Minor League Transactions -- Potential FA's Henderson, Arlis Return; 12 released

[Mass Haas]

I made a similar post in Monday's Link Report, but we've noted for weeks just how thin both the Arizona and Helena rosters were in position players all season. Now that the Maryvale season is complete, many players have been bumped up to Helena to help out --

Catcher Tyler Roberts, SS Carlos George, OF's Franklin Romero and Max Walla were sent to Great Falls to join the Brewers today. Walla is in the lineup Monday night.

Pitching-wise, LHP's Matt Costello and Caleb Thielbar, and RHP Jose Oviedo arrived in Montana as well.

Roberts and Walla provide left-handed bats, joining only switch-hitting Michael Marseco on the squad in that regard.

[Mass Haas]

The Tom Wilhelmsen story seemed like a wonderful fairy tale there for a few weeks, but Baseball America reports that the Brewers have released Wilhelmsen.

 

Now, is it a possibility that the transaction refers to the voiding of Wilhelmsen's initial contract in preparation for new paperwork? Perhaps, but unless we tell you otherwise, Wilhelmsen never threw a Brewer pitch in his "comeback" appearance after five years away.

[TheCrew07]

If he was released I won't be surprised, he never had an appearance for anyone. I find myself once again disappointed with the situation. I wonder if he was injured prior to signing?

[Mass Haas]

Chris Mehring summarizes the latest set of transactions in his blog post here -- Chris has a dedicated follower who is very involved in rooting his Timber Rattlers on as well, with his comments included at the link. Nothing wrong with that.

 

So we'll build Chris' view count up by simply telling you that two youngsters, including one drafted just this season, will get to take part in Huntsville's postseason, and another gets rewarded for the Maryvale season I praised yesterday.

 

No doubt that the Manatee squad is being "rewarded" by being kept together for their first-round battle with the Tampa Yankees, thus a couple more "leapfrogs".

[Mass Haas]

Formally joining Huntsville reliever Jim Henderson (Canada) and Helena LHP Efrain Nieves (Puerto Rico) on the organization's Temporary Inactive List, are Helena RHP Nick Bucci and Huntsville's Brett Lawrie (both representing Canada) and Huntsville LHP David Welch (Australia).

 

Lawrie and Welch will be replaced in Huntsville by Wisconsin INF Mike Brownstein and Timber Rattler RHP Cody Scarpetta, as you learned from the post just above.

 

In other moves, LHP Casey Baron has been activated from Huntsville's 7-day DL, and to make room at AA, RHP Juan Sandoval has been bumped to Nashville, taking the spot of Chris Smith, who was recalled to Milwaukee.

 

As most of you must know by now, J.J. Hardy was the only other call-up from Nashville at this time.

[Mass Haas]

Like clockwork, OF Jon Knott and INF Johnny Raburn come off the Nashville DL today. How about that Sounds medical staff? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

Also, RHP Tim Dillard has been placed on the Sounds DL, retroactive to August 29th. As noted in his recent audio interview linked on this forum, he did take a ball off his pitching hand this week, but will likely be activated in five days. With him, the Sounds have a six-man rotation as is, with Mike Burns' return.

 

While not officially posted yet, look for Sounds' OF Adam Stern to hit the Temporary Inactive List soon for the World Cup, representing Canada.

 

[Mass Haas]

At Wisconsin:

Catcher Sean McCraw goes on the DL with an undisclosed injury. Helena's Shawn Zarraga moves us (actually returns to) Wisconsin to fill that spot.

[Mass Haas]

Corey Patterson to Milwaukee.

 

Is this really the time and place, Nashville's 1/2 game out, and it's not like Mike Cameron and Jody Gerut are hurt. Discuss in the major league thread here -- the link starts within today's posts in the thread.

 

With Adam Stern at World Cup, you've got Jon Knott, Tike Redman, and Brendan Katin, all right-handed bats, as your true outfielders. Hernan Iribarren and Adam Heether can help out. Corey Hart is also there, but probably for limited innings this weekend.

[Mass Haas]

LHP Sam Narron is activated from the "DL" (term used loosely) at Nashville.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville catcher Angel Salome was activated from the DL Friday. Now, will he play? This is not a designated hitter series in New Orleans.

[Mass Haas]

Congratulations, John Axford, now officially a Milwaukee Brewer (discuss here in Major League Forum).

 

Awesome when we can follow a player from the time of his arrival (minor league free agent), then at the various spots along the way, via the Link Report and other media we link to here.

[Mass Haas]

Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun:

 

John Axford awoke in New Orleans yesterday with the triple-A Nashville Sounds. He wouldn't finish the day with the team.

 

The Port Dover, Ont., right-hander woke up early, grabbed a flight and was at Miller Park after being called up by Milwaukee Brewers. He joined the bullpen for yesterday's 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals but didn't make it into the game.

 

Axford pitched three years at Notre Dame University before injuring his arm and then transferring to Canisius College. The New York Yankees signed him in 2007 and released him at the end of the season.

 

Brewers scout Jay Lapp signed Axford and after starting the season at class-A Brevard County he's now Lapp's first major leaguer.

 

Combined this season at Brevard, double-A Huntsville and Nashville, he is 9-1 with a 2.43 earned run average, walking 38 and striking out 89 in 68 1/3 innings.

 

Axford will be the 21st Canadian to appear in the majors this season.

 

***

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Port Dover pitcher in The Show

CHANCE OF A LIFETIME

Brian Smiley, Brantford Expositor

 

For the first time in more than a century, this area can boast a baseball player of major-league calibre.

 

On Sunday, Port Dover's (Norfolk, Ontario) John Axford got the call every little leaguer waits to hear when he was summoned to Milwaukee to play for the National League's Brewers.

 

"I definitely was a little surprised," Axford said from his hotel in Milwaukee, where the Brewers were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in a Monday matinee.

 

"I had a feeling it might happen. I was supposed to go to Sweden with Team Canada for the World Cup in September, but the Brewers told me they had (changed their minds)."

 

Axford received news of his call-up from an unlikely source.

 

"It was actually the trainer who told me (Sunday) morning," said Axford of the confirmation he got from his AAA team's towel man.

 

"He told me to pack everything up and then said congratulations.

 

"I was definitely excited but it took a while for it to sink in. It didn't sink in right away.

 

"Then when I called my fiancée, Nicole (Burroughs), and when I heard how excited she was, it sunk in."

 

It didn't take quite as long for Axford's family to realize John had made it.

 

"There's been lots of screaming and yelling," Axford's mother, Vera, said in a voice-mail message to The Expositor while she was celebrating with other family members, including John's father, Brian.

 

"We've been jumping up and down. We're so excited and so proud of him. He's worked so hard."

 

Axford, an Assumption College graduate, looked like he was on the path to stardom while attending the University of Notre Dame on scholarship. However, the right-handed pitcher's dream of making the major leagues took a detour when he suff ered an arm injury in 2003 that resulted in Tommy John surgery.

 

Axford, a six-foot-five 185- pounder who was drafted and unsigned by the Seattle Mariners (seventh round, 2001) and Cincinnati Reds (42nd round, 2005), concluded his collegiate career with the Canisius College Golden Griffins after rehabbing for approximately 18 months.

 

In 2006, he played locally for the Intercounty Baseball League's Brantford Red Sox and, in 2007, he spent the season in the minor leagues playing in the New York Yankees farm system.

 

After spending the 2008 season in the minors for Milwaukee, Axford, who will marry Burroughs on Nov. 7, moved up the chain this year quite quickly.

 

He started off in High-A pitching for the Brevard County Manatees in the Florida State League before he was bumped to AA in Huntsville for the Southern League's Stars.

 

Finally, in July, he moved up to AAA, pitching for the Pacific Coast League's Nashville Sounds.

 

In his three minor league stops this season, Axford was 9-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 45 appearances.

 

The former starter turned reliever has allowed 44 hits and 38 walks in 67 1/3 innings, while striking out 89.

 

To make room for Axford on its 40-man roster, the Brewers released reliever Jesus Colome.

 

Axford did not appear in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals but he did sit in the bullpen at Miller Park, soaking up the sights and sounds.

 

"It was quite interesting driving up to the park, with the retractable roof," he said. "I wasn't really star struck by the players, but it's cool seeing people you've seen on TV. I didn't have any jitters."

 

Axford said he expects to finish the season with the Brewers. Being added to Milwaukee's 40-man roster also opens up an easier path to remain with the big club in 2010.

 

If he remains on the team's 40-man roster, Axford will receive an invitation to the major league camp in spring training, which has never happened in his three minor league seasons.

 

If Axford is dropped from the 40-man roster during the winter, he could be lost through December's Rule 5 draft.

 

"We were pretty sure he was a 40-man roster candidate, so we figured we would take a look at him," former Toronto Blue Jays general manager and current Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash told mlb.com.

 

"He's struggled with command, but it's improved. We'll give him this opportunity to acclimate himself. That acclimation period for guys coming to the big leagues, it's better to get that out of the way now."

 

Axford was happy to have his parents, who drove from Port Dover to Milwaukee, at the game on Monday, but he also remembered many others who have helped him along the way.

 

"I'm just thinking of Nicole, my parents, my family, my friends," said Axford, who also mentioned that those who are no longer with him still leave an impression.

 

"And my grandparents, John and Marie Koopman, and Doug King (who worked with Axford as a youth), it's tough thinking of them.

 

"To have this finally come to fruition is tremendous. It feels really, really amazing."

[Mass Haas]

When Caleb Gindl exited after one inning in the final regular season game Saturday, it was for a reason, and not a good one.

 

Gindl, who grounded into a double play in his final at-bat Saturday, apparently has a broken hand and has been placed on the disabled list.

 

Filling the playoff roster spot will be LHP Brandon Ritchie, receiving a deserved bump from Wisconsin.

 

Bummer for Gindl, at least he wasn't scheduled for Arizona Fall league action this year. Should someone be able to listen in to the Manatee playoff broadcast tonight and learns more, please fill us all in.

[TheCrew07]

Has there ever been a season where so many intriguing position player prospects got injured? My goodness.

[tyguy20204]

Better a hand than a wrist, right?

[CheezWizHed]

Better at the end of the season than at the beginning.

[battlekow]

Zelous Wheeler and Steffan Wilson were promoted to Huntsville from Brevard County; Mike Brownstein and Corey Kemp were sent to Wisconsin to make room.

[Mass Haas]

Baseball America with some miscellaneous housekeeping transactions -- we'll catch these up on our own Player Index within the next week or so:

 

Placed on 7-day DL: OF Caleb Gindl

 

Reinstated from DL: RHP Tim Dillard, RHP Garrett Sherrill, LHP Chris Capuano, LHP Mike Ramlow, C Sean McCraw, C Angel Salome, C Brett Whiteside, SS Steve Braun, OF Chris Dennis, OF Erik Komatsu

 

Reinstated from inactive list: RHP Cody Adams, RHP Nick Bucci, LHP Efrain Nieves, OF Chris Duffy, OF Adam Stern

 

***

 

Technically, we believe all injured players come off the DL at the end of the minor league seasons regardless of current health, so we'll probably see more names in next week's BA transactions as well, if not, it's just an online oversight. Among them might be LHP's Brae Wright and Josh Romanski (each with Tommy John surgery, believed to be the case with Josh) and RHP Donovan Hand (undisclosed).

[LouisEly]

Forgot about Ramlow - he is another guy who had a good 2008 who missed almost all of 2009. A 6'6" lefty, he should get plenty of opportunity if/when he comes back.

[Mass Haas]

From the J-S:

Scouting director Bruce Seid, on hand for the ceremony, was excited about a newly signed pitcher out of the Dominican Republic, 18-year-old right-hander Joel Dicent.

"He's 6-4, 195 and throws 90-95 (mph)," said Seid. "He'll go to our academy in the Dominican. We've brought a lot of big, hard throwers into the system this year."

 

Of course, leave it to the Brewers to sign a Domincan with a French-Canadian name http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy:

The Brewers are convinced enough of Manny Parra's health that they are sending rookie righty Josh Butler home on Sunday evening. Butler will fly to Huntsville to pick up his car for the long drive home to San Diego. He'll deposit his belongings there before hitting the road again to Phoenix. He'll report for the Arizona Fall League by Oct. 5.

[CheezWizHed]

And here I thought Butler's "long journey" was going to be about his trip through the minors! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Talk about well travelled.

[battlekow]

Per BA, Jim Henderson and Patrick Arlis were re-signed, while Chris Duffy was granted free agency.

[CheezWizHed]

When does MiLB free agency begin? Would be nice to sign Mike Jones, so we don't have to add him to the 40-man to retain him... granted he could still be a Rule V pick...

[battlekow]

According to Haudricourt, Mike Burns was outrighted off the 40-man roster.