Rule 5 Protection -- Gindl, Manzanillo, Wheeler, and Kjeldgaard get added to the 40-man roster

[Mass Haas]

Not to be confused with our Brewer Minor League Free Agency Eligibles After the 2011 Season Thread, this thread focuses on those players who will be eligible to be selected in December 8th's Rule 5 Draft, and considers who Milwaukee should add to the 40-man roster to protect.

 

Remember --

 

Players who signed when 18 or younger are eligible for the draft after five years.

Players who signed when 19 or older are eligible after four years.

 

According to the rules, it's how old a player was on the June 5th immediately preceeding his signing.

 

So in terms of 40-man roster consideration, these are the players not eligible for free agency, but who would be Rule 5 eligible if not placed on the 40-man roster.

 

Thanks to poster Minigoon for tracking much of this for us --

 

Current AAA Players --

OF Caleb Gindl

RHP Donovan Hand

LHP Daniel Meadows

 

Current AA Players --

RHP Michael Bowman

IF Matt Cline

OF Lee Haydel

OF Brock Kjeldgaard

LHP Lucas Luetge

RHP Santo Manzanillo

LHP Daniel Merklinger

UT Sergio Miranda

RHP R.J. Seidel

IF Zelous Wheeler

IF Steffan Wilson

RHP Rob Wooten

Current A-Level players --

RHP Evan Anundsen

OF Chuckie Caufield

RHP Skyler Crawford

OF Chris Dennis

SS Carlos George

LHP Efrain Nieves

C Joey Paciorek

RHP Rolando Pascual

LHP Mike Ramlow

C Mike Roberts

[Mass Haas]

Will the Brewers have some tough 40-man choices to make?

 

Current roster is at 42 players -- (Manny Parra and Mitch Stetter on 60-day DL).

 

Here are the curent 40-man roster players who were added during the course of the season --

 

RHP Frankie De La Cruz

RHP Mark DiFelice

RHP Marco Estrada

RHP Tim Dillard

IF Taylor Green

C George Kottaras (after being dropped earlier in the season)

OF Logan Schafer

 

Here are players who are likely to lose their 40-man roster status prior to December's winter meetings, because they'll be eligible for major league free agency or will have option years declined --

 

SS Yuniesky Betancourt

IF Craig Counsell

1B Prince Fielder

IF Jerry Hairston

RHP LaTroy Hawkins

OF Mark Kotsay

RHP Francisco Rodriguez

RHP Takashi Saito

 

And this thread really isn't about debating the topic of offering arbitration, but yes, additional spots could free up based on the possible departures of Manny Parra or Josh Wilson, or others based on any sort of circumstance.

 

But the point is the Brewers should be able to add those they wish from the list that led off this thread. If there are tough calls to make, it won't be because of overall space.

 

In fact, if the Brewers want to carry fringe 40-man roster players like Tim Dillard, Mark DiFelice or others this offseason, they could without too much difficulty, as we'll indicate below.

[Mass Haas]

Adding Taylor Green to the 40-man roster in August and Logan Schafer in September addressed two obvious choices for next spring's 40-man roster.

 

Here's my own personal take on what will take place prior to Rule 5, and we invite you to chime in as well --

 

Locks -- OF Caleb Gindl, RHP Santo Manzanillo

Don't be surprised when -- LHP Daniel Meadows

 

Just outside -- INF Zelous Wheeler, LHP Dan Merklinger, RHP Rob Wooten

 

The Brewers risked losing Wheeler last season and may again, unless Zelous creates a new buzz in the Arizona Fall League. They added Merklinger last fall, then dropped him in April to free up a spot for Marco Estrada. Wooten just turned 26, he'll be in his 2nd year back from Tommy John surgery in 2012.

 

***

 

So when you comment in this thread, as for predictions, this format might work -- here's mine.

 

Should add -- Gindl, Manzanillo, Meadows

Will add -- Gindl, Manzanillo, Meadows, Wheeler

 

Finally, please keep in mind our eligibility list is close to accurate, it probably is 100%, but we don't have official confirmation from the Brewers (yet) regarding eligibility up and down the organization.

[pogokat]

Should add -- gindl, manzanillo, merklinger

will add -- gindl and manzanillo...

 

 

i think merklinger can help the team out of the pen next year...we'll see

[CheezWizHed]

Gindl and Manzanillo - obvious choices.

Meadows - probable. Was doing a decent job starting at AAA. I would imagine he could easily help some team as a LH BP arm.

Luetge, Merklinger - outside chance. Merklinger is healthy, but Luetge is the better arm (if completely healthy).

 

Lots of middling position players that might be drafted, but probably worth the risk

[dadofandrew]

Gindl, Merklinger, and Manzanillo are no doubters in my mind. Wheeler and Wooten are possible as well, but it'd almost be easier not to protect them, as then the other team that wants them would have to keep them on the 25 man all year. They have the skills that could allow them to be kept (utility, middle relief), but neither has much of a ceiling, and are older.

 

If they are added, and then have to be dropped when a FA is signed, all someone has to do is find a 40 man spot for him for 24 hours, then slip him off at some point.

[CheezWizHed]

Doh! I always get Merklinger and Meadows (both Dans, both LHP) mixed up...

 

Merklinger - 25 yr. starting LHP ended in AA last year

Meadows - 23 yr. relief LHP ended in AAA last year.

 

Both have similar K/9 and BB/9 numbers. I could see either one helping a team in the BP.

[BrewersAA]

I agree with your locks. There are not many on that list that you think "I couldn't live without." I would say maybe Luetge has a shot because of his left handedness and Anundsen because of his relative youth and little bit of potential he has left.

[DHonks]

I think that if I were one of the other teams, I'm hoping the Brewers do not add:

Wooten, Manzanillo, Gindl, Meadows, Wheeler, Merklingers, and maybe Luetge

[Mass Haas]

Adjust the counts in the posts above to account for RHP Mike Fiers' addition to the 40-man roster.

[igor67]

Unless the Brewers do something crazy and not add Manzanillo or Gindl I'm not too worried this year. The lefty Dans could be useful guys, but trying to sort out which soft tossing lefty will be a big league asset and who isn't is too hard to predict.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Agreed that Gindl and Manzanillo are locks. A few others may be considered.

 

What about Zarraga? Isn't he eligible. Signed on 8/14/07 but did not play in 2007).

 

Even so, he would be unlikely.

[YoungGeezy]

To me Wooten should be a lock, if not, a team would be dumb for not taking a chance on him. I believe he could stick. His arm will be even more healthy in 2012 and think he is a top tier reliever in our system. Remember the Braddock Wotten combo a couple years ago....just sick. Has great stuff, not a flamethrower or anything but a smart pitcher with command of multiple pitches.

 

Gindl and Manzanillo have about a 99.99999% chance.

 

I think Meadows or Merklinger could be added. They are on the bubble.

 

Anundsen should be safe. Thankfully he is healthy, got his confidence back, and can finally start working way back up through system. Hard to image a team taking a flyer on him but....same could have been said about Rosario last season

 

Gindl, Manzanillo, Wooten, & Meadows

[gregmag]

I like Wheeler as a dark horse. We're getting a bit thin in the infield, and he just strikes me as a guy who may be able to hold a fair amount of his offensive value at the next levels -- enough to help. I don't really have a great argument for this, more of an intuition, but it seems like a reasonable use of a roster spot.

[Never Outhustled]

Gindl and Manzanillo are locks, as others have said. Meadows and Wheeler will have their fates decided in the AFL.

[DHonks]

Younggeezy, Anundsen is a guy a smart GM (Jack Z) would monitor. Might not throw 95 like Rosario, but he sure gets the grounders and might be easy to stash in the bullpen for a season. I'd like him protected, as we don't have many sinkerballers. But I bet it's 50-50 that he gets protected. It would depend on how his velocity was this year

[Mass Haas]

What about Zarraga? Isn't he eligible. Signed on 8/14/07 but did not play in 2007).

 

Even so, he would be unlikely.

The 2008 media guide indicates that catcher Shawn Zarraga signed a 2008 contract when he signed in 2007. He was 18 when he signed, so we're thinking he would be eligible to be claimed after his 5th pro season in 2012.

 

He turned 19 the January after he signed but before he made his debut, so depending on how MLB interprets that, suppose it's possible he would be eligible this fall.

 

As you note, however, not really an issue, despite a Power 50 (# 34) presence.

[dadofandrew]

Anundsen does not have a high ceiling. There are tons of effective A ball SP's that win but do not have the velocity that will be left unprotected, and quite possibly, none will be taken.

[mls4]

Is the deadline this week for adding players for the purpose of Rule 5 protection?

[dadofandrew]

It's coming up. Not sure of the day. Might well be just Gindl and Manzanillo, Merklinger is getting hit in the AFL.

[dadofandrew]

Adam says the deadline is tomorrow.

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.mlbtraderumors...t&utm_medium=twitter

 

 

Looks like Gindl, Wheeler, Manzanillo, and Kjeldgaard were added to the 40-man today to protect them from the Rule 5. I'm kind of surprised Meadows wasn't protected. Also surprised that Kjeldgaard was added. The other 3 I expected.

[TooLiveBrew]

I agree on Kjeldgaard. I wouldn't guess Wheeler's spot is exactly set in stone, either.

 

I'm excited about Manzanillo. I really hope he forces his way to Milwaukee in 2012.

[The Truth]

Brock Kjeldgaard is an interesting story. His development as a hitter was delayed as he was originally a pitcher in '06 & '07 and that didn't exactly work out.

 

18 HR's as a 25 year old in High A ball isn't as impressive until you realize that was just his 4th season as a Non-Pitcher. He's got legit power and his OBP is usually 60-70 points higher than his BA, too. He played alot of outfield last year as well as 1B.

 

http://www.baseball-refer...ayer.cgi?id=kjeldg001ril

[gregmag]

Re: Kjeldgaard, I'm very surprised, but it makes a certain kind of sense. Normally beating the snot out of A+ at 25 isn't that big a deal, but the FSL eats home runs for lunch. Obviously the brain trust think he showed some ability last year that could translate to the MLB level. We're looking at filling 1b with a virtual rookie who has somewhat uncertain power credentials and hits from the left side. We aren't likely to pay veteran money for the weak half of a 1b platoon. Several things would need to break a certain way, but stranger things have happened than having Brock up to platoon in May or June.