The Rays signed infielder Nick Madrigal to a minor league contract, as per Madrigal’s MLB.com profile page. It was a short trip in free agency for Madrigal, who just returned to the open market a few days ago when he declined an outright assignment to the Angels’ Triple-A squad.
After missing the entire 2025 season due to shoulder surgery, Madrigal inked a minors deal with the Halos last winter and then was selected to the 26-man roster at the end of May. Madrigal hit .273/.385/.295 over his 52 plate appearances in a Los Angeles uniform, providing a decent amount of offensive production despite a near-total lack of power. It wasn’t enough to keep the Angels from designating Madrigal for assignment when Jorge Soler was activated from the 10-day injured list, as Denzer Guzman‘s promotion to the majors and installation into pretty much an everyday role further crowded the team’s infield picture.
Madrigal now joins a Tampa Bay club who has been somewhat short-handed in the infield all year, due to Gavin Lux‘s season-long stint on the 60-day IL. While Madrigal isn’t as easily optionable to the minors as some of the Rays’ other infield options at Triple-A, he provides Tampa Bay with some experienced depth.
Madrigal has played only at second and third base during his six MLB seasons, though he has gotten a few appearances in the minors this year as a left fielder. The right-handed hitting Madrigal could provide a complement to the lefty-swinging Richie Palacios at second base, and playing time at third base isn’t likely given Junior Caminero‘s presence. That said, Caminero might get some time at DH if Yandy Diaz is headed to the injured list, since Diaz left today’s game with a shoulder strain and is considered (for now) as day-to-day.
