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Brewers sign 6'8" LHP Barbosa, 6'6" RHP Snow as Minor League FA, each gets big league camp invite

Mass Haas

By Mass Haas,
in Milwaukee Brewers Talk

Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

Brewer Fanatic Staff
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(Also posted on our Minor League Forum, but because of the big league camp invite, also posted here for possible discussion.)

 

Look for the Brewers to announce this signing shortly, especially since it includes an invitation to big league camp for spring training. Since the player himself first made the news public, a physical may be pending, so it may be a bit.

 

First caught by Jeremy Donovan, a Sports Director out of Binghamton, NY -- tweet

 

LHP Andrew Barbosa (Baseball Reference) recently turned 29, but has only been in the pro ranks for the past five seasons. As his stat page shows, he's been primarily a starting pitcher.

 

When Barbosa signed with the Mets organization as a minor league free agent prior to the 2016 season, actually almost a year ago exactly, the site Metsminors.net posted this, which seems like a good stating point, includes a link to a video interview at the tail end, which we've also included at the end of this post.

 

Who Is Andrew Barbosa?

 

So Barbosa's physical frame (6'8", 230) and baseball career path are each unique, as you just read at the link.

 

The author of that post, Michael Mayer, followed up on Twitter after the Brewers news became known.

 

LHP Andrew Barbosa has signed with the Brewers. He had a 1.51 ERA in 71.2 innings over 4 levels in the Mets minor leagues in 2016.

 

In a follow-up post on Metsminors.net here, Mayer continues:

 

Barbosa started the season off with a solid five inning start in Triple-A Las Vegas before making six starts in Double-A Binghamton. A lat injury knocked him out of action for two months.

 

In July and August he made eight appearances between the GCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets. His final two starts of the season came with St. Lucie and Binghamton, in which he combined to pitch 15 innings of one-hit ball with 16 strikeouts.

 

That one AAA start to begin 2016 is the only career appearance by Barbosa, a Puerto Rico native, above AA.

 

VIDEO from his most recent appearance, a sweet strikeout -

 

 

Now, the start prior to that one was this one, seven no-hit innings, so be sure to read this for quotes and more:

 

Barbosa nearly spotless in St. Lucie shutout

Mets southpaw strikes out season-high 11 over seven no-hit innings

By Robert Emrich / MiLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/8/6/198480586/cuts/barbosa640_k33xccop_e6zd2byn.jpg

 

While the Mets could have added Barbosa to their 40-man roster after 2016, they chose not to do so, and if they tried to entice him back with a new minor league deal, it's unclear.

 

So the Brewers have stepped up with a big league camp invite, nice to see. Along with 40-man roster members Josh Hader and Brent Suter, Barbosa is the only other southpaw announced for camp thus far.

 

Most likely Barbosa will serve as a starter / swingman in Colorado Springs, but heck, the tall gentleman is already used to "elevation".

 

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JohnBriggs12 Biloxi Shuckers

JohnBriggs12

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Don't know anything about the guy, this move might have no significance whatsoever, but I think I love it way more than I should.

 

Odds are he makes it to Milwaukee at some point in 2017. Wouldn't be a shocker if he was on the opening day roster. Lefties hit just .143/.185/.221 off him in the minor leagues last year. Could have a future as a loogy.

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JohnBriggs12 Biloxi Shuckers

JohnBriggs12

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His last 2 minor league starts of 2016 were let's just say impressive:

 

As a St. Lucie Met on 8/29:

 

7 IP, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, 11 K

 

As Binghamton Met on 9/4:

 

8 IP, 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 2 BB, 5 K

 

For those of you scoring at home, his last 15 pro innings he's allowed 1 Hit and 4 base runners, while fanning 16. Granted he was old for both leagues, but impressive nonetheless. Will be one to watch in Arizona.

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pacopete4 Nashville Sounds

pacopete4

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Love the name. Love the frame. Love that he's left handed. Love the stats. Love Stearns using every avenue to make this team better. Hope this is one heck of a story in 2017!
"This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
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homer MVP

homer

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Looks like he's always been a K machine but as is usually the case he's had control issues. Good guy to take a flier on for sure.
"Dustin Pedroia doesn't have the strength or bat speed to hit major-league pitching consistently, and he has no power......He probably has a future as a backup infielder if he can stop rolling over to third base and shortstop." Keith Law, 2006
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Jenkins5 First Round Pick

Jenkins5

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Think he should be fine in Colorado with height & fastball if he is a good downhill thrower. If his breaking ball is a curve the well.... Tough with a change. Velocity pitches such as fastballs & sliders usually can cut the air/altitude fine. Change ups & curves tend to stay up & hang. At least from my understanding.

 

Like the sign. Lefty arms with big bodies who are great vs lefties are always a good addition

Proud member since 2003 (geez ha I was 14 then)

 

FORMERLY BrewCrewWS2008 and YoungGeezy don't even remember other names used

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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UPDATE from this post on Minor League Forum: Forrest Snow also has a big league camp invite, or so he posted on his Facebook page as per Mariners blogger Michael Hering

 

***

 

You know, one of these days we're going to get burned because an issue came up in a physical, or a supposed deal came apart for an unknown reason, but it's been a while, so let's continue to have fun with Brewers transactions before they are formally announced.

 

It appears the Brewers are signing one of the great MiLB names, 27-year-old RHP Forrest Snow.

 

Snow will be well-known to current Biloxi broadcaster Chris Harris, who had an extended run with the AA Jackson Generals, as Snow, a native of the Pacific Northwest, just completed his full seven-year minor league run with his hometown Mariners, the only organization he's ever known.

 

Snow, who turns 28 on December 30th, has done well to maintain a pro career as a 36th round pick by the M's out of (yes, the University of Washington).

 

He's listed at 6'6", 220, and as his Baseball Reference page shows, Snow has pretty extensive AAA and AA experience, he only made three starts in 2016, but made 20 starts as recently as 2015. It's been a career of solid, but not spectacular numbers thus far.

 

Maybe it's been Snow's Dominican Winter League work that's caught the Brewers' eye, as he's made seven starts, and has a pretty spiffy line, as you'll find on his MiLB.com player page.

 

Most of the video available online of Snow is from five or so years ago, Arizona Fall League action

and even
, but the best and most recent video sequence would be this one via MiLB.TV:

 

Tacoma starter Forrest Snow strikes out Alex Castellanos swinging to end the first inning against Las Vegas

 

Unfortunately, coming on the heels of the Phil Bickford suspension news Friday, one sidenote on Snow was that he, too, was suspended 50 games to begin the 2014 seasonbased on a second failed test for a drug of abuse. Hopefully that won't be a noteworthy discussion item, but since another suspension would cause a year-long layoff, it needs mentioning. It's been two-plus years, so that's good news.

 

A valuable aspect of Snow is he has Pacific Coast League success and confidence, as he discusses in this recommended read from July 2015, where he also reflects on his drug suspension:

 

Rainiers’ Forrest Snow is rewarded for his versatility on the mound

By Jeffrey Giuliani, Tacoma News-Tribune Staff Writer

 

Also, this is a must read -- a very, very informative September 2014 Q&A with Snow via USSMariner.com, more candid suspension talk, but basically a soup-to-nuts everything-you-need-to-know piece.

 

Forrest Snow – Once and Future Prospect?

 

I did reach out to Snow via Twitter, where he calls himself "a right-handed pitcher/belly itcher", to try and learn if he has a big league camp invite. Even if not, expect him to be in the AAA mix at Colorado Springs, awaiting reply.

 

***

 

Source was a quick tweet from Michael Hering, a Mariners blogger, who notified Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto of the signing.

 

Here in our little fan forum world, we can run with stuff like this. It's understandable that for the most part the Brewers beat guys have to wait until the Brewers officially release the news. The organization is likely frustrated with the process, but it simply comes as business as usual in this social media age.

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Thurston Fluff ACL Brewers

Thurston Fluff

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How old school of Stearns to look for relievers on the scrap heap. In today's baseball you're supposed to trade away every asset or pay a fortune for one reliever aren't you? Seriously though with the market for relievers the way it is today finding a few scrap heap guys could really help shorten our rebuild. Either by trades or getting bargain basement value at a position that now demands huge payroll expenditures. Cheap relievers used to be the part of a team that was undervalued now it is probably the most overvalued.
There needs to be a King Thames version of the bible.
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Baldkin ACL Brewers

Baldkin

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Who says the Brewers can't be big players in FA this year?

 

They're at least players for big free agents this year.

"I wasted so much time in my life hating Juventus or A.C. Milan that I should have spent hating the Cardinals." ~kalle8

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