PHOENIX – Pitchers and catchers had already reported across baseball last week and free-agent infielder Luis Rengifo still hadn’t found a landing spot for 2026.
While some players might have been getting antsy to get going, Rengifo says that wasn’t the case for him.
“No, I wasn’t nervous,” Rengifo said Tuesday, Feb. 17, not long before he took the field with the Milwaukee Brewers for the team’s first full-squad workout at American Family Fields of Phoenix.
“I was just waiting for my opportunity to be on a team. I’m a player. I know what I can do. I come here to help and enjoy my time with these guys.”
Late last week Rengifo, who turns 29 on Feb. 26, agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.5 million contract that includes a $10 million mutual option for 2027. He played his first seven major league seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, compiling a .250 average, 62 home runs, 230 runs batted in and an on-base plus slugging of .688 over 673 games.
“It was my first free-agent season, so I never expected to be month-to-month,” he said. “But at the end of the day, this is the place I want to play this year and I’m so excited to be around these guys and will enjoy every single moment.”
With Milwaukee, the switch-hitting Rengifo is expected to serve as the primary third baseman with the ability to also bounce to second base and shortstop when needed. He played every position last season for the Angels aside from pitcher, catcher and first base.
“I play short, second, third base and the outfield,” Rengifo said. “That’s part of my game, and they gave me the opportunity to be a part of these guys and I’m excited.
“I’m a player and I’m available every single time I’m between the lines, and I do my best for the team.”
Rengifo’s best seasons at the plate came in 2022 and 2023 with 17 and 16 homers, respectively. He also hit .300 in 78 games in 2024 before sinking to a line of .238/9/43/.622 in a career-high 147 games last season.
“He’s a guy that we’ve targeted for a while,” said president of baseball operations Matt Arnold. “We made a move where we went down multiple third basemen, and we wanted to try to bridge that gap if we can. Rengifo is a guy that we thought fit really well here, particularly with his bat from the right-hand side.
“Obviously, you can’t replace somebody like [Caleb] Durbin. But I feel like the combination of infielders we have here are really talented. And behind that, the players coming up in the system – especially on the left side of the diamond – are really exciting.”
Rengifo’s defense was also subpar, recording minus-seven outs above average and minus-five defensive runs saved in 76 games at third with a below-average throwing arm.
“The first thing he did when he came in to work out yesterday at 2 o’clock was take ground balls from Matt Erickson,” Arnold said. “Just knowing that Matt Erickson’s here and what he’s been able to do with a lot of our infielders – he’s somebody we talked a lot about before we acquired him, having those tools and ingredients.
“We believe in Matt Erickson making these guys better.”
Coming from an Angels team that has endured all sorts of struggles for the last decade-plus, Rengifo was all smiles when asked about coming to the perennially playoff-contending Brewers.
“They go to the playoffs all the time. It’s a fun group to watch play,” Rengifo said. “It looks like a family.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Infielder Luis Rengifo ready for anything as he joins Brewers
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
