Brewers Score Quiet Win As 3-Year MLB Veteran Re-Signs on MiLB Deal

That sure was a quick free agency

Mar 31, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jacob Waguespack (40) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It came as a surprise to some when the Milwaukee Brewers "released" minor-league righty Jacob Waguespack earlier this month, but it seems fairly clear now what that transaction was really about.

Waguespack, a 32-year-old journeyman with three partial seasons of major league experience, was on a minor-league deal that he signed with the Brewers in late January. He was off to a strong start with Triple-A Nashville, putting up a 2.25 ERA and 23 strikeouts in his first 16 innings of the season.

According to the official transactions log on his roster page, Waguespack re-signed with the Brewers on a minor-league deal on Sunday. That meant his free agency lasted all of six days, just to accept the same terms he seemingly already had. Here's what that means for all parties involved.

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Waguespack's release and re-signing, explained

Mar 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jacob Waguespack (40) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Major league veterans who sign minor-league deals before the season often receive clauses of some kind that allow them to test the open market if they aren't promoted to the majors within a certain time frame. That could very well have been the case for Waguespack, or he might have simply requested a release without a clause of that variety.

Either way, it seems his trip to the open market didn't yield any more promising opportunities. Waguespack last pitched in the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024, allowing six earned runs in 10 innings, and at this early point in the season, there aren't usually a lot of teams looking for a plug-and-play arm.

Last season, Waguespack had a 2.45 ERA in 33 Triple-A innings, split between the Rays and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. It seems he has this minor-league thing pretty well figured out, but it remains to be seen whether he'll get his shot at the majors again this year.

However it works out for Waguespack, it has to be considered a win for the Brewers that he stayed. There's never harm in having an extra arm with major league experience stashed in the minors in case of attrition.