Sal Frelick made his MLB debut in the outfield last season, but the Milwaukee Brewers are allegedly starting him at third base to kick off Spring Training on Saturday.
According to Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Milwaukee Brewers will instantly introduce an unexpected element to their lineup when they begin Cactus League play on Saturday.
According to Rosiak, Sal Frelick will lead off and start at third base in the team’s first exhibition game of Spring Training against the San Diego Padres. However, the 23-year-old Frelick has exclusively played in the outfield during his collegiate, minor league, and major league career.
Frelick last played third base in 2018, when he made four appearances for the North Shore Navigators of the Futures Collegiate League. Frelick had nine putouts and seven assists without making a mistake.
Frelick practiced second and third base throughout the first week of Spring Training camp. Reports surfaced that Frelick, who worked out with former Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia in the offseason, was considering a position shift.
Milwaukee’s outfield depth chart for 2024 includes three former top prospects: Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Jackson Chourio, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 prospect in all of baseball. Then there’s former All-Star and MVP Christian Yelich, who has registered negative defensive runs saved and a negative defensive WAR for five years in a row.
Many speculated that Yelich would begin to shift to a full-time designated hitter role, leaving the three young guns to patrol the outfield.
However, Frelick’s test run at third base may indicate that Yelich will continue to play in the field. Alternatively, this may be manager Pat Murphy attempting to discover new ways to keep all four outfielders in the lineup.
Andruw Monasterio is technically the incumbent at third base, as Josh Donaldson and Brian Anderson both entered free agency last year. Joey Ortiz, an infielder acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Corbin Burnes deal, might possibly see time at the hot corner.
Frelick’s bat is more highly regarded than either of theirs, with a.314 hitting average and.844 OPS in 197 minor league appearances, so his performance in the field on Saturday might have a significant impact on how Murphy organizes his lineup going forward.
The 2021 first-round pick was listed as the league’s No. 17 prospect before being brought up last summer.
