Brewers add depth by signing veterans Luke Voit and Tyler Naquin to minor-league deals

PHOENIX – The Milwaukee Brewers added to their depth at first base on Tuesday by signing a pair of well-traveled veterans in first baseman-designated hitter Luke Voit and outfielder Tyler Naquin to minor-league contracts with invitations to major-league spring training.

"Really excited," general manager Matt Arnold said of the signings. "It's a great thing to have competition in camp and to add two guys like this, with the kind of pedigree that they have, (is a positive). Both played on good teams, they're competitive guys who are hungry and so we think it's going to be a really good thing for everybody."

Luke Voit may be complement to Rowdy Tellez at first base

Voit, who just turned 32, batted .226 with 22 HR and 69 RBI in 135 games last season with the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals.

Voit is also a right-handed hitter, which could make him a complement to Rowdy Tellez at first, although Voit has traditionally hit right-handed pitching much better than left-handed pitching over the course of his career (.262 average, .838 OPS vs. .236/.768).

Holdover Keston Hiura, who also plays first base, also has reverse splits as a right-handed hitter.

"I think with the way we're structured – especially with a lot of guys that are left-handed – he still fits," Arnold said.

The Brewers have other right-handed-hitting options at first base in camp in utility men Hiura, Owen Miller and Mike Brosseau But Voit is a first baseman by trade and has hit 20 or more home runs in three of the last four years.

Indeed, Voit already turned heads on Tuesday when he blasted a home run onto the roof of the Maryvale complex from a nearby field during batting practice.

Had all gone according to plan, Voit would have already been in a camp. But free agency didn't treat him like he thought it might.

"It definitely was a weird offseason," Voit said. "I definitely thought I'd have more interest. I did have other potential opportunities I could have taken, but I wanted to be on a winning team and with a group that has the potential to win a World Series. And I definitely think this team has that.

"I'd like to come in here and do what I did with New York (Yankees) and San Diego and just be a power bat in the lineup, be a threat, and hopefully I can get back to playing first, too. I didn't get to do that a lot last year; I was mostly a DH in San Diego and they had (Nelson) Cruz in Washington.

"I know I can hit, I'm healthy. That's the big thing for me. Knowing what I've got to do, be a good teammate and just be a power hitter."

More:Three questions the Brewers face at first base for the 2023 season

Left-handed hitter Tyler Naquin could give Brewers a different option in right field

Naquin, who turns 32 on April 24, hit .229 with 11 home runs and 46 runs batted in over 105 games with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets in 2022.

He is a left-handed hitter whose best position is right field, which could make him a good fit with the Brewers considering their top two options in that spot entering camp were Tyrone Taylor and Brian Anderson, both right-handed hitters.

"You just never know how the market is going or what it's going to do," said Naquin, who added Milwaukee came highly recommended as a landing spot by former Brewers Hunter Strickland and Daniel Vogelbach, with whom Naquin played in recent seasons. "Just stayed confident and waited for the right opportunity. I know if I just stay healthy and come in and do my thing, I'll be just fine.

"Wherever they need me. At the end of the day we're here to win and I'm not trying to be anybody that I'm not. It'll be fun."

Brewers reliever Justin Wilson won't pitch for months but says he feels great as he recovers from Tommy John surgery

Last week the Brewers also added left-handed reliever Justin Wilson on a one-year, major-league deal with a team option for 2024, but Wilson won't be ready to pitch until around the all-star break while he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

"I feel great," Wilson said. "Still a little ways out with my rehab process. I had surgery June 3 of last year and it's about a year ordeal but everything feels great and I'm moving right along."

The Brewers are the fourth National League Central team for which Wilson will have suited up, joining the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Reds.

"The team, the opportunity, being able to come down here and work with their staff and do my training and finish up with that," Wilson said when asked what appealed to him about coming to Milwaukee.

Wilson also has been traded multiple times near or at the trading deadline, so joining the Brewers bullpen in that timeframe seems almost appropriate.

More:Brewers' starting-pitching depth has already taken a hit as Aaron Ashby and Jason Alexander will be sidelined for an extended period with injuries

More:Bally Sports will broadcast 14 Brewers spring-training games on cable TV, streaming

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers sign veterans Luke Voit, Tyler Naquin to minor-league deals