2021 Brewers Utility Man Signs Minor League Deal With the Twins

Every year, the Milwaukee Brewers seem to love giving a few scrappy utility guys a chance to make the roster. One that did so for a while in 2021 has already moved on and found a new team whose roster he’ll again try to make.

Last offseason, the Brewers added to their depth when they signed infielder Daniel Robertson to a free agent contract. The utility man signed a one-year, 900k deal with incentives that could have pushed the contract over $1MM.

Though the contract was a major league deal, fringe 40-man players sometimes still have to work to secure their spot. Robertson’s .250/.429/.344 slash line in 17 spring training games firmly entrenched him as a Brewers depth piece going into the 2021 season.

Robertson wouldn’t make it all the way through 2021 with the Brewers, however. After a poor start that he never was able to shake off, Milwaukee designated him for assignment in early July. Though he would stay in the organization after being outrighted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, he became a free agent once again this last offseason.

Now, former Brewers utility man Daniel Robertson has reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins.

The Robertson signing was always a low-risk one that was worth the Brewers taking. The contract was cheap, but the chance he could regain some of his 2018 form with the Rays when he hit .262 with a 122 OPS+ in 87 games was enticing.

Robertson just never got it going in Milwaukee, though. In 50 games, he slashed just .164/.303/.274 with 28 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances (31.1%). He had just two multi-hit games and never went back-to-back games with a hit.

That performance, as well as the emergence of fellow utility man Jace Peterson and the presence of Pablo Reyes on the bench spelled the end of Robertson’s tenure with the major league club, eventually leading to his DFA on July 5th.

He would end up clearing waivers, though, resulting in him finishing his season with the Sounds. Things would somehow get worse there, with Robertson slashing just .115/.216/.154 and a similarly high strikeout rate (28.4%) before his season got shut down due to injury in late August.

Now, after becoming a free agent, Robertson heads back to the American League with the Twins, as was reported by Phil Miller of the Star Tribune. Though this time he signs on a minor league deal, he should again get the chance to make the team in a bench utility role.

It may not have worked out the way he wanted in Milwaukee, but here’s hoping Robertson finds success in his new home.