The Milwaukee Brewers are saying goodbye to familiar faces after the 2024 season. Two-time All-Star shortstop Devin Williams was traded to the New York Yankees for left-handed starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and intriguing hitter Caleb Durbin. Additionally, former player Willy Adames signed a seven-year, $182 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.
While both departures were expected, replacing Williams will be much easier for the Brewers than replacing Adames. After all, Williams missed most of 2024 with a stress fracture in his back, and Trevor Megill made 20 saves in 22 opportunities, posting an ERA of 2.72 in that time.
Adames, on the other hand, led Milwaukee’s offense, hitting .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI and 21 stolen bases. It was not without reason that he was the most desired player on the free agent market, and his serial production will not be easily replaced.
The Milwaukee Brewers could acquire Brett Baty from the New York Mets
The truth is that the Brewers are simply not going to sign a player who hits over 30 home runs and drives in over 100 runs. They don’t have that flexibility with pay. Instead, they will rely on newborn stars like Jackson Chourio to develop in 2025 and hope that others like Christian Yelich bounce back from injury-riddled seasons.
Still, they need to find more depth in goal. Although Durbin plays both second and third base, he has yet to make his Major League debut. He’s an exhilarating prospect who fits the Brewers’ playing style, but he still remains an unknown.
Given that Joey Ortiz will likely slide into the backup position without Adames in Milwaukee’s lineup, Mike Axisa z CBS Sports thinks Milwaukee could trade for a third baseman Brett Batty a New York Mets team that may need a change of scenery to reach its full potential:
“Milwaukee also has a weakness for hitters who can play quick ground balls, although Baty lacks the foot speed to play like Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang and others. Additionally, the Brewers are the two-time defending NL Central champions and are expected to compete in 2025. They only have so much leeway to allow their newborn hitter to endure the growing pains.
In 169 career games spread over three seasons, Baty is hitting just .215/.282/.325 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI.
These numbers don’t paint a pretty picture, nor does the fact that he only stole two bases during that time. The Brewers are an aggressive offense that likes their baserunners to steal bases. Baty obviously doesn’t fit this profile.
That being said, there was a time when Baty was the Mets’ top prospect. In 2022, his final year as a full-time starter, Baty hit .315/.410/.533 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI.
Taking a hit on a player like Baty certainly sounds like something the Brewers would do, but they probably wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice too much for him (nor should they, given his production).
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