Minor League Transactions

[Mass Haas]

Not sure if it's creative roster juggling or LHP Chris Cody does need some time away, but with the official placement of RHP Michael Fiers on the Huntsville roster, the Stars needed to open up a spot and Cody has been placed on the Temporary Inactve List.

[battlekow]

What's next in store for Angel Salome? For now, a trip to the Brevard DL. Sean McCraw goes to BC from Huntsville to take his spot.

[Mass Haas]

That only leaves Dayton Buller in Huntsville behind the plate, so expect one of the three Nashville catchers to drop down today.

[Mass Haas]

That only leaves Dayton Buller in Huntsville behind the plate, so expect one of the three Nashville catchers to drop down today.

Patrick Arlis joins the Stars, as Anderson de la Rosa remains in Nashville with Ben Johnson.

[Mass Haas]

8th round RHP Austin Ross, the Brewers 8th round pick out of LSU, has been transferred from Maryvale to Helena, where he should make his pro debut some time this week.

 

Ever since he signed, the Brewers have referred to him online on MiLB.com as "Cody" Ross, a nickname we haven't seen referenced from his LSU days, so they'll clean that up eventually. It's obviously not the Marlins' outfielder.

[Mass Haas]

Nice to see performance rewarded -- Andre Lamontagne skyrocketing...

 

RHP Donovan Hand promoted to Nashville from Huntsville.

 

RHP Andre Lamontagne promoted to Huntsville from Brevard County.

 

OF (and new dad) Adam Stern activated from the Temporary Inactive list at Nashville.

 

There will need to be a spot freed up at AAA, we'll probably find out later today.

[Mass Haas]

Brevard swingman RHP Trey Watten had adjusted well to the bullpen in seven appearances there since being pulled from the rotation. He then spent eight days on the Manatee DL for an undisclosed injury, and is activated tonight to take Andre Lamontagne's open spot.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Jeff Bennett and his season-long ugly numbers for two organizations has landed on the Nashville DL.

[Mass Haas]

Hot off the Presses:

 

TCU RHP Greg Holle is now officially a pro, joining the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

Greg's dad Gary, a former Brewers farmhand himself (1978 stats), confirming the signing, which he said includes a significant bonus.

The Brewers picked Greg in the 11th round - three years after the hard throwing righty declined to sign with the Yankees when they picked him in the 35th round.

Holle, 6'8", was 2-1 in 16 appearances for Texas Christian this season. His most impressive stat, 38 k's in 24 innings.

He's also worked it out so the costs of his final year of school at TCU will be covered as well.

He'll report to the Brewers Class A affiliate in Arizona on Monday.

 

Read colbyjack's scouting report which was included in our Draft Day coverage.

[dadofandrew]

I think slot is about $60-70K plus school for the 11th.

[battlekow]

I think slot is about $60-70K plus school for the 11th.

Technically, there are no slot values beyond the 5th round, merely a recommended maximum bonus for all further picks. The average signing bonus for 11th rounders may well be $60-70K.

[Mass Haas]

As my fellow Link Reporter TheCrew07 highlighted in Friday's Helena game report, 20-year-old RHP Adrian Rosario (career stats) has been bumped to Wisconsin. It'll be the first action above the rookie ball level for the 6'4" 20-year-old Dominican native.

 

Not sure how the flight route works from Helena to Appleton, but I've always pictured these kids, particularly the young Latin players, making those trips and what thoughts run through their minds as they make their way. Just a hunch, but as the only other Dominican native on the Rattlers, RHP Santo Manzanillo will appreciate Rosario's presence and vice versa -- although both have been in the system for some time, which would lead you to believe they have made some progress in their English. Good luck as always.

 

The Rattlers will need to make a move to free up a spot at some point this weekend prior to activating Rosario.

[Tedaldtada]

Holle supposedly upped his velocity into the low 90's late this past season with a slight mechanical adjustment.

[Mass Haas]

Holle signs deal with Brewers

6'8" pitcher skips senior year at TCU to go pro

By MARK SINGELAIS, Albany (NY) Times Union Staff writer

Greg Holle signed Friday with the Milwaukee Brewers and will forgo his senior year at Texas Christian University.

 

Holle, a 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher, was selected in the 11th round of the major-league draft in June.

 

"It's sort of bittersweet," Holle said from his apartment in Fort Worth, Texas. "All of the stuff that happened at TCU, you wouldn't have traded it for the world. It's tough in that respect. But I'm ready to get on with my pro career."

 

Holle said he'll leave Monday to begin his career with the Brewers' rookie affiliate in the Arizona League. Then he'll either be assigned to Helena (Mont.) in rookie ball or Wisconsin in Single-A.

 

Holle, converted to the bullpen this season, said he didn't know whether Milwaukee will groom him as a starter or reliever.

 

The Brewers weren't able to start negotiations with Holle until TCU's season ended with a loss to UCLA on June 26 in the College World Series.

 

Holle said he thought about returning to TCU but agreed on a contract that will pay for him to finish his college degree.

 

Gary Holle, Greg's father, also began his minor-league career in the Brewers' organization. He reached the majors with the Texas Rangers for five games in 1979.

[battlekow]

RHP Alex Jones back down to Helena to make room for Rosario.

[battlekow]

This week's Minor League Transactions at Baseball America reveals a variety of Brewers moves.

• Perhaps most notably, RHP Kristian Bueno, the Brewers' 9th-round pick in 2006, has been released.
  
• Steven Felix, a undrafted catcher from Troy University, was signed (career stats).
  
• OF Chad Stang, who's been MIA all year, was placed on the 60-day DL.
  
• Catcher Michael Melillo, the Brewers' 31st-round pick in this year's draft, was also placed on the 60-day DL.
  
• OF Juan Barrini was transferred from the 7-day DL to the 60-day DL.
  
• The post also confirms that adding RHP Jeremy Jeffress to the 40-man roster did indeed consume one of his option years.

[battlekow]

Felix gets chance with Brewers

Pat McCann/Panama City News Herald

 

PHOENIX -- Steven Felix was going to give things a month to shake out.

 

He said he was over the disappointment of not hearing his phone ring during the three-day Major League Baseball draft in June. Of seeing players of comparable or less ability being chosen while he was snubbed.

 

The month just about was running out as the former Rutherford High School and Troy University standout was preparing for the College Home Run Derby held Wednesday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. That's when one of the Trojans assistant coaches, Mark Smartt, contacted him.

 

Smartt had been called, Felix said, by Joe Mason, a scout for the Milwaukee Brewers. Felix contacted Mason, and by Monday was on a plane headed for the Brewers spring training site. Following a physical and signing a free-agent contract, he is among 30-plus players participating in rookie ball.

 

And dusting off his catching skills.

 

"It was a little disappointing after the season I had," Felix said Thursday of not getting drafted. "I kept my head up and was looking for a free-agent deal.

 

"I knew I was capable of doing more than they can," he said of some of the players drafted on the second and third day of the draft, "but there's nothing I can do about it."

 

Felix hit .311 his senior season at Troy with 16 home runs, fifth in the Sun Belt Conference. His 69 runs scored were second in the conference and his .472 on-base percentage was fourth.

 

That was as a left fielder, where he played exclusively last season after splitting duties his first three years catching and in the outfield. Felix caught throughout his prep career at Rutherford.

 

"They needed catchers out here so I went back to catching," Felix said. He didn't hit the field until Wednesday, following the signing of a contract that provided some money up front. From now on he'll get paid every two weeks.

 

"Right now I have the same shot as everybody else," Felix said. "It doesn't make a difference what round they were drafted in."

 

Felix said the routine is four days on, one day off with games in the evenings. He said he is one of three catchers in camp, two of them fresh from high school. The other players came mostly out of junior college or four-year schools.

 

"I don't second-guess myself or my coaches (at Troy) for putting me in the outfield," Felix said. "I know what I'm capable of doing and want to see how far I can get. I'm working on receiving and blocking, getting the rust off.

 

"As long as I play good, you move up faster, but you never know what's going to happen. It just depends on how you play, who gets hurt."

 

Felix said he was looking forward to participating in Omaha in one of the final events held at Rosenblatt, a new ballpark to host the College World Series starting next year. Especially so since Troy fell one game short of reaching the regional round of the NCAA playoffs in May.

 

He said he'd been hitting in the cage at Troy, and the home run derby would have been a good experience. Otherwise he'd planned on taking a month to fully explore professional baseball before concentrating on a final semester he needs to graduate.

 

His brother, Mike, a high draft choice in 2006, recently ended his pro career and currently is pursuing a college degree.

 

"I talked to him so I kind of knew the process," Felix said. "He's moving on with his life now. I just came out here to play baseball."

[Mass Haas]

Corner infielder Chris Nowak, a 27-year-old, 6'5" 225 lb. corner infielder who has played in the Tampa Bay system since being drafted in the 19th round in 2004 (career stat line of .291 / .376 / .435 -- OPS of .812 in over 2600 pro at-bats), has been signed by the Brewers and reports to Huntsville this week.

 

Link

 

Infielder Chris Nowak, released by the AA Montgomery Biscuits on Friday, has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and is headed to Double-A Huntsville.

Nowak is set to join the Stars after the All-Star break, Huntsville manager Mike Guerrero said.

Nowak was deactivated by the Biscuits last week and asked for his release Friday. He started the year with Triple-A Durham but wasn't on the active roster there before dropping to the Biscuits on April 24.

The 27-year-old was hitting .248 with 33 RBIs and, when he was deactivated, led current Biscuits with seven home runs.

Nowak had a .291 average in seven seasons in the Tampa Bay organization. He was Montgomery's most valuable player in 2008.

Nowak was the MVP of the 2007 Southern League championship series against Huntsville. He finished 11-for-18 with three home runs. Nowak also hit a single that started a successful ninth-inning rally in the decisive Game 5 of the series.

 

***

Although he attended college in the state of South Carolina, Nowak was born in Milwaukee.

 

Expect him to DH and see action at first base, maybe a bit of third base and left field.

 

No corresponding move has been announced. Nowak would seem to profile in Steffan Wilson's current role.

[battlekow]

RHP Amaury Rivas goes on the DL; a Huntsville Times report said he "has been evaluated by a doctor but

isn't seriously hurt." Rivas's spot will be taken by LHP Chris Cody, who was activated from the temp. inactive list.

 

EDIT: Utilityman Juan Sanchez goes from Huntsville to Brevard County as well.

[uwisfan]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

EDIT: I was thinking more the Rivas "non injury" injury

[And That]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I have that same reaction every time Juan Sanchez is demoted.

[YoungGeezy]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I have that same reaction every time Juan Sanchez is demoted.

Lol, yeah that is a sure killer, my heart just stopped!

 

As for Rivas I happy that when a Brewer doctor says not serious that usually equals out for season with tommy john.... maybe in 3 season may be back to normal

 

[Mass Haas]

Outfielder Franklin Romero. Jr. returns to Helena from his brief Brevard promotion. Perhaps Reggie Keen's hand injury at Helena prompted this.

[trwi7]

Arnett back to Wisconsin. Nieves takes a leave of absense to play in the Central American Games.

 

EDIT: Discuss in the Arnett thread [bK].

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Press Release:

 

Catcher Anderson de la Rosa has been transferred from the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to the Stars. In 12 games with Nashville, he was batting .263 (10-for-38) with five doubles and four RBI.

 

INF Steffan Wilson has been placed on the disabled list. He is batting .201 (42-for-209) with Huntsville this season. He is currently third on the team in home runs with six.

 

Additionally, RHP Robert Hinton was promoted to Triple-A Nashville. With the Stars in 2010, Hinton was 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA. He recorded one save in four opportunities.

 

RHP Amaury Rivas was also activated from the disabled list. Rivas was placed on the DL back on July 9 and did not participate in this year's Southern League All-Star Game on July 12.

 

With these moves, the Stars active roster stays at 24, the Southern League limit.