Hot Contest At Hot Corner For Brewers

MILWAUKEE—It wasn’t that long ago that Boston Red Sox fans wondered what would happen to third base prospect Garin Cecchini with Will Middlebrooks blocking him at the big-league level. Now, both players will be in the Brewers’ spring camp.

“The baseball world can change pretty quickly,” general manager David Stearns noted.

Within a span of five days in December, the Brewers acquired Cecchini in a cash deal with Boston and signed Middlebrooks to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Middlebrooks, 27, became a free agent when San Diego failed to tender him a contract at the Dec. 2 deadline.

Once considered a top prospect, Middlebrooks had a strong debut with Boston in 2012, batting .288 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs over 75 games. The following year, he compiled 17 homers and 49 RBI in 94 games but his OPS slipped from .835 to .522.

Plagued by injuries, Middlebrooks continued to slide in 2014, batting .191 with a .522 OPS in 63 games. After that season, the Red Sox signed free agent Pablo Sandoval and shipped Middlebrooks to the Padres. He continued to struggle last season in San Diego, with .602 OPS before being sent to Triple-A El Paso in July.

Cecchini, 24, was designated for assignment after a poor year with Triple-A Pawtucket. He bats lefthanded, setting up a possible platoon with the righty Middlebrooks at third base.

As for why both players backtracked offensively, Stearns said, “There are probably different reasons for each guy. Middlebrooks did have success in the major leagues when he first came up and since then has had success in spurts but hasn’t maintained as well as you’d like.

“Cecchini is still a young player. He has been a prospect on the industry radar for a while. We still think that same talent is there and the ability is still there.”

MICROBREWS

• Outfielder Eric Young Jr. signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

• The Brewers claimed three players on waivers in December: outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis from the Mets, catcher Josmil Pinto from the Padres and first baseman Andy Wilkins from the Rangers, although Pinto was designated for assignment when the Brewers signed Chris Carter.