Brewers Make Final Luis Rengifo Roster Move, Admit Mistake

Apr 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Luis Rengifo (13) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Brewers Make Final Luis Rengifo Roster Move, Admit Mistake

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Jun 23, 2026 7:59 AM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Luis Rengifo's chances of returning to the Milwaukee Brewers this year have fallen as low as they possibly could without him officially joining another team.

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported on Monday that Rengifo, who was cut from the active roster last week when the Brewers called up top prospect Cooper Pratt, had been placed on release waivers. That makes it a near-certainty that he will hit free agency by the end of Wednesday.

Though the offseason worked out very much in the Brewers' favor, Rengifo's departure is a reminder that not every move will come out the way even the best front office in the league intends it to.

Rengifo on release waivers: What it means

Rengifo signed a $3.5 million contract in free agency that included a $1.5 million base salary for this season and a $2 million buyout on an option for next year. The Brewers accepted responsibility for all of that money, as it's quite unlikely a team would even shoulder the weight of the $780 thousand he's owed for the rest of this year.

So when he eventually becomes a free agent, Rengifo will likely have to settle for a minor-league contract and work his way back to the majors this season. His numbers were so poor that there's really no team that will either see him as a game-ready upgrade or a veteran worth plugging in to show their young guns the ropes.

After they traded away Caleb Durbin in the deal that landed new stud pitcher Kyle Harrison, the Brewers hoped Rengifo could be a low-budget, low-commitment starter at the hot corner. Instead, he put up a .205/.280/.254 slash line in 57 games. He never wound up hitting a home run as a member of the Brewers.

As Milwaukee turns over the keys to shortstop to Pratt, Ortiz has a glimmer of hope to find offensive production as he returns to third base, the position where he put up a 102 OPS+ in 2024.

Rengifo, who had 6.3 bWAR and a 109 OPS+ from 2022 to 2024 with the Los Angeles Angels, now sits at a career inflection point at age 29.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: