Hot Stove Report: Brewers Add to First Baseman Stable
Effectively on the heels of the Mark Reynolds signing, the Milwaukee Brewers announced Monday that they have signed another option for a growing competition for the job of “First Baseman” in 2014.
Much like the nWo in the defunct World Championship Wrestling, the Brewers’ faction of first basemen continues to rapidly expand. Joining the men already in the employ of Mark Attanasio et al (Juan Francisco, Sean Halton, Taylor Green, Hunter Morris, Jason Rogers, Mark Reynolds) will be another new face but also a familiar one.
The Brewers have signed their all-time franchise single-season doubles leader, and the man traded away to make room for some guy name Prince following the 2005 seasons: Lyle Overbay.
Overbay played in 142 games in 2013 for the New York Yankees where he posted a slash line of .240/.295/.393 primarily at first base. While those numbers no longer excite on their own, Overbay is a left-handed bat which helps balance and could offer a more consistent if less spectacular platoon partner with a righty (a la Reynolds) than would Francisco. Overbay also is still plus defender even at the advanced age of 37 (which he’ll turn on the 28th of this month).
Doug Melvin has said that they’re expecting an open competition at first base when the team reports to Maryvale Baseball Park next month. Overbay, whom the Brewers missed out on signing last year after expressing interest following the loss of Hart and again with Gamel, took the Brewers up on their offer of a reunion this year.
We’ll see what he’s got back in the Cactus League.
The Brewer Nation 
I think Lyle Overbay is a solid signing for the Brew Crew if he makes the team. Hopefully the first base issue will be kind of solved!
-David S.
http://bleacherboy.mlblogs.com/
He’s no better than a platoon player and late inning defensive sub at this point in his career, but he could perform capably in that role.
Yea, I was happy to see that Reynolds was signed. I wish he didn’t strike out so much and have such a junky average. Loaded with power but that’s all. At least he can play multiple positions.
Positional flexibility is big. Absolutely.
I was really hoping for Hunter Morris to come out last year, but he didn’t hit well. I expect better and I hope to see him up in the MLB.
I think, as the front office clearly does, that he’ll benefit from one more year at Nashville.
I agree, I believe he has some good potential. Back in Huntsville he did great, do you think it was a benefit because Huntsville is his hometown?
Couldn’t have hurt. But they say that the second biggest jump in a player’s career in terms of level of competition is from Double- to Triple-A.
Weird that the author of this article would include Taylor Green who was injured all last year and neglect to include Sean Haltin who along with Francisco, is one of the incumbents of the job in discussion.
I put this together in a hurry and apparently forgot about Sean at the time. He’s in the mix as much as anyone else.
So while your observation is accurate, your tone which appears to imply intentional disregard is unwarranted and unappreciated.