Minor League Transactions - 2014-2015 Offseason

[Mass Haas]

Brief but informative blog post from Tom H. on Kyle Wren, because it includes Baseball America blurb that would otherwise be subscriber-only.

[Mass Haas]

Not sure why MLB wouldn't allow Kyle Wren to be with his AFL team in Sat.'s Championship Game. To not would be arbitrarily silly.

[Mass Haas]

FYI - Kyle Wren / Zach Quintana discussion with additional links is in this thread, thanks.

[Mass Haas]

Next week Ill have another small announcement Ill be happy talk at length about its a terrific story.

 

If you follow Josh Kusnick on Twitter, or have seen Adam McCalvy's related tweets, you know it's a matter of time for the Brewers to announce the signing of former Cubs big league RH reliever Jaye Chapman (major league stats (14 games), and minor league career.

 

Josh tweeted out a link to this August article, very thorough and highly recommended, for all the detailed background.

[agent39]

I think any time I have a free agent as Chris Cotillo said its safe to assume their headed to Wisconsin. You're welcome. All kidding aside, what a well run ball club.

[Mass Haas]

Next week Ill have another small announcement Ill be happy talk at length about its a terrific story.

 

If you follow Josh Kusnick on Twitter, or have seen Adam McCalvy's related tweets, you know it's a matter of time for the Brewers to announce the signing of former Cubs big league RH reliever Jaye Chapman (major league stats (14 games), and minor league career.

 

Josh tweeted out a link to this August article, very thorough and highly recommended, for all the detailed background.

 

Chapman deal officially announced by Brewers, no big league camp invite.

[agent39]

Great article by McCalvey on Jaye

 

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/101694200/pitcher-jaye-chapman-seeks-renewal-with-brewers

[DHonks]

Josh, you've had some great success with having minor leaguers reach the big leagues with the Brewers. Just curious, but when major league negotiations are occurring with free-agency approaching, there's some things I've always wondered. If you could elaborate on a few, that would be great.

1) we often are guilty of assuming players/agents want the absolute top dollar for their players. Do you find players are more after the best fit or best salary?

2) When evaluating cities, do you or players ever consider the tax differences or costs of living? For instance, CC Sabathia's first deal with the Yankees was for roughly 1 year and $40 million more than the Brewers offered. Some speculated that given his expected housing and school expenses for his family in NYC, along with the taxes, the difference was far less than $40 million

3) We are probably way too proud of Wisconsin (although I split my time in AZ and MT now). Do players find Wisconsin boring, or do they appreciate our unique small-town feel where players are worshipped in public?

[Mass Haas]

Newest Brewers farmhand RHP John Ely (career major and minor league stats) was almost exclusively a starting pitcher before Tommy John surgery in '13; pitched in middle relief in '14 with BOS (AAA).

 

From this note last December via Boston WEEI's Alex Speier --

 

In 2012, while pitching in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in the minors (Triple-A Albuquerque), Ely went 14-7 with a 3.20 ERA, 8.8 strikeouts and 1.9 walks en route to winning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year honors.

 

So with this signing, the last three Pacific Coast League Pitchers of the Year are in the Brewers' organization -- Ely, Johnny Hellweg, and Jimmy Nelson.

[jerichoholicninja]

Wasn't Ely a somewhat well-regarded pitcheing prospect when he was with LA? Seems like a good move whether he is considered starter or reliever depth.

[Mass Haas]

We've learned that while Ely does not have a big league camp invite, he will be one of the players brought into minor league camp early, something we've seen in recent years.

[agent39]

Josh, you've had some great success with having minor leaguers reach the big leagues with the Brewers. Just curious, but when major league negotiations are occurring with free-agency approaching, there's some things I've always wondered. If you could elaborate on a few, that would be great.

1) we often are guilty of assuming players/agents want the absolute top dollar for their players. Do you find players are more after the best fit or best salary?

 

Depends on the player. Opportunity for milb guys is always first for me. Mlb it varies

 

2) When evaluating cities, do you or players ever consider the tax differences or costs of living? For instance, CC Sabathia's first deal with the Yankees was for roughly 1 year and $40 million more than the Brewers offered. Some speculated that given his expected housing and school expenses for his family in NYC, along with the taxes, the difference was far less than $40 million

 

100% always matters

 

3) We are probably way too proud of Wisconsin (although I split my time in AZ and MT now). Do players find Wisconsin boring, or do they appreciate our unique small-town feel where players are worshipped in?

 

Cant speak for the players but ive never encountered it being a negative and ive got a long history w the ballclub

 

[Mass Haas]

Next week Ill have another small announcement Ill be happy talk at length about its a terrific story.

 

If you follow Josh Kusnick on Twitter, or have seen Adam McCalvy's related tweets, you know it's a matter of time for the Brewers to announce the signing of former Cubs big league RH reliever Jaye Chapman (major league stats (14 games), and minor league career.

 

Josh tweeted out a link to this August article, very thorough and highly recommended, for all the detailed background.

 

Very cool story at BP penned by Josh on his relationship with Chapman.

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com reports that 21-year-old Dominican Summer League RHP Pedro Peguero has voluntarily retired.

 

It would be easy to have fun with Peguero's career 2-11, 9.29 ERA in parts of four seasons in the DSL, especially his 90 walks and 20 HBP's in 63 career innings (man, those DSL batters really risk life and limb facing these raw power arms, don't they?), but to be fair --

 

Peguero, a Dominican native, was brought to our attention by Baseball America's Ben Badler (and our own long-lost poster "battlekow") in this post from March 2011. Notice in that post that Peguero, a Dominican native, was signed in the same international class as a certain prized Venezuelan shortstop now tearing up the Brewers' system.

 

Peguero was listed at 6'6", 190 as a 17-year-old. That's something you hang your hat on alone. (He's listed at 6'6", 215 now.)

 

After just four debut appearances in 2011, Peguero underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right elbow in January 2012, making three appearances at the tail end of the '12 season.

 

The 2013 and 2014 campaigns did not go well, as indicated by his stat line linked with his name above.

 

That being said, Peguero is leaving because he wanted to, not because the Brewers released him.

 

We wish him well.

[Mass Haas]

Via MLB Trade Rumors:

 

The Brewers have re-signed left-hander Brent Leach to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league Spring Training, MLBTR has learned (Twitter link). The 31-year-old Leach has an opt-out clause as well as Asian buyout language worked into his contract. Leach enjoyed a solid campaign at Triple-A Nashville last year, posting a 3.28 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 while holding lefties to a .220/.331/.330 batting line.

[Mass Haas]

Brent Leach joins Will Smith (and Wei-Chung Wang) as only LHP's in Brewers system with big league experience. No other southpaw has even reached AAA yet. Good spot for him...

[Mass Haas]

Brewers announce the addition (pun intended) of LHP Nick Additon (notice only one letter "I").

 

Additon, soon to be 27 years old, (career stats) was a Cardinals' 47th round draft-and-follow signee after a year of JUCO ball in Florida.

 

He spent his full seven-year quota in the St. Louis system before signing with the Orioles in the fall of 2013, and then splitting 2014 between AAA and AA.

 

160 of his 202 appearances have been starts.

 

Additon made two appearances in the Dominican Winter League, the most recent being November 26th, but is no longer listed on the Leones del Escogido roster.

 

"His repertoire is modest with an 86-88 mph fastball, slider and change-up." 2009 write-up link

[Mass Haas]

From November's list of releases --

 

Recently-turned 24-year-old RH reliever Andy Hillis, drafted in the 11th round in 2013, one of three pitchers the Brewers grabbed from Lee University in Tennessee that June (joining LHP Clint Terry, and RHP Alex Moore, Moore has since retired). Hillis posted somewhat monstrous numbers in Helena in 2013 (one ER in 17 appearances), and then we never did find out why he was assigned to Maryvale for this past season, where he struggled terribly. It must have been injury-related, although we never got formal word at all. Hillis was interviewed shortly after draft day (text at the @BrewerNation blog), and here's Helena audio interview from August 2013.

 

Hillis just signed with the Traverse City (Michigan) Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League.

 

(As we have in past seasons, we'll report on alumni transactions involving indy ball, but only for those players who saw action during the 2014 regular season in the Brewers' chain.)

[brewmann04]

Brewers Player Dev ‏@BrewersPD

The Brewers have signed RHP Wirfin Obispo to a minor league contract.

[Mass Haas]

Newest Brewer RHP Wirfin Obispo (career stats, including four seasons in Japan) is 30 years old, but is yet to see a major league mound.

 

Obispo did spend time on the 40-man rosters of the Braves and Pirates in 2014. Should he ever be added to the Brewers' 40-man roster, he'll have two options remaining.

 

Since coming stateside in 2012, Obispo has K and BB ratios of 9.13 and 4.54, respectively.

 

John Manuel of Baseball America noted "his delivery has some effort but good stuff".

 

There is probably a good backstory here -- how many Dominican Summer League players head directly to Japan at age 22 without playing stateside at all (although he only made two appearances there his first season in Japan and none detailed the following season).

 

Obligatory Wikipedia cut-and paste --

 

"Obispo was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent on January 20, 2002. He played in the Dominican Summer League with the Red Sox as a shortstop before being released on November 3, 2003. The Cincinnati Reds then signed him to a minor league deal on January 23, 2004.[1]

 

Obispo then went to Japan for four seasons, winning one championship with the Yomiuri Giants. He signed with the Reds for 2012,[2] where he pitched 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 35 games, 13 of them starts. He pitched for Triple-A Louisville and Double-A Pensacola. On November 5, 2012, Obispo signed a minor league-deal with the Atlanta Braves with an invitation to spring training.[3] The Braves added him to their 40 man roster on November 1, 2013.[4] He was designated for assignment on May 31, 2014, and the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed him from waivers on June 1."

 

***

 

Ah yes, the backstory -- thank you, redsminorleagues.com (5/21/12)

 

"Obispo is a bit of an urban legend in some Reds prospect circles after he dominated the Dominican Summer League after a conversion to the mound from shortstop. He was, however, caught up in a marriage scandal that left him unable to obtain a work visa to enter the US and eventually wound up in Japan where he pitched for several years before finally being able to obtain a work visa when the Reds signed him this past offseason. Obispo throws a fastball, change up and slider. His fastball seems to work, in my limited time seeing him, in the 89-93 MPH range while touching 94. The pitch is a little straight, but he seems to hide the ball well with what I can best describe as, interesting mechanics that seem to have a little bit of violence to them. His change up shows some solid late tumble on it. The slider has short break to it, and could work well at the bottom of the strikezone, but the break isn’t sharp enough for it to do much if it isn’t at the bottom of the zone. At best, it is an average pitch and is only a pitch that should be thrown in the lower half of the strikezone and is thrown in the mid 80’s."

 

***

 

Fun mini-video from Huntsville in 2012 - catch glimpses of Obispo and Jimmy Nelson in these game highlights.

 

***

 

Obispo will be part of our 2014 Winter League updates -- in 17 games for Estrellas thus far in the Dominican, the 6'2", 215 lb. Obispo has a 2.35 ERA (15.1 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 17 K's - stat page).

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers announced the re-signing of INF Hainley Statia (career stats).

 

Statia has a career .271/.345/.357 line (.703 OPS) through a ten-year career (2004 9th round by the Angels, out of a Florida high school). He'll turn 29 in January. In 962 games and 3273 AB's, he's only struck out 431 times.

 

(The Brewers drafted RHP Derek DeCarlo in that round, out of Florida International; DeCarlo did not advance past A-ball, just two years in the system.)

 

Given Statia is a switch-hitter, puts the bat on the ball, and has all-over-the-infield defensive flexibility (a bit of OF as well), it's easy to see why he has value on a minor league squad for any manager.

 

After six years in the Angels' system, Statia was prepared to go the indy ball route in the spring of 2011 when Milwaukee purchased him from the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers, and he's been brought back each year since, netting the following number of AB's over four years in the Brewer system in AAA and AA -- 344, 380, 343, and 269.

 

Statia was born in Curacao, which is pretty cool in and of itself, just another reason to hope he eventually gets his "Guilder Rodriguez" cup of coffee big league moment.

 

From 2013, here's an audio interview with Statia via Jeff Hem's Nashville blog.

[jerichoholicninja]

I's surprised Hainley hasn't gotten a shot yet. You'd think he would be very valuable on someone's Major League bench.

[Mass Haas]

Joel Sherman tweets that OF Jeremy Hermida, recently re-signed by the Crew to a 2015 minor league deal, could be on his way to Japan. Brewers could negotiate a nominal buyout, but can't imagine they would stand completely in his way of leaving.

 

The 30-year-old did play in 108 games for Nashville last year, so the Brewers would need to budget those at-bats from within the system, or sign another veteran for that spot.

 

It is a loss, as outside of Sean Halton, among non 40-man roster players, only Josh Fellhauer and Kentrail Davis have seen prior time at the AAA level. If Logan Schafer isn't the 5th big league OF, he'd be at Colorado Springs. D'Vontrey Richardson's 2014 AA OPS of .648 was underwhelming. Kyle Wren could be moved up to AAA if the entire wave of young 2014 Brevard OF's need AB's in Biloxi.

 

So the Brewers have work to do on the minor league free agent market in terms of the AAA outfield, whether Hermida leaves or not.

[djoctagone]

(Hermida) is a loss, as outside of Sean Halton, among non 40-man roster players, only Josh Fellhauer and Kentrail Davis have seen prior time at the AAA level. If Logan Schafer isn't the 5th big league OF, he'd be at Colorado Springs. D'Vontrey Richardson's 2014 AA OPS of .648 was underwhelming. Kyle Wren could be moved up to AAA if the entire wave of young 2014 Brevard OF's need AB's in Biloxi.

 

So the Brewers have work to do on the minor league free agent market in terms of the AAA outfield, whether Hermida leaves or not.

wow. sean halton and kentrail davis both plucked in aaa phase of rule 5.

 

yes . . . the aaa outfield is quite thin right now.

[Mass Haas]

Via Eduardo A. Encina, The Baltimore Sun

 

The Orioles selected Sean Halton from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Triple-A portion of the draft Thursday. Halton, who will report to Triple-A Norfolk, can play first base, both corner outfield spots and slot in at designated hitter.

 

Halton, 27, hit .238 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 42 major league games with Milwaukee in 2013. He batted .293 with eight homers and 63 RBIs with Triple-A Nashville this past season, and has been on the Orioles' radar since two years ago, when he was scouted while playing winter ball for Licey in the Dominican Republic.

 

"He's a big, strong, right-handed hitter with power, but he's also got a real good on-base percentage," Orioles minor league operations director Kent Qualls said. "We think he'll be a good contributor in Triple-A and, you never know, might help us in the big leagues."

 

***

 

Good luck to Kentrail Davis with the Angels' organization as well.

 

It is a classy move to expose both players in this manner (minor league Rule 5 phase), but one wonders if the Brewers would have held onto them if not taken. By going the Rule 5 route, the players don't have the stigma of "released" on their resume. That being said, when you combine their departures with Jeremy Hermida's (now officially sold to a Japanese team), yes, as indicated in the post just above, the front office has some work to do. Recruiting bats for Colorado Springs should not be an issue.