The Brewers have had a busy offseason on the margins, and one of the quieter moves involved a catcher who never quite broke through in Milwaukee.
Ramon Rodriguez elected free agency from the organization, according to his official MLB.com profile. The 28-year-old backstop had spent three years in the Brewers’ system after signing a minor league deal in 2024, but he never got the call to the majors.
Rodriguez’s 2026 season came at Triple-A Nashville, where he appeared in 56 games and hit .236/.299/.313 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. He was part of the catching depth chart in the upper minors, but remained a step away from Milwaukee’s big league roster.
His professional career started back in 2016 with the Dodgers, when he was just 17 years old. Since then, he has moved through the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization, the Baltimore Orioles’ system and, most recently, the Brewers’ pipeline.
Milwaukee can afford to absorb the loss. The club is well stocked behind the plate, with William Contreras and Gary Sanchez in the majors, Jeferson Quero and Rodriguez at Triple-A, and Bo Naylor now in the mix after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians. Sanchez is now a free agent, and Rodriguez has joined him.
Even so, Rodriguez’s departure is another reminder of how much catching depth matters in the minors. At 28, he should have a chance to catch on elsewhere on a minor league deal, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if that happens soon.
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