Brewers: 5 Players You Completely Forgot Were On The Brewers

Over the course of the 2021 regular season, the Milwaukee Brewers have used 60 different players on their 26 man roster at some point. Some are more memorable than others.

There’s been a lot of turnover with this roster through the year as David Stearns and the front office have tinkered with this roster to get it as best as it can be. However, there have been some players that did not stick around very long or did not perform well enough to be remembered.

It’s almost a little difficult to remember the pre-Willy Adames era as the same season as the one that’s concluding right now. That’s how much things have changed over the summer.

Here are five players that most Brewers fans completely forgot were even on the roster at any point in the 2021 season.

1. Jordan Zimmermann

Yes, that was this season, and no it wasn’t a dream. Jordan Zimmermann was once on this Brewers roster in 2021.

Signed shortly before spring training on a minor league deal, Wisconsin-born Jordan Zimmermann didn’t make the team out of camp as he was trying to get stretched out as a starter but went to the alternate site as a reliever to help out this team.

He was called up right before he had decided to retire, actually, shortly after he decided to retire. As the alternate site wound down and the Triple-A season was set to begin, Zimmermann decided to hang up his cleats and drove home, and then the Brewers called and said they wanted him in Milwaukee.

Zimmermann made two appearances for the Brewers out of the bullpen, allowing five earned runs in 5.2 IP. Ironically, he also allowed five earned runs in 5.2 IP in 2020 in his final season with the Tigers.

He pitched in the games on May 2nd and May 7th and had a scoreless two innings on the 7th. Four days later, on May 11th, Zimmermann announced his retirement, having his final appearance in the big leagues be a scoreless outing. A good way to end it for a pitcher who had some great seasons with the Nationals from 2011-2015.

He made some final appearances in the big leagues with the team he grew up rooting for, got a final farewell in the big leagues, and he went out on his own terms. Not many players can say that.

From the beginning, everyone knew Zimmermann was near the end, if not already there. But the Brewers were able to provide one final opportunity for him.

2. Orlando Arcia

Yep, that was this season. Earlier this year, Orlando Arcia was battling for the Brewers shortstop job, lost it, and was traded to Atlanta on April 6, not even a week into the regular season.

After five seasons as the Brewers shortstop, the Crew had finally seen enough of his mediocre offensive production and moved on to Luis Urias. Little did they know Urias would end up having struggles of his own as the everyday shortstop, which led to the Willy Adames trade six weeks later. But that’s beside the point.

Arcia was one of the most recognizable Brewers of the past few years, and he was a fan favorite for many. His bat frustrated at times, but he was slick in the field and he had an infectious smile that personified the culture of this team. He had fun, he was a key energy-bringer to the clubhouse, and losing him was a tough blow emotionally.

It’s hard to believe that Arcia was on the team this very same season, and that he had the walk off on Opening Day.

What might speak most to Arcia’s role on the team is that in the six weeks from when he left to when Willy Adames arrived, the Brewers clearly were lacking energy on the field and in the clubhouse. They didn’t appear to be having fun. A lot of that can probably be attributed to not having Arcia in the clubhouse every single day to bring that energy.

3. Patrick Weigel

One of the two players the Brewers got in return for Arcia was Patrick Weigel. Weigel, a reliever prospect, had a decent pedigree when he came over, but he struggled in his few appearances on the big league roster.

There was some hope that the Brewers could turn Weigel into a serviceable reliever, but in his three appearances in late April and early May, Weigel showed some very concerning signs.

In his first game, Weigel walked three batters. In his second outing, he got three strikeouts in 1.1 IP, but allowed a couple of hits and took 35 pitches to complete those four outs. In his final appearance for the Brewers this season, Weigel allowed two runs in 0.2 IP, giving up a walk and a home run to follow.

Weigel was sent back down to Triple-A after that, was called back up in mid-June, but did not appear in a game. He was designated for assignment off the 40 man roster on July 30th to make room for the Crew’s Trade Deadline acquisitions.

He was outrighted to Nashville and is still in the organization. The 27 year old faces an uphill battle to get his MLB career going again.