Brewers’ ‘problem’ is too much depth
PHOENIX – Two months have passed since that extraordinary winter day in Milwaukee.
Two months since the Brewers invested more than $120 million in two outfielders with the signing of free agent center fielder Lorenzo Cain and the acquisition of left fielder Christian Yelich from the Marlins.
Two months of swirling trade rumors that the Brewers would turn around and trade their outfield surplus for a starting pitcher, or at least grab a free agent starter, to contend with the Cubs for National League Central supremacy.
And two months since nothing happened.
The Brewers still have too many outfielders, too many first basemen and not enough starting pitching.
The Brewers’ supply problem threatens to frustrate at least one player each night who believes he should be starting, along with a couple of young outfielders who know they can play in the big leagues but are stashed away in the minors.
“It hasn’t been an issue, and I don’t anticipate it to be,” general manager David Stearns says. “I understand why it’s the topic of conversation. I get it. And it will continue to be.
“But from a practical perspective, it’s pretty easy for us to navigate.”
The Brewers aren’t counting on Ryan Braun to be an everyday outfielder, with plans to start him at first base in Thursday’s season opener against the Padres. First baseman Eric Thames will be platooned at first base, playing primarily against right-handed starters. Domingo Santana, who hit 30 homers and drove in 85 runs last year, could be sitting when Braun is standing.
First baseman Jesus Aguilar, who hit 16 homers and had 52 RBI last year, might not even have a role. First baseman Ji-Man Choi might have been the biggest surprise of the spring but isn’t even guaranteed a job. And prized young outfielders Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips will be stashed away at Class AAA Colorado Springs.
The season hasn’t even started, and everyone’s wondering how the Brewers can even remotely please everyone.
“That’s the front office’s problem,” Thames said. “What’s tough is that we have so many guys who can all start. So you don’t know if this will be our roster all year, or they’ll be trading some of us, or what happens?
“It’s just one of those weird feelings, because you really don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Logic tells us that the Brewers can’t keep the status quo, particularly if Braun stays healthy and productive. They must find a place for Santana in the everyday lineup. And Cain and Yelich are established everyday players, missing a combined 13 games all last season.
“I think everybody’s a little bit curious,” third baseman Travis Shaw said. “We were interested to see what they’d do in spring training, but everybody is still here. We’re going to see how the pieces will fit here pretty soon.
“Depth is a nice problem to have, but I’m sure it sucks individually for a couple of guys.”
Broxton proved last year that he’s an everyday outfielder by hitting 20 homers and stealing 21 bases and Phillips is one of the top outfield prospects in baseball, but there simply was no room at the inn.
“Everybody kept saying we were going to get a starting pitcher for the last two months,” Phillips said, “and we haven’t. So I’m a really good insurance piece. It would be stupid for me to sit here and kick myself in the head. When I do get my chance, I’ve got to be ready.”
The Brewers might have stunned everyone a year ago by sitting atop the NL Central at the All-Star break, but it’s hard to fathom them challenging the Cubs this year without acquiring a front-line starter.
“We have depth in the outfield. Every club sees that,” Stearns says. “And we had plenty of discussions. But it makes no sense for us to make a move unless we think it makes our team better.
“Those aren’t always enjoyable conversations with those players, but it means you’re headed in the right direction.”
So as it stands now, the Brewers will go with Chase Anderson, Zach Davies, Brent Suter and Jhoulys Chacin and hope that Jimmy Nelson can return by midsummer from his labrum tear and rotator cuff strain.
It’s hardly a rotation that strikes fear, but then again, no one ever expected them to hang around all last summer, either. They were expected to be in full rebuild, losing 183 games in 2015 and 2016, but they went 86-76.
“We never set a time frame on how long this would take,” Stearns said, “but the players played exceptionally well and basically told us we were ready to compete.”