Greg Jones has officially cleared waivers and elected free agency, per MLB Trade Rumors. It's not a splashy move, but it's the kind of roster churn that happens constantly this time of year, when teams are shedding bodies to make room for trade deadline additions.
Greg Jones Elects Free Agency t.co/CDFjKjp9R0
The backstory here is a decade-long journey that started with real hype. Jones went 22nd overall to the Rays in the 2019 draft out of UNC Wilmington, signing for $3 million on the strength of true 70-grade speed and a switch-hitting profile scouts loved. He was viewed as the best pure athlete in Tampa Bay's system for a stretch.
Since then it's been a grind. Jones got dealt to Colorado in 2024, made his big league debut with the Rockies that June, and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers this past December. Milwaukee designated him for assignment back on May 4, brought him back for another look, and then DFA'd him again over the weekend after acquiring Braden Shewmake from Houston.
This latest stint with the Brewers didn't move the needle much. Jones got into 12 games, started 7 of them, and went 2-for-23 with a walk and 10 strikeouts, splitting time as a utility piece who's now more outfielder than the shortstop he was drafted as. Clearing a second outright waiver claim is what triggered his right to elect free agency instead of sticking around in Milwaukee's minor league system.
None of this changes the pennant race, but it's a reminder of how brutal the middle class of pro baseball can be. A guy with first-round bloodlines and top-of-the-scale tools is now hitting the open market looking at minor league offers, exactly the kind of depth move contenders quietly make while the big trades dominate the headlines.