This is an interesting one, but whether or not it will work is a completely different question.
Since it is around the trade deadline, it seems like a good time to check in on an old friend of the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw. Except, he might not be a third baseman for long.
How is that news? He played first base for the Red Sox before too. Heck, the guy even played left field. He wasn’t all that talented out there but you know what, he tried it. Think again.
The Brewers are interested in getting Mike Moustakas to bolster their lineup and if they do so, Shaw could end up playing second base. That’s right: a guy that big is going to be giving second base a try, potentially.
Sources: #Brewers have considered possibility of acquiring Mike Moustakas and moving Travis Shaw to 2B, but pitching may become the more urgent priority following Suter injury. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 23, 2018
To answer your question: no. Shaw has never played the position at the pro level. Shocker, right?
What it all comes down to is this: second base is a black hole for the Brewers. Their WAR (wins above replacement) at the position is -0.6, the second worst in the big leagues. Plus, the team ranks 17th in runs scored, so they could use some help scoring some more.
Also, if you were wondering how things are going for Shaw this season, they’re going just fine. He is hitting .243 with 18 home runs, 57 RBI and an .809 OPS this season. It’s a step back in production from last season but let’s be honest: did anyone really expect him to keep up that high level of production?
Seriously though: if Shaw can play second base (we shall see if he can), then he would’ve been a good guy for the Red Sox to keep around. Imagine if they had him in there some nights instead of Eduardo Nunez. That would be quite something, wouldn’t it?