Offseason / Spring Training Transaction Thread -- Latest: Summary of DL Placements

[Mass Haas]

We have 95% reason to believe the deal for Sergio Miranda involved cash considerations. Even though it's a minor league deal, we're hopeful that Adam McCalvy of MLB.com can confirm things with the Brewers this week and publish a note on it. We'll drop him a link to this thread, although he's a regular visitor regardless http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

 

 

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have released one of their offseason signings, RHP Sandy Nin.

 

The Nashville site had described his signing thusly --

 

RHP Sandy Nin - The 28-year-old right-hander has not appeared in affiliated ball since a 2006 stint in the Rockies organization but posted a 1-1 record and 3.52 ERA (6er/15.1ip) in 16 games this off-season for Azucareros del Este in the Dominican Winter League. Nin went 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA in six starts for Colorado Springs (AAA-Rockies) in 2006, his only career experience above the Double-A level. Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by Toronto in 2000, he has logged a 2.72 career ERA in 94 games (87 starts), including 433 strikeouts against only 84 walks in 539 1/3 innings.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have released LHP Derek Miller, the 27-year-old out of the University of Vermont who had pitched the past four seasons in the organization, topping out at Huntsville.

 

Miller was an older draft-and-follow signing, as he pitched his senior season at UVM after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the fall of 2003.

 

This is the final year of UVM's program (they're dropping baseball), so he'll be one of their last pro players.

 

Here's wishing Derek well should he choose to pursue other baseball options.

 

Derek Miller Career Stats

[DHonks]

Miller always had solid stats, so this is a bit surprising. Then again, this is the time of year that we get this kind of news

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have released the following players. We wish these guys well. Click on their name to see their career statistics:

 

RHP Steve Bray -- Coming off his age 26 season in 2007 (check out those insane statistics), it was impossible to think Bray would not at least get a cup of coffee in Milwaukee in 2008, but it wasn't to be. After being picked up as a minor league Rule 5 draftee prior to the 2006 season from the Royals' system, Bray enjoyed two years of success and one very tough season in the Brewer organization. After '07, his non- 40-man status was debated to the point that some (including myself) felt he was primed to be plucked by another organization.

 

RHP Brian Reith -- A minor league free agent signing this past offseason, the Nashville site detailed his signing as follows:

 

Reith, 31, who has spent the majority of the last two seasons in the independent Atlantic League, has five years of Triple-A experience with the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations. He has a minor league career record of 61-59 with a 3.63 ERA, and 838 strikeouts in 1,008 innings pitched in 257 games. Reith spent the 2008 season with Atlantic League Champion Somerset Patriots, where he logged a 5-4 record, a 3.94 ERA, 16 saves, and 85 strikeouts in 80 innings in 41 games pitched. He began the season as a starter, where he was 3-0, but flourished in his role as the team's closer in the second half of the season. Reith was even more impressive in the post season, helping to lead the Patriots to their league leading fourth championship. He was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, three saves, and six strikeouts in four innings pitched in four games in the playoffs. Reith had a 2.70 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 40 innings in eight games for Somerset in 2007 before leaving to play in Taiwan.

RHP Richie Gardner -- Gardner, 27, was claimed off of waivers from Cincinnati this exact time last season. His 1.71 WHIP in 17 starts and 13 relief appearances for Nashville in '08 was high, even for the offense-happy Pacific Coast League, and Gardner is still looking for his first big league action. He lost his 40-man roster spot last September 1st.

 

RHP Reed Dickert -- Dickert, who will be 25 in June, made his affiliated ball debut last season after toiling in independent ball for two seasons. He posted fine peripheral numbers at West Virginia against younger players, but won't be back for 2009.

 

RHP Bobby McEwen -- McEwen, 24, was signed last July as an undrafted free agent out of Gonzaga, where his numbers didn't foretell pro success. But his backstory proved to be interesting as was detailed in this post. McEwen appeared in eight games in Maryvale last summer.

 

LHP Curtis Pasma -- The 23-year-old Pasma was drafted in the 36th round in 2007 out of the University of Pacific. He spent all of 2008 at West Virginia.

 

LHP Adam Arnold -- Arnold will turn 23 in May. He was drafted out of a British Columbia university in the 41st round in 2007. His 2008 Helena numbers covered 15 appearances (remember, click on name for link).

 

1B / OF Stephen Chapman -- Chapman, 23, was the Brewers 6th round pick out of a Florida high school in 2004, and he had a five-year run in the system that saw him peak at # 16 on the Power 50 after the 2007 season. His P50 history can be followed here. That sure was an interesting campaign at age 21 in West Virginia.

 

1B Cameron Robulack -- The big 20-year-old Toronto-area product was drafted in the 20th round in '07. So much sacrifice in that brutal Arizona Summer League sun for two seasons, it hurts not to reach Helena at least.

 

Just an FYI, but it's part of the agent biz -- Chapman, and Robulack are both clients of Josh, our Agent39.

 

OF Brent Krause -- Krause, 27, was signed out of independent ball late last August, and apparently had turned some heads in camp early this spring training. Krause briefly had another stint in affiliated ball with the Orioles in 2007.

 

IF Miguel Vasquez -- The Brewers drafted the now 22-year-old Bronx kid Vasquez in the 32nd round in 2007, out of a Florida junior college. Vasquez always seemed to post the best box score lines on those struggling Maryvale teams the past two summers, but his Helena stint was only 19 games in 2008. he saw some time in the outfield as well during his stay in the system.

 

OF Jose Rangel -- The Venezuelan Rangel will turn 21 in June. Unfortunately, a .495 OPS in 225 Arizona League AB's over two seasons usually won't earn a player another invite. Rangel was not a big-money international signing.

 

Those are the updates for now. We can't say there won't be more before rosters are announced. We don't know that at this time.

[skiboy]

Mass-

Do you know why Krause got released? If he apparently had turned some heads in camp early this spring training. I was down early and watch him take BP and he looked like a big kid that could hit the ball a long ways.

[Mass Haas]

Mass-

Do you know why Krause got released? If he apparently had turned some heads in camp early this spring training. I was down early and watch him take BP and he looked like a big kid that could hit the ball a long ways.

No specific insight, no, sorry. Might be easier to determine once we see the AAA and AA formal rosters.

[JohnBriggs12]

Kind of puzzling why they'd let go lefty Arnold who had pretty good numbers (29K in 25 IP, 3.20 ERA) at Helena and in 4 appearences this spring (that I could find), only allowed 1 run.

 

Guess that shows how tough it is being drafted in the 41st round.

[Mass Haas]

Soon-to-be 32-year-old OF Jason Tyner has been signed by the Brewers to a minor league deal.

 

Long line of career statistics

 

If Chris Duffy is in Milwaukee and Tony Gwynn is out of the organization, the move makes some sense.

 

If Gwynn clears waivers, isn't traded, and heads for Nashville, then it's duplication. We'll see....

[JoeHova]

If Tyner is assigned to Nashville, that will mean he's played in AAA in 10 of the past 11 seasons. The only exception was 2007, which he spent with the Twins. He's the Brian Shouse of position players.

[JohnBriggs12]

Tyner is living proof that a guy with Tony Gwynn Jr's skill set can have a marginal major league career over quite a period of time. Tyner's major league line: .275/.314/.323 in 1358 AB's is about what Gwynn is capable of. Basically they're the same player but Tony could use a change of scenery.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have released their 7th round pick from the 2006 draft, catcher Andy Bouchie. The 23-year-old Oral Roberts product saw his OPS drop significantly as he moved from Helena to West Virginia to Brevard. Stats at link. Good luck to Andy.

[Mass Haas]

In addition to Jason Tyner, the Brewers have added these minor league veterans (career stats at the link) --

 

INF Erick Almonte -- 31-year-old longtime Yankee farmhand who worked his way back from independent ball after the 2006 season; toiled in the Tigers' system the past two seasons, here's the breakdown on career games on defense -- SS-755, 2B-100, 3B-98, 1B-8.

 

RHP Jim Henderson -- Oh Canada! The 26-year-old Calgary product spent four years in the Expos / Nationals system, and the last two with the Cubs, but only pitched 9.1 innings in 2008, spending considerable time on the DL with a shoulder issue.

 

C Sean McCraw -- It looks like the Brewers have swapped out Andy Bouchie for the just-turned 23-year-old McCraw, the Mets' 8th round pick in 2005 out of a Texas juco. He wrapped up his 4th year in the Mets' system before his release by New York. Nothing in particular jumps out stat-wise.

 

We'll poke around a bit later for any features or profiles of interest on the new trio.

[Minigoon]

Sean McCraw was the Brewer's 37th round draft pick in 2004.

 

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/team/draft.jsp?c_id=mil&year=2004

[Mass Haas]

Re: newcomer RHP Jim Henderson, here's a Q&A (keep in mind it's from two years ago)

 

Growing up in Canada, Cubs pitching prospect Jim Henderson says he always knew the odds of being noticed by college scouts (let alone scouts from a major league club) were not as good as they would have been in other areas. Fortunately for Henderson, his family and friends had a plan.

 

Drafted as a 26th-round pick by the Montreal Expos in 2003, the 24-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Cubs last December in the minor league phase of the Rule Five Draft. He spent most of 2006 at Class High-A Potomac in the Carolina League, appearing in 25 games and logging 52 innings.

 

Having spent his 2004 and 2005 season as a starter in the Washington Nationals farm system, Henderson spent 2006 in the bullpen.

 

A noted sinkerballer, he began to see more life on his fastball as the season wore on.

 

We caught up with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies reliever recently and got his thoughts on moving to the bullpen, his increase in velocity, his journey from Canada to the minor leagues, and more.

 

* * *

 

Growing up in Calgary, what can you tell us about your journey so far? We always hear so much about hockey players from Canada, but what is it like for someone just trying to make it in baseball?

 

There's not much support so I was very fortunate. Some of the kids I played with, I guess we all had a bunch of wealthy fathers, so they decided to put together a travel team and spend some money on that because they knew we couldn't really make it with where we were at.

 

They took us into the States and we got to show off in front of some of the college scouts. I was really fortunate because if it weren't for that, I don't know where I'd be. There's not much scouting up there and it's all about hockey. Baseball is probably the fourth or fifth sport as far as priority goes up there.

 

You've done both some starting and relieving in your career to this point and now you're back in the bullpen with the Double-A club. Do you see yourself staying in that role?

 

It doesn't really matter to me. A couple of years ago, I was starting and last year I was in long relief. I was a little skeptical going into last season as a reliever, but it actually turned out all right. It's fun to be in late in the game when it's close. The game is a little more on your shoulders.

 

Charlie Corbell, the Potomac pitching coach last season, told us after you were acquired by the Cubs that you had added about 5-6 mph on your fastball last season. What do you attribute the increased velocity to?

 

I guess I attribute it to relieving and going in knowing I was only going to go two or three innings at most. From there, it was just giving it all I could. I think the harder you throw and the more you practice throwing hard, the more your velocity will jump up. That's what happened in my case. I started the season 90-91 (mph) and by the end of the season I was in the mid-90s.

 

What pitches do you feature in your arsenal?

 

I'm a sinkerball pitcher with a slider and a changeup. My slider is usually pretty good, but I live off of my sinker mostly.

 

The Cubs think there's some room for you to fill out your body. Did you do anything this offseason to try and do that?

 

I tried as hard as I could. I'm a lanky guy - 6-foot-5, 190 pounds - and I try to put on as much weight as I can. I've started to fill up around my waste and my legs a little more; now I'm just trying to get my shoulder and arms a little bigger. I'm sure it will happen eventually, but I'm still a lanky guy.

 

When you try to put on weight per se, do you do it by eating more or working out more and building muscle?

 

I think what needs to happen is just eat more. In the offseason, I worked out almost every day. If I don't work out, I lose the weight really quickly.

 

What has been your No. 1 target this season and throughout Spring Training?

 

Since I was new to the organization, I just wanted to make a good impression and make myself noticed. Now that I'm on this Double-A squad, I think they're looking for someone to go to; someone to be the go-to guy. I'm trying to get that role. I don't think they have a closer set up here or any roles set up, so I just want to grab one of those roles and make an impression that way, too.

[Mass Haas]

This is from a Scout.com Mets article, November 2008 --

 

Sean McCraw entered the season atop the Mets system's depth chart at catcher and hoped to take the necessary strides to move forward, but his season did not progress as hoped and now he is working his way back.

 

Coming off a fine year in 2007 in which he hit .268 with five home runs and 36 RBI in 76 combined games with St. Lucie and Savannah, Sean McCraw aimed to take the next steps. Heading into the 2008 season, McCraw was the leading catching prospect on the farm and returned to St. Lucie [after five weeks in 2007] where he was offered the starting job on Opening Day.

 

However, he struggled through the first weeks as he never found a rhythm at the plate and ultimately relinquished his starting role. Over the 28 games he spent in the Florida State League this season, he hit just .143 with minimal production, driving in just two runs in 77 at-bats. For McCraw, it was not the start he envisioned.

 

"I definitely really wasn't feeling good about my hitting coming out of camp and that carried into the season. I wasn't trying to do too much, but I was trying to see the ball as much as possible," he said.

 

"I was just trying to move my contact point back a little bit and let the ball travel as much as it can," he continued. "I tried closing my stance up a little bit more and it feels a little weird, but I'm going to struggle some now to get more success in the end. I'm willing to listen and try anything that the coaches recommend."

 

McCraw's struggles eventually led to a drop down the depth chart. St. Lucie hitting coach Mike Hart knew his catcher was having trouble at the plate, but with a talented collection of catchers in St. Lucie, he admitted McCraw had to perform his way into out of a slump to regain his playing time.

 

"McCraw [had] some mechanical issues that caused him some grief. He's was coming around the ball and not staying through the ball. The though thing was that we had three catchers so "Mac" was fighting for playing time. In order to get out of a slump, you need at-bats," Hart explained.

 

To help crack that slump, McCraw was reassigned to Savannah where was often slotted as the designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup every day. The results were better as he hit .290 though his first 28 games back in the South Atlantic League, but the production once again limited as he drove in just 12 runs with eight doubles and a triple.

 

He closed out the season with a 7-for-35 stretch over his last ten games, but kept a positive attitude and will not get down on himself for any disappointment he may feel.

 

"I think it started to come together and even though I had some terrible games, I can't afford to come home after games and worry about the things I feel I'm not doing right. I have to keep looking forward and not harp on what happens every night," McCraw explained.

 

The sudden drop in production was rather alarming, but the system is hungry for continued growth of catching prospects and certainly nothing is quite yet assured of any of the prospects who currently hold spots in the Top 50 rankings. However, the onus is on McCraw to undertake the challenge of rebounding next season and show he can leave the shortcomings of 2008 behind him.

 

Batting and Power: A leg injury sapped McCraw's power in 2007, but the lack of power continued into this past season. That is not to say McCraw naturally lacks the ability to drive the ball or hit home runs. He has a quick, compact stroke with good bat speed that makes him able to drive the ball to both gaps with authority. "Loud outs" have plagued him, but McCraw's opposite field approach should help him reestablish his offense once he overcomes the struggles he battled all year long.

 

Base Running and Speed: As a catcher, McCraw will not fool anyone with his speed but he moves well for someone in his position. He is not a risky baserunner but is not a station-to-station runner either. He boasts good natural athleticism which helps his mobility.

 

Defense: As for now, McCraw's sound defense is unquestionably the best and most consistent part of his game as it is his defense that keeps him ranked so high while working out his offensive woes. His mobility allows him to block balls cleanly and quickly get out of his crouch. He owns the strongest throwing arm of any catchers on the list and is accurate throwing to all bases. His communication with the pitching staff always has room for improvement, but McCraw is a reliable presence who is skilled at receiving and framing pitches.

 

Projection: The disappointing season definitely put a wrench in McCraw's plans to be the first off the farm to claim a big league spot behind the plate. 2009 will be a pivotal season for him when he must display growth at the plate that keeps him a logical option for the Mets to pursue. The power production will come, but first he must at least hit for a better average to create a compliment to his strong defensive skills. If he can offer that, he could find a spot as a trusted back up on the big league stage.

 

ETA: 2010. As noted, McCraw's defense is very steady though it could use refinement like any catcher at this level. Another season and a half of work on the farm coupled with a needed offensive resurgence should put him in line to at least form a platoon sometime during the 2010 season.

[Mass Haas]

Recent story on Erick Almonte looking back at his 2003 time in the Yankee spotlight

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy's MLB Blog post includes this:

 

The team also claimed first baseman Joe Koshansky off waivers from the Rangers and optioned him to Nashville, where the Sounds already had a first baseman in former Brave Scott Thorman. Ash said the Brewers could have some further news regarding Thorman later today.

 

Koshanski, who turns 27 in May, has spent brief stints in the big leagues in each of the last two seasons but spent most of 2008 at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he batted .300 with 31 home runs and 121 RBIs in just 122 games. He also struck out 158 times. The Rangers claimed him off waivers from the Rockies on March 29 but then needed the 40-man roster spot for a non-roster invitee, according to Ash.

 

The slugger's career numbers (impressive even in hitter-friendly parks)

 

Rotoworld comments when the Rangers claimed him earlier.

 

Discuss the Koshansky acquisition specifically in this linked thread.

[Mass Haas]

Also in the same Adam McCalvy entry, Adam notes Tony Gwynn cleared waivers, and is headed to Nashville.

[Mass Haas]

First baseman Scott Thorman has been released by the Brewers in light of the Joe Koshansky signing. Tough break for 27-year-old Scott, who should find employment quickly.

[Mass Haas]

Plenty of info here from Adam McCalvy, so we'll link, but also post the text so you catch it all for sure:

 

It's a tough time of year to be a Triple-A player in search of a job, but that's where Scott Thorman and Joe Bateman found themselves on Friday.

 

Thorman was let go after the Brewers claimed slugging first baseman Joe Koshansky off waivers from the Rangers and optioned him to Triple-A Nashville. Koshansky is younger than Thorman (26 vs. 27) and had a better 2008 season (Koshansky hit .300 with 31 homers and 121 RBIs at Colorado's top affiliate while Thorman hit .251 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs for Atlanta's Triple-A club).

 

A non-roster invitee to Brewers camp, Thorman batted .300 in Spring Training with three doubles and two RBIs in 30 at-bats.

 

Bateman had a strong 2008 season in the Brewers' system, posting a 2.09 ERA in 49 games between Double-A Huntsville and Triple-A Nashville. But he did not impress in Spring Training, when he allowed five earned runs on four hits and two walks in four innings and the Brewers didn't feel like they had a spot for Bateman on a deep Triple-A pitching staff.

 

UPDATE at 10:10 p.m. CT -- Speaking of depth at Triple-A, I forgot to mention in this earlier post that Doug Melvin provided some details about the deep Nashville outfield. Tony Gwynn Jr. will obviously play a lot as the center fielder, and Melvin said Brendan Katin is ticketed for right field and newly-signed Jason Tyner will play left. Jason Bourgeois will "mix and match," Melvin said. Cole Gillespie was supposed to start the year in Nashville, but he continues to have pain in his right elbow so he'll go to Class A Brevard County for at least two weeks to serve as the designated hitter.

 

Katin is dealing with a swollen knee, Melvin said, so that's something to keep an eye on at the start of the year.

 

Adam Stern might be assigned to Double-A Huntsville, Melvin said, and so could Lorenzo Cain, though Cain may remain in extended spring training because of a "tweaked" hamstring.

[Mass Haas]

Not a great week for former picks in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft -- Steve Bray (Royals) and now Joe Bateman (Giants).

 

Bateman must have kicked a cat in the Maryvale dugout, because that's a pretty small sample. He impressed enough in the past to get the formal major league camp invite.

 

But as Baseball America detailed a while back, while minor league phase Rule 5'ers have reached the majors in the past, none have had a significant career.

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

But as Baseball America detailed a while back, while minor league phase Rule 5'ers have reached the majors in the past, none have had a significant career.

Interesting. I missed that article. I wonder whether this is evidence of the failings of that particular group of players, or evidence of institutional bias in MLB against that group of players. It's probably a bit of both.

 

I guess the latter would go a long way toward explaining why neither Bateman or Bray's minor league numbers ever justified a shot in the bigs in the eyes of the team -- players acquired in this fashion may well have to do really extraordinary things to even get on an organization's radar screen.

[Mass Haas]

As the offseason wraps up, this thread will make way for the April / May Transaction thread soon, so I'll steer it off-course a bit to discuss further the topic above.

 

Here's Jim Callis' list; and because this was a subscription post from this past December, I won't post all the details regarding each player that Jim included -- the word "significant" as I used above can be debated. On second glance, a few of these careers have been "significant" or still have the chance to become so.

 

BA's Jim Callis:

 

Triple-A and Double-A Rule 5 picks are the longest of longshots. But in the last 10 Rule 5 drafts before the most recent one, 36 have made it to the majors.

 

Just four Double-A selections have defied the odds to play in the big leagues, led by Julius Matos, who picked up 242 at-bats between the 2002 Padres and 2003 Royals. Below are the top 10 Triple-A Rule 5 choices from the last decade who've enjoyed the best careers.

 

10. Eric Valent (2003, Mets from Reds).

 

9. Eugenio Velez (2005, Giants from Blue Jays).

 

8. Tim Corcoran (2000, Orioles from Mets; 2003, Rays from Orioles). .

 

7. Edgar Gonzalez (2003, Rangers from Rays; 2004, Expos from Rangers).

 

6. Wayne Franklin (1998, Astros from Dodgers).

 

5. Brian Buscher (2006, Twins from Giants).

 

4. Chris Gomez (2004, Phillies from Orioles).

 

3. Benji Gil (1998, Marlins from White Sox).

 

2. Aaron Miles (2000, White Sox from Astros).

 

1. Jorge Sosa (2000, Mariners from Rockies). Sosa was going nowhere as an outfielder, having hit .222 with 11 homers in six seasons. The Mariners took him two picks ahead of Miles and immediately converted him to the mound and he started throwing 95-96 mph. Because he was still raw, Seattle gambled and left him off its 40-man roster in 2001, only to lose him to the Brewers in the major league Rule 5 draft (and ultimately the Rays via waivers). Sosa has pitched for four teams since, going 40-49, 4.67 and leading the National League with an .813 winning percentage in 2005.

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

Looking over the last few Triple A and Double A phases, it seems like you might see anywhere between 35 and 60 or so players taken in the minor league phases of any given Rule 5 draft. If 36 have made the majors over the last 10 years, somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-10% of the players taken eventually got at least a cup of coffee.

 

That's probably not low enough to really merit further investigation of my institutional bias hypothesis, but if you really wanted to know, I suppose you'd have to do matched set analysis grouping Rule 5 draftees by similar age and minor league performance, and see whether significantly less MLB opportunities are given to those guys than, say, comparably performing minor league FAs (guys that ran out of options or whatever), or maybe guys that were PTBNL throw-ins in trades or something. Don't think I'm up for that though. I now sorta doubt you'd find any interesting differences anyway.

 

I do still wonder why Bray and Bateman never got more of a chance.