One Minimal-Cost Third Baseman Could Be Available in Trade for Brewers at Non-Tender Deadline

The Royals scooped up infielder Emmanuel Rivera in the 2015 Draft, and they made him into a modestly desirable little player. He'd played in fewer than 100 games for them, though, when they traded him at the 2022 trade deadline for then-Diamondbacks righty Luke Weaver. (Royals should've kept Weaver. Oops.) Rivera carved out a part-time role as a platoon infielder in Arizona that lasted the rest of 2022 and all of 2023, including 19 (mostly ineffective) plate appearances during the postseason in the Diamondbacks' unexpected run to the World Series.

However, Rivera didn't make the Opening Day roster for Arizona in 2024, and landed with the Marlins in a cash transaction in early April. Given a good, long look by a truly terrible team, Rivera had the worst stretch of his career, with a .214/.294/.269 batting line that will even get you bounced from the perpetual landfill that is Miami's infield. The Orioles claimed him, though, and he came back to life in a big way for them down the stretch, hitting .313/.370/.578 in very limited action. It was a great rebound for him, and proof that he didn't go permanently to pieces during his South Florida sojourn. He's torn the cover off the ball in a brief stint in two Caribbean Winter Leagues, too.

Baltimore needed him mostly because of injuries, though, and won't have room on their crowded roster for him going forward. His projected $1.4 million salary is miles from onerous, but the Orioles have Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Coby Mayo lined up for playing time around the infield. Rivera is going to be an odd man out, sooner or later.

The Brewers should make it be sooner. Rivera was clearly dragged down by some fault of instruction, morale, or health while in Miami, but his swings got materially better when he made the move to Baltimore, right along with his numbers. Note the steady rise in his average bat speed after the change of team in late summer.

Rivera will never be a high-end slugger, but he has a strong, balanced skill set. He chases outside the zone at an average or better rate. He doesn't swing and miss unduly often, especially within the zone. He lacks the ability to crush the ball, but he hits it fairly hard with above-average consistency. It's noteworthy that that combination—a high volume of solid contact, but paired with below-average top-end numbers—is a commonality Rivera shares with some very good hitters.

Now 28 years old, Rivera has three years of team control remaining, although as three teams have already shown, he might be a bit less of a fixture than a nice bridge piece. He can be very much that, though. He's acquitted himself well at the hot corner over his career, with 2 Defensive Runs Saved at third base, where he would play if the Brewers landed him this winter. The resulting move of Joey Ortiz to shortstop is what most assume will happen, anyway, so Rivera is the right general type of player to fit expectations.

Some fans, surely, are hoping for a player with more raw talent, but this would be a very inexpensive acquisition. If, for instance, the Brewers traded Devin Williams to Baltimore, Rivera could be a secondary piece in a package. Otherwise, a trade for him would require only a modest prospect or other piece to be sent the Orioles' way. Meanwhile, the team would keep most of their financial powder dry, and could spend more money or prospect capital elsewhere on the roster. Rivera would make an especially appealing platoon partner, should Oliver Dunn come to spring looking healthy and with the holes big-league pitchers pointed out in his swing last year patched up.

These types of moves are so unsexy that fans tend neither to crave nor to like them. Often, though, they pay off in ways just as satisfying as brand-name acquisitions. Rivera is likely available. The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is Friday. These two teams could match up on a deal, and very soon. If they did, while it might seem unimpressive, the trade could be one that propels the Brewers incrementally toward a third straight NL Central championship.