Brewer Minor League Free Agents After the 2016 Season

[Mass Haas]

Following is a list of players who are free to leave the organization five days after the World Series when minor league free agency begins. These players and the Brewers could agree to sign an additional one-year minor league deal to extend the relationship. Or the Brewers could add the player to the 40-man roster, thus extending the "ownership" of the player.

 

A player who has exhausted all seven years of his original minor league affiliation to the organization that signed him is eligible. Here are the Brewers farmhands who have been with the organization for their full seven-year affiliated commitment (or even longer in the cases of Tim Dillard and Hiram Burgos). We've been following these five guys their whole affiliated pro careers.

 

RHP Hiram Burgos

RHP Tim Dillard

RHP Brooks Hall

C Rafael Neda

RHP Austin Ross

 

Catcher Rafael Neda has been working as a bullpen catcher in Appleton, last we saw. Perhaps a hint at a future coaching career, but technically is in the organization as an active player and is on this list.

 

The full list of potential minor league free agents:

 

UT Tom Belza

3B/1B Garin Cecchini

RHP Hiram Burgos

RHP Tim Dillard

UT Jake Elmore - ELECTED FREE AGENCY 10/31

OF Ramon Flores

LHP Sam Freeman - ELECTED FREE AGENCY 10/4; SIGNED BY MIAMI ON 10/21

C Rene Garcia

RHP Brooks Hall

LHP Michael Kirkman - ELECTED FREE AGENCY 10/4

RHP Stephen Kohlscheen - RE-SIGNED BY BREWERS 10/25, INVITED TO BIG LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING

C Michael McKenry

3B Will Middlebrooks - ELECTED FREE AGENCY 10/4

C Rafael Neda - RELEASED 11/1 - EXPECTED TO BE PART OF MARYVALE COACHING STAFF IN 2017

LHP Sean Nolin

IF Gabriel Noriega - RE-SIGNED BY BREWERS 11/4

C/UT Fidel Pena - RE-SIGNED BY BREWERS 10/27

OF Shane Peterson

C/1B Josmil Pinto - ADDED TO 40-MAN ON 9/20

RHP Austin Ross

RHP Daniel Tillman

RHP Kender Villegas

1B/OF Andy Wilkins

OF Eric Young, Jr. - TRADED TO NEW YORK YANKEES ON 8/31

 

Thanks to the Brewers for verifying the accuracy of this list for us.

 

By some time tonight/tomorrow, we'll post the list of players who are eligible to be added to the 40-man roster (to protect them from Rule 5 theft by another organization).

[pogokat]

I'd bring back Pinto and Dillard. I wouldnt be surprised to see Pinto re-added to the 40 man after the season. Dillard I'd keep for his twitter account. It's solid gold.

[JohnBriggs12]

It will be hard for Brewers to retain their best minor league FA. Not that this list is all that impressive. But when the organization is ranked at or near the top there's not a lot of opportunity for a minor league FA to break through. Of course, most of these guys will be happy just to have a job anywhere. For pitchers, the Colorado Springs issue is another factor.

 

For guys like Brooks Hall and Austin Ross who've had some success in their careers, will likely look elsewhere for a place that will give them a AAA opportunity that's not at altitude.

[adambr2]

Maybe this belongs in a different thread, but are their any significant prospects of ours who will be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft late this year if not added to the 40 man?

[FVBrewerFan]

And That provided a list in Major League Forum.

 

Among the players the Brewers who will need to be protected from this winter's Rule 5 draft are:

 

Lewis Brinson

Josh Hader

Brett Phillips

Tyrone Taylor

Garrett Cooper

Nate Orf

Kyle Wren

Angel Ortega

Javier Betancourt

Wei-Chung Wang

Angel Ventura

Victor Roache

Miguez Diaz

Taylor Williams

[And That]

Maybe this belongs in a different thread, but are their any significant prospects of ours who will be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft late this year if not added to the 40 man?

Mass Haas will start a different thread for this soon, yes. Please save discussion in this thread for the free agents.

[Mass Haas]

Maybe this belongs in a different thread, but are their any significant prospects of ours who will be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft late this year if not added to the 40 man?

 

Guess I'll need to use a larger font next time . This was in the original thread in this post.

 

By some time tonight/tomorrow, we'll post the list of players who are eligible to be added to the 40-man roster (to protect them from Rule 5 theft by another organization).

 

***

 

You'll see it this afternoon.

 

By the way, not including the 17 names on the list above (all who are technically eligible to be added to the 40-man, but it would have to be done in October, not December), there are 49 players to consider protecting.

 

I'd like to include links to their player pages on the posting, that's why it's taking a bit.

 

I used Baseball Cube instead of Baseball Reference for the list above, because it conveniently includes major and minor league stats on the same page.

 

For the Rule 5 eligible list, I'll use Baseball Reference.

[Outlander]

Since he is going to be a free agent anyways, I wouldn't mind if the Brewers gave Austin Ross a shot the next couple of months. Rather see him than Scahill.

[Crash2303]

don't think we should lose too much sleep if we lose any of them in the offseason. with that said, I hope we re-sign the following:

 

Pinto- he is the only one I think who has a legit shot (albeit long) at being a part of the Brewers MLB future and would see as a talent loss if we didn't re-sign.

Dillard- as a mentor/coach in training/radio booth in training

Peterson- as AAA OF bench depth

2 of the following for AAA/AA veteran bullpen depth: Ross, Tillman, Freeman

 

would love to see Burgos re-signed, but Colorado has not been kind, and with a logjam of pitchers, I think he would have better luck signing on with someone else- hope he makes it back to the show and has a solid career more than my selfish hope that he's with the Brewers AAA team for years to come.

[FVBrewerFan]

Yea, Pinto would be nice but no real loss. Other than that, nobody else I'm even remotely concerned if they go.

[jerichoholicninja]

If Pinto doesn't get a MLB chance this year I don't know why he would come back next year. He's already behind Maldonado, Pina, and almost certainly Susack. He'll easily find better opportunities this offseason.

[Outlander]

Kind of of a technical question but if the Brewers really like one of these guys that hasn't previously been on the 40 man couldn't they just add them before the season ends and then outright them after the season and get them for another year in the minors. Isn't that sort of what happened to Shane Peterson and why he couldn't become a free agent last off season?

[FVBrewerFan]

If Pinto doesn't get a MLB chance this year I don't know why he would come back next year. He's already behind Maldonado, Pina, and almost certainly Susack. He'll easily find better opportunities this offseason.

 

I don't know that he's "behind" Pina. It's just that Pina was already on the 40 man, that's why he got called up instead of Pinto. I could easily see them flipping those two for next season.

[CheezWizHed]

Certainly Pinto is behind Pina as a catcher, since Pina was the main starter at AAA and all reports have his defense worse than Pina's.

 

If Pinto sticks around, I would guess he would be as a utility guy (PH, 1B, 3rd C).

[LouisEly]

Curious what the scouting reports are on Stephen Kolscheen, as anyone with 12.2 K/9, 4.75 K/BB, 1.07 WHIP, and 1.93 ERA is strongly worth considering even if he will be 28. He struggled a bit in AAA last year, but that was the only time he ever struggled. Career 9.6 K/9.

 

If the Brewers deal Torres he could compete with Barnes, Magnifico, and one of Peralta/Anderson for the #6 and #7 spots in the bullpen.

[Mass Haas]

Added newcomer catcher Michael McKenry to the initial post in this thread.

[Mass Haas]

He won't turn 25 until March, but OF Ramon Flores qualifies for free agency this fall and has been added to the initial post in this list.

[Crash2303]

I hope we re able to bring back Flores. Obviously he showed little at the mlb level this year but there's good potential and a solid track record. I think w his experience he gained this season he ll be able to take a big step next year if he gets a chance wherever he ends up. If it's not w the Brewers we ve got plenty of OF depth but more depth is never a bad thing

[pacopete4]

I'd rather have 25 year old Flores back at AAA next year than some 28-30 year old AAAA guy we just pick up to hold a place.

[Mass Haas]

Initial post in this thread updated to indicate Josmil Pinto's addition to the 40-man roster.

[Greenleaf1]

Michael Kirkman, Sam Freeman, and Will Middlebrooks have all elected free agency.

 

[Mass Haas]

Michael Kirkman, Sam Freeman, and Will Middlebrooks have all elected free agency.

 

 

Initial post in thread updated

[djoctagone]

stephen kohlscheen is back with the brewers on a minor league deal and an invite to big league spring training.

[MKE81]

I hope we re able to bring back Flores. Obviously he showed little at the mlb level this year but there's good potential and a solid track record. I think w his experience he gained this season he ll be able to take a big step next year if he gets a chance wherever he ends up. If it's not w the Brewers we ve got plenty of OF depth but more depth is never a bad thing

Finally someone else understands that Flores actually is talented enough to help a MLB team. He's young still and will use this year as a learning experience moving forward. A lefty spray hitter who can play all 3 OF spots is useful. Whether he sticks with us or not is up in the air but he can stick with someone. Glad to see Middlebrooks opted for FA. He's terrible.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Finally someone else understands that Flores actually is talented enough to help a MLB team. He's young still and will use this year as a learning experience moving forward. A lefty spray hitter who can play all 3 OF spots is useful. Whether he sticks with us or not is up in the air but he can stick with someone. Glad to see Middlebrooks opted for FA. He's terrible.

 

I have a feeling, assuming he has other options, he only re-signs with the Brewers if he thinks he has a decent chance to make the big league club out of spring training. As of right now, if he doesn't, he'd be behind Brinson and likely Cordell (and possibly Phillips if he ends up in AAA) and fighting for the remaining AAA outfield at-bats with Reed and Wren. Obviously a lot can change, but there would likely be a clearer path to AAA playing time elsewhere than Milwaukee.