The 33-year-old played most of his career with Pittsburgh, was traded to Oakland and then split last season between the A's and National League Central Division rival Chicago.
His numbers dipped considerably: He batted .242 with three homers and 41 RBIs. He's never been a long-ball threat, but he sports a career batting average of .297 and an on-base percentage of .375.
Kendall has hit .300 or more six times, something the Brewers haven't seen in a backstop since Ted Simmons' days with Harvey's Wallbangers. His offensive modus operandi is making contact, which the power-oriented, free-swinging Brewers can use. Kendall has struck out 538 times and walked 588 times in 12 seasons.
Contrast that to last year's starter, Johnny Estrada, who hit a respectable .278, two points lower than his career standard. Estrada's OBP was a lousy .296 and his career mark is .320. His backup, Damian Miller, batted .237 in limited duty and his career numbers are .262 BA and .329 OBP.
I would love to see Wisconsin product Miller in a supporting role again, but general manager Doug Melvin has opted to go with younger guys instead.
Eric Munson was signed after Houston waived him in mid-October. He registered 18 and 19 homers with Detroit in 2003-04, respectively. However, he's never hit above .240 and has a career .214 average, plus he strikes out every 4.5 at-bats. His biggest advantage is that he's a left-handed batter, something the team lacks overall.
Mike Rivera and Vinny Rottino are the other options.
Rivera is a career .239 hitter who has some pop in his bat, but he strikes out every 4.9 at-bats.
Rottino should get the nod, even though his sample is much smaller. He's only batted 27 times in late-season visits the past two years, hitting .217. However, he's only struck out three times and was an excellent hitter while climbing the minor league ladder. Rottino's also the most versatile performer on the team's 40-man roster, having played almost every position along the way.
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