Following 2014 (Now Ex-) Brewers, Both Major & Minor Leagues

[Mass Haas]

Whether it was a big league or minor league departure, clicking on the following links will make it hopefully easier for you to check in on 2014 Brewers now elsewhere, MLB page for big leaguers, MiLB page for minor leaguers -- bookmark or favorite this page for future reference, for now it's pinned to the top of our Major League forum. If we end up with too many pinned threads and release it, your bookmark will come in handy.

 

MAJORS:

 

LHP Zach Duke (Chicago White Sox, via free agency)

 

RHP Marco Estrada (Toronto via trade)

 

RHP Yovani Gallardo (Texas via trade)

 

LHP Tom Gorzelanny (Detroit, via free agency)

 

1B/3B Mark Reynolds (St. Louis via free agency)

 

2B/LF Rickie Weeks (Seattle via free agency)

 

MINORS:

 

RHP Barrett Astin (Cincinnati via trade)

 

LHP Anthony Banda (Arizona via trade)

 

OF Kentrail Davis (Los Angeles Angels via Rule 5 Draft, Minor League Phase)

 

3B Nicky Delmonico (released, then Chicago White Sox via minor league free agency)

 

RHP Rodolfo Fernandez (Oakland via trade)

 

OF Caleb Gindl (Toronto via minor league free agency)

 

RHP Donovan Hand (Cincinnati, via minor league free agency)

 

OF/1B Sean Halton (Baltimore via Rule 5 Draft, Minor League Phase)

 

OF Mitch Haniger (Arizona via trade)

 

1B Hunter Morris (Pittsburgh via trade)

 

OF Josh Prince (Detroit via minor league free agency)

 

RHP Zach Quintana (Atlanta via trade)

 

RHP Kevin Shackelford (Cincinnati via trade)

 

C Shawn Zarraga (Los Angeles Dodgers via trade)

[tmwiese55]

Does anyone know if former Brewers great Bill Hall is still toiling around the minors or independent leagues these days? I couldn't really find anything online.

[MrTPlush]

He played for an independent league last year so it is possible he is doing the same this year.

[adambr2]

Too bad about Hand. The Hand references and clichés were the easiest article titles for Milwaukee sportswriters in franchise history.

[sveumrules]

Interesting quote from Dana Eveland in David Laurila's consistently excellent Sunday Notes column on Fangraphs this week...

 

“After getting drafted, the first place I played was Helena, Montana,” Eveland told me. “Then I was in Beloit, Wisconsin. It’s funny, we always said that with the Brewers, whatever league they were in, they always had the worst possible place you could play. Huntsville, Alabama; High Desert, California. Even Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is an awesome city, but the stadium was terrible. Every stop was bad. When you got to Miller Park, you felt like were in a castle.”

[AKCheesehead]

Watching that play of his tonight ought to help fans forgive Rickie for not wanting to try the outfield last year for Milwaukee.

[pretendastronaut]

Watching that play of his tonight ought to help fans forgive Rickie for not wanting to try the outfield last year for Milwaukee.

 

 

[Jenkins5]

Interesting quote from Dana Eveland in David Laurila's consistently excellent Sunday Notes column on Fangraphs this week...

 

“After getting drafted, the first place I played was Helena, Montana,” Eveland told me. “Then I was in Beloit, Wisconsin. It’s funny, we always said that with the Brewers, whatever league they were in, they always had the worst possible place you could play. Huntsville, Alabama; High Desert, California. Even Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is an awesome city, but the stadium was terrible. Every stop was bad. When you got to Miller Park, you felt like were in a castle.”

 

I'd agree with that however now it seems to be getting better with Wisconsin and Biloxi. BC is so so. Nashville would have been great if they didn't turn back on us. High Desert wasn't a good place, for a pitching prospect even worse

[tmwiese55]

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-nelson-cruz-seattle-mariners-offensive-success/

 

Feel good article on Nelly Cruz, which is kind of funny since he was in the same scandal as Braun, who is a pariah to the media. Grantland articles are so long but it mentions some of his coming up and the trade to TX. Huge mistake by Melvin on that one. I remember hating it at the time, granted that was probably more about Mench, but my brother and I were wondering why the wouldn't give Cruz a chance. I suppose I get it though, already had Hart and Braun was going to get moved to left. Back then Hart could play center adequately though, and did as an injury fill in at times.

[dacbrewers]

Interesting quote from Dana Eveland in David Laurila's consistently excellent Sunday Notes column on Fangraphs this week...

 

“After getting drafted, the first place I played was Helena, Montana,” Eveland told me. “Then I was in Beloit, Wisconsin. It’s funny, we always said that with the Brewers, whatever league they were in, they always had the worst possible place you could play. Huntsville, Alabama; High Desert, California. Even Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is an awesome city, but the stadium was terrible. Every stop was bad. When you got to Miller Park, you felt like were in a castle.”

 

I'd agree with that however now it seems to be getting better with Wisconsin and Biloxi. BC is so so. Nashville would have been great if they didn't turn back on us. High Desert wasn't a good place, for a pitching prospect even worse

 

Under the worst places, add Colorado Springs.

[MrTPlush]

Watching that play of his tonight ought to help fans forgive Rickie for not wanting to try the outfield last year for Milwaukee.

 

 

 

Time to search for all those people complaining he wouldn't play the OF.

[TooLiveBrew]

Gallardo starts against Capuano tonight, TEX@NYY on Sunday Night Baseball. Kinda cool.

[Mass Haas]

Angels release OF Kentrail Davis (.585 OPS in 2015 in the AA Texas League), who was allowed to leave the Brewers last December via the Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 draft.

 

The Brewers had five picks in the top 74 of the much-discussed 2009 draft (see draft list) -- only catcher Cameron Garfield, struggling again in the Florida State League and seeing limited playing time there, is even active in affiliated minor league ball now from that group.

 

And yes, there's been nice value in Khris Davis, Scooter Gennett, hopefully much more from Tyler Cravy, and Mike Fiers from low in that draft, but just think how fantastic that draft class could have been had the Brewers capitalized at the top of Bruce Seid's first draft class.

 

P.S. Don't overlook the good job LHP Caleb Thielbar (released by Milwaukee, went indy ball route, and made his way all the way up to the Twins), has done in the big leagues as well.

[Mass Haas]

I know we have Sean Halton fans out there, he finally received his promotion to AAA Norfolk in the Orioles' system, after languishing in AA for his first 46 games of the 2015 season.

[Mass Haas]

The White Sox have finally activated former Brewers farmhand Nick Delmonico, and assigned him, at least for now, to (low) A-Ball with Kannapolis in the South Atlantic League. Delmonico only turns 23 in July. He's listed as a first baseman, where he has seen action before, we'll have to see if he returns to third base at some point.

 

Prior Delmonico thread for background

[Mass Haas]

HIS TWEET

 

Congratulations to Donovan Hand, had his contract purchased and back in the big leagues, with Cincinnati

[folly412]

Rickie Weeks DFA'd by Seattle.

 

http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybaseball/update/25213628/mariners-lf-rickie-weeks-designate-for-assignment

[Mass Haas]

MLB Trade Rumors with details - Tigers Release Josh Prince

[folly412]

Marco Estrada made it 7 1/3 perfect for Toronto vs. Tampa. Just gave up an infield single. Took a no hitter into the 8th in his previous start as well.

[Mass Haas]

MLB Trade Rumors with details - Tigers Release Josh Prince

 

Prince quickly signed with the Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.

[BrewersAA]

Gallardo pitched 8.1 shutout innings in his last start for texas, now has a 2.72 ERA that makes him the 6th best starter in the AL.... the return on him is looking worse by the start.

[TURBO]

The change of scenery sure did Gallardo some good...I don't think we can be sure that would have happened had he stayed in Milwaukee though.

[BarneyStinston]

I actually think his return to familiarity has helped him. He's just as good on the road than at home, so scenery doesn't seem to be an issue. He returns to Maddux, who he broke into the league with, and he is fixing Kranitz's tinkering of his mechanics over the last couple years. He has also gone to the slider a lot more than in the past, and gotten a lot more ground ball outs. Bottom line, getting away from the curse of "Brewers' pitching development" has done wonders.

[MrTPlush]

Gallardo pitched 8.1 shutout innings in his last start for texas, now has a 2.72 ERA that makes him the 6th best starter in the AL.... the return on him is looking worse by the start.

 

Safe bet his stats would be much worse with the Brewers. The Rangers changed the way he pitched. The Brewers would have kept him doing the same ole stuff. Add that to the fact we would be selling 3 months of Gallardo with no QO chance the return probably would be worse.

 

I'd make that same trade looking back.

[JohnBriggs12]

Gallardo pitched 8.1 shutout innings in his last start for texas, now has a 2.72 ERA that makes him the 6th best starter in the AL.... the return on him is looking worse by the start.

 

Safe bet his stats would be much worse with the Brewers. The Rangers changed the way he pitched. The Brewers would have kept him doing the same ole stuff. Add that to the fact we would be selling 3 months of Gallardo with no QO chance the return probably would be worse.

 

I'd make that same trade looking back.

 

"with no QO chance"?? Had they dealt Lohse instead, and kept Gallardo, they might be close enough to keep him the entire year and then they'd certainly give him a QO after the kind of season he's having now. Not sure it's a safe bet he would be worse with the Brewers. He's not facing pitchers in Texas.