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Former Milwaukee Brewers 1st Baseman Signs with Texas Rangers

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 9:28 AM ET

After Prince Fielder left the Milwaukee Brewers following the 2011 season, the team struggled to find one single player to replace him at first base. Of course, it is no small thing to replace a player like prime Fielder, who was the Brewers’ starting first baseman for six seasons between 2006 and 2011, averaging 38 home runs and 108 RBI a season while batting .282/.390/.540 during that time.

But for Milwaukee, the task proved to be impossible. From 2012-2021, the team had a different player start at first base on each Opening Day. It was not until Rowdy Tellez started on consecutive Opening Days in 2022 and 2023 that they had the same player as their Opening Day starter in back-to-back seasons.

And now, of course, Rhys Hoskins has started in each of the last two seasons, including this one. But with the third year of his contract being a mutual option worth $18 million, a price the Brewers almost certainly will not want to pay, they may be looking at someone else starting a first base again in 2026.

Former Milwaukee Brewers First Baseman Rowdy Tellez Has Signed with the Texas Rangers

Former Milwaukee Brewers 1st Baseman Signs with Texas Rangers 1 Jun 23, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez (11) hits a double during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

While the Brewers are still attempting to find/develop a long-term answer at first base, Tellez himself is just trying to stick to a Major League Baseball team. Since leaving Milwaukee following the 2023 season, the former Brewers first baseman has struggled to find regular playing time, due in most part to his inability to hit left-handed pitching.

In 2024, Tellez played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and hit .243/.299/.392 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI in 131 games. The Pirates, however, decided not to bring him back in 2025.

And so, Tellez started the 2025 season with the Seattle Mariners. However, his strikeout rate was up and, in short, the team simply could not play him against left-handed pitchers. They released him last week after the former Brewers slugger hit .208/.249/.434 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI in 62 games this season.

On July 4, it was reported that Tellez had reached an agreement with the Texas Rangers to join their minor league system. It is his fourth MLB organization in the last three years:

Rangers To Sign Rowdy Tellez To Minor League Deal https://t.co/HD8bRm70Ns pic.twitter.com/6dKrLxvy2k

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 4, 2025

The Rangers are 43-45 this season and have right-handed hitting Jake Burger as their starting first baseman. He is hitting .217/.249/.393 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 67 games this season. And while these numbers are, to put it plainly, not good, he is even worse against right-handed pitching.

Against righties this season, Burger is hitting .206/.234/.361. Tellez, meanwhile, has hit .219/.257/.463 against righties this year, and all 11 of his home runs have come against right-handed pitching.

While Tellez certainly is not much of an upgrade for Texas at first base, perhaps they are hopeful that he can at least improve his plate discipline enough in the minors for them to deploy him in a platoon at first base.