Brewers claim catcher Josmil Pinto from Padres; Latest: Clears waivers, will be at big league camp (non-40 man roster)

[brwrsfan]

Others too...

 

Milwaukee Brewers ‏@Brewers · 1m1 minute ago

OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (NYM), C Josmil Pinto (SD) and 1B Andy Wilkins (TEX) have been claimed off waivers. The 40-man roster is at capacity.

[Manty Brewer Fan]

Was really hoping they would make a play on Pinto, so I'm stoked. Two years ago some were touting this guy as a top 50-100 prospect after breaking out.

[Outlander]

Interesting move with Pinto since he is out of options. Something has to give here, maybe insurance in case Lucroy is traded. I would think there isn't room for both Nieuwenhuis and Peterson on this team.

[MrTPlush]

I can't say I would be any more happy with Will Venable on this team and I know I wouldn't buy any more tickets.

 

As for some of these guys being questionable it isn't like we are commuting anything. We can easily drop them for someone else and we can always drop them before the season. Pinto is probably competition for Maldonado.

[patrickgpe]

Interesting move with Pinto since he is out of options. Something has to give here, maybe insurance in case Lucroy is traded. I would think there isn't room for both Nieuwenhuis and Peterson on this team.

I think these moves guarantees that Davis and/or Lucroy is gone. Claiming a guy out of options isn't for organizational depth when you have 2 established catchers on the big league roster.

[brewtank34]

Interesting move with Pinto since he is out of options. Something has to give here, maybe insurance in case Lucroy is traded. I would think there isn't room for both Nieuwenhuis and Peterson on this team.

I think these moves guarantees that Davis and/or Lucroy is gone. Claiming a guy out of options isn't for organizational depth when you have 2 established catchers on the big league roster.

 

Agreed. It's just a matter of time before we hear about Lucroy being dealt. Braun will be moved back to LF which is better position. Santana will be moved to RF- his better position. Broxton/Nieuwenhuis will man CF until Phillips arrives in 2017. Davis=Gone.

[yoshii8]

I think Lucroy, and one of Braun/Davis is gone. I'd honestly be fine with all 3 of them gone. I'm ready to move forward.

[JohnBriggs12]

Interesting move with Pinto since he is out of options. Something has to give here, maybe insurance in case Lucroy is traded. I would think there isn't room for both Nieuwenhuis and Peterson on this team.

I think these moves guarantees that Davis and/or Lucroy is gone. Claiming a guy out of options isn't for organizational depth when you have 2 established catchers on the big league roster.

 

Agreed. It's just a matter of time before we hear about Lucroy being dealt. Braun will be moved back to LF which is better position. Santana will be moved to RF- his better position. Broxton/Nieuwenhuis will man CF until Phillips arrives in 2017. Davis=Gone.

 

I don't know where you guys are getting those assumptions out of these moves. Santana's not hitting his weight in winter ball and striking out a ton and he's still got an option I believe. Niewenhuis could be starting CF until a better option comes along. Peterson could still stick as 5th OF. Brewers would be foolish not to bring in a catcher that could be better than Maldonado, because even if they keep Lucroy one more year, Maldonado's never going to be the starter.

[Jenkins5]

It is funny that all 3 waiver claims are .270 career hitters with OBP 's around .340-.350 and OPS around .800

 

I think this is a good claim. He had a great 21 game stretch with Twins in 2013. 2014 was rough in MLB then this season he missed most of the season it appears.

 

Either DS doesn't like Martin Maldondo or Lucroy will be on his way out.

[MrTPlush]

I am really confused why this guarantees Davis gone. These seem like pick ups for long shots at the opening day roster Maybe some spring training competition.

[Jenkins5]

i think it is clear that Stearns wants to create as much competition as he possibly can. Bring in a bunch and see who works out the best. I don't think any of these guys are locks to this team at all or mean that us adding them is a sign that everyone will be gone. For Pinto, he is insurance for a Lucroy trade and if Lucroy stays, he is here to push for Maldondo's job as C #2. If he comes out and sucks, well he will be finding himself claimed again by another team.

[jerichoholicninja]

For as much hate as Maldonado gets here for not hitting he still has plenty of defensive value. I can see him being moved just as likely as Lucroy is.

[NievesNoNO]

I like the Pinto pickup. I'd say there's really nothing to see regarding the 3 transactions other than filling out their roster. I don't think it guarantees anybody is being traded.

[homer]

Every time I see this guy's name it makes me think of this:

 

[And That]

Pinto stinks defensively, at least last that I saw him play. Honestly, I like Pina and Garcia more, but with a 40-man spot open, why not?

[MrTPlush]

I am really confused why this guarantees Davis gone. These seem like pick ups for long shots at the opening day roster Maybe some spring training competition.

[SRB]

Wow! Pinto was a Baseball Prospectus #56 prospect as recently as the pre-2014 list. Still only 26, wasn't that bad last year. Hope Lucroy is gone and we can see what Pinto does in a full season as starting catcher.

[3and2Fastball]

Pinto hit just .228/.304/.354 in AAA last year and threw out only 20% of baserunners in 2014/2015 combined in AAA. I would think he is just organizational filler, maybe Maldanado's backup if we trade Lucroy

[SRB]

Pinto hit just .228/.304/.354 in AAA last year and threw out only 20% of baserunners in 2014/2015 combined in AAA. I would think he is just organizational filler, maybe Maldanado's backup if we trade Lucroy

 

Projection systems are far from gospel, but Steamer for example projects Pinto to hit just slightly worse than Lucroy. Obviously there's a huge defensive gap, but I don't get the pessimism here. Much more upside than Maldonado (who is a perfectly fine backup, mind you).

[baybeachbum1]

Pinto suffered from concussion issues last year and possibly the year before. He threw out over 31% of runners previous to this.

His batting was also better pre-concussion. He cost nothing to get and if he is healthy (Yes, that's a big 'if'), he has the

potential to contribute as a back-up catcher. I see no downside in bringing in guys like this.

 

I have been a Brewer fan since ......... Billy Sharp was traded for Bob Coluccio ...... (or was it the other way around?).

This off-season is one of the most enjoyable in my memory. A trade or acquisition a day it seems. No - the Brewers are not

winning the World Series this year (barring a miracle), but I like the way Stearns is going about things. We are no longer

in a world where switch-hitters, left-handed hitters, decent OBP or loogys or pitching to the strike-zone are verboten.

 

I can't wait to see how this all plays out!

[MNBrew]

I am really confused why this guarantees Davis gone. These seem like pick ups for long shots at the opening day roster Maybe some spring training competition.

I don't normally find myself thinking like you, MrTPlush, but I, too, think it's pretty obvious these 3 guys are ST competition and injury-contingency depth at best, and most likely were picked up to help fill out the AAA roster.

 

Pinto was a strong hitter coming up with the Twins and at first only got sent down because of his defense. Then he slumped one year and was mostly injured in 2015. I think the hope is that his bat might come back around and he's a safer 1st-catcher-up possibility than Pina or Garcia at least in terms of having a chance to make any kind of impact with his bat.

[Mr Southpaw]

Explore this option......

 

Trade for Brett Nicholas, left handed hitting AAA C 27 years about .270/.320//420 in two years of AAA. He can't cost too much. The trade Lucroy for your proverbial boatload. 2016 is 50/50 of MM batting against lefties and some righties with Nicholas doing the rest. Maybe MM is assigned to a specific pitcher or two.

 

I have no idea what kind of backstop Nicholas is. Site provided.

 

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=592592#/career/R/hitting/2015/ALL

[Boomer5]

I havent seen him play, but how bad is this guys D? He was at one time considered an elite hitter but I noticed a negative dWAR?

 

If he is at least serviceable, a Maldanado/Pinto combination isn't all that bad assuming Luc is traded soon.

[Mass Haas]

Good fanpost write-up here via BrewCrewBall on Pinto

[Crash2303]

Squeezing in- if lucroy and Maldonado are not traded and we haven't brought anyone else in to play 1B and the Brewers are unwilling to risk passing pinto through waivers...could he play the weakside platoon at 1B? ....okay, that was a lot of if's...answered my own question- not going to get to that point.