Will Middlebrooks agrees to terms with Milwaukee

On Tuesday last week the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to terms with former Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks.

Middlebrooks spent this past season with the Padres and AAA El Paso. He hit .212 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 83 games. He was sent down to the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League on July 22.

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He spent his first three seasons in the majors with the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the Padres before the start of the 2015 season. In his first season in the majors, he hit .288 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs in 75 games. He was a rising prospect who gave the Red Sox confidence to ship away Mike Napoli but he was unable to sustain that power in following seasons.

Former Padres interim manager Pat Murphy and former El Paso pitcher Jason Lane are currently on the Brewers’ coaching staff.

The Brewers have also acquired Garin Cecchini from Boston and Jonathan Villar from the Houston Astros this offseason as options to play third base. They are looking to replace Aramis Ramirez who was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates last July and is currently retired.

Current third baseman Yangervis Solarte batted .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs in 152 games last season for the Padres. He is now certainly expected to start 2016 as the Padres starting third baseman with no real competition.

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With every acquisition there is a certain amount of risk. When Middlebrooks was brought over it was hoped that he could find success again in a new environment, less pressure packed than Red Sox Nation. All the Padres really gave up for him was catcher Ryan Hanigan who had been temporarily brought over to the Padres in the Wil Myers trade with Tampa Bay in the winter of 2014. On Middlebrooks side is the fact that he is still young. Hopefully for his sake he can find his stroke once again.