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Milwaukee Brewers: Starting Second Base Options

By Sam Brahm

CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 7: Jed Lowrie #8 of the Oakland Athletics rounds the bases on a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on July 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 7: Jed Lowrie #8 of the Oakland Athletics rounds the bases on a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on July 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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ST. PETERSBURG, FL SEPTEMBER 16: Jed Lowrie #8 of the Oakland Athletics hits a foul ball during the third inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Tropicana Field on September 16, 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr./Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL SEPTEMBER 16: Jed Lowrie #8 of the Oakland Athletics hits a foul ball during the third inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Tropicana Field on September 16, 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr./Getty Images) /

Jed Lowrie

This week, there was a rumor stating that the Brewers are interested in veteran Jed Lowrie. Tons of Brewers fans got excited for this and Lowrie may be on the top of their wish list. He had a breakout year last year and would bring a lot to the lineup and infield.

Positives

In his age 34 season, Jed Lowrie gained a lot of power in his bat. The switch hitter hit 23 home runs in 2018 (19 batting lefty, 4 batting righty). With Miller Park’s short porch in right field, he could do a lot of damage out in Milwaukee. He would fit right in to the lineup in the five or six whole and there wouldn’t be any matchup issues with his ability to hit righties and lefties (Righties a little better).

Stats

2016: .263 BA/2 HR/27 RBI/.314 OBP/.637 OPS/65 K in 369 PA

2017: .277 BA/14 HR/69 RBI/.360 OBP/.808 OPS/100 K in 645 PA

2018: .267 BA/23 HR/99 RBI/.353 OBP/.801 OPS/128 K in 680 PA

When it comes to defense he is a slightly above average defender. His UZR was at 6.1, which is considered above average. And to add to his defense, he is very versatile player. He has the ability to play second, shortstop, third, and first if he really needed to. And this will help out a lot once Keston Hiura comes up and starts. Then Lowrie could play a role like Hernan Perez is right now.

Negatives

The only negatives involving Jed Lowrie is the signing process. The price may be a little higher and the Brewers don’t want to spend and they don’t have that much money to spend as well. It will also be difficult to compete with other teams like the Athletics, Nationals, and more. The Nats and A’s are willing use their money and the Brewers are a little hesitant.

Overview

Jed Lowrie is a good match with Milwaukee. Switch hitter, versatility, good defender and a veteran presence. This could be a huge move if the Brewers end up signing him. Lowrie seems like the logical option.

Contract Prediction: 3-Years/$42M

MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 05: DJ LeMahieu #9 of the Colorado Rockies hits a single during the third inning of Game Two of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on October 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 05: DJ LeMahieu #9 of the Colorado Rockies hits a single during the third inning of Game Two of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on October 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Arguably the best second basemen on the market is none other than D.J. LeMahieu. The Brewers haven’t been connected with the 30 year old, but he’s someone to think about. He had great seasons in Colorado and I think he would change the team into a lock when it comes to playoffs next season.

Positives

LeMahieu is one of the best hitting second basemen in baseball. He doesn’t have a lot of power, but he has the ability to hit all parts of the field and can hit against both righties and lefties as well. In the 2017 season, he batted .362 against lefties and .293 against righties. Those are crazy numbers. And one big plus is he doesn’t strike out a lot. In his seven seasons with Colorado, he had more than 100 strikeouts only once. He puts the ball in play and that’s what the Brewers need.

Stats

2016: .348 BA/11 HR/66 RBI/.416 OBP/.911 OPS in 635 PA

2017: .310 BA/8 HR/64 RBI/.374 OBP/.783 OPS in 682 PA

2018: .276 BA/15 HR/62 RBI/.321 OBP/.749 OPS in 581 PA

Defense is his specialty. Three-time Gold Glove Award winner, 2-time Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award Winner. LeMahieu takes pride in his defense and he’s possibly the best defensive second basemen in all of baseball. He hasn’t had a fielding percentage under .980 and has never had over 10 errors in a season. This kid is special.

Negatives

There’s no doubt that LeMahieu wants a multi-year deal. That’s what makes this a little difficult. Sign him for a 4-year deal and Hiura is ready to start year two or three, you can’t put DJ anywhere else. He is a second basemen. Nothing more and nothing less. So if the Brewers do make this deal, it’s difficult to judge because we don’t know when Hiura will be ready.

Contract Prediction: 3-Years/$45M

HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 18: Marwin Gonzalez #9 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 18: Marwin Gonzalez #9 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Other Options

The Free Agent market is stacked with second basemen and that’s once again, why the Brewers are so patient. There are a lot of options and the Brewers want to make the best one possible so they can a big push next season.

Marwin Gonzalez: After being Mr. Versatility for seven years, he’s now a free agent. He’s a switch hitter with a good amount of pop in his bat. He can play both infield and outfield as well, which adds a lot of value to him. The reason he isn’t one of the top targets is because of the market. Marwin has a lot of teams interested in him and it will be difficult for the Brewers to make that push when they don’t want to move the money. But anything can happen.

Josh Harrison: The former Pirate is out there and could be a good addition. Harrison is a great clubhouse guy with a good bat. He had an off year in 2018, but is a good hitter with a little pop in his bat. One of his best traits is his versatility and also his ability to get out of a pickle. The one big downside to him though is his durability. Throughout his career, he has had trouble staying healthy.

Derek Dietrich: This offseason, utility player Derek Dietrich was DFA’d by the Marlins and is now up for grabs. Dietrich had a good year last season hitting a career high 16 home runs and played a career high 149 games. He is sort of a lefty Hernan Perez, but he could be a good option at second base for cheap.

Next. What the Brewers found out during winter meetings. dark

As much as fans don’t like it, it may take a while for the Brewers to find their new second basemen. There a lot of options and Stearns wants to make sure he makes the right decision. Remember, Cain and Yelich joined the team in January. Great things take time folks.

In Stearns we trust.

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