ST. PETERSBURG -- Nick Franklin is headed to the Brewers. Milwaukee claimed the infielder/outfielder off waivers from the Rays on Wednesday.
Franklin, designated for assignment by the Rays on Saturday, hit .270 with six home runs and 26 RBIs with Tampa Bay this past season. The 26-year-old is expected to report to Milwaukee on Friday.
"Good for him," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Selfishly, obviously, a guy we'd like to have in the organization. He's proven that he's come up and helped us. But he'll go over there and have success. The versatility and the ability to swing the bat."
The Rays, who put a premium on flexibility, ended up going with rookie infielder/outfielder Daniel Robertson on their roster. Ultimately, Cash allowed that the situation came down to a numbers game.
"That's all it really was," Cash said. "The ability to have a guy play shortstop and help us. ... We wanted to make sure our defense was at its best breaking camp."
Franklin came to the Rays from the Mariners in 2014 in a three-team deal that sent David Price to the Tigers. The Rays also received Minor League shortstop Willy Adames and left-hander Drew Smyly in the deal. Adames is the only player from that deal still in the organization.