February 16: Milwaukee officially announced the addition of Rengifo. With room on the 40-man roster, the Brewers didn’t need a corresponding move.
February 13: The Brewers enter Luis Rengifo on a one-year major league deal, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The veteran pitcher has spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Angels. You are a client of MVP Sports Group. The team is yet to announce the move.
Feinsand added that Rengifo will earn a base salary of $3.5MM in 2026. The deal includes a $10MM co-op option through 2027. Rengifo could also make another $1.5MM in grants this year.
Milwaukee had a hole to address on the field after practice Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox. This may not be the move MLBTR’s Steve Adams had in mind when he wrote about the potential of some notable additions, but Rengifo can provide reliable production in many areas. The 28-year-old led the league’s offense over three seasons before struggling significantly last year. He has a lot of experience at second base, third base, and shortstop.
Rengifo started with the Angels in 2019. He held the second base job for most of the season. The infielder carried an 83 wRC+ across 406 plate appearances. He got poor marks for his performance in the keystone (-4 Defensive Runs Saved, -4 Outs above Average). Rengifo moved into a part-time role over the next two seasons, making a splash but providing a versatile defensive presence.
The 2022 campaign represented the outbreak of Rengifo. He scored 17 runs in 127 games. Rengifo entered the year with only 14 employees. He improved his strikeout rate while only hitting 15.5% of the time. Rengifo maintained his offensive gains the following year, hitting 16 home runs with a 115 wRC+.
Rengifo remained a valuable asset in 2024, although his production took a different form. He left the yard only six times, but stole 24 bases and hit even .300. Rengifo has tallied 18 steals over the past five MLB seasons. He managed a .264 batting average. Biceps and wrist injuries limited Rengifo to 78 games, and could be to blame for his lack of power.
Last season was a challenge for Rengifo. His OPS dropped to .622, his worst mark since 2021. He chipped in nine home runs and 10 steals. Rengifo managed to stay healthy throughout the year, playing in a career-high 147 games.
Rengifo’s switch is usually better from the right. He slashed .268/.311/.438 against lefties in his career, compared to .242/.305/.360 against righties. Rengifo didn’t show much difference last season, with just two points separating his OPS from each side of the plate.
It was more value than quality for Rengifo with the glove. He has logged at least 98 plate appearances at all three infield positions other than first base, but does not have a DRS better than -4 at any position. Rengifo posted a -5 DRS at third last season, though he was +5 at second base.
Images courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez and Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
