Brewers To Sign Luis Rengifo, Theoretically Solving Third Base Conundrum

[Steve Drumwright]

Image courtesy of © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Just four days after creating a vacuum at third base by trading Caleb Durbin, the Milwaukee Brewers have theoretically plugged that hole via free agency.

Luis Rengifo, a versatile defender who stole 24 bases in a limited 2024 season, has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Crew, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The deal, which is currently unofficial and pending a physical, includes a $10 million mutual option for 2027.

Rengifo, a top outside candidate to fill the void left by the Durbin deal, immediately vaults to the top of the depth chart at third base, a position he has played 199 times at the MLB level.

A former Los Angeles Angel, Rengifo was having a breakthrough 2024, posting a .300/.347/.417 slash line with those 24 steals to go along with nine homers and 30 RBIs in 78 games. Then, he injured his right wrist in early July. He tried to come back, but lasted just nine games before requiring season-ending surgery.

The versatile infielder, who turns 29 on Feb. 26, came back in 2025 and had a subpar showing for the last-place Angels, putting up a slash line of .238/.287/.335 with nine homers, 43 RBIs and 10 steals in 147 games, below his career marks of .250/..307/.382. He split 2025 between second and third base, playing in 76 games at the hot corner, committing two errors in 146⅓ innings.

The switch-hitting Rengifo does hit left-handed pitchers better than right-handers, registering a .268/.311/.438 slash line with 23 homers in 349 career games vs. southpaws, while owning a .242/.305/.360 mark with 39 homers in 619 games against righties.

David Hamilton, a former Brewers prospect who was part of the Durbin trade, was the leading candidate to start at third, but now is the top choice to fill the role vacated by Andruw Monasterio's inclusion in this week's trade as the main utility man on the roster.

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[Ro Mueller]

This may not be saying much, but I feel a lot better about Rengifo/Hamilton than I did about Dunn/Capra.

[igor67]

[Terry]

Rengifo for the past four seasons:
0.312 wOBA/ 0.306 xwOBA
Durbin last year: 
0.319 wOBA/ 0.312 xwOBA

Against lefties
Rengifo: 0.364 wOBA/ 0.334 xwOBA (2022-2025)
Durbin: 0.317 wOBA/ 0.305 xwOBA

I was guessing they would sign Ramon Urias simply because Rengifo's defense at third was horrendous, but maybe Brewers can fix something that Angels doesn't?

[Ron750]

Bad signing. He’s on the decline. He has character issues. I liked Caleb Durbin. 

[wallus]

4 minutes ago, Ron750 said:

Bad signing. He’s on the decline. He has character issues. I liked Caleb Durbin. 

What character issues?

[Jason Wang]

5 minutes ago, wallus said:

What character issues?

He's either talking about when he forged divorce documents in Venezuela OR that he has a slightly unkempt beard but not really sure which one to be honest 🤔

[wallus]

5 minutes ago, Jason Wang said:

He's either talking about when he forged divorce documents in Venezuela OR that he has a slightly unkempt beard but not really sure which one to be honest 🤔

Who here hasn't forged divorce documents?

[Jason Wang]

Just now, wallus said:

Who here hasn't forged divorce documents?

That's what I'm saying!

[Snoebird]

Streaky hitter and fielder. This signing feels a lot like the 2023 signing of Brian Anderson, whose promising career was compromised by an injury. But itinerant third basemen has become the Brewers' norm until one of the recent corner infield draftees stakes his claim to the position. 

[Trax]

Put me down for don't like.  Maybe he has a red hot spring training but so does somebody else and we can move him.

[biedergb]

not a great signing, but given the circumstances (yes self-inflicted by trading all 3 IF), we had to get someone, and likely need a bridge to mid year at best, or all 2026 at work, and he can do that. Depth is now:

1b - Vaughn/Bauers platoon
2b - Turang
3b - Rengifo/Hamilton platoon (weakest spot by far)
ss - Ortiz
lf - Chourio
Cf - Perkins/Mitchell
rf - Frelick
c - Contreras
DH - Yelich
c/1b/DH - Sanchez
OF - Lockridge

Which will push Jett Williams, Jefferson Quero likely to AAA with Wilken, Pratt, Adams or Burke, Lara; and AA will feature Fischer, Made and Burke (or Adams) along with Dinges. But that depth chart will look very different after the All Star break most likely

Edited February 14 by biedergb
added Pratt

[wallus]

10 minutes ago, biedergb said:

not a great signing, but given the circumstances (yes self-inflicted by trading all 3 IF), we had to get someone, and likely need a bridge to mid year at best, or all 2026 at work, and he can do that. Depth is now:

1b - Vaughn/Bauers platoon
2b - Turang
3b - Rengifo/Hamilton platoon (weakest spot by far)
ss - Ortiz
lf - Chourio
Cf - Perkins/Mitchell
rf - Frelick
c - Contreras
DH - Yelich
c/1b/DH - Sanchez
OF - Lockridge

Which will push Jett Williams, Jefferson Quero likely to AAA with Wilken, Pratt, Adams or Burke, Lara; and AA will feature Fischer, Made and Burke (or Adams) along with Dinges. But that depth chart will look very different after the All Star break most likely

Assuming they did a 3rd base platoon, why would you think it would be the weakest spot by far? The stats are actually encouraging if anything 

[CA John]

Brewers continue to play chess. Essentially flipping Devin Williams for two plus lefty starters w five years of control. 🔥

Hader for Contreras and Gasser. 🔥

Only Burnes for DL Hall and Ortiz looks suspect, but w Burnes and Hall on IL, judgement is still TBD. 💪