Formal Team Roster Announcements Still Pending -- Latest: 'The Among the Missing' List

[Mass Haas]

Everyone, the "buzz" we're hearing is that the official team rosters for the top four affiliates will likely be released on Tuesday. Hopefully that sneaks up by one day to Monday for at least a couple of the squads. I think it will.

 

I'm reminded of the extremely late roster addition Taylor Green was to the West Virginia roster in 2007. We saw it reported that he was a last-minute choice when circumstances warranted a very late opening at third base at the low-A level. Obviously not in exact words (but close), Green was "asked" if he could play third base. He was coming off a pedestrian rookie campaign in Helena in '06. Next thing you know, he is the Brewers Organizational Player of the Year for 2007 -- absolutely amazing. Will there be a Taylor Green-type placement in '09? Perhaps, but that exact type of circumstance is going to be near impossible to match.

 

Obviously, we can all speculate as to the roster placements, but keep in mind that there will likely be more released player announcements as well as decisions are made. It's a very high-anxiety time for a lot of these kids and their families.

 

The front offices of the affiliates are as anxious as we all are. We're working with them to get the rosters in as timely a manner as possible. But please understand that information won't be released until everything is formalized and the Brewers give clearance to the affiliates to release the information. So we'll be as patient as necessary.

 

There probably won't be time for us to post a detailed roster analysis on Tuesday -- the info we pass on will basically be just the lists. We'll appreciate, as always, the comments of our diehard minor league readers to discuss and analyze the placements a bit, perhaps as the big league Brewers dodge expected raindrops in San Francisco on Tuesday.

 

Until then...

[sausage racer]

If you go to timberrattlers.com and click on roster part of the team is listed, Gindl is on there as well as Scrapetta (sp?) but no catchers listed yet and thin on outfielders. Hopefully Dykstra and Lawrie will be added.

[TheCrew07]

The rosters haven't been updated on MiLB.com yet, all the roster pages are still mostly last year's rosters, or were as of the end of last week. I highly doubt given his performance last year that Caleb is repeating A ball.

[trwi7]

The rosters haven't been updated on MiLB.com yet, all the roster pages are still mostly last year's rosters, or were as of the end of last week. I highly doubt given his performance last year that Caleb is repeating A ball.

Yeah, same thing goes for Rob Wooten and Evan Anundsen.

[Mass Haas]

Buck Rogers in Huntsville:

The 2009 Huntsville Stars began arriving to Joe Davis Stadium today. A huge thanks to members of the Stars Booster Club for assisting with a hectic day in lousy weather. The Booster Club met the team, provided snacks and lunches and welcomed them 'home.' We couldn't make it without them. Anybody interested in joining this part of the Stars family can log onto http://www.starsboosters.hostse.com/.

 

The Stars Booster Club always welcomes new members and your involvement will always be appreciated. Join the fun and get to know your Stars up close and personal with a variety of private picnics, parties and team events. For more information, check out the Stars Booster Club web site (at the above listed link).

 

We will have a complete roster finalized tomorrow and released once we get the green light from Milwaukee. There may be a couple last second player shuffles and we want an accurate roster before releasing it.

 

Wednesday night's exhibition game against UAH is open to the public. The game is being played in lieu of a team workout and the game will probably be six or seven innings in length. Immediately after the game we'll have a short autograph signing session on-field with both teams. There is no cost to attend this exhibition game.

[Mass Haas]

We've been told that the situation with the final two rosters (Stars and Manatees) is still fluid, and we will absolutely honor the request from the Brewers at the top as we patiently wait for confirmation from the Huntsville and Brevard front offices.

The Brewers and all the affiliate front offices have been very kind to us over the years; it's pretty easy to honor that request to stay in their good graces...

A reminder that there may be some "maintenance" at AAA and low-A as well; we know Nashville definitely has to free up one spot.

That being said, I personally will not be online after this afternoon until the very late overnight -- it may be that others will be the first to present the rosters to you here this evening, if at all.

[hsvstarsfan]

I was told by Brian Massey, Dir. of Media Relations, at 1 pm today that there is "still a puzzle piece to be filled" before they can send out a roster, but hopefully, I can get one before 4 pm today. More than likely, it will be later than that, though.

[Mass Haas]

Thanks, David, it's more important that we get it "right" before we get it "fast", so if you end up posting it at your site, www.starsboxscore.com, please link to it here (but in a new thread) for us this evening.

[TheCrew07]

I want to say I'm surprised to see Cain in AA and Brewer in A+, but if they play well they'll get their respective bumps after the first half and in Brewer's case there's no reason to push with Escobar and Hardy in front of him. With a yearly progression that puts Brewer in AAA halfway through 2010 and with Hardy gone in 2011 the discussion about SS had the potential to be pretty interesting. I'll call my shot and say that if Escobar and Brewer are on the MLB roster together Brewer will be playing 2B or 3B.

[Never Outhustled]

That Huntesville OF is just about devoid of offense. That team is lucky a veteran like Stern is willing to play in AA. They need Cain back quick.

 

I'll call my shot and say that if Escobar and Brewer are on the MLB roster together Brewer will be playing 2B or 3B.

Way to go out on a limb with that one.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Wheres Matt Cline? He outplayed Eric Farris last year.

 

Will Steffan Wison get stuck playing 1B all year because theres no 1B alternative at BC, but multiple 3Bs? If Wilson is going to make the bigs, it'll have to be as a 3B.

[battlekow]

Where's Juan Sanchez?

[TheCrew07]

I just had to get that out there early so I can be consistent... or something, and yes to hate on you slightly cause I figured that would get a rise out of you!

[parkside21]

Juan Sanchez is on the T-Rats opening day roster.

[battlekow]

I can't explain my inability to find his name on the Wisconsin roster except that I do the same damn thing with the TV remote almost every day.

[parkside21]

I hear ya, Battlekow. I find my remote in the refrigerator, or on the back of the toilet from time to time. Go figure.

[Mass Haas]

Here's our annual "among the missing" post as rosters are announced. We should have news on these players within the next 48 hours that we'll pass along:

 

Infielder Matt Cline -- 14 games split at the two A-levels in '08

RHP Corey Frerichs -- 2.82 ERA, 92 K's in 73.1 IP at West Virginia -- he'll be 23 in May

LHP Jose Romero (Missed all of 2008 with a left elbow strain)

 

The Helena roster on our Brewerfan Index includes a couple of older players, who, while they have not played above rookie ball yet, may be in a tough situation based on age and absence from a placement on an A-ball roster:

 

Catcher Derrick Alfonso, 24 on July 6th

Infielder Steve Braun (Ryan's brother), he'll be 24 May 17th

RHP Kris Dabrowiecki, newly signed this offseason, turned 23 last month (March 23rd)

OF Derrick McPhearson, newly signed this offseason, will turn 23 next month (May 8th)

 

Dabrowiecki and McPhearson are pretty sure to be playing in Helena in June as newcomers, might be a tougher call on Alfonso and Braun. We'll see.

[Diskono]

I want to say I'm surprised to see Cain in AA and Brewer in A+, but if they play well they'll get their respective bumps after the first half and in Brewer's case there's no reason to push with Escobar and Hardy in front of him.

Since Cain is starting the season on the DL, I wonder if they're just putting him in AA temporarily, and plan on moving him up once he's 100%? That seems to be the plan with Gillespie at Brevard County, as far as I can tell. Not sure who you would remove from the Nashville roster, but you never know who might get injured or perform poorly.

[pogokat]

Gillespie's in High A because he can dh there...he'll go to AAA when he's healthy enough to play the field

[parkside21]

Another poster brought up this question over on a T-rats blog/message board. But, why exactly is Jim Henderson starting the season with the T-Rats? Is it just part of the positioning shuffle still going on to start the season? Does he end up in AA/AAA soon? Or is he just roster filler for the time being until the Brewers release him? I know some were surprised to see he's opening in Appleton, but any thoughts as to why he is exactly? I doubt it's the case, but I noticed he's part of the Canadian connection...is he just another body there to help mentor Lawrie in the beginning?