Offseason / Spring Training Minor League Transactions

[Mass Haas]

The post 2009 All-Star Game minor league transaction thread was getting a bit unwieldy (its most recent relevant October moves linked here), so we begin the offseason transaction thread now.

 

The Nashville site reports that 30-year-old utilityman Johnny Raburn has signed a minor league deal for 2010.

 

We'll probably drop a note to our friends in Nashville to confirm, but it's puzzling to see OF Tike Redman's name listed as property for 2010, unless his late-season contract from indy ball specifically noted that it included 2010. Notice another outfielder signed under similar circumstances late, Jon Knott, is not included on the Sounds' list.

 

Another puzzler is LHP Chase Wright. Wright has nine years of pro ball under his belt, and is no longer on the Brewer 40-man. You'd expect that Wright is free-agent eligible for 2010, unless he signed a unique minor league contract through next season after being removed from the 40-man.

 

We'll see on those two...

[Never Outhustled]

Mike Jones has been re-signed, per Gord Ash to a minor league contract. As far as minor league FA's go, he would have been one of the more interesting arms available. Good news.

[brewmann04]

great news on Jones

[Mass Haas]

Another puzzler is LHP Chase Wright. Wright has nine years of pro ball under his belt, and is no longer on the Brewer 40-man. You'd expect that Wright is free-agent eligible for 2010, unless he signed a unique minor league contract through next season after being removed from the 40-man.

The Sounds dropped Wright from their 2010 eligible list. Tike Redman remains.

[wishicouldhit]

What does this do to his Rule 5 standing? Will the brewers not need to put him on the 40 man roster?

[And That]

He'll be eligible for the Rule 5 draft unless the Brewers add him to the 40-man roster.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Mike Burns and OF Adam Stern have signed minor league deals for 2010. Wise move by Stern in hopes of a 5th OF spot with an unsettled CF situation looming.

 

To discuss Jason Bourgeois being claimed by the Astros off waivers, read and post here.

[Mass Haas]

Thanks to the Nashville site, we know that super-deluxe utilityman and pinch-hitter Erick Almonte and RH reliever Juan Sandoval have been signed to new minor league contracts, as each was to be eligible for free agency. Almonte will be 32 when next season begins, Sandoval 29.

[brewmann04]

Quick ? is Stern a power or Speed guy and can he play CF

[Rudy]

Watching Stern while he was here in Huntsville this season, he is very quick on the bases and that is a plus. He didn't go and get balls to take away big hits as a CF. Seemed to get poor jumps and reads on balls.

[colbyjack]

Adam Heether was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster

[Mass Haas]

The following players, unless they will re-sign with the Brewers, are now officially minor league free agents. This was also mentioned in this thread where we had done some speculation earlier. We'll log it here for record-keeping purposes.

 

Milwaukee (14)

Pitchers: LHP Chris Capuano, RHP Ruben Flores, Matt Ginter, LHP Lindsay Gulin, RHP Ryan Houston, RHP Wes Littleton, LHP Sam Narron, LHP Chase Wright

Catchers: Carlos Corporan

Infielders: Michael Garciaparra, Kevin Melillo

Outfielders: Drew Anderson, Jon Knott, Freddy Parejo

[battlekow]

The Brewers claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from the Red Sox. They drafted his brother, James, in the 45th round in 2008 but didn't sign him.

[yoshii8]

Good pickup, had a very good 2008 season in AAA Pawtucket as a 25 year old, and has pretty much hit at every level.

[Mass Haas]

Discuss the Kottaras signing here, but thanks for the minor league reminder as well (out of options, so he'd have the choice to accept or refuse any AAA placement if outrighted next spring.)

[battlekow]

Sorry, it's just habit to go to the minor league transactions thread.

[Mass Haas]

Chris Capuano back on a minor league deal, spring training big league camp invite

[thablingster]

Capuano coming back is another one of those low risk, potential reward type of situations. He's a great guy to have around simply because he is a good guy, but if he can even come close to being effective again as a LHP that is a bonus to the team.

[Mass Haas]

Thread discussion for Capuano, John Halama

[battlekow]

David Fonseca, the Brewers' 8th-round pick in 2007 who last played in 2008 and was placed on the suspended list in July, was officially released.

[Mass Haas]

Ruben "Buddy" Flores, the 25-year-old RH reliever acquired in the Billy Hall dump (er, I mean trade), has been re-signed to a minor league deal. He had become a minor league free agent recently. If Flores is able to break camp in Huntsville, it will be his first pro action above high-A.

LINK from August: Ruben Flores is a right-handed pitcher the M's selected in the 12th round of the 2003 Draft out of El Paso Community College in Texas. He's always been wiry -- measuring at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at about 180 to 185 pounds, rather than the 170 listed on his MiLB player page.

Flores has always thrown hard, had control issues and been a relief prospect only. His delivery is quite violent, he has trouble repeating it, but has great arm speed, good deception on a pretty good changeup and a power curve ball in the 82-84 mph range. His fastball has good life and touches 94, and has been as high as 96.

Flores has battled arm problems, however, having labrum surgery in 2005, missing the entire season and fidgeting around getting back to full strength until late last year... but not until he had a second surgery on the throwing shoulder.

His velo is back to the low 90s, but he's still very wild, in and out of the zone, and at 25 now, is simply a live arm with a chance to figure it out. He was having a great year in Class-A Clinton when promoted to High Desert, but hadn't pitched in a week until the trade.

[Mass Haas]

Link to the Trent Oeltjen thread in the major league forum (big league camp invite)

[Mass Haas]

We should note that the thread discussing slick-fielding SS Luis Cruz (career stats), the RH "bat" (term used loosely) who will be 26 years old next year, is here.

 

As noted in that thread, Nashville had a gaping hole at short next season, and the Yohannis Perez investment hasn't panned out at all. In what would have been the most ambitious career path, Brent Brewer would have been projected as a possibility there upon his drafting. Thus the gap and the need for the waiver claim.

[dadofandrew]

Cruz seems like a perfect guy to take off the 40 at some point, as he'll probably clear waivers when teams don't have a spot so readily available.

 

He must have a great glove to be in AAA.

[battlekow]

Link to the thread I made in the Major League forum discussing the singing of LHP A.J. Murray.