MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Fans were just allowed inside the ballpark on Tuesday afternoon as the energy started to pick up for the Milwaukee Brewers' newest addition, Danny Jansen, who joined the team after being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays.
We've made the following trade with @RaysBaseball pic.twitter.com/dunICj5Cbv
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 29, 2025
The Brewers also acquired cash in the trade, while Tampa Bay received infielder Jadher Areinamo. To open up a space on Milwaukee's roster, catcher Eric Haase was designated for assignment.
While Jansen won't be playing Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs, he spent the afternoon meeting his new teammates. The trade brings him back to a state he knows very well.
Jansen grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, where both of his parents still live. Interestingly, his family used to host players for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers when he was a child.
In case you didn’t know, the newest Milwaukee Brewer Danny Jansen has a pretty cool tie to the T-Rats! 👀
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) July 29, 2025
Danny grew up in Appleton, WI and his family hosted Timber Rattler Adam Jones during the 2004 season. Adam became a role model for Danny and the two reconnected when Danny… pic.twitter.com/TlxnTGdFck
Though his parents are from Chicago, suggesting possible Cubs allegiances in his youth, being traded to the Brewers represents an ideal situation for Jansen – bringing him closer to family while joining the team with the best record in baseball (63-43).
"Obviously, the Brewers are playing awesome baseball and repping the state about an hour and 45 minutes north, so definitely being closer to home where my wife and I live is awesome," Jansen smiled. "Just excited. Excited to get here and meet everybody and being a part of an awesome clubhouse."
Watch: Brewers' new catcher Danny Jansen returns to Wisconsin roots after trade
Brewers manager Pat Murphy acknowledged the challenges ahead for Jansen, who needs to learn an entirely new pitching staff.
"The great thing is he's a veteran and he's been through this before," Murphy said. "He understands it, and he's eager. You know, coming in today with no sleep. He's eager to learn whatever he can learn."
It may be some time before fans see Jansen behind the plate as he familiarizes himself with the Brewers' pitching staff. However, Murphy indicated there's opportunity to utilize Jansen as a designated hitter even when William Contreras is catching, given Jansen's offensive capabilities.
Jansen played in 73 games with the Rays this season, making 66 starts, and is batting .204/.314/.389 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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