Crew's OD position player group starting to take shape

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- With Opening Day squarely on the horizon, the Brewers made several roster moves on Tuesday that helped bring the battle for position player spots into focus.

Major League clubs usually break their respective rosters right down the middle, with 13 position players and the maximum 13 pitchers, and the Brewers will be no exception as they put the final pieces in place.

Milwaukee is looking to build versatility and flexibility into a group that looks more than capable of complying.

Here is a look at the 17 remaining position players in camp, which includes one non-roster invitee in infielder Christian Arroyo.

All early moves come with a caveat from manager Pat Murphy.

“The Opening Day roster is merely just that, the roster on the Opening Day,” Murphy said. “A lot of these guys who are either getting reassigned or optioned will be a huge part of our team. If you think of last year, the guys at this time who were optioned or reassigned, there is a huge percentage of them who were with us most of the year. And celebrated with us when we won the division.”

Joey Wiemer, Andruw Monasterio, Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins played 348 combined games with the Brewers last season after opening the year in the Minors, and all four were on the playoff roster.

Catchers (3): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez, Eric Haase
Contreras and Sánchez are clearly the top two, and Murphy believes Contreras has a chance to be the best catcher in the National League if he continues the progression he showed in 2023, when he won his first Silver Slugger Award and finished with 3.8 wins above replacement (per Baseball Reference) while catching 108 games.

Sánchez is locked in at No. 2 after signing a $3 million free-agent contract at the start of camp, but both he and Contreras will get some reps at DH as the Brewers plan to rotate there.

That leaves a small bit of wiggle room for Haase, who has had a great camp on both sides of the ball but is fighting the three-catcher issue.

“I think there’s a stretch you can carry three at any given time of a season,” Murphy said last week. “I just don’t think that it makes a lot of sense for a lot of teams to carry three catchers.”

Infielders (7): Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Turang, Willy Adames, Joey Ortiz, Jake Bauers, Andruw Monasterio, Christian Arroyo
Three spots are spoken for -- Hoskins will start at first, Turang at second and Adames at shortstop. The Brewers are leaving their intrigue for the third-base spot, where Sal Frelick is making a strong bid to start.

A career outfielder, Frelick has taken reps at second and third this spring, and just last week Murphy cautioned reporters that they were overlooking “one of the best stories in baseball” regarding Frelick’s transition.

Frelick, who has played 49 innings at third this spring, would provide another left-handed bat in the lineup if Murphy wanted to load up there. The 23-year-old had a .722 OPS against righties last season.

Ortiz, acquired from Baltimore in the Corbin Burnes deal, has been a plus defender at second, short and third in his short time in the Majors. He could make up the other side of a third-base platoon if needed and serve as a backup at the other two. Turang also plays shortstop.

Lefty Bauers seems locked in as the backup first baseman, likely to play when Hoskins is given a day off or fills in at DH. Monasterio was a plus defender at third and second in his rookie season in 2023, enhancing his candidacy for a reserve role. Veteran Arroyo has played all over the infield. A 40-man roster spot would need to be created for him to stick, but that is not an impediment.

Outfielders (6): Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins
Yelich is the left fielder, but after him this group provides Murphy with plenty of options, not the least of which are where to play Chourio and how to align on the days Frelick plays third base and/or Yelich is used as the DH.

The group grades out very strong defensively according to Statcast, although rookie Chourio is still finding his way. Mitchell has been the most consistent center fielder in camp and seems to be the first option there now, especially against right-handers.

Wiemer and Perkins are also plus defenders, and righty-hitting Wiemer was especially effective against lefties in his rookie year with seven homers and an .815 OPS in 121 plate appearances.

“A hidden jewel,” Murphy called Wiemer, who has made some lower-half swing adjustments that appear to have taken. Perkins, a switch-hitter, had better numbers against righties in his small sample size.

The Brewers seem certain to keep five at this spot, and a large part of that decision will depend on where Frelick plays the most.