Brewers add power bat off waivers, DFA Justin Smoak

The Milwaukee Brewers are adding Daniel Vogelbach the the mix

Milwaukee’s struggles this season have been well-documented. After the organization failed to make any substantial changes despite losing the likes of Mike Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal, they have, predictably, lost a step in 2020. The Brew Crew sits on the outside of the playoff picture, but remarkably still involved given MLB’s new format which highlights second-place division teams as well as division winners. The Brewers are just one game behind the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central.

At first base, Vogelbach adds an immediate power bat should he be asked to report directly to the big league squad. Justin Smoak, who he’ll be directly replacing, was hitting .186 on the season and adding…not much to a Brewers lineup which could use some pop. Per Ken Rosenthal, they’re trying to do just that.

Will swapping Smoak for Vogelbach make an impact?

On the surface, not particularly. Vogelbach has been passed around in 2020, playing for the Mariners and Blue Jays. After he was DFA’d by Toronto, Milwaukee opted to give him a try. Vogelbach is just one season removed from an All-Star campaign, where he hit 30 home runs in Seattle, so it is a little surprising to see him struggling so much in a shortened season.

There’s always the potential that Vogelbach will find his power surge in Milwaukee, but to this point he’s hitting a measly .088 combined in his stints in Seattle and Toronto, and hasn’t shown much promise.

The Brewers are out of options, and even should Christian Yelich see a resurgence into the MVP candidate we know he can be, it’s tough to be scared of this team even if they were to make the postseason.