
The Milwaukee Brewers were the best team in the regular season last year, but they fell short in the postseason after running into the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, the Brewers opted to make some big decisions in free agency and on the trade block.
The biggest move they made this offseason was a trade that sent Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in exchange for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. They also opted to trade Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins to the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals, respectively.
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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently suggested the Brewers' late offseason signing of Luis Rengifo was one of the best moves they made this winter.
"The surprise decision by Brandon Woodruff to accept his qualifying offer put the budget-conscious Brewers in a tricky spot, and it was likely the last major domino that needed to fall to clinch a Freddy Peralta trade," Reuter wrote. "Third baseman Caleb Durbin and outfielder Isaac Collins finished third and fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting, but both far exceeded expectations after never appearing on Top 100 prospect lists. The front office decided to sell high, bringing back a collection of controllable pieces."
Acquiring Rengifo was a move the Brewers needed to make this offseason. After trading Durbin, they had a massive hole at third base, though Williams and David Hamilton were acquired as potential solutions. But each of these infielders have issues that make them question marks at the hot corner.
Williams is young and it's unclear if he's ready to play every day at the big league level, considering he hasn't been called up yet.
Hamilton is a major question mark, too, though he could work as a platoon option at the hot corner. He was a below average bat last season.
Adding Rengifo gives the Brewers an option at third base that's ready to go right now. He could play most of the time at the hot corner until Williams is ready to take over. After that, Rengifo could continue working as a utility man for the Brewers.
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