The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to move on from a reliable veteran infielder to clear a roster spot for top prospect Cooper Pratt against the Cleveland Guardians.
Milwaukee will designate veteran Luis Rengifo for assignment, reports Pat Ragazzo of Athlon Sports. The news of Pratt’s pending promotion came out over the weekend, after the prospect was seen getting hugs in the Triple-A dugout. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com was among the reporters to confirm that Pratt was headed to the Brewers.
Rengifo joined Milwaukee on a one-year, $3.5 million deal in February. The 29-year-old had spent his entire big-league career with the Los Angeles Angels until this season. Rengifo scuffled to a 53 wRC+ in 209 plate appearances in Milwaukee. He primarily played third base, while also making appearances at first and second base. The Brewers have up to five days to explore a trade before placing Rengifo on waivers.
Milwaukee Brewers Roster Update: Luis Rengifo to be Designated For Assignment, Cooper Pratt Promoted
Rengifo has operated as the Brewers’ primary third baseman this season. The club had an opening at the hot corner after trading Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox in a swap that netted infielder David Hamilton and left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan. Ironically, Boston and Milwaukee are tied for 27th in OPS at the position with a brutal .606 mark. Rengifo posted a .555 OPS in his time at third base. Hamilton has been much better, putting up a .723 OPS in 86 plate appearances while playing third.
The Angels first gave Rengifo everyday playing time in 2022. He rewarded the organization with a breakout campaign. The versatile infielder slugged a career-best 17 home runs and stole six bases in 127 games as the primary second baseman. Rengifo built on that success the following season, hitting another 16 home runs while raising his wRC+ to 115. The 2024 campaign took a different shape, but Rengifo was still a valuable player. His power dried up, with just six home runs, but he swiped a career-high 24 bases.
Rengifo fell on hard times last season. He slashed .238/.287/.335 in 147 games. The performance was so disappointing that the club wasn’t able to move him at the trade deadline. Instead, he played out the season with a non-contender and then headed to free agency.
Pratt Poised to Take Over in the Infield
Pratt made news in April when he inked a massive eight-year, $50.75MM extension before playing a game in the majors. He remained in the minors even after signing the deal. The infielder will finally get the call to the big-league squad. Pratt posted a league-average 100 wRC+ across 58 games at Triple-A. He hit six home runs and stole 17 bases.
MLB Pipeline ranks Pratt as the No. 4 prospect in Milwaukee’s organization. He’s behind Jesus Made, one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and fellow infielders Luis Pena and Jett Williams. Pratt should get plenty of runway in the Brewers’ infield. He’s mostly played shortstop in the minors, but he also has experience at second base. Milwaukee has some flexibility on the dirt with Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz capable of playing multiple positions. No matter where he lands on defense, Pratt is expected to get regular playing time.
Brewers To Cut $3.5 Million Veteran Ahead of Guardians Matchup