Adam Lind Trade is Excellent Move By Milwaukee Brewers

By Pete Schwichtenberg @schwick26_pete on November 2, 2014

Last offseason the Milwaukee Brewers got burned. They had a need for a first baseman and continually lost out as players like Justin Morneau, Corey Hart, and James Loney signed with other teams, leaving the Brewers with little options to find a consistent starter at the position.

This offseason, Doug Melvin was not going to get beat again. He made the first big move of the offseason  by acquiring Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind in exchange for Marco Estrada. This move was made to finally bring stability to a position that has lacked a presence since Prince Fielder departed after the 2011 season.

By nabbing Lind, the Brewers will be able to address several needs. First, they are able to add a left handed bat, that can both drive the ball and get on base, to a right handed dominated lineup. He also provides a bat that has a much better chance to put the ball in play in RBI situations, which is something that many on the team struggled to do in the second half of 2014. While he struggles against left handed pitching, he rakes against right handers. Last season, he batted a sizzling .354 against righties in 257 at bats.

Estrada has been a strong piece on the team for the last few seasons, but the Brewers already have the pieces on the roster that can soften the blow in his absence. At just 7.5 million dollars for 2015, Lind is a bargain compared to many other bats in the league. His eight million dollar option for 2016 means that they finally look to have someone who is more than just a stop gap. The last few years at first base have been a mess, but with this trade that mess has finally been cleaned up.

Pete Schwichtenberg is an MLB writer for Rantsports. Follow @schwick26_pete, Like him on Facebook, or add him to your Google Network.