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Milwaukee Brewers: 2018-19 Brewers Offseason Preview

By Sam Brahm

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 05: (L-R) Ryan Braun #8, Lorenzo Cain #6, and Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their 4-0 win in Game Two of the National League Division Series over the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park on October 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 05: (L-R) Ryan Braun #8, Lorenzo Cain #6, and Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their 4-0 win in Game Two of the National League Division Series over the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park on October 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Positional Needs

A lot of the positions going into 2019 are locked in. Short, third, first, outfield and the starting rotation are all locked down. And going to free agency and with trade season starting up again, here are the positions that the Brewers should look to improve in.

Catcher

The Brewers catching was a pleasant surprise this season. Erik Kratz, who joined the team in May, was a solid hitter, played great defense, and was known as the “pitcher whisperer” at times during the season. But sadly, he will not be back because it seems like the Crew is leaning toward a long-term option.

And with Pina, of course, he has is a cannon of an arm behind the plate and plays good defense, but his bat goes silent when runners are on base. He batted .153 with runners in scoring position this season. And once again, he doesn’t seem like the ultimate go to. There is also Jacob Nottingham, who could play a big part next season, but it’s hard to say due to his amount of opportunities he’s gotten in the majors.

Starting Pitching

One of the big topics around the Brewers is the need for pitching. Not just a starting pitcher, but an ace. Going into the 2019 season there is a lot of depth coming in. Woodruff and Burnes are entering the rotation and Nelson is making his return. But the Brewers will lose some guys as well. Brewer’s will most likely not bring back Gonzalez, there is a slim chance Miley will come back, and Brent Suter will be out for most or all of the season. This year may the year Stearns pushes for a starting pitcher this offseason.

Bullpen

The best bullpen in 2018 needs improvement? Yes, it does. The Brewers will be losing three guys going into 2019. You have Soria, who played a big role as the setup man. And you have Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, who will both enter the rotation. This leaves the bullpen as Hader, Knebel, and Jeffress as locks. And a lot of guys who went up and down fighting for spots (Barnes, Cedeno, Williams, Jennings, etc.). There is a lot of bullpen arms out there and the Brewers could sign a few of those.

Second Base

This isn’t a need, but it would be good to add protection if things keep going south for Schoop. Schoop came to the Brewers on the last day of the deadline and it turned out to be a forgettable 2018 for him. He basically didn’t do anything for the Brewers, besides the grand slam off of Madison Bumgarner. There’s a chance he will be non-tendered, but if he stays (which I hope he does once again), the Brewers should have a back up plan, besides top prospect, Keston Hiura.

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