. 

By the way, a wild card is free agent Pete Alonso. Without Alonso, the club might be happy to shift Baty to first base. But the Mets are probably odds on being a favorite to bring back Alonso, leaving Baty without a position. 

The left-handed hitting Baty would be a risk due to his (thus far) failure to adapt to big league pitching. But the guy is still only 25 years old - and if the Brewers feel they can help him reach his potential, he's a 25+ home run bat who the club would control for five years. He would slide into the third base spot with Turang and Ortiz handling the middle of the infield.

Justin Foscue, 2B, Texas Rangers
The right-handed hitting Foscue was the 14th overall pick in 2020. He is a bat-first guy but lacks range and arm strength. That means he would slot into the Brewers lineup as a second baseman, with Turang and Ortiz covering shortstop and third base. Foscue has been a good (but not great) minor-league hitter. While his power has been good, his calling card has been his ability to get on base (career .388 OBP in the minors). He has walked more than he has struck out in the last two years at Triple A. 

Foscue has never hit over .300 as a pro, but he's also never hit below .266. His hit tool is very good, and his bat has potential for 20 home runs. The key is whether his glove can play at the big league level. Some believe he is destined for first base or designated hitter. 

Foscue's value probably dipped in 2024, when he had a short but terrible stint with the Rangers. He got only two hits in 42 at-bats.

With Marcus Semien entrenched at second base, Foscue looks destined for first base and/or designated hitter duties in 2025 with Texas unless the Brewers can pry him away. 

Josh Smith, INF, Texas Rangers
Back to Texas for another trade target. Left-handed hitting Josh Smith was a solid prospect for the Rangers - demonstrating a good hit tool in the minors but modest power. After struggling in 2022 and 2023 in extended time with Texas, he broke out last season after an injury to third baseman Josh Jung. Smith hit .258 with 13 home runs and played solid defense at the hot corner. 

The 27-year-old Smith could probably play second or third base for Milwaukee (he came up at shortstop but lacks range). He will likely never be a great defender, but he should be at least adequate. His bat would play just fine, but he likely won’t ever be a big home run hitter.

Smith lacks a position for Texas, assuming Josh Jung comes back healthy. However, he would be a wonderful utility player. Still, Smith shouldn't be too expensive due to his lack of big upside. 

The Costs of Another Trade
Each player profiled in this article has their positives - and negatives. Baty offers the big power the Brewers crave but probably the biggest bust potential. Smith is the safest of the three trade targets, with the highest floor - but the lowest ceiling. Foscue is probably the most solid all-around bat but lacks positional flexibility. All of the players have five or six years of control remaining. 

None of these three trade targets represents a huge expenditure to acquire. Tyler Black would be a player that could potentially net Smith or Foscue, either straight up or with some minor tweaking to seal the deal. Black is an overpay for Baty, but perhaps a trade could be centered around one of the Brewers' bullpen arms, such as Elvis Peguero. Or if the club wanted to dip into their minor league system, Mike Boeve or Yophery Rodriguez would work for Baty. Either player could be packaged with another prospect for Smith or Foscue. Ultimately, the club would be trading from depth for a position of need.