Former everyday Brewers shortstop lands minor league deal with rebuilding AL team

Orlando Arcia is a 10-year MLB veteran. Let that one sink in.

It feels only yesterday that Arcia was the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospect, waiting to join a rebuilding Milwaukee team that needed an everyday shortstop. Signed at just 16 years old as an international free agent out of Venezuela, Arcia made some serious noise in the minor leagues, particularly with his exceptional glove. In 2016, after Arcia ascended to the 6th spot on MLB Pipeline's list of the Top 100 prospects in baseball, he got his first shot at the big leagues, appearing in 55 games for a Brewers team that ended up winning just 73 games during the campaign.

However, when Arcia returned for the 2017 season, his full potential was realized. The then-22-year-old infielder posted a 2.2 WAR season with a solid .731 OPS that had Brewers fans dreaming about his long-term role as Milwaukee's everyday shortstop. However, a disheartening 2018 season during which Arcia posted a .576 OPS in 119 games quickly turned fans' enthusiasm into concern, but the young shortstop salvaged his season with a surprisingly strong postseason performance that kept him as the Brewers' everyday shortstop when the 2019 season rolled around.

Though Arcia improved slightly at the plate in 2019 and the shortened 2020 season, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves just one week into the 2021 season, ending his Brewers tenure on a shocking, and somewhat sour note. Then, Arcia and the Braves ended up beating Milwaukee in the 2021 postseason and winning the World Series, though the now-former Brewers shortstop failed to record a hit during his team's playoff run.

A four-year tenure in Atlanta, which included a surprising All-Star appearance during the 2023 campaign, ended last season when the Braves designated Arcia for assignment in late May. The veteran shortstop landed with the Colorado Rockies, which seemed like the perfect spot for a career revival, but his struggles at the plate continued, and the ever-rebuilding Rockies elected not to bring back Arcia when the season came to an end.

On Saturday afternoon, however, the former Brewers shortstop landed a new opportunity, and despite it being a minor league deal, he has a real shot at impacting the big-league roster in 2026.

Orlando Arcia lands minor league deal with rebuilding Minnesota Twins for 2026 season

As initially reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Arcia is set to join the fourth MLB organization of his career, after agreeing to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training with the Minnesota Twins.

Having to settle for a minor league deal might be disappointing for Arcia, who is entering his age-31 season, but the fact that the deal comes from the rebuilding Twins should offer a silver lining. After trading Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros at the 2025 trade deadline, Minnesota turned to 24-year-old Brooks Lee at shortstop, who showed some flashes of production, but ultimately posted a disappointing 79 OPS+ in 2025.

Minnesota does have 2024 first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper, who is the 52nd-ranked prospect in all of baseball, waiting in Double-A, but his MLB debut feels at least a half season away. The combination could lead to another big-league opportunity for Arcia, who will have to improve on his 2025 numbers if he wants that opportunity to last. Still just 31 years old, it feels as if Arcia's MLB story is not yet complete, despite him resorting to a minor league pact this offseason.