2016 Minor League Regular Season Transaction Thread

[WV Brew]

Trent Clark goes on the DL, Brandon Diaz to Wisconsin and Hobbs Johnson was released. No info on Trent.

 

link

[torts]

Hobbs was released??? I loved his name.

[WV Brew]

Chris just mentioned that Clark has hamstring trouble. Not believed too serious I think.

[Mass Haas]

Chris just mentioned that Clark has hamstring trouble. Not believed too serious I think.

 

That's what sidelined him a month ago as well...

[JohnBriggs12]

Hobbs was released??? I loved his name.

 

Was on track to a possible major league career until command issues did him in starting midseason last year. Really got worse in 2nd half of 2015 and continued this year. Sad to see.

[Mass Haas]

Can't believe how close I came to following up my thoughts on Sunday evening to actually suggest this as part of the Sky Sox Link Report write-up. You'll have to take my word for it .

 

Elmore up, Presley DFA'd

[adambr2]

Hope people don't get on him if he struggles since it is BC & a nightmare for hitters

 

Sure wish that was reflected in the ERA of Kodi Medeiros.

[WV Brew]

Brewers also signed some Minor League free agents:

 

link

 

Jeremy Newton is from the University of British Columbia. I knew they had to come up with a Canadian!

[Mass Haas]

First baseman Tyrone Perry was placed on the 7-day DL, not with Maryvale, but with Brevard County.

 

The reason for that unique placement is this --

 

Roster Limit: 35 active

 

That's the limit for the Arizona Rookie League, and you'll see that discounting those on the 60-day DL, the Brewers are approaching that number (Maryvale roster).

[Mass Haas]

After a minimum stay, Brevard County RHP Angel Ventura was activated from the 7-day DL (presumably as part of the "rest" plan). The Manatees are playing one short at 24, but OF Corey Ray will be grabbing that spot soon enough.

[Mass Haas]

Two additions to the DSL Brewers roster --

 

18-year-old LHP Wilfred Salaman is listed at 5'11", 210, is a Puerto Rico native, and arrives via Carl Albert State College in Oklahoma.

 

 

He turns 19 in October, so he just wrapped up his freshman season, 2016 stats here. He was a two-way player for the school.

 

January 2015 video --

 

 

As mentioned in Wednesday's Link Report, Salaman appears primed to inherit the role of the only healthy LHP on the Dominican League roster.

 

***

 

The other Brewers new signee is also a Puerto Rican native signed as a non-drafted free agent out of a U.S. college.

 

21-year-old (22 in August) RHP Axel Cruz played at Bethel (TN) University, an NAIA school.

 

STAT PAGE: This past season, Cruz made 11 appearances (10 starts), posting a 5.22 ERA across 50 IP (38 H, 51 BB, 51 K).

 

http://d21gd0ap5v1ndt.cloudfront.net/web01/bethel/images/mug_shots/2015-16/axel_cruz_179_mba.jpg?v031ab5a908d04ba819c0d013d8f4ad27b79e8915

 

Gee, do you think he may have a big arm if the Brewers are overlooking the control issue? No doubt, it would seem, as that's some pretty serious scouting if not.

 

Bethel’s Axel Cruz Signs With Milwaukee Brewers

 

It was a big day for Bethel University’s Axel Cruz and the Wildcat program Friday June 17th as the righthander signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 6’1”, 185-pound junior is a right hander from Dorado, Puerto Rico. He played at Fullerton Community College in Fullerton, California before arriving at Bethel.

 

Cruz was 3-2 with an ERA of 5.22 and was one of Bethel’s most effective pitchers the second half of the season. He stared 10 games for the Wildcats and led the Southern States Conference in Opponents’ Batting average with an impressive .205 mark. He had 51 strikeouts in 50 innings of action. He was third in the league with 9.18 K’s per nine innings.

 

Coach Rusty Thompson commented on the signing. “We are so happy for Axel. He is an extremely hard worker and a great teammate and player. He improved lengths and bounds throughout the season and his hard work and God given ability paid off. I think the Brewers signed a good one. We always take great pride in our guys getting the opportunity to continue to chase their dreams at the professional level and we can’t express our happiness enough. We hope to have many more in the future. Our pitching coach (Nick Thompson) worked very hard with him on developing his 4th pitch and also helped him with the mental side of the game. He becomes the 5th pitcher to move on professionally from our program and the 6th overall.”

[Mass Haas]

In addition to the two DSL signees, the Brewers announced the June 20th signing of another undrafted free agent, RHP Jeremy Newton of the University of British Columbia (Canada).

 

2016 senior season: Was 4-6, 3.67 in 18 games making seven starts, had 19 walks, 50 strikeouts in 61.1 innings pitched

 

Jeremy Newton heads to the desert as another Thunderbird turns pro

 

VANCOUVER - For the fourth time in just over a week a UBC baseball player received a phone call ending with a summoning to professional baseball. Monday morning it was right-handed pitcher Jeremy Newton.

 

"I was in Canmore, Alberta and I got a call from a (Milwaukee) Brewer scout (Shawn Whalen) saying he had a contract for me down in Arizona," said Newton as he prepared to catch an early morning flight and report to Milwaukee's rookie training camp in Arizona. "I'm pretty excited about it. It was kind of a surprise, but it's great."

 

Newton's contract offer caps off a banner season for the UBC Thunderbirds. On day two of the 2016 MLB Entry Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds selected Curtis Taylor and Alex Webb, also right-handed pitchers, respectively. The next day, the Reds also scooped up slugging first baseman Bruce Yari.

 

"To put this draft into perspective, out of 1,500 college baseball programs in North America, UBC is in the top 0.35% for having three draft picks in the top 25 rounds," said UBC's Director of Baseball Terry McKaig last week, before even adding Newton's signing to the Thunderbird's surge into professional baseball. "There are less than 55 schools in NCAA Div. 1 baseball that had a better draft than UBC. A remarkable accomplishment."

 

As Newton prepares to head to the desert heat of Arizona he can look forward to some familiar faces waiting to greet him. Both Yari and Webb have already reported to the same camp in Arizona, and their paths could cross.

 

"I'm going to be playing against Bruce (Yari) down in Arizona," beams Newton. "I don't really know many college teams who get a chance to have guys spend time at the pro level together. It really shows how great of a program that UBC is, not just in Canada, but in all of North America. My time at UBC has been special. Regardless if this contract ever happened I still feel blessed to have gone to UBC and get a degree hopefully very soon."

 

Newton reported to the AZL Brewers of the Arizona Rookie League on June 21st and the rest as they say, is UBC baseball history.

[Mass Haas]

First baseman Tyrone Perry was placed on the 7-day DL, not with Maryvale, but with Brevard County.

 

The reason for that unique placement is this --

 

Roster Limit: 35 active

 

That's the limit for the Arizona Rookie League, and you'll see that discounting those on the 60-day DL, the Brewers are approaching that number (Maryvale roster).

 

Adam Rygg (@BrewerNation) found out why.

 

"a fractured hamate. Out 6-8 weeks."

[WV Brew]

Jungmann moving to Biloxi. Hopefully he can find it there. Carlos Belonis to the DL. Juan Ortiz promoted to Wisconsin (not Erceg folks).

 

link to Brewers PD

[Mass Haas]

Tomato, to-"mah"-to:

 

At Colorado Springs, catcher Manny Pina (hamstring) comes off the DL on Thursday, while RHP Ariel Pena (perhaps for "rest", as has been the organizational plan as of late) goes on the 7-day DL.

[markedman5]

The @Brewers have purchased the contract of @SiouxCityXs RHP Tayler Scott. He will report to the @BiloxiShuckers (AA of Southern League).

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=scott-000tay&mobile=false

[Mass Haas]

The @Brewers have purchased the contract of @SiouxCityXs RHP Tayler Scott. He will report to the @BiloxiShuckers (AA of Southern League).

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=scott-000tay&mobile=false

 

BREWERS PICK UP EXPLORERS’ RHP SCOTT

Sioux City Explorers Media Relations

 

http://www.americanassociationbaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Scott-324x200.jpg

 

Sioux City, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers announced today that the Milwaukee Brewers have purchased the contract of Explorers RHP Tayler Scott. Scott will report to the Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) of the Southern League. Scott turned 24 years old on June 1st.

 

Scott was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 5th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft from Notre Dame Prep High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.). A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Scott got his first taste of professional baseball in 2011 playing at the rookie level in the Arizona League. Scott was impressive in 2012 pitching for the Cubs’ affiliate in Boise where he made 15 starts on the mound, tossing 71.1 innings, allowing just 66 hits while accumulating 43 strikeouts and owning a 2.52 ERA to go along with his 5-1 record. Following the 2012 season, Baseball America ranked Scott as the Northwest League’s #17 prospect.

 

Scott continued rising through the Cubs system making 24 starts at the class A level in 2013 and making 26 more starts in 2014 for the Advanced-A Daytona Cubs. The 6’3" right-hander moved to the bullpen last season and in 11 games with Myrtle Beach he posted a 2-2 record with a miniscule 1.96 ERA while striking out 27 to just 6 walks with 2 saves. Scott owned the Carolina League’s fifth-lowest opponent batting average against at .197 and third most strikeouts per nine innings pitched at a 9.90 average. For his efforts, Scott was promoted to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies and finished the season there appearing in 15 games out of the bullpen while owning a 4-1 record with a save in 31 innings pitched.

 

In seventeen games with the Explorers this season, Scott has posted a 1.88 earned run average while recording 32 strikeouts and only six walks in 28.2 innings pitched. That includes an incredibly tough-luck start he shrugged off with a remarkable 23.1 scoreless innings over his last 13 outings.

 

***

 

MLB.com report in 2013

 

***

 

This 2015 write-up includes a 2012 video in which Scott discusses his journey to America from South Africa at age 16.

[markedman5]

How does a guy with those kind of numbers end up in Independent ball?

[Mass Haas]

The Red Sox have been banned from international signings. Start going after their prospects:

 

link

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/07/red-sox-international-penalties.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MlbTradeRumors+%28MLB+Trade+Rumors%29

 

I think the bigger news is that the contracts they had with five players from the 2015-2016 signing period have been voided. Those players will retain their signing bonuses, but are free to sign with other clubs. The first $300K does not count towards a team's pools in the upcoming period.

 

Those are the guys to go after.

 

The Brewers have reportedly signed SS Antonio Pinero, who was one of the kids the Red Sox had originally signed.

 

Piniero is from Venezuela, he is 6' 1", 155 - a switch hitter.

 

***

 

And this was from Monday's Link Report (DSL game).

 

A new Brewer pops out of nowhere -- and hits cleanup.

 

Dominican native LF Antonio Perez is listed as an 18-year-old RH bat with good size, 6'2", 200. Perez was 1-for-5 in his debut with a single.

[reillymcshane]

How does a guy with those kind of numbers end up in Independent ball?

The story quotes all of the 'good' stats of Scott.

 

They don't mention that he had ERAs above 4.00 in 2013 and 2014. Or that in addition to the 1.96 ERA at Myrtle Beach last year, he had a 5.23 at AA with 20 walks versus 21 K in 31 IP.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers have signed 30th round RHP Dalton Brown out of Texas Tech and assigned him to the Maryvale roster. Brown had been with his club at the College World Series.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Tim Dillard activated from the Temporary Inactive List at Colorado Springs.

 

Dillard's most recent outing was June 22nd, and it was, um, memorable.

[Mass Haas]

To make room for newcomer RHP Tayler Scott at AA Biloxi, (see introductory post here), RHP Adrian Houserwas placed on the Shuckers' 7-day DL, retroactive to July 4th.

 

No word on Houser's injury status, or whether this is a planned "rest" stint.

[Mass Haas]

Older late-round draft picks need to impress quickly, and a scoreless 3.2 innings over two outings was enough for 23-year-old Wichita State RHP Chase Williams to get a bump from Maryvale, not to Helena, but to Wisconsin.

 

To make room, 21-year-old LHP Quintin Torres-Costa was transferred from the Rattlers to Helena.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Conor Harber has been placed on the Wisconsin DL retro to July 4th - you heard Manager Matt Erickson discuss shoulder discomfort for Harber earlier.

 

That leaves Wisconsin with a 24-man roster, more like 23, because 3rd catcher Natanael Mejia hasn't played since June 19th despite being on the active roster.