The Milwaukee Brewers won 95 games in 2021 and despite an early exit in the postseason, they look ready to compete for years to come.
They have an elite pitching staff, headlined by Cy Young candidate Corbin Burnes (2.43 ERA, 35.6 K% in 167 frames), Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta.
The offense, on the other hand, was more of a middle-of-the-pack unit.
The Brewers scored 738 runs during the 2021 campaign, and ranked 12th in MLB.
The lack of talent on offense became evident in the playoffs, when they dropped three out of four games against the Atlanta Braves.
That’s why they need to re-sign some of their own free agent position players, as well as adding some more talent from outside.
These three players can surely help Milwaukee.
3. Avisail Garcia
Avisail Garcia accumulated a certain number of plate appearances between 2020 and 2021, and thus applied to convert a club option into a mutual option.
He declined his part of the mutual option and became a free agent, testing the market at 30 after a very good season.
OF Avisaíl García has declined his mutual option and has elected free agency. C Luke Maile and RHP Eric Yardley have elected free agency. pic.twitter.com/ZdPpHegOAa
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) November 5, 2021
Garcia hit .262/.330/.490 with 29 home runs in 2021, and was actually one of Milwaukee’s best hitters.
That’s why it’s crucial for the Brewers to find a way to retain Garcia.
They can’t afford to lose any viable, consistent offensive weapons they have.
He may look for a multi-year deal, and he is likely to get it somewhere.
Milwaukee needs to make sure he stays and helps the team achieve its objectives, especially in October.
2. Manny Pina
Part of the reason the Brewers were so successful was because they had two very good catchers.
Both of them are very good defensively, especially Manny Pina.
And both are decent offensively, close to average (which is huge for a catcher), especially Omar Narvaez.
Pina is slated to hit free agency, and his usefulness at both facets of the game is enticing a lot of teams.
He hit .189/.293/.439 in 2021: the average may seem low, but the power was real, as he had 13 homers in just 208 plate appearances and a .250 isolated power.
There are several needs around the Brewers’ roster: they could use improvements at the infield corners, and a better center fielder than the aging Jackie Bradley Jr. and Lorenzo Cain.
However, they must not forget about Pina and his worth to the team.
1. Brandon Belt
When it comes to outside free agents, the Brewers could use some stars, but their budget is usually not too large.
If they can find a way to bring an impact hitter, they should pounce.
Brandon Belt may be 34, but he remains a top offensive weapon and is actually coming off his best season in 2021.
Belt hit .274/.378/.597 with 29 home runs and a .975 OPS in 2021, and was a key cog on the San Francisco Giants’ team.
He won’t be cheap, and may not want to get out of San Francisco at this point, but he’s definitely worth pursuing.
The Brewers would make a ton of sense to sign Brandon Belt
— jak (@pepperjakcheese) November 11, 2021
Milwaukee has Rowdy Tellez, Daniel Vogelbach, and Keston Hiura as internal first base options.
However, none of those players can measure up to Belt in talent and production.
NEXT: 1 Underrated Star For Brewers In 2021