Brewers Lose 25-Year-Old Infielder To Rays In Free Agency

One less depth piece in Milwaukee

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Minor-league signings often trickle in at this time of year without much notice, but one never knows how consequential they might prove to be later on.

The Milwaukee Brewers have seen more departures this year than they have arrivals. Triple-A infielder Vinny Capra signed with the Boston Red Sox, but before that happened last week, one of his teammates with the Nashville Sounds joined the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Second baseman Raynel Delgado inked a minor-league deal with the Rays on Nov. 22, according to the transactions log on his official roster page. The 25-year-old has been initially assigned to Triple-A Durham, though he'll try to compete for an opening day major league roster spot during spring training.

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Looking back on Raynel Delgado's year with the Brewers

Mar 27, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Infielder Raynel Delgado fields a ball during Columbus Clippers practice at Huntington Park. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Delgado came to the Brewers exactly how he left them: on a minor-league deal after electing free agency. He had a surprisingly calm year transactions-wise, never being called up, sent down, released, etc.

In 125 games for Triple-A Nashville, Delgado slashed .281/.363/.378, totaling 116 hits, five home runs, 53 RBIs, and an impressive 40 stolen bases. If there's any role the Rays foresee Delgado playing in the majors this season, it likely begins and ends with his foot speed.

Never regarded as a true star prospect, Delgado has now played in Triple-A for each of the last three seasons, but still has yet to debut in the majors. The Brewers' crowded infield situation can't have appealed to him as he chose a new team for this season, and it's entirely possible Milwaukee wanted some turnover on their minor-league depth chart as well.

Delgado is still relatively young, though, and the Rays have had lots of similar success stories with "forgotten" prospects on both sides of the ball.

The Brewers already have their speedy second baseman in Brice Turang, so if Delgado winds up fitting a similar mold in the big leagues someday, at least Milwaukee lost him to the opposite league.

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