2012 Minor League Transaction Thread -- Pre-Draft

[Mass Haas]

Following up from earlier, #Brewers AAA SS Jeff Bianchi is sidelined with a left forearm injury, according to the Sounds. Hopefully minor.

[Mass Haas]

At Huntsville, the Brewers activate 40-man roster RHP Santo Manzanillo from DL, where he had been since 4/11 with shoulder tightness.

 

Going to the DL to free up a spot for Manzanillo is RHP Bradley Blanks with an undisclosed injury.

[Mass Haas]

When IF Edwin Maysonet returns to Nashville officially on Thursday (or Friday) after his option today, the Sounds will need to make a corresponding move.

 

At least we had the Maysonet option situation correct (he had one left, which has now been used up).

[And That]

Again not a transaction, but RHP Carlos Sosa is stateside in extended spring training. The 20 year old is likely to pitch with Maryvale or Helena in rookie ball after dominating out of the pen the past few years in the DSL.

 

Amending my earlier note, Joey Paciorek has been playing 1B and 3B in extended.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers trade (cash considerations) veteran Nashville catcher Paul Phillips to Blue Jays.

 

IF Phillips is to play at AAA for now, all he'll have to do is glide to the other dugout tonight, as Las Vegas is the Jays' affiliate.

 

While not official yet, the likely replacement for Phillips backing up Martin Maldonado may be Dayton Buller, who could be activated from the Sounds' DL.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers AAA moves: C Dayton Buller, RHP Brian Baker activated from DL; take spots of C Paul Phillips (traded) and Mike McClendon (recalled)

[JohnBriggs12]

Brewers trade (cash considerations) veteran Nashville catcher Paul Phillips to Blue Jays.

 

IF Phillips is to play at AAA for now, all he'll have to do is glide to the other dugout tonight, as Las Vegas is the Jays' affiliate.

 

While not official yet, the likely replacement for Phillips backing up Martin Maldonado may be Dayton Buller, who could be activated from the Sounds' DL.

 

Amazing and just one day after he wins American Idol

[Mass Haas]

From Chris Mehring:

 

Roster moves for the TimberRattlers today: C Tyler Roberts on the DL and OF John Dishon off the DL. Roster is at 25.

 

***

 

With both Rafael Neda and Parker Berberet on the active roster, the Rattlers are covered at catcher for tonight.

[TooLiveBrew]

It'll be interesting to see if Garfield's arrival to Wisconsin will mean Neda is pushed to AA (yes, I know he hasn't hit a lick yet at A-), or if Berberet will be (that'd surprise me)... or if one of those two will be sent back to extended ST... or DL'd... or what.

[pogokat]

Is zarraga incapable of catching anymore? he's hit well at A+ for three years now

[Mass Haas]

From Brevard:

 

LHP Jed Bradley reinstated from the DL (groin strain) and is starting tonight for the Manatees at Dunedin.

 

LHP Connor Whalen placed on the DL retroactive to 5/24.

 

C Brent Dean placed on the DL retroactive to 5/23.

 

C Parker Berberet has been transferred from Wisconsin to Brevard County.

 

***

 

From Wisconsin:

 

C Cameron Garfield rejoins the Rattlers from extended spring (knee rehab going back to 2011).

[Mass Haas]

Certainly appears that the MiLB home office is allowing clubs to play loose and free with the 7-day DL, often as more of a taxi squad than an actual injury list.

 

That being said, it makes the formal re-assignment of stud LH relief prospect Alan Williams to Helena's extended spring roster from Brevard County last week all the more puzzling. If not for family (temporary inactive list or such) or health reasons (DL), then one can only speculate, and that often leads to the negative, so I won't do so in print here. Get back soon, Alan!

[Mass Haas]

To make room for SS Edwin Maysonet's return to Nashville, veteran IF Andy Gonzalez has been transferred to Huntsville.

 

The Stars will need to make a correpsonding move on Saturday to free up a spot for Gonzalez.

[Mass Haas]

Via Adam McCalvy:

 

Assistant general manager Gord Ash said the Brewers expected to get back a bit of Minor League shortstop depth on Saturday, when offseason acquisition Jeff Bianchi comes off the Triple-A DL. He is batting .346 in the Minors this season and had been sidelined by a forearm strain.

 

***

 

So in the prior post, the Sounds make room for Edwin Maysonet, and now they backfill the roster for Maysonet's return to the Brewers. Welcome back to Jeff...

[battlekow]

At BC, C Shawn Zarraga--he of a .405/.465/.622 line in his last ten games--goes on the DL, with C Joey Paciorek coming over from "Helena" to fill the spot. This will be Paciorek's first action of the season after hitting .257/.318/.361 for the Rattlers last year in his first year as a catcher.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes:

 

MAYSONET RECALLED BY BREWERS; BIANCHI, GONZALEZ RETURN TO SOUNDS: Infielder Edwin Maysonet’s second stay with the Sounds this season lasted only one game as the veteran was recalled by the Brewers late last night to replace injured shortstop Cesar Izturis. Infielder Andy Gonzalez, who was re-assigned to Double-A Huntsville yesterday but never left town, has been readded to the Sounds’ roster. Gonzalez has been red-hot at the plate, batting .425 (17-for-40) in his last 11 contests, including a current season-best eight-game hit streak.

 

In another set of moves, infielder Jeff Bianchi has been activated from the disabled list after missing eight games with a forearm strain. Prior to his injury, Bianchi hit .333 (10-for-30) in 10 tilts for the Sounds. Veteran utilityman Erick Almonte, who is hitting just .203 in 33 games, has been placed on the Nashville D.L., retroactive to yesterday.

[Mass Haas]

At Wisconsin, OF Ben McMahan goes on the DL with an undisclosed injury (bummer), allows last year's 45th round pick, IF (and some OF) Adrian Williams, out of UCLA, to come off the DL.

[Mass Haas]

Posted this in the Link Report tonight, but for record-keeping, here as well...

 

***

 

Just keep telling yourself he's only 17, and will come back like a champ in 2013:

 

Via Tom Haudricourt:

 

Short at shortstop

 

It's no secret that the Brewers are thin at shortstop after dealing former top prospect Alcides Escobar to the Royals before the 2011 season in the Zack Greinke deal. That's why the loss of Alex Gonzalez for the season with a knee injury was so discouraging.

 

That shortage was the reason the Brewers claimed Jeff Bianchi, now at Class AAA Nashville, off waivers from the Cubs over the off-season. And why they signed former Houston shortstop Tommy Manzella a few weeks ago to play that position at Class AA Huntsville.

 

Now comes the news that shortstop prospect Orlando Arcia will miss the entire 2012 season after fracturing an ankle sliding into second base during a game in extended spring training. Arcia, 17, was slated to play rookie ball, either at Helena or Arizona, when that level begins play in June.

 

Arcia, a native of Venezuela, attracted attention last summer with a strong performance in the Dominican Summer League at age 16. In 64 games, he batted .294 with 16 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBI, with 30 walks and only 20 strikeouts in 218 at-bats.

 

Arcia also is impressive in the field with great range and a strong arm. At his age, there's plenty of time to bounce back from the injury, but it still is disappointing for the Brewers that he will not play in 2012.

 

"We're hoping he'll be able to do something by instructional ball (in the fall)," said Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash. "He had a plate put in the ankle by Dr. ( William) Raasch. It was a bad break.

 

"Missing the year certainly doesn't help. He should be able to play in our Dominican academy (over the winter)."

 

The Brewers do have another young shortstop they like, 20-year-old Yadiel Rivera, currently playing at low Class A Wisconsin. Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 draft out of Puerto Rico, Rivera is a solid defender who must improve his plate discipline.

 

Through 44 games for the Timber Rattlers, Rivera was batting .244 with 11 doubles, five homers and 17 RBI, with only six walks and 44 strikeouts. He saw a 10-game hitting streak end Friday.

[Mass Haas]

The newest addition to our growing team of Link Reporters, Brad, was all over the Dunedin broadcast of the Manatees game tonight, and included these notes in his report:

 

Joey Paciorek joined the Manatees today as they have lost three catchers to injury now in the past two days days. Brent Dean landed on the DL a couple days ago. Then Adam Weisenburger and Shawn Zarraga were both injured on plays at the plate last night. Weisenburger left the game after a 6th inning collision and Zarraga was injured running over the Dunedin catcher in the eighth.

 

***

 

Not sure if Dean's DL stint was one of those taxi squad "healthy" placements, but since he has to stay on the DL for the 7-day minimum, Paciorek was summoned.

[Mass Haas]

After Brooks Conrad's most recent recall to Milwaukee, OF Jay Gibbons has been bumped up from AA Huntsville to Nashville to backfill.

 

No word quite yet on a corresponding roster move at AA.

[Mass Haas]

Here's a post with some details from April in which we indicated the Brewers had signed LHP Phillip Valiquette.

 

The Manatees tell us today:

 

ROSTER MOVES: RHP Stosh Wawrzasek placed on the DL. LHP Philippe Valiquette transferred to Brevard from Helena (extended spring training).

 

***

 

Just yesterday, Stosh tweeted about his brush with a big leaguer.

 

Valiquette was (and probably still is) a client of Josh (agent39, where is Josh these days?). Perhaps that connection led Valiquette to a chance from the Brewers.

[Mass Haas]

The catcher shuffle begins:

 

C Adam Weisenburger has been transferred from Brevard County to Huntsville.

 

***

 

For now, Parker Berberet and Joey Paciorek will share catching duties in Brevard, and the Manatees will be one under the 25-man roster limit.

[Mass Haas]

Catcher Jason Jaramillo joins the Sounds from Huntsville, backfilling for Martin Maldonado's big league callup.

[Mass Haas]

19-year-old OF Michael Reed, the high school 5th round draft pick the Brewers pulled from a University of Mississippi commitment, has been placed on the Huntsville roster, up from extended spring training.

 

We've seen this type of thing before (think Nick Bucci, 2009), and I've got to believe part of the thinking here is that the Brewers want to keep Wisconsin's squad intact for their first-half playoff qualification push, and a Brevard move would necessitate a Wisconsin move, etc., etc.

 

I believe another thing that goes into this is that the Maryvale pre-season games take a break the week before the draft, as staff there prepares for the influx of players they'll soon see, and that gives some of those kids a chance to head home for a short break before the rookie regular seasons as well.

 

If we're correct about that (based on some player tweets this past week), then if the Brewers are high on Reed, this keeps him active in what will likely be a limited role with the Stars, who are in the midst of their own playoff push.

 

Look for bigger shakeups in just under three weeks after the first-half schedules wrap up.

[battlekow]

19-year-old OF Michael Reed, the high school 5th round draft pick the Brewers pulled from a University of Mississippi commitment, has been placed on the Huntsville roster, up from extended spring training.

 

We've seen this type of thing before (think Nick Bucci, 2009), and I've got to believe part of the thinking here is that the Brewers want to keep Wisconsin's squad intact for their first-half playoff qualification push, and a Brevard move would necessitate a Wisconsin move, etc., etc.

 

I believe another thing that goes into this is that the Maryvale pre-season games take a break the week before the draft, as staff there prepares for the influx of players they'll soon see, and that gives some of those kids a chance to head home for a short break before the rookie regular seasons as well.

 

If we're correct about that (based on some player tweets this past week), then if the Brewers are high on Reed, this keeps him active in what will likely be a limited role with the Stars, who are in the midst of their own playoff push.

 

Look for bigger shakeups in just under three weeks after the first-half schedules wrap up.

The Brewers do seem to like Reed a lot. He also drew bench duty in spring training alongside much more established MiLBers.