Cincinnati Reds: Is Eugenio Suárez the best third baseman in the division?

5. Colin Moran, Pittsburgh Pirates

For now, the Pittsburgh Pirates are likely to roll with Colin Moran as the team’s starting third baseman. A former first-round pick of the Miami Marlins back in 2013, Moran has been a regular in the Pirates lineup for the past two seasons. Moran’s offensive numbers aren’t anything spectacular, hitting .277/.331/.419.

One look at those numbers, and the casual fan might say, “Hey, I’d take that.” That may be true of a utility player, or even a shortstop, but Moran lacks the power to be an effective starting third baseman in the league. Moran’s career-OPS with Pittsburgh is .749 and he has just 24 home runs over the past two seasons.

Look for José Osuna to get some reps at third base as well during the upcoming season. Osuna played all over the field for Pittsburgh last season, seeing 19 games at third base. Both players are keeping the seat warm for Ke’Bryan Hayes, the team’s No. 2 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

4. Eric Sogard, Milwaukee Brewers

Wow! The third base position for the Milwaukee Brewers went from a position of strength to a position of weakness quicker than a ball off the bat of Aristides Aquino leaves the yard. Last season, Milwaukee employed Travis Shaw coming off a 2018 season that saw him put up an OPS of .825 and 32 home runs. Shaw’s slow start quickly turned into a nightmare.

The 29-year-old was demoted to the minors and the Brewers were forced to move Mike Moustakas back to third base after committing to placing him at second base for the 2019 season. Moustakas went on to have an All-Star season and would eventually sign with the Cincinnati Reds over the winter.

The Brewers now look to have Eric Sogard as the team’s starting third baseman heading into 2020. Sogard put up solid numbers last season, but it’s doubtful that level of success is sustainable. Milwaukee may turn to former Boston Red Sox utility player, Brock Holt, early and often.