When the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Travis Shaw on Tuesday, one thing seemed to become abundantly clear – the team had finally found their starting third baseman for 2017.
But what became unclear, is how the newly stacked infield will shake out throughout the organization. Newly-signed former major-leaguer and Korean Baseball All-Star Eric Thames seems to be a veritable lock at first base, as does Orlando Arcia at shortstop. And it’s logical to assume that Shaw will likely win out the job at third base while filling in occasionally at first.
Reports have already begun to filter out of Milwaukee that Jonathan Villar will likely start the 2017 season at second base, a perfect fit for his excellent range.
Counsell expects Jonathan Villar to shine at 2B: “With his skills, I think it would be his best defensive position."
— Tom (@Haudricourt) December 7, 2016
Of course, that still leaves Scooter Gennett, Hernan Perez, and Yadiel Rivera, all on the 40-man roster, as simple depth.
Perez seems to be the safest bet to remain with the team, acting in the same capacity as he did for a majority of last season – as an all-field utility man. He flourished with consistent playing time and there’s little reason to believe that he will lose much of it in 2017. Although it may seem like a majority of his time was spent at third base, Perez actually made more appearances at other positions (combined) throughout the season, and he still totaled playing in 123 games.
Of course, that’s not to say that Shaw being added to the roster won’t cut into his starts at third base, but given his versatility, he should again find no shortage of work from pinch hitting to starting full games – at seven possible positions.
Gennett is the most likely candidate to be at a severe disadvantage. Even though he set career highs in 2016 in home runs (14), runs batted in (56) and stolen bases (8) and considerably raised his batting line against left-handed pitching – something he’s be plagued by most of his career – he still managed only a 0.1 WAR and a below-league-average 91 weighted-runs-created-plus value (wRC+).
Defensively, he’s limited solely to second base. Outside of a few highlight reel plays, he posted a -0.2 defensive wins above replacement value, a near-league-worst .975 fielding percentage among qualified second basemen and was tied for second in most errors committed at the position.
The Brewers recently signed Gennett to a one-year $2.5 million contract, leaving him to battle for any true chance of playing time in 2017. As the market stands, there seems to be little demand for an average-hitting second baseman with below average defense. Then again, the Brewers may be able to seek a return toward the non-waiver trade deadline next season, as playoff teams seek to bolster their rosters with additional depth.
Rivera is in a similar position, albeit worse, given that he’s seen less than 100 major league plate appearances in the last two seasons and managed to show little of his previous potential. He was able to produce 41 RBI in 83 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs this season, but outside of that, showed little power (.322 SLG) or plate discipline (.262 OBP) in that span and put together a less-than-desirable line at the major league level (.212/.235/.273).
Defensively, in the limited time he was given, he mostly started at third base but also spent time at shortstop and second, all of which averaged out to subpar fielding averages at nearly every position. At this point, with Shaw, Perez, Arcia, Villar, and Gennett all ahead of him, the team may have little motivation to have him eat up a 40-man roster spot, leaving him to be outrighted or moved prior to next season.
But if the Brewers are looking for the next big player to slot in the infield on the 40-man roster, they don’t have to look any farther than another acquisition from the Shaw deal – Mauricio Dubon. Dubon was previously a top 30 prospect for the Boston Red Sox and quickly slotted into the No. 9 spot in the Brewers’ system once coming over.
Although Dubon split his season between Advanced-A Salem and Double-A Portland, he was actually better after transitioning into the higher of the two levels. In Salem, he hit .306/.387/.379 with no home runs, 29 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 62 games. In Portland, he hit .339/.371/.538 with six home runs, 40 RBI and six stolen bases – also in 62 games.
Defensively, he’s the type of versatile player the Brewers are gunning for – he can man three different infield positions if need be (SS, 2B, 3B). His fielding is still a bit raw but he also still offers a lot in the big picture.
Although the Brewers are already stacked in the infield, as six of their top 30 prospects are infielders, Dubon’s presence adds further flexibility at both the minor league and major league levels.
On the short side, he’s already making a case to break into the 40-man roster between now and next offseason, especially if Rivera or Gennett get moved or if any infield starters sustain a major injury – although it’s still a long shot since the 22-year-old will likely start with Double-A Biloxi next season.
In the bigger picture, Dubon adds necessary insurance, as every other top infield prospect is at least two years away from hitting the majors, and that’s barring setbacks. Should they get injured or turn for the worst, the team already has a near-MLB-ready player at their disposal.
With the depth the team already possesses at those positions, they need to do little more than wait to see who develops and use that to determine who to keep and who to package for another need. Considering where the team stood less than two years ago, their tough decisions are finally changing from who to sell, to who deserves opportunities.
Jonathan Powell is the Managing Editor of Outside Pitch MLB and the Milwaukee Brewers writer. Follow him on Twitter @jonathannashhh.
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