Twins sign infielder Daniel Robertson to minor-league contract

The Twins signed infielder Daniel Robertson to a minor league deal, The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Phil Miller reports. Robertson was outrighted off the Brewers’ 40-man roster this past summer and elected free agency after the season, thus making him eligible to sign during the lockout as a minor-league free agent.

A veteran of five MLB seasons with the Rays, Giants, and Brewers, Robertson has yet to truly follow up on his impressive numbers in the second of those seasons, a .797 OPS campaign with Tampa Bay in 2018. Robertson hit .262/.382/.415 over 340 PA in what seemed like a breakout year, but after a thumb injury brought an early end to that campaign, he has since hit only .209/.317/.292 in 351 PA over the 2019-21 seasons.

Robertson (who turns 28 in March) will now look for a fresh start in Minnesota. Tim Beckham also recently signed a minors deal with the Twins, so the club will have two experienced options in Beckham and Robertson battling alongside Nick Gordon and Jose Miranda for a utility infield role. Gordon is the only left-handed hitter of that quartet, so the others could be competing to be the right-handed side of the bench equation.

The versatile Robertson has plenty of experience as a shortstop, third baseman and second baseman, plus he has expanded his utility range by also playing a handful of games as a corner outfielder and first baseman. Since the Twins have left-handed bats lined up at second base (Luis Arraez) and in the outfield (Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff), there is perhaps opportunity for Robertson to work his way into a platoon should any of this group struggle against left-handed pitching. Of note, Robertson and Beckham were both teammates on the 2017 Rays, when Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was a member of Tampa Bay’s coaching staff.