Minor League Transactions - 2015 Regular Season

[Mass Haas]

SS Aaron Familia, Dominican Republic, posted March 5th

 

16 years old, DOB 3/16/99, 6'2", 165

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJmPGCU6toA

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=719REl8uPYI

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VOSo9DSF8I

[Mass Haas]

RF Bryan Connell, Panama

 

09/11/98 (17 in September)

 

As a 14 year old, he was listed at 6'2", 186

 

[Mass Haas]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7REQXq5f5Nk

[Mass Haas]

Prior info via Baseball America and linked previously in our draft forum --

 

The Brewers have agreed to sign Venezuelan catcher Jose Sibrian, the No. 29 international prospect for July 2. His bonus will be $550,000.

 

Sibrian, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter, is 6 feet, 175 pounds and hasn’t been catching for long but has already earned praise for his defense and plus arm.

 

http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Jose-Sibrian-2015-abr-300x225.gif

[Mass Haas]

MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez had previously reported --

 

Source: Brewers have signed OF Jesus Lujano (Venezuela) for $450K

[Mass Haas]

Turns out we typed and linked a lot more in February about New Zealand catcher Beau Bishop than we needed to --

 

Details galore here

 

Video report out of New Zealand on Beau Bishop's signing with the Brewers (includes interview footage, Ron Roenicke on the phone)

 

This article link

 

***

 

The Brewers announced they released Bishop today after just one Maryvale game, player earlier this week.

 

We wish the young man well moving forward...

[Jenkins5]

Apparently Miguel Diaz will be pitching as soon as this weekend according to Gord Ash in a Brewers.com Monte Harrison injury article. He has been throwing live batting practice. Did I miss this posted somewhere?

[Mass Haas]

Apparently Miguel Diaz will be pitching as soon as this weekend according to Gord Ash in a Brewers.com Monte Harrison injury article. He has been throwing live batting practice. Did I miss this posted somewhere?

 

This was the McCalvy note:

 

(Gord) Ash also provided an update on right-hander Miguel Diaz, No. 13 on MLB.com's Brewers prospects list. Diaz had a fracture in his right elbow and underwent surgery in the middle of March, but is currently throwing live batting practice and should return to game action this weekend, according to Ash.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers' Player Development Staff indicated (tweet) that they had signed non-drafted OF Jay Feliciano and assigned him to the Dominican Summer League team. We should see a debut for him shortly.

 

Feliciano is from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, so the placement makes sense in that regard.

 

Feliciano will turn 20 years old September 28th. He's a right-handed bat and listed at 6'2", 210. This past spring marked his sophomore season at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa.

 

As of June, Cumberland University in Tennessee hailed him as a prized recruit for 2016.

 

by Tommy Bryan, Wilson Post

 

JuCo first team All-America OF --

 

 

John Lovretta photo, The Hawk Eye

 

It's safe to say the rebuilding effort has started in earnest at Cumberland University.

 

Coming off a 20-31 season in 2015, CU's Hall of Fame Coach Woody Hunt is hitting the recruiting trail with a vengeance.

 

His first big signee for the 2016 season is Jay Feliciano, a power hitting outfielder from Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa.

 

A first team All-Amerian for the BlackHawks, Feliciano was also the Iowa Community College Athletic Association Player of the Year and helped lead SECC to a record of 42-18 and a berth in the NJCAA Region XI Tournament.

 

As a sophomore at SECC, he sported a .381 batting average, with 18 doubles, 79 runs batted in and 23 homers.

 

His 23 homers and 79 RBI were good for second and first in the nation respectively.

 

As a college freshman, the native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico set a school record with 31 doubles.

 

"We signed Jay back in November," Coach Hunt said, "I was holding my breath through the (MLB) draft. He told us he would come if he didn't get drafted, and he's a man of his word.

 

"Jay will be a tremendous addition to our roster. We've got a few more we hope to nail down soon."

 

***

 

Oh well, oops on that "man of his word" line.

 

Feliciano is going to profile as a corner outfielder, a blurb in this Perfect Game article mentions his 94 MPH throw from the outfield.

 

Here are some additional photos.

 

The initial signing took place on July 15th.

 

This extensive workout video is a little over a year and a half old.

 

 

And this is quite the video production, morphs from photos to video as it goes along...

 

[Mass Haas]

Also, the Brewers' Player Development Staff indicated that they had signed non-drafted catcher Bryan Torres and assigned him to the Dominican Summer League team. Like Jay Feliciano, we should see a debut for him shortly.

 

Torres is also from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, although he just wrapped up high school.

 

A left-handed bat, Torres is listed at 6'1", 178, as per his Perfect Game workouts / tournaments.

 

Otherwise, much less is available online on the young backstop.

[Mass Haas]

From Wednesday's Link Report --

 

LHP Trevor Lubking, the 2014 14th round pick of the Rays surprisingly released, made his Brewers' debut. We don't know the specific injury he's been rehabbing, but I just asked him via Twitter and hope to get a quick response.

 

Lubking was kind enough to share:

 

"I've been rehabbing a stress reaction in my left elbow (pre cursor to a stress fracture)."

 

Hopefully he's feeling well this "day after".

[DHonks]

similarly...whatever happened to Josh Romanski? He was seemingly on his way to MLB, but hasn't played in 2 years. Did one bad year in 2013 cost the lefty his career, or was it an injury?

[TheCrew07]

similarly...whatever happened to Josh Romanski? He was seemingly on his way to MLB, but hasn't played in 2 years. Did one bad year in 2013 cost the lefty his career, or was it an injury?

 

 

Josh Romanski, a pitcher turned hitter, finds baseball fun again

Abbey Mastracco SEP 13, 2014

[DHonks]

thanks TheCrew! Hopefully his happiness leads him somewhere. At least he'll have no more doubts as to whether pitching was correct over hitting. He'll try to do the Jim Rushford-thing

[Mass Haas]

Major League Forum Aramis Ramirez thread on the acquisition of 23-year-old RH reliever Yhonathan Barrios, a Columbian native with an upper-90's fastball, who has been assigned to Biloxi.

 

http://www.milb.com/images/553872/generic/180x270/553872.jpg

 

Via Kiley McDaniel, Video / Tweet Links (Video shown below)

 

MiLB Player Page

 

Baseball Reference Page

 

No corresponding move with the Shuckers announced yet.

 

RHP David Goforth to the big club (back to 13 pitchers).

 

[Mass Haas]

Added newcomer RH reliever Yhonathan Barrios to this list. Unless re-signed to a 2016 minor league deal or added to the 40-man roster, which would protect from Rule 5, Barrios will be a just-turned 24-year-old minor league free agent this fall.

[Mass Haas]

Fun 2014 Yhonathan Barrios write-up and a nice set of five individual at-bat videos via Fangraphs

 

H/T Jaymes Langrehr ‏for the tweet

 

***

 

BrewCrewBall-- A glance at Yhonathan Barrios

 

Nice write-up by Noah...

[Mass Haas]

Congrats to catcher Dustin Houle, on his way to Brevard County (his tweet), taking the open roster spot from Cameron Garfield's release.

 

Also moving up, to Helena from Maryvale, is 21st round N.C. State LHP Jon Olczak (his tweet).

[Jenkins5]

Congrats to catcher Dustin Houle, on his way to Brevard County (his tweet), taking the open roster spot from Cameron Garfield's release.

 

Also moving up, to Helena from Maryvale, is 21st round N.C. State LHP Jon Olczak (his tweet).

 

At this point my guess is they care too much about Leal behind the plate at Wisconsin to help develop those young pitchers. If that wasn't the case, you'd think Leal would have been bumped by now.

 

Congrats to Dustin! Been a long road! Seems awhile ago now he was 17 and one of the youngest players in system... The Brewers have to be pretty high on him, be interesting if he is in Biloxi next year to start or BC... I don't think brewers could have him and Leal at same level.... At least prefer not, they are full time quality starters

[WV Brew]

That does seem odd. Dustin Houle has only 23 A level at bats while Leal now has far more than that.

[Jenkins5]

Apparently a 20 game hit streak in which you hit .410 with a OBP of .480 is all Joantgel Segovia need to get promoted out of Arizona! He will be replacing Cotto who also was bumped up to Wisconsin!

 

Great for an UDFA like Cotto to already be making a big impact! Segovia iOS just a hitting animal. Power is great and terrific to have but if you have a kid who has Tony Gywnn type average ability (far to early I know) he can make an impact.

 

Twitter Post by Brewers Player Development

@BrewersPD: Promotions: Houle to Brevard, Horst to Col Springs, Farina, Segovia, Olczak, Oquendo, & Ghelfi to Helena, Cotto to Wisconsin

[WV Brew]

Also: Obispo, Reeves, Hudgens were released. Good luck to them.

[Mass Haas]

Francisco Castillo - Fractured the thumb on his glove hand and has remained with the team working hard, he's very close to returning.

Brandon Diaz - As noted in Monday's LR Diaz was hit by a pitch and then tagged hard on the hip after his steal of 2nd. Diaz is day to day.

 

At Wisconsin, Castillo activated, Diaz and catcher Natanael Mejia placed on the 7-day retro to 7/23, and as noted above, Helena OF Omar Cotto up to fill the 25-man roster.

[Mass Haas]

Also: Obispo, Reeves, Hudgens were released. Good luck to them.

 

In addition to the veteran RH reliever Wirfin Obispo, it's two late-round 2014 draft picks who were let go.

 

This was the age 23 season for 31st round UNC-Charlotte RHP Brock Hudgens, Hudgens began the year in Wisconsin before moving back to extended spring after just two appearances there, then on to Helena.

 

LHP Chad Reeves was a 33rd round choice out of LSU-Eunice, at age 24 (last February), he needed to shine quickly.

[molitor fan]

Bummed out about Hudgens, as he was a teammate at UNC Charlotte of one of my former players I coached and he followed me on twitter after I congratulated him on getting drafted....