Jordan Zimmermann knows that his time in baseball is nearing an end. The Milwaukee Brewers pitcher has struggled over the past few seasons, failing to live up to the large contract he had signed with the Tigers. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers which included an opt-out for April 30, whereby the Brewers had to put him on their major league roster.
Zimmermann knew that the odds of his contract being selected were minuscule at best. He had actually decided that it was time to call it a career when the Brewers came calling, saying that he is being brought back to the majors.
Wow, Jordan Zimmermann says he essentially decided on Thursday to retire and then things changed when the Brewers called him up yesterday. He had an April 30 opt out in his Minor League deal.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 30, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers call Jordan Zimmermann right on time
The Brewers are in a difficult spot when it comes to their pitching staff. Four pitchers are currently on the Injured List, including staff ace Corbin Burnes. Three members of the starting rotation are sidelined, making Zimmermann all the more important.
At this point, the Brewers just need innings. Zimmermann should be able to provide those, although the quality of those innings may be in question. The former All Star had managed a 1-13 record with a 6.96 ERA and a 1.555 WHiP in his final 117.2 innings in Detroit, hardly providing any hope that he can be effective at the major league level.
The same could be said about his spring training performance. While those numbers do not particularly matter, the Brewers had to hope that Zimmermann would show signs of being able to rebound. Instead, he posted a 7.88 ERA and a 1.875 WHiP over his eight innings as he was consistently pummelled in March.
But desperate times call for desperate measures. There is a distinct dearth of pitching in Milwaukee right now, with the Brewers needing to find arms for the rotation anywhere they can. If Zimmermann can provide anything at all, it will be a major help for a team hoping to remain atop the NL Central.
The Milwaukee Brewers called Jordan Zimmermann at the right time. A few hours later, and his retirement may have been official.