It is no secret that the Brewers are not totally happy with the offense of shortstop Joey Ortiz. Although Ortiz appeared in a career-high 149 games last season, he was removed for a pinch-hitter 34 times by manager Pat Murphy. Right now, Andruw Monasterio is the main backup, while Brice Turang and Caleb Durbin can play at short if needed. Would it make sense for the Brewers to spend a little money in the free agent market if the price was right?
Of the handful of shortstops testing the waters of free agency, one stands out for Milwaukee with his skill, versatility, and the possibility that the team can make a one-year deal at a reasonable price.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa would come to the Brewers fresh off World Series action with the Toronto Blue Jays, bringing Milwaukee some much-needed postseason experience. Kiner-Falefa, who will turn 31 in March, has appeared in 21 postseason games and would give a young Milwaukee club a boost in the clubhouse and on the field.
There are two main issues to deal with:
· Ortiz is superior to Kiner-Falefa on defense, with Joey O. better by a 12 to -3 rating in Outs Above Average, and a 10 to -4 advantage in Fielding Run Value.
· IKF is much better than Ortiz at the plate when facing right-handed pitchers.
| Player | Year(s) | OPS v. LH | OPS v. RH |
| Ortiz | 2025 | .734 | .537 |
| Career | .743 | .612 | |
| Kiner-Falefa | 2025 | .536 | .668 |
| Career | .643 | .666 |
So, what’s the problem? The fact that IKF is better against right-handed pitching means he would get most of the playing time. The breakdown was about 72% right-handed starters and 28% southpaws that pitched against Milwaukee last season. On the surface, Ortiz would only make about 45 starts if he were in the lineup against left-handers only. Since the Brewers are looking to Kiner-Falefa to be more of a ‘semi-platoon’ guy, they would have to make some adjustments to get Ortiz 350-400 ABs for his superiority against lefties and on defense, while finding about half that amount for IKF.
Since Ortiz is better defensively, the Brewers would want him in the lineup anytime groundball specialist Quinn Priester is on the mound. ‘The Reverend’ induced grounders at a rate of 55.1% last year, right around his career average. When Priester is on the rubber, Ortiz should be in the starting lineup.
The difference against southpaws, at least in 2025, showed Ortiz with a huge advantage over Kiner-Falefa. That should keep Kiner-Falefa on the bench most of the time—if not all—against lefties.
The edge IKF had over Ortiz against righties was not as significant, but it was still a pretty large difference. Digging deeper, Ortiz had his best month against righties in August with an .830 OPS, even though he hit no home runs. Add in his .748 OPS in June, and one can see that success against right-handers is attainable. Murphy will just have to find a way to get the ‘hot’ bat into the lineup. Unfortunately, Joey O. fell off a cliff in September with his worst OPS of the year (.482). Ortiz had a double and a triple in September in 70 at-bats along with one free pass. No wonder his OPS cratered.
Perhaps the secret to Ortiz’s success would be for IKF to spell him against righties, giving Ortiz a break once or twice a week, depending on who is swinging the bat well. Ortiz could be a late-inning defensive replacement on the days he isn’t in the lineup. Kiner-Falefa can also play second or third and could be a valuable utility man. Where he would fit in would remain to be seen. In fact, IKF has played all three outfield spots and even made 66 starts behind the plate for the Texas Rangers in 2018-19. Maybe the Brewers wouldn’t need that third catcher after all.
Is this all a pipe dream? Can the Brewers sign Kiner-Falefa? If he were amenable to a one-year pact in the $7 million range, it would be a decent deal for Milwaukee.
