2016 Minor League Regular Season Transaction Thread

[Mass Haas]

You can find the now-closed 2015-2016 Minor League Offseason Transaction Thread here.

 

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Based on MiLB transaction pages, we have learned of some of the players designated (for now) as "taxi squad" players on a couple of the affiliates. These moves were necessary to reach 25-man roster limits. It's unclear whether these players are remaining with their clubs or are back in Maryvale at extended spring training. We'll work on finding that out for you.

 

For Biloxi, catcher Parker Berberet has been assigned to the Maryvale roster. LHP Jed Bradley has been placed on the Helena roster.

 

For Wisconsin, LHP Christian Trent, C Natanael Mejia, and OF Elvis Rubio have been placed on the Helena roster.

 

***

 

The Sky Sox (two players need to be removed) and Manatees (one player) have not posted official moves.

 

However, LHP Zach Hirsch is not listed on the Manatees' site roster now, so his status is pending. Without Hirsch, the Brevard roster is at 25.

[Mass Haas]

For Wisconsin, LHP Christian Trent, C Natanael Mejia, and OF Elvis Rubio have been placed on the Helena roster.

 

Mejia and Rubio will travel and train with the Rattlers.

[Mass Haas]

The Sky Sox (two players need to be removed)

 

Catcher Adam Weisenburger and OF Ben Guez are the two players not on the Colorado Springs' active roster to begin the season.

 

Manny Pina and Josmil Pinto the catchers...

[Mass Haas]

Brewers announced the signing of former Braves 21-year-old 6'4" RHP Jorge Zavala, on Thursday (Baseball Reference).

 

Via Braves blogger Tommy Poe earlier this week --

 

"No cut surprised me more than Zavala. In 152.1 innings over the last four years, Zavala has a 2.84 ERA. That ERA drops under 2.00 if you look at just 2014-15. It's rare to get released based on that and I'm left to wonder if he came to camp out-of-shape or with decreased velocity. Zavala is a free agent with a career 9.6 K/9 and 2.6 K/BB so he should interest other teams in giving him a look. Like Otero, Zavala was profiled in the Random Prospect Sunday series."

 

That last link, from May 2015, is worth your time.

 

Harness the escalating walk rate, may be on to something. Certainly was a quick scoop up by the Crew. An assignment to Wisconsin perhaps beckons soon, although Zavala has already seen time at the high-A level.

[Mass Haas]

Tweets from Tom Haudricourt --

 

#Brewers pitching prospect Cody Ponce has been placed on @BCManatees DL with right forearm fatigue. Called precautionary.

 

Ponce is among #Brewers Top 10 prospects but the DL move is considered precautionary. No sense taking a chance at this early stage.

 

***

 

LHP Zach Hirsch is starting Friday night, so he jumps right into Ponce's spot from prior "taxi squad" status.

[CheezWizHed]

Tweets from Tom Haudricourt --

 

#Brewers pitching prospect Cody Ponce has been placed on @BCManatees DL with right forearm fatigue. Called precautionary.

 

Ponce is among #Brewers Top 10 prospects but the DL move is considered precautionary. No sense taking a chance at this early stage.

 

***

 

LHP Zach Hirsch is starting Friday night, so he jumps right into Ponce's spot from prior "taxi squad" status.

 

Ugh...pit of the stomach bad feelings going on. Hopefully nothing but the Brewers never seem to come out on the good side of arm fatigue

[Mass Haas]

Soon to be 23 years old, RHP J.B. Kole was the Brewers 8th round pick out of Villanova in 2014 ($159,000 signing, bonus information is always made available for picks in the top ten rounds), as that draft class, at least from a college perspective, takes another hit (11th round RHP Brandon Woodruff looks to be the cream of that college draft crop, keeping in mind 3rd round RHP Cy Sneed netted Jonathan Villar in trade). Kole (listed at a classic 6'4", 210) failed to advance past rookie ball, and won't be invited back for a 3rd look. Perhaps his relatively high draft status gets him another chance elsewhere.

 

As we've done in the past, we'll update folks as needed on players released this past offseason (Kole was among the many December 23rd cuts).

 

There are so many past alumni in the independent ball ranks, we'll only be posting specifically on the recent releases, unless an older alumnus gets back into affiliated ball via the indy route.

 

As for Kole, he attended a tryout for the Atlantic League's Somerset (N.J.) Patriots, and has been signed. Nice for him, close to home, as you'll read him discussing here.

 

The Atlantic League is the most advanced of the independent leagues. That's going to be a huge jump for a kid who couldn't muster Pioneer League-level ball, but our best to J.B.

[brewcrewdue80]

Tweets from Tom Haudricourt --

 

#Brewers pitching prospect Cody Ponce has been placed on @BCManatees DL with right forearm fatigue. Called precautionary.

 

Ponce is among #Brewers Top 10 prospects but the DL move is considered precautionary. No sense taking a chance at this early stage.

 

***

 

LHP Zach Hirsch is starting Friday night, so he jumps right into Ponce's spot from prior "taxi squad" status.

 

Injury concern was what I listed on my predraft analysis seeing his Max Effort look on delivery. Hopefully this doesn't become a regular occurence on his body.

[Mass Haas]

From Monday's Link Report --

 

Third baseman Will Middlebrooks struck out swinging in the 2nd, played defense in the bottom of the inning, but was replaced in the bottom of the 3rd. That's either illness or injury, we'll need to keep an eye on that.

 

Brewers announce that Middlebrooks lands on the DL, Tom Haudricourt indicates it's an oblique injury. From a position player swap, OF Ben Guez has been rescued from taxi squad "Helena" status.

 

The current Sky Sox OF mix is Reed - Presley - Peterson - Young, Jr. - Guez.

 

***

 

Also, the Brewers added Ariel Pena to the Sky Sox pitching staff, as Pena accepted his outright assignment rather than minor league free agency. To make room, RHP Tim Dillard has been placed on the Helena "taxi squad" roster.

[Mass Haas]

Via Chris Mehring's Media Notes:

 

IN A PINCH: Troy Stokes, Jr. reached base by legging out a grounder to short in the top of the third, but had to leave the game with an injury. Monte Harrison entered the game as a pinch runner for Stokes.

 

TRANSACTIONS: Stokes was placed on the DL this morning. Elvis Rubio has been transferred from the Helena roster to Wisconsin and is active for today’s game.

[Mass Haas]

On Tuesday, the Brewers announced one retirement and three releases (the releases all Dominican Summer League players) --

 

Catcher Milan Post certainly has an interesting backstory, here's the post that introduced him to us. The recently-turned 22-year-old Dutchman may have decided to call it a career when he wasn't assigned to Wisconsin to begin 2016.

 

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Also released were:

 

RHP Yomelbin Almonte - Now 23 years old, we introduced Almonte to you in this post last May.

 

INF Henry Correa - Just entering his age 19 season, the LH bat struggled in his two prior teenage DSL campaigns.

 

INF Roosevert Chal turned 22 earlier this week. In limited action over three years, Chal posted a .525 OPS in 179 AB's. Chal (now listed at 5'10", 158) is another in a long line of undersized young Dominican kids the Brewers have hoped would develop over the years, perhaps both physically and on the field. In the future, size on a middle infielder (along with defensive ability) might give us more hope for progression.

 

From Chal's debut season in 2013:

 

Brad Krause told us about new DSL infielder Roosevert Chal Friday night in his Link Report entry which included a unique DSL scouting video peek (no cage, good contact every pitch).

 

[Mass Haas]

Via @BrewersPD --

 

RHP Martin Viramontes has been placed on the DL in Biloxi, retro to April 11. LHP Jed Bradley has joined the active roster.

 

Viramontes had not pitched since his lone appearance on the 9th.

[Eye Black]

Per @BrewersPD...

 

Tucker Neuhaus to the DL on April 16.

 

Blake Allemand has been transferred to Wisconsin.

 

Greg McCall has been transferred to Brevard County.

[Mass Haas]

Per @BrewersPD...

 

Tucker Neuhaus to the DL on April 16.

 

Blake Allemand has been transferred to Wisconsin.

 

Greg McCall has been transferred to Brevard County.

 

"Class A Wisconsin 2B Tucker Neuhaus expected to be out 4-6 weeks with broken finger suffered in Friday’s game. No surgery required." - Todd Rosiak of the J-S

[Mass Haas]

Earlier in the week the Brewers announced the release of OF Omar Cotto, a switch-hitting non-drafted signing last summer out of USC. Cotto, now 24 years old, really struggled in 96 AB's with the Timber Rattlers (.366 OPS - not a typo), after initially (and expectedly) doing well in Helena.

[TeesReport]

Deleted my earlier post and will post this here, where it belongs.

 

Per Manatees media relations: Clint Terry has been recalled and will be active for tonight’s game at St. Lucie. He will wear #26.

Kaleb Earls has been placed on the 7-Day DL.

[Mass Haas]

Via the Shuckers --

 

RHP Daniel Tillman, the fireballer inked as a minor league free agent, enticed with a big league camp invite this spring, was placed on the 7-day DL retro to the 17th.

 

RHP Martin Viramontes activated from the DL to fill the spot.

[Mass Haas]

At Colorado Springs:

 

OF Shane Peterson to the DL (retro to 4/18) with an undisclosed injury; C Adam Weisenburger activated from the Helena "taxi squad".

 

They'll go will go with 3 catchers (Pinto, Pina, Weisenburger) & 4 OF's (Reed, Broxton, EY Jr., and Guez) for now.

[Mass Haas]

Via the Brewers --

 

LHP Hobbs Johnson has been placed on the DL in Biloxi; RHP Stephen Kohlscheen has been transferred from extended spring to Biloxi.

 

***

 

We had introduced you to Kohlscheen earlier here.

[Mass Haas]

From the Link Report of Friday 4/22:

 

This was RHP Tim Dillard's first appearance since he was activated from the Helena taxi squad on 4/16; on that day, RHP Jacob Barnes was placed on the Temporary Inactive List, a set of transactions not noted earlier.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Jacob Barnes (Temporary Inactive List) & 3B/1B Will Middlebrooks (7-day DL, oblique) rejoined the Sky Sox roster Sunday.

 

RHP Tim Dillard has been placed on the 7-day DL, C Adam Weisenburger transferred off Sox roster (Helena's paper taxi squad).

[Mass Haas]

Via @BrewersPD:

 

RHP David Lucroy has been transferred to Helena (from Wisconsin).

 

Lucroy turns 24 in September, this is not a move he needs to see...

 

RHP Alex Farina has been added to Wisconsin's roster.

 

Farina, a stocky (6'0", 230 lb.) undrafted RHP out of Lafayette, posted some attractive numbers in Maryvale (especially) and Helena in 2015. He'll be 23 in May.

 

***

 

RHP Orlando Torrez has been released

 

Torrez, just-turned 24, was entering his 6th season in the system (first four in the DSL). Earlier this spring, we posted:

 

Have been told that RHP Orlando Torrez' unnamed injury won't keep him inactive too long

 

Perhaps he was now healthy, but the Brewers simply didn't have a spot for him. Good luck to the young man.

[TURBO]

So it looks like the Timber Rattlers can now take Lucroy off the "fan's choice" contest bobblehead list? I was surprised he was on it to begin with. Name recognition I guess...

[Mass Haas]

Via @BrewersPD --

 

RHP Drew Gagnon has been transferred to Col Springs. LHP Mitch Lambson has been placed on the DL. LHP Hobbs Johnson activated from Biloxi DL

 

***

 

No word on the nature of Lambson's injury.

 

Also, when Hernan Perez was brought back to Milwaukee, catcher Adam Weisenburger was activated from the paper Helena taxi squad and saw his first action of the season Thursday night.

[Mass Haas]

Congrats to IF Nate Orf, who will be making his AAA debut after his transfer from Biloxi to Colorado Springs.

 

The Sky Sox will need to free up a spot by making a corresponding move on Friday.

 

Catcher Parker Berberet, one of the final "taxi squad" guys yet to see action, has been transferred from the Maryvale roster to Biloxi's.