Minor League Transactions

[Mass Haas]

INF Kyle Dhanani, a month short of his 23rd birthday, has been sent to Maryvale's squad, as INF Steve Braun gets activated off the DL at Brevard.

 

Hey, we just document, 'em, didn't say we were going to wow you each time.

[battlekow]

10th-round catcher Rafael Neda out of the University of New Mexico has signed. Discuss here.

[Mass Haas]

Via Chris Mehring's blog:

LHP Caleb Thielbar has been transferred from Wisconsin to Helena.

 

LHP Efrain Nieves has returned from the Central American Games, and has been reinstated from Wisconsin's temporary inactive list.

 

***

 

Hopefully we'll read about Nieves' trip and results, as there didn't seem to be any online coverage.

[Mass Haas]

Filling Lorenzo Cain's spot in Nashville is veteran utility man Johnny Raburn, coming off the 7-day "disabled list".

 

Surely MiLB allows teams at times to use the DL as a "reserve" list. Either that, or Raburn's healing skills for whatever ailed him are impeccably well-timed.

[Mass Haas]

On May 10, we posted this --

 

Adam McCalvy reports that the team signed SS Justin Parker, who was Arizona's 6th-round pick in 2007. Parker hit .252/.349/.373 for South Bend in the Midwest League last year as a 22-year-old. McCalvy says he's been assigned to EST for now.

 

***

 

Baseball America reports that Parker, now 23, has been released by the Brewers. He last appeared in a game for Maryvale on July 23rd, and had posted these numbers in 18 games on the season. Included in that link are his 2008 and 2009 season stat lines.

[And That]

Sounds reliever and budding cult hero Brandon Kintzler was activated from the 7-day DL. He missed the last few weeks with a strained oblique. To the Nashville 7-day DL goes lefty Chuck Lofgren. Lofgren started Wednesday and was lit up.

[Mass Haas]

17-year-old 7th round RHP Joel Pierce out of Windsor, Ontario signs.

We had been following his summer results closely, after clicking the link, scroll up several posts for my first-hand account, just in case you missed it previously.

[Mass Haas]

by Brett Christopherson, Appleton Post-Crescent

 

Brewers release Tony Butler

 

Ten days ago, I blogged about Oak Creek native Tony Butler (blog post here) and wondered if his addition to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers roster would resurrect his struggling professional career.

 

So much for that.

 

Just got word this morning the Milwaukee Brewers released the left-hander in a move that could perhaps signal the end to a once-promising career.

 

That the Crew pulled the plug so quickly on Butler isn't surprising. He was abysmal in his two appearances with the Rattlers, surrendering eight earned runs, four hits and issuing four walks in one total inning. That's good enough -- or, should we say bad enough? -- for a 72.00 ERA and a 8.00 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) average.

 

Ouch.

 

The 22-year-old Butler failed to retire a batter in a forgettable outing on Thursday in which he walked three, allowed a pair of hits and was tagged for five earned runs before getting the hook in a 13-1 Midwest League loss to Peoria at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

 

Apparently, that was enough of a look-see for Rattlers coaches and Brewers officials to determine the kid didn't fit into future plans.

 

Injuries and ineffective play have derailed Butler's career since being selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the 2006 draft.

 

He opened the 2007 season rated by Baseball America as the fourth-best minor league prospect in the Mariners' system and appeared in 20 games (18 starts) that year for the Rattlers but struggled (4-7, 4.75 ERA) and was dealt that offseason to Baltimore.

 

The Orioles released Butler in June, paving the way for another chance with the Brewers.

 

Instead, Butler allowed 14 hits, 15 earned runs, walked 14 and produced a 9.20 ERA in 11 relief appearances between rookie levels Arizona and Helena (Mont.) and Wisconsin.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Butler during his first go-round at Wisconsin. He's a good, respectful kid -- so here's wishing him the best as he tries to figure out if baseball remains in his plans.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Andy Sauter has been activated from the disabled list, bringing the Wisconsin roster back up to the 25-man limit.

[battlekow]

Uh oh. Mark Rogers was placed on the DL today following his rough start last night. Small solace, but Michael Fiers was activated to fill the spot. Discuss here.

[battlekow]

Everyone can exhale. Rogers' injury is just a blister, reports Adam McCalvy.

[gobrew23]

"The Brewers have signed 6-foot-2 Dominican righthander Milton Gomez for $350,000.

Gomez, who has passed his background investigation with Major League Baseball, is a 16-year-old from Santiago who has shown an average fastball that has been up to 92 mph and feel for a curveball."

LINK


Not sure if this is the correct thread for this, if not please feel free to move.

[uwisfan]

cant complain about getting a tall 16 year old who can hit 92 already, without spending a draft pick...nice pickup

[homer]

What's the cut off date for draftees to sign? Gotta be getting close I would think.

[wibadgers23]

What's the cut off date for draftees to sign? Gotta be getting close I would think.

August 16th I believe.

[Mass Haas]

Congratulations, reliever Mike McClendon, welcome to the Big Show!

 

Discussed here on the Major League Forum...

[Mass Haas]

Spending the minimum amount of time sidelined, LHP Chuck Lofgren is activated from the 7-day DL and takes Mike McClendon's spot on the Nashville 24-man roster.

[battlekow]

We finally learn what happened to Mike Brownstein, and that he's the second 2009 draftee with a tie to Indiana University basketball, though not quite as direct as Eric Arnett's:

 

Good month for Brownsteins: Mike on DL, but wife makes team

Will Webber/Albuquerque Journal

 

All things considered, the final week in July was a good one for former University of New Mexico baseball star Mike Brownstein.

 

The 2009 Mountain West Conference player of the year and Milwaukee

Brewers farmhand learned that his wife, Janelle, was named to the San

Antonio Spurs' dance team.

 

Janelle is the daughter of Lobo basketball coach Steve Alford's

administrative assistant, Yolanda Rodriguez. Janelle and Brownstein got

engaged just before the '09 MWC baseball tournament and were later

married.

 

Janelle was in San Antonio in late July for the final round of Silver

Dancer tryouts. You can see her in a video and in several photos on the

Spurs' website.

 

"It was a huge day for us," Mike Brownstein said. "This is something she's wanted for a long time."

 

Brownstein said it makes his own nasty leg injury feel almost normal.

During a spring training game in March the infielder tore the hamstring

muscle in his right leg completely off the bone while running down the

first-base line.

 

"All I know is they had to go in there and bolt it back into place,"

Brownstein said. "They said it's an injury that doesn't happen too

often. It's the worst one I've ever had, I can tell you that."

 

Brownstein is finally able to run, but he won't be cleared to play until

the instructional leagues begin in the offseason. He said doctors have

told him that he should be back to 100 percent by next spring.

 

It's a big blow for a player who was clearly on the fast track with the

Brewers. The 23-year-old spent all of six days with Milwaukee's Arizona

Rookie League affiliate after the Brewers took him in the 14th round of

the '09 draft.

 

From there he spent 44 games with Helena in the advanced Rookie leagues,

then 13 games with Single-A Wisconsin. After that he jumped over the

Brewers' advanced-A affiliate in Brevard County to Double-A Huntsville

to finish the season..

 

He batted .299 with 22 steals and 25 runs batted in during his 68 games

between the Rookie leagues and Double-A. One of his bigger hits came

with Wisconsin late last August when he broke up a no-hit bid with a

one-out single in the ninth against Cedar Rapids.

 

Each step, he said, offered a clearer glimpse of what it would be like

to play in the big leagues. As a player moves up, the quality of life

gets better.

 

"Let's just say I've memorized the whole menu at Chili's and

Applebee's," he said. "I've gotten a lot of time in riding the bus and

eating out. The higher you go, though, the better the ride gets."

 

Brownstein was expected to start the current season in advanced A-ball

with Brevard County, but the injury has kept him restricted almost

entirely to the Brewers' spring training complex in Arizona.

 

He said he's had a hard time dealing with the injury.

 

"It felt like a really bad cramp when I was running, then it just popped," he said. "It was a pretty violent injury."

 

To get back, he said he'll rely on the blue-collar work ethic he learned

while playing in junior college -- and for coach Ray Birmingham at UNM.

It's Birmingham's style that makes the transition between college ball

and the pro ranks that much easier.

 

"I'd recommend to every high school player to go to college first,"

Brownstein said. "The maturity level, the style of play; it all makes it

easier once you get here. I think the Brewers noticed that in me right

away. I can't tell you how many high school guys I've seen who weren't

ready."

 

Between now and his next sprint up the line, Brownstein joked that he'll be trying to find the best seat at Spurs games.

 

"I've got a good reason to be there," he said.

[battlekow]

Eric Arnett was placed on the disabled list at Wisconsin, with RHP Rigoberto Almonte promoted from the DSL Brewers to take his spot. Almonte pitched with Wisconsin and Brevard County last year. You can discuss Arnett here.

[Mass Haas]

Not a formal transaction, but Nashville RHP Josh Butler is day-to-day as he waits to pass a kidney stone.

[battlekow]

According to Tom Haudricourt, 13th-round RHP Michael White will be the only deadline signing. You can read colbyjack's scouting report on White here.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers won't take chances after Cutter Dykstra's beaning, placed on the DL; infielder Connor Lind comes up from Helena, Joey Paciorek will benefit with more AB's at Wisconsin.

[Mass Haas]

A sharp-eyed reader has pointed out that Arizona (Maryvale) outfielder Max Walla will be sidelined by surgery on a broken finger. Walla was last seen in the box scores leaving a game after a play at home plate last week.

 

Given the timing, it'd seem the 19-year-old 2009 2nd round pick would be unable to take part fully in any instructional league action that takes place in September. Walla made some incremental gains over his rough 2009 numbers this season (stats for both years can be found at bottom of linked page).

 

See you next spring, Max.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Mark Rogers (blister) activated from the Huntsville DL; perpetually reserved / phantom-injuried catcher Patrick Arlis heads to the DL to make room.

[battlekow]

Unsurprisingly, given that Tyler Roberts is catching at Arizona and three undrafted free agents are for Helena, Rafael Neda gets the bump to the Pioneer League after two AZL games.