40-man roster discussion

[djoctagone]

elian herrera designated for assignment to make room for neal cotts. herrera had been out of minor league options, so he had to make the team out of spring training.

[BrewBalls]

elian herrera designated for assignment to make room for neal cotts. herrera had been out of minor league options, so he had to make the team out of spring training.

I'm really surprised by this move. Herrera put up good numbers last season while playing all over the field. I thought there were lesser playerson the roster to option (i.e. Hall, Wooten, Peterson and Schafer). I hope he clears waivers but I'm not confident he will.

[djoctagone]

of the remaining backup/utility roles on the 40-man roster, of shane peterson and of logan schafer can be optioned to colorado springs in 2015, as can c juan centeno. infielders matt clark, yadiel rivera, jason rogers and luis sardinas can also be optioned in 2015.

 

infielders hector gomez and luis jimenez are out of minor league options. the removal of herrera from the roster bodes well for these two players--especially if jimenez platoons with adam lind at first and either gomez or jimenez gives aramis ramirez rest from time to time.

[Outlander]

Yeah, to start the year they may want to hold on to as many assets as possible and therefore end up keeping the guys with no option in the majors (Jimenez and Gomez) and sending guys with options to the minors (Sardinas/Rogers/Clark). I think the last outfield spot is up for grabs between Schafer and Peterson but it is nice that they both have options so I truly think the best person will win that job.

[djoctagone]

what's interesting to note is that thus far this offseason, the brewers do not have any players signed to minor league deals with realistic expectations of having their contracts purchased and making the club.

 

look back to recent years: lyle overbay, zach duke, mark reynolds, travis ishikawa, jim edmonds . . .

 

i would've preferred neal cotts being signed to a $2 million minor league deal with a $3 million guarantee if added to the 25-man roster by end of spring training. by end of spring training, it's quite likely that 60-day disabled list candidates could emerge, and herrera could still be in the mix. especially given the uncertainty of tyler thornburg and jim henderson returning from major injuries, it makes sense to hold off on adding a player like cotts to a major league deal.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm with djoctone on Cotts contract. I'm mildly surprised Herrera was DFA'd but I had posted on another site that I just didn't see him making the team out of spring training mostly because he's not a good defender anywhere you put him. I think they see Gomez as the better defender to backup at SS and they like the pop he can give them off the bench a bit more. Plus they still have 2 other middle infielders on the 40 man in Sardinas and Rivera.

 

Herrera misplayed too many balls in the OF too and he's not a good CF. Schafer struggles offensively with limited AB's but he gives them solid defense. They seem willing to hand the backup 3B/1B platoon on days Lucroy catches to Jimenez.

 

I can't imagine Wooten would survive another pitcher signing though.

[BrewBalls]

what's interesting to note is that thus far this offseason, the brewers do not have any players signed to minor league deals with realistic expectations of having their contracts purchased and making the club.

 

look back to recent years: lyle overbay, zach duke, mark reynolds, travis ishikawa, jim edmonds . . .

 

i would've preferred neal cotts being signed to a $2 million minor league deal with a $3 million guarantee if added to the 25-man roster by end of spring training. by end of spring training, it's quite likely that 60-day disabled list candidates could emerge, and herrera could still be in the mix. especially given the uncertainty of tyler thornburg and jim henderson returning from major injuries, it makes sense to hold off on adding a player like cotts to a major league deal.

Minor league signings start to pick up once we start getting into February. I think DM will continue his trend of adding veterans on minor league contracts. One player I would be interested in signing is Scott Hairston. He plays both corner outfield spots and second base, is a good clubhouse guy like his brother and can provide some righthanded power off the bench (20HR in 2012, 10HR in 2013).

[JohnBriggs12]

what's interesting to note is that thus far this offseason, the brewers do not have any players signed to minor league deals with realistic expectations of having their contracts purchased and making the club.

 

look back to recent years: lyle overbay, zach duke, mark reynolds, travis ishikawa, jim edmonds . . .

 

i would've preferred neal cotts being signed to a $2 million minor league deal with a $3 million guarantee if added to the 25-man roster by end of spring training. by end of spring training, it's quite likely that 60-day disabled list candidates could emerge, and herrera could still be in the mix. especially given the uncertainty of tyler thornburg and jim henderson returning from major injuries, it makes sense to hold off on adding a player like cotts to a major league deal.

Minor league signings start to pick up once we start getting into February. I think DM will continue his trend of adding veterans on minor league contracts. One player I would be interested in signing is Scott Hairston. He plays both corner outfield spots and second base, is a good clubhouse guy like his brother and can provide some righthanded power off the bench (20HR in 2012, 10HR in 2013).

 

Hairston hasn't played 2B since 2004. I'd pass.

[djoctagone]

I can't imagine Wooten would survive another pitcher signing though.

assuming no injuries and a 12-man pitching staff, the cotts signing seems to have sealed wooten's optioning to the minor leagues to start the season. brandon kintzler is paid too much to be optioned, and tyler thornburg, with an option remaining, could fill the long relief role for the club. jim henderson could be optioned instead of wooten, but that's doubtful.

 

will smith, jonathan broxton, neal cotts and jeremy jeffress have to be considered locks.

 

working in wooten's favor to remain on the 40-man roster: of relievers currently on the 40-man likely to be optioned in 2015, he has the most big league experience (compared to corey knebel, wei-chung wang [being converted to a starter], michael blazek and johnny hellweg [still considered a starting pitcher?]).

 

if pursuits of jonathan pabelbon and/or francisco rodriguez are legit, the brewers aren't left with a lot of experienced pitching depth in the minors.

[jerichoholicninja]

I can't imagine Wooten would survive another pitcher signing though.

assuming no injuries and a 12-man pitching staff, the cotts signing seems to have sealed wooten's optioning to the minor leagues to start the season. brandon kintzler is paid too much to be optioned, and tyler thornburg, with an option remaining, could fill the long relief role for the club. jim henderson could be optioned instead of wooten, but that's doubtful.

 

will smith, jonathan broxton, neal cotts and jeremy jeffress have to be considered locks.

 

working in wooten's favor to remain on the 40-man roster: of relievers currently on the 40-man likely to be optioned in 2015, he has the most big league experience (compared to corey knebel, wei-chung wang [being converted to a starter], michael blazek and johnny hellweg [still considered a starting pitcher?]).

 

if pursuits of jonathan pabelbon and/or francisco rodriguez are legit, the brewers aren't left with a lot of experienced pitching depth in the minors.

 

The health of Thornburg and Henderson will have to be considered. I could easily one or both of them starting the year on the DL.

[djoctagone]

The health of Thornburg and Henderson will have to be considered. I could easily (see) one or both of them starting the year on the DL.

hence, gord ash said today that players are going to have to sign minor league deals.

 

with rodriguez, it'll be easy to explain to him: "listen, you were with us all of last year. none of us expected to lose both henderson and thornburg. we're going to have our injuries. can you help us preserve our 40-man bullpen depth and take a minor league deal? in the chance that henderson or thornburg (or somebody else) have setbacks, we 60-day dl him and add you without losing depth. if they're healthy, we'll figure out a way to get you onto the club--likely ahead of henderson or thornburg--who can still be optioned."

 

any player who spent the entire previous season in the bigs that signs a minor league deal with a team is granted an opt-out date (usually about 4 -5 days before the start of the season). there's a formal clause (stated in this very thread around spring training last year) for these types of free agents and k-rod would qualify for this.

[JohnBriggs12]

I can't see K-Rod signing a minor league deal to preserve depth.

 

Wooten is eminently replaceable from within or without the organization anyway. There's any number of better/similar options out there still looking for minor league deals with a ST invite. Former Brewers Todd Coffey and Carlos Villanueva are two of them. Villanueva comes with the added ability to make spot starts, something no other reliever on their roster appears to have.

[MNBrew]

I'd think it's Blazek who's far more likely to lose his 40-man spot than Wooten if/when another reliever is acquired/signed. There are scads of guys just like both of those two out there to be had, though, so I'm not overly worried about what would happen if one or both were claimed. AAA relievers should be even easier to find once ST cuts start happening.

[djoctagone]

elian herrera designated for assignment to make room for neal cotts. herrera had been out of minor league options, so he had to make the team out of spring training.

no team claimed herrera, and he was outrighted to colorado springs. he'll be in big league camp as a non-roster player.

[jerichoholicninja]

elian herrera designated for assignment to make room for neal cotts. herrera had been out of minor league options, so he had to make the team out of spring training.

no team claimed herrera, and he was outrighted to colorado springs. he'll be in big league camp as a non-roster player.

 

I'm surprised but I guess that says a lot about him if 29 teams did not want him.

[djoctagone]

with the roster currently full, the brewers may have to face some tough decisions on whom to cut if chris perez makes the team, or if they sign francisco rodriguez (or any other free agent to a major league contract).

 

with jonathan lucroy's injury, waiver claim juan centeno appears safe to remain on the 40-man roster (he can be optioned).

 

also, with positive reports today on tyler thornburg and jim henderson, it's appearing less likely that either would be ticketed for the 60-day disabled list (and thus, off the 40-man roster). either can be optioned, but that wouldn't make room on the 40-man.

 

of course, a lot can change between now and opening day, but this is the scenario for the players on the outside looking in.

[Outlander]

Really starting to think the Peterson/Schafer loser gets removed from the 40 man. I don't think Schafer would get claimed, not sure if he has been outrighted before. Find it hard to believe somebody would pick up Hall if the Brewers sign/trade for another pitcher.

[djoctagone]

if k-rod is indeed signing, i would think that brooks hall would be the guy the club would try to outright.

[JohnBriggs12]

if k-rod is indeed signing, i would think that brooks hall would be the guy the club would try to outright.

 

I'll guess Blazek or Wooten. Hall has options and that would make him a likely candidate to be claimed. Brewers are pretty thin in starters in upper levels and can't afford to risk losing one via waivers.

[BrewBalls]

My guess is Blazek.

[brewmann04]

can't afford to lose a young arm to waivers.

[JohnBriggs12]

My guess is Blazek.

 

Blazek is 4 years younger than Wooten and that's why I think it's 50-50 between the two.

[Mass Haas]

Interesting sidenote via Adam McCalvy --

 

Adding to Luis Jimenez's case to crack the Brewers' roster as a utility man: He signed as a catcher, and played his first pro season at that position. Roenicke, always on the lookout for an emergency catcher, didn't know that until this week, and called it, "huge."

[djoctagone]

My guess is Blazek.

Blazek is 4 years younger than Wooten and that's why I think it's 50-50 between the two.

wooten can be optioned back and forth in 2015 and 2016. blazek can only be optioned back and forth in 2015.

[JohnBriggs12]

My guess is Blazek.

Blazek is 4 years younger than Wooten and that's why I think it's 50-50 between the two.

wooten can be optioned back and forth in 2015 and 2016. blazek can only be optioned back and forth in 2015.

 

Wooten probably has a slightly better chance of seeing time at the major league level this year than Blazek though it's not like he's essential. That may salvage his spot more so than the extra option year.