Milwaukee Brewers Must Sign Michael Young
The Milwaukee Brewers have a glaring weakness at first base. As of right now, their best bet is Juan Francisco, which means something must be changed immediately. Yesterday, I mentioned the Brewers should trade for slugger Adam Dunn. As great as that would be, he’s owed $15 million in 2014, which is a tad expensive. For that reason, the better bet might be to sign free agent first baseman Michael Young.
Milwaukee is reportedly interested in Young, and at this point, I would be shocked if they didn’t sign the veteran. The Brewers must do something to inject some excitement into the fan base with a talented player who will bring a spark to the offense.
Dunn is someone who would have a field day at Miller Park as far as home runs are concerned, but he wouldn’t do much else. Young, on the other hand, has seen his power diminish over the years. However, he still is capable of being a big-time run producer, which is something Milwaukee needs. He also is a solid defensive first baseman, something the Brewers don’t have at the moment. In fact, he has plenty of experience of suiting up at all four infield positions.
There’s some speculation that Milwaukee is making it publicly known that they have interest in Young because they want to gain leverage over the New York Mets in a trade for Ike Davis. However, I don’t believe that to be the case. I think the Brewers are truly interested in the acquisition of Young because of his presence on and off the field.
The 37-year-old batted .279 with eight home runs, 46 RBI, 26 doubles, five triples and a .335 on-base percentage in 519 at-bats with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.. 