Brewers add free agent utility infielder in wake of Caleb Durbin trade

Milwaukee adds to diminished infield group with versatile signing
Sep 18, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Angels third base Luis Rengifo (2) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Sep 18, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Angels third base Luis Rengifo (2) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Monday's Caleb Durbin trade saw their third base mainstay off to Boston. Alongside Durbin, depth infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler also saw their Milwaukee careers come to a close. Given the newly created roster space, a third base acquisition seemed likely - enter former Los Angeles Angels utility-man Luis Rengifo.

On Friday afternoon, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Rengifo to a one-year deal with further details still pending. Rengifo fits the mold of many Brewers of the past - he can play multiple positions, bats from both sides of the plate, and leans on a low strikeout approach. Rengifo's 2024 saw him post a .300 batting average accompanied by 24 stolen bases, a contact-first and baserunning approach that has become the standard for the Brewers.

Brewers agree to one-year contract with utility infielder Luis Rengifo

Rengifo's 2025 left a lot to be desired off the heels of a strong 2024 campaign. However, a lot of that dip in production seems to be in part due to bad luck. Rengifo posted nearly identical .300 and .302 xWOBAs in 2024 and 2025 with actual wOBAs of .335 and .275. The difference of about .27 wOBA points between expected and actual wOBA production suggests that brighter days could be in Rengifo's future.

And again, we've seen this story before with the Brewers. They take a player archetype that they thrive in developing in their prime years, 27-30 years old (Rengifo is 28), and consistently find a way to get the most out of them. What's even more encouraging about Rengifo's deal is that its cost likely comes in quite low given his weak 2025 production.

Taking a step back, the Rengifo signing also perfectly aligns with Matt Arnold's comments where he said, "... you also start looking at the future here with guys like Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, and Luke Adams, Luis Peña, and Andrew Fischer. There's just a lot of these types of guys coming, we feel like, in our system that can absolutely handle the left side of the infield..." Rengifo signing a one-year deal shows that Arnold's comments weren't simply GM-speak as his acquisition shouldn't prevent the development of promising young talent, something the Brewers have excelled at in the Arnold era.

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