2016 Minor League Regular Season Transaction Thread

[rwa12]

started one Frontier League game for River City (Sauget, IL)

 

Not to nitpick your phenomenal reporting, Jim, but River City is actually in St Charles, MO. The Gateway Grizzlies are in Sauget. I used to work security for the Grizzlies, and they were the originators of the Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburger promotion years ago. Beautiful stadium. Would be a great place for a new Milwaukee AAA team .

 

It's so rare that I have obscure knowledge, I just had to share it!

[1992casey]

At risk of pulling this thread way off topic, the River City Rascals are based in O'Fallon, MO, which is in St. Charles County. O'Fallon is separated from the city of St. Charles by the city of St. Peters.

[rwa12]

Well played, Casey, well played. I haven't been out to River City, they advertise them around here as St. Charles. Serves me right for trying to correct someone else!

[Mass Haas]

At Wisconsin, RHP Conor Harber activated from the DL (placed on 5/2), to make room struggling LHP Quintin Torres-Costa was transferred to Helena. Unlike other Helena taxi squad moves, it's likely Torres-Costa will head to Maryvale at this time.

[Mass Haas]

With RHP David Goforth up for the injured (elbow) Chris Capuano, the Sky Sox have a rare roster opening, sure to be filled quickly.

[Mass Haas]

The Sky Sox have a rare roster opening, sure to be filled quickly.

 

All as per @BrewersPD--

 

LHP Brent Suter has been transferred to Colorado Springs.

 

RHP Javier Salas & LHP Hobbs Johnson have been activated from the DL with Biloxi; LHP Jed Bradley & LHP Wei Chung Wang transferred to Helena

 

OF Clint Coulter has been activated from the DL with Brevard County; C Greg McCall has been transferred to Helena.

[CheezWizHed]

Its really too bad that these Taxi-squad transactions aren't segregated from the "real" transactions. That would make this thread a lot easier to maintain.

[Mass Haas]

At Wisconsin, RHP Conor Harber activated from the DL (placed on 5/2), to make room struggling LHP Quintin Torres-Costa was transferred to Helena.

 

Again with Wisconsin just two days later, Harber has been placed on the Temporary Inactive List (could be any number of personal reasons) and Torres-Costa was re-activated from the "taxi squad".

[ewitkows]

Why was Wang sent to Helena?

[Mass Haas]

Why was Wang sent to Helena?

 

Indications are that the Brewers will do this with various pitchers as a way to help limit overall innings, work on things on the side, etc. Keep in mind that Wang is still in Biloxi with the team. Wouldn't be surprised to see Adrian Houser "taxi'd" soon.

 

If Wang was hurt, he would have been placed on the 7-day DL.

[Mass Haas]

OF Omar Garcia to the Helena taxi squad to make room for Maverick Phillips in Biloxi, who missed ten days with a hamstring injury.

 

A review of the Pioneer and Arizona League transaction pages shows other organizations making similar paper moves, but not nearly the volume the Brewers have.

[Mass Haas]

Biloxi's Brandon Macias had seen the lion's share of starts at third base, especially as of late, but he lands on the Shuckers' 7-day DL.

 

Javier Betancourt started on Sunday, his 9th appearance and 8th start at the hot corner this season.

 

Catcher Parker Berberet gets the Helena taxi bump-up to Biloxi; Rene Garcia already starts only sparingly behind Jacob Nottingham, so Berberet's appearances will likely be few for now.

[Mass Haas]

At Wisconsin, RHP Conor Harber activated from the DL (placed on 5/2), to make room struggling LHP Quintin Torres-Costa was transferred to Helena.

 

Again with Wisconsin just two days later, Harber has been placed on the Temporary Inactive List (could be any number of personal reasons) and Torres-Costa was re-activated from the "taxi squad".

 

And on Monday, these two transactions are reversed again, back to the original, Harber again active...

[Mass Haas]

RHP Tim Dillard is back on the Sky Sox active roster after being "transferred" from Helena.

 

For the time being, the Colorado Springs roster sports 14 pitchers and 11 position players.

[Mass Haas]

Biloxi's Brandon Macias had seen the lion's share of starts at third base, especially as of late, but he lands on the Shuckers' 7-day DL.

 

Javier Betancourt started on Sunday, his 9th appearance and 8th start at the hot corner this season.

 

Catcher Parker Berberet gets the Helena taxi bump-up to Biloxi; Rene Garcia already starts only sparingly behind Jacob Nottingham, so Berberet's appearances will likely be few for now.

 

Nathan Orf returns to Biloxi from Triple-A Colorado Springs

Orf hit .333 with seven doubles, two triples and 11 RBI for the SkySox

Biloxi Shuckers

 

Orf's transfer based on need at Biloxi, not on his performance...

 

Berberet back to Helena's paper roster to make room.

[Mass Haas]

A ten-day stint on the Brevard County DL ends for IF George Iskenderian, active again. 21-year-old OF Brandon Diaz, having perhaps the most miserable of seasons among all Brewer farmhands (after a .711 OPS in Wisconsin last season), has been shifted to the Helena paper roster.

 

Also at Brevard, LHP Kodi Medeiros has been placed on the DL retroactive to May 28, and LHP Brad Kuntz has been assigned to Brevard from the Helena paper roster. As per Todd Rosiak of the J-S, Medeiros’ issue is like a flu bug, an illness that’s caused him to drop 10 pounds.

[Mass Haas]

Colorado Springs: RHP's Hiram Burgos and Tyler Cravy in a doubleheader at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 5:00 PM pre-game, 5:30 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings

 

Well, it won't be Tyler Cravy in Game Two, the Brewers just announced he's been placed on the 7-day DL (undisclosed injury).

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have made official the promotion of four pitchers to Maryvale from the Dominican Summer League --

 

22-year-old RHP Rodrigo Benoit moves up after three DSL seasons, with his most recent being pretty spectacular (2.10 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, although low K totals).

 

21-year-old RHP Junior Flores has toiled for four seasons in the D.R., and the numbers aren't very pretty, but the Brewers see something that gets him stateside.

 

23-year-old RHP Juan Diaz got a late start to his pro career, all 42 appearances in his two seasons have been out of the pen.

 

22-year-old RHP Nattino Diplan (apparently no relation to the Timber Rattlers' Marcos, based on our prior inquiries) has also posted weak numbers over three DSL seasons, but a promotion given the numbers normally indicates faith in a "big arm".

 

***

 

Three DSL releases just announced:

 

Now a 22-year-old, OF Anderson Jesus posted a .705 OPS last season, his first with the Brewers. Anderson was listed at 6'2, 168, the same as Baseball Reference listed him back when he played for the DSL Rangers in 2011 and 2012. Jesus had been idle (not sure if injury-related) for the prior two seasons.

 

***

 

Catcher Bismar Nunez turned 21 in January. He posted a very solid .766 line in his first pro season last summer.

 

LH hitting OF Adolfo Morillo spent his age 17 season with the Crew last season (.550 OPS).

 

The interesting thing about the fact these two releases were announced together was how they were each acquired, as posted last April and May --

 

In the April 8th version of Matt Eddy's Minor League Transactions over at Baseball America, Matt wrote:

 

New York Yankees

 

Released: RHP Scott Baker, RHP Felix Santiago, C Roybell Herrera, C Bismar Nunez, C Daniel Vavrusa, 3B Juan Lorenzo, SS Melvin Aquino, SS Allison Reyes, OF Hector Asencio, OF Adolfo Morillo, OF Adam Silva

 

Most interesting among the Yankees’ roll of released players are a pair of Dominican amateurs signed last July 2. Outfielder Adolfo Morillo signed for $50,000 (at age 16) and catcher Bismar Nunez signed for $10,000 (at age 19) just nine months ago, but New York released both players on March 31 rather than keep them in extended spring training. Neither played a game for a Yankees affiliate.

 

***

 

We have learned that the Brewers have since jumped in and signed Morillo. Given his prior release, any financial commitment must have been very minimal.

 

Morillo is listed as a LH bat and arm, 6'0", 170 - in one link he was listed as a CF. He'll turn 18 on September 21st, so this summer will be his age 17 season.

 

And no, we don't know why he never dressed for the Yankees.

 

We posted that earlier in this thread, back in April. Now notice another name on that release list, catcher Bismar Nunez, mentioned in Eddy's note above.

 

Like Morillo, we now learn the Brewers have signed the former Yankee signee Nunez, who never played at all for the Yankees organization.

 

***

 

For much more on the 2016 DSL roster, see the new thread just posted.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have made official the promotion of four pitchers to Maryvale from the Dominican Summer League --

 

22-year-old RHP Rodrigo Benoit moves up after three DSL seasons, with his most recent being pretty spectacular (2.10 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, although low K totals).

 

21-year-old RHP Junior Flores has toiled for four seasons in the D.R., and the numbers aren't very pretty, but the Brewers see something that gets him stateside.

 

23-year-old RHP Juan Diaz got a late start to his pro career, all 42 appearances in his two seasons have been out of the pen.

 

22-year-old RHP Nattino Diplan (apparently no relation to the Timber Rattlers' Marcos, based on our prior inquiries) has also posted weak numbers over threeTwenty-four of his 67 hits went for extra bases, DSL seasons, but a promotion given the numbers normally indicates faith in a "big arm".

 

Those four promotions to Maryvale announced Wednesday, seven more today:

 

19-year-old Panamanian RHP Carlos Luna, the MVP of the DSL All-Star Game and owner of crazy good numbers in his second Brewers season, will be stateside. He's exactly the type of pitcher David Stearns targeted in the Adam Lind deal.

 

19-year-old Venezuelan RHP Nelson Hernandez has made 23 appearances in his first two teenage pro seasons, all starts, so the Brewers know what they have in mind for the young man. The numbers don't jump off the page like they do for Luna, but Hernandez will be another to keep a close watch on in the Arizona heat.

 

19-year-old SS Ignacio Otano posted a fantastic .821 OPS, just overlook the 35 errors he committed in 40 games . Twenty-four of his 67 hits were for extra bases, and the 6'0" RH bat should be an exciting follow in Maryvale. Otano also stole 17 bases but was caught ten times.

 

19-year-old 1B Nicol Valderrey is a right-handed bat who doesn't have corner infield size (at least as listed on MiLB), but posted a .300/.360/.365 line in his second season last summer.

 

19-year-old Venezuelan catcher Yoel Vasquez got a late start to his rookie season in 2014, and with only eight pro games under his belt, still gets the stateside invitation. Vasquez missed all of 2015 with a hamate fracture in his left wrist.

 

23-year-old RHP Wuilder Rodriguez debuted as pro just last season, so it was make-or-break for him in 2015. Hopefully he'll eventually reach Helena / Wisconsin and we'll learn more on how he managed to sign at such an advanced age.

 

23-year-old LHP Boanerges Nova (what great names among these call-ups) has toiled for three seasons on his native island; southpaws are always welcome stateside.

[Mass Haas]

A swap of LHP's sees Wei-Chung Wang back from "Helena" to Biloxi, and Josh Hader swapped out to take his place.

 

Both moves in an effort to monitor workload at this point in the season.

[Mass Haas]

Via the Brewers --

 

OF Trent Clark has been activated from the Wisconsin DL; Sthervin Matos transferred off their roster.

 

So paper Helena roster for Matos; the hamstring injury sidelined Clark from 5/22 to 6/3.

 

***

 

Adam Weisenburger has been placed on the DL; Greg McCall transferred to Brevard County's active roster

 

Catcher moves, MiLB actually lists a transfer to Colorado Springs for Weisenburger, so not knowing the nature of his injury, his whereabouts are unclear (in New Orleans with the Sky Sox, or hopefully the injury is not serious, otherwise likely to Maryvale for treatment).

[Mass Haas]

At Biloxi, Adrian Houser is placed on the Temporary Inactive List, and thus, LHP Josh Hader is brought back from the Helena paper taxi squad lineup perhaps earlier than expected.

 

Hader last pitched on June 28th, and is now scheduled to throw tonight, 6/6.

 

So look for Hader to get skipped again at some point in order to manage his innings.

 

Hopefully everything is well for Houser, often the Temp Inactive List can act as a family leave and/or bereavement situation.

[Mass Haas]

Via @BrewersPD:

 

RHP Cody Ponce has been activated from the Brevard County DL. RHP Josh Uhen has been placed on the temporary inactive list.

[1992casey]

Per Matt Arnold on today's TV pregame show, Josh Hader is being promoted to Colorado Springs.

[wichmae]

Hader to Colorado Springs