The Brewers have settled on their middle infield alignment. Manager Pat Murphy told reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com) that the Brewers will keep Brice Turang at second base while moving Joey Ortiz to shortstop.
It’s a change from where the team was leaning late last week. Murphy said a few days ago that they were strongly considering bumping Turang up the defensive spectrum while playing Ortiz at second. Turang subsequently reported minor shoulder soreness. The Brewers sent him for an MRI, which came back clean. It’s not expected to impact his readiness for Opening Day, but the club understandably doesn’t want to push things by having him take the longer throws from the left side of the diamond.
“I think Joey’s more than capable, and we were really splitting hairs when we flipped (to Turang at shortstop),” Murphy explained. It had seemed back-and-forth throughout camp. That’s the luxury of having two top-tier defensive infielders even after Willy Adames’ free agent departure. Turang is coming off a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove winning season at second base. Ortiz tied Matt Chapman for the league lead in Outs Above Average at third base. Both players were viewed as potential plus shortstops while coming through the minor leagues.
The Ortiz-Turang pairing should remain one of the best defensive middle infield duos in the majors. They’ll need someone to step up at third base with Ortiz moving over. Oliver Dunn, who hit .221/.282/.316 in his first 41 MLB games last season, has had an excellent spring and will probably get the first look. He has dramatically outplayed Caleb Durbin and Tyler Black in camp. The out-of-options Vinny Capra has had a fantastic Spring Training. That gives him a strong chance to stick on the active roster — especially if Milwaukee options Durbin and/or Black — but Capra’s minor league numbers suggest he’s better suited in a utility role.
Isn’t Turang hurt ?
Did you read the article?
He swung at a chance for an answer and he ended up missing like a Big whiffa.
Why mess with a good(great) thing?
Wtf keep Ortiz at 3rd base and put your best SS at SS it’s harder to find a good 3rd baseman than it is a good 2nd baseman… This makes no sense at all!!
Not sure it’s THAT simple even though I don’t completely disagree with your point about 2nd vs 3rd.
Solid defense at 2nd requires far more lateral foot speed; 3rd requires a stronger arm or to master the bounce throw.
Bfr21….More to your point, Hoskins is not exactly a solid defender-right? Going by memory so may be wrong-more reason to have solid hot corner guy.
thebfr21;
LOL
What makes sense is to keep the platinum glove winner at the position he won it. Ortiz was in the Burnes deal to replace Adames. That has always been the plan.
Yes but he showed plus defense at 3rd and at SS I don’t think he’s a plus defender.. where Turang would still be a plus plus defender at SS gold glover…
You put your best defender at SS not 3rd. It’s that simple.
Turang is a great defender but he has a pop gun for an arm, I think plays in the hole would be tough for him. Being the best defensive 2B in the sport is perfect for him.
This alignment creates a dual-track value generator. If Ortiz thrives at short, the Brewers can trade Turang (overqualified at second) for a haul, leveraging his durability and accolades. If Ortiz struggles, they can flip him back to third (where he’s already elite) and reinstall Turang at short, all while Dunn or Capra hold third base at minimal cost. The blow-mind factor? This is a chess move disguised as a health-driven tweak—quietly setting up a roster flexibility arbitrage that could net the Brewers an extra 5-10 WAR or a blockbuster trade return over the next few years, unnoticed by a public fixated on Adames’ departure or spring training stats.
…What? Turang cant play short. He doesnt have the arm for it. You’re moving Ortiz back to third but then say Dunn or Capra can hold down third? And a blockbuster trade for a 2B with no bat? That isnt going to happen. I’m a Brewers fan but this… this is some wild dream.
@cwizzy6
Your skepticism rests on outdated assumptions and misses the deeper strategic lattice at play. Turang’s arm strength critique ignores his minor league track record—plus grades at shortstop across multiple seasons, with a 60-grade arm per scouting consensus before settling at second. His Gold Glove at second wasn’t a ceiling; it was a floor, built on range and instincts that translate anywhere up the middle. The shoulder soreness? A red herring—MRI clean, no structural risk, just a convenient pivot point for Murphy to test Ortiz’s ceiling without committing long-term.
Ortiz at short isn’t a gamble; it’s a calculated unlock. His 2024 OAA tie with Chapman at third (a harder position by defensive spectrum metrics) signals elite adaptability—shortstop’s lateral demands align more with third than second’s pivot-heavy role. If he posts even 80% of that defensive value at short, he’s a top-10 MLB shortstop by WAR contribution, given his glove-first profile. Turang, meanwhile, at second, remains a 4-5 WAR asset annually—durability (150+ games in ‘24), elite defense, and improving contact skills (OBP up 30 points year-over-year). That’s not “no bat”; that’s a trade chip with a .300+ OBP floor and 20-steal upside, coveted by contenders needing up-the-middle stability.
The arbitrage isn’t in trading a “2B with no bat”—it’s in weaponizing redundancy. Two plus defenders at premium positions create a surplus. Turang’s value peaks if Ortiz locks down short, making him expendable for a top-50 prospect or a frontline starter—think a Corbin Burnes redux, not a fringe utility deal. If Ortiz falters, he slides to third (where he’s already best-in-class), Turang shifts to short (where he’s proven capable), and Dunn/Capra bridge third at league-minimum cost—Dunn’s .900+ OPS in spring isn’t noise, it’s a signal of untapped upside in a small 2024 sample.
The 5-10 WAR projection isn’t a dream; it’s math. Ortiz at short (3-4 WAR potential), Turang traded for an equivalent asset (3-4 WAR via return), and a Dunn breakout (1-2 WAR) or Capra stability (0.5-1 WAR) compounds value over 2-3 years. Adames’ exit obscured this: Milwaukee didn’t lose a core; they gained a multi-dimensional option tree. Public fixation on spring stats or Turang’s “weak arm” misses the forest—Brewers are playing 4D chess with a roster others see as checkers.
Interesting, I love the reasoning with the explanations to back it up. Thank you!
More of THIS in chats.
It’s like they went the whole off season and spring training without preparing for this outcome. Now they have a huge void at 3rd
It’s like they went the whole off season and spring training planning Ortiz/Turang to be SS/2B with a 3B platoon
Solid move. Turang can now dominate 2B defensively for years to come
If it ain’t broke, …..
As someone that draft Turang in several leagues, I like keeping him where he is. I assume at least some of that logic would carry over to real life as well.
After seeing Tyler Black play in about six games this spring, he looks completely lost. His play at 1B has been atrocious, and I can never see him playing 3B. Him at the plate is almost an automatic out and if someone is at 1B, it’s an automatic double-play.
i feel bad for the guy, honestly.
Dunn, Black, Capra, Durbin? Seriously??!! Way to go Pat & Milwaukee FO, keeping it vanilla and cheap! Of course, numerous Brewer fans love it and buy the Brewers FO poor us meme. Oh wait, I forgot overpaid, iron glove .220 hitter Hoskins at 1B.
Should have resigned Adames and dumped Hoskins. Adames’ influence and ability will be missed and the W-L will reflect it this season. Hope I’m wrong.
Can’t forget the big off season signing savior in Canha.