The Milwaukee Brewers traded away their entire third base depth chart on Monday. It seemed they were going to be in need of bringing in additional infield depth right as spring training was getting started. They were left with just David Hamilton as the only infielder as an option at third base on the 40-man roster. On Friday, they made their addition to shore up that depth.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has reported that the Brewers are signing veteran utility infielder Luis Rengifo to a one-year contract. Rengifo will earn $3.5 million in salary with another $1.5 million in possible incentives. The deal includes a mutual option for 2027 valued at $10 million.
To this point, the 28-year-old Rengifo has spent his entire seven-year career with the Los Angeles Angels.
Luis Rengifo provides stopgap help
Rengifo has played all over the diamond for the Angels, playing three infield spots and all three outfield positions. The best seasons of his career came in 2022 and 2023, when he was able to slug 17 and 16 home runs, respectively, with a .264 batting average.
In 2024, Rengifo was on pace to have a truly fantastic season, with career highs in batting average (.300), on-base percentage (.347), and stolen bases (24), but he played in just 78 games as he dealt with a wrist injury that required surgery. He had proven to be a solid contact hitter that could hit from both sides of the plate with some decent pop while able to play all over the diamond.
Then he had a tough season in 2025, hitting just .238/.287/.335 with nine homers and a woeful 73 OPS+. Still, he was healthy with a career-high 147 games played.
Now with the Brewers, Rengifo immediately becomes the most experienced third baseman on the roster and would appear to have an inside track to regular playing time at the position. Being a switch-hitter, he’d be largely immune to platoon needs. He has power from both sides, but hits for a higher average as a righty.
Brewers PBO Matt Arnold said after the Durbin trade that they liked the depth in their infield but were open to making more additions.
Rengifo is a good fit for the Brewers because he makes a lot of contact, doesn’t strike out a ton, has some speed, and is versatile defensively. He can provide a legitimate stopgap at the hot corner in Milwaukee until the young prospects are ready. Once they are, Rengifo can settle into a utility role that he’s probably a better overall fit for. He won’t block Jett Williams, Cooper Pratt, or Brock Wilken when they’re ready, but he can bridge the gap until they are.
