The Free Agent Signing Brewers Are Already Regretting

Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Luis Rengifo (13) reaches second base after hitting a double against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Free Agent Signing Brewers Are Already Regretting

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 21, 2026 12:00 PM ET

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Like most offseasons, the Milwaukee Brewers didn't make a ton of moves this past offseason ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

The biggest move of the offseason made by the Brewers was, of course, the trade to send Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to the New York Mets in exchange for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. Outside of the big trade, Milwaukee didn't do anything massive in free agency. But, again, this is the norm. This seems to be the case every year. Milwaukee deals away superstars before they land lucrative, long-term deals in exchange for prospects. We've seen this with Peralta, Devin Williams and Corbin Burnes over the last few years alone.

In free agency, the Brewers typically sit on the outskirts and wait to see if someone falls into their lap. This year, it was Luis Rengifo, who signed with Milwaukee in mid-February. Rengifo is an intriguing player. He can play all over the field and is a career .247 hitter in seasons in the big leagues.

The Brewers Utility Man Has Struggled

While this is the case, the deal hasn't fully worked out in Milwaukee's favor just yet. He's gotten time at first base and third base for the Brewers, which helps with positional flexibility, but he's slashing .167/.227/.267 with four RBIs, one stolen base and six doubles in 17 games played. Rengifo has -0.3 wins above replacement right now for Milwaukee since the start of the season.

The beauty of Major League Baseball is the fact that Milwaukee still has 141 games left this season. There is plenty of time left to turn things around and Rengifo will need to do so to make this deal look better. With injuries all over the place, including to Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio, Rengifo is certainly going to get playing time, at least in the short term.

He's just 29 years old and clearly can play. Last year, he played in 147 games for the Los Angeles Angels and slashed .238/.287/.335 with nine homers, 43 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 33 walks and 55 runs scored. That level of production would go a long way for Milwaukee right now. Clearly, he's capable of it.

In 2024, he played in 78 games for the Angels and slashed .300/.347/.417 with six homers and 30 RBIs. When he's going, he can really hit. The Brewers just haven't seen that yet. Right now, this deal looks like a miss. But he has the talent to change the perception.

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

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