2021 Minor League Transaction Thread

[Mass Haas]

The now-closed 2020 Transaction Thread can be found here.

 

Kicking off the 2021 Transaction Thread --

 

***

 

Via MiLB.com, we learn the Brewers have released soon-to-be 24-year-old RHP Daniel Acosta.

 

A native of the Dominican Republic, Acosta was signed in February of 2016 just prior to his 19th birthday. As such, he would not have been a large-bonus signee.

 

Over the next three summers, Acosta would make 53 relief appearances in the Dominican Summer League. Guessing he threw gas, because the Brewers retained Acosta despite the fact he walked 98 batters and hit eight more in 74 innings. Add 39 wild pitches into the mix. Acosta fanned 71 in those 98 innings. Must have been daunting to stand in the box against him.

 

Brought stateside at age 22 to begin 2019 in Maryvale, Acosta made seven Houdini-like relief appearances, posting a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 IP, while walking 11 (one HBP), and throwing five wild pitches in the tiny sample.

 

His final appearance was July 3rd, 2019, and we learned in February 2020 that Acosta had undergone Tommy John surgery on November 7th, 2019.

 

The organization must have guided him through, or at least been medically and financially responsible for a rehab process, but the release notice came through this week after about 14 months on the mend. Good luck to Daniel moving forward, baseball-wise and otherwise.

 

This release is similar in timing to the recent release of RHP Wilber Diaz, who was post-shoulder surgery when the team announced he was let go last month.

[Brewers Numbers]

RHP Zachary Mort has been signed to a minor league contract.

[markedman5]

Brewers Player Dev

@BrewersPD

·

4m

RHP Nathan Patterson has been signed to a minor league contract.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Brewers announce the signing of RP Nathan Patterson

 

 

Of course, Patterson is known as the fan who was "discovered" after throwing 90+ mph at a pitching machine booth at a Nashville Sounds game a few years back. Rob Friedman (of Pitching Ninja) touted him, and he eventually got a minor league deal with the A's The A's released him in November.

 

Interesting signing.

[brewmann04]

Always love taking a cheap flyer on a Arm.

[Mass Haas]

Via Baseball America - #Brewers released soon-to-be 21-year-old RH reliever Raymer Caridad, a Dominican native who only had his 2019 DSL season on his pro resume, as detailed at his player page link.

 

Caridad was signed in March of 2019 at age 19, and was very likely not a high-signing bonus arm.

[Mass Haas]

In addition to LHP Antoine Kelly undergoing Thoracic Outlet Surgery in December (as reported by Adam McCalvy, and actually as it turns out, first indicated by Kelly himself back in December), the Brewers Media Guide shows:

 

RHP Keegan McCarville, the Crew's 36th round pick in 2019 out of Santa Clara University, underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2020. McCarville, as his linked stat line shows, posted excellent numbers in his age 21 season in Maryvale.

 

Also, RHP Alec Kenilvort, who had undergone his own Tommy John surgery in 2019, had to have a follow-up in right ulnar nerve transposition surgery in June of 2020. It appears that recovery time on that procedure caps out at about six months, so hopefully Kenilvort, now 28, will be healthy enough to give things a go in 2021. Kenilvort is a former Rockies farmhand who the Brewers then signed out of independent ball early in the 2017 season. He made 40 relief appearances with the high-A Mudcats in 2018.

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy follow-up tweet to Brewers Player Development

 

R.J. Alvarez B-Ref Page

[MadThinker88]

FYI from a Cleveland twitter account...

 

Posted early morning on 4/30/21

Former #Indians INF prospect Tyler Friis has signed a minor league contract with the Brewers. Best of luck @tylerfriis8 with Milwaukee!

[Mass Haas]

LHP Andy Otero reaches a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers

 

Article translated below

 

On Friday morning, Panamanian pitcher Andy Otero reached a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He turns 29 in June.

 

Otero had been tied to the professional ball with the Atlanta Braves organization from 2009 to 2015. From there, the lefty was playing with teams from the professional leagues of Mexico and Dominican Republic, until today he again receives the opportunity to return to a major league organization.

 

The pitcher was currently in Mexico, in preseason with the Yucatan Lions. Otero is scheduled to start the minor league season with the Brewers' Double-A team, Biloxi Shuckers.

 

***

 

One of the more unique signings in recent years. Very limited action since his last affiliated action in 2015.

[JohnBriggs12]

Otero was pretty effective in the Dominican Winter League this past winter and in one start in the CWS. Worth monitoring how he does. Considering his age I imagine he'll be no lower than AA.

[damuelle]

It sounds like we just lost pitcher Paxton Schultz to Toronto as the PTBNL to complete the Derek Fisher trade. Schultz (23) was a 14th-round selection in 2019 who played in Australia over the winter and made some appearances in MILB Spring Training at High-A level. Good luck to him.

 

[Mass Haas]

I did not see Hummel, D. Cozens, or Z.Brown assigned to any team. I would guess they are currently on the taxi squad and will be assigned to AAA once the season begins.

 

A poster mentions that Cozens is on the DL (Nashville thread).

[Eye Black]

From Brewers:

 

LHP Wade Leblanc, 1B Logan Forsythe, C Christian Kelley signed to minor league contracts and assigned to Nashville.

 

Started a thread in the major league forum since Leblanc and Forsythe have extensive MLB track records.

[djoctagone]

zack brown and cooper hummel are on the minor league injured list, per will sammon.

[Mass Haas]

As per MiLB.com, the Brewers have released RHP Eddy Tavarez, their 21st round pick in 2019 out Peru State College in Nebraska, an NAIA school. Tavarez turns 26 later this month, so as an older draft pick, he likely was hurt by the lack of a 2020 season more than most.

 

Listed at 6'6", 245, Tavarez posted a 1.37 ERA in 21 relief appearances in Maryvale during his draft summer, but that came despite walking 25 in 26.1 innings.

 

Tavarez pitched in the Puerto Rico Winter League this past offseason, and the results were similar in six relief appearances (1.42 ERA, nine walks in 6.1 IP).

 

Tavarez was clearly proud of his opportunity with the Brewers, and would post photos/video occasionally via his Twitter account.

 

Here's wishing Eddy well moving forward, hopefully baseball opportunities will await.

[dtet]

Eddy had a good arm, up to 96/97, but doesn't seem like the control improved.

[brooks_quichenick]

 

“Player moves: RHP Noah Zavolas has been moved to @nashvillesounds and OF Mitch Longo has been signed to a minor league contract and assigned to @BiloxiShuckers”

[Mass Haas]

 

“Player moves: RHP Noah Zavolas has been moved to @nashvillesounds and OF Mitch Longo has been signed to a minor league contract and assigned to @BiloxiShuckers”

 

To make room on the AAA roster for Zavolas, RHP Ray Black was placed on the Sounds' 7-day injured list.

 

***

 

Mitch Longo, 26, was drafted by his local (Mayfield, Ohio) Cleveland Indians in the 14th round in 2016. He exploded with a .376/.448/.541 line (.990 OPS) in his 2017 season, then posted more standard numbers in '18-'19. Left-handed bat.

 

Longo will be reunited in the Brewers system with recently-signed infielder Tyler Friis. Note that the Indians released both on April 28th.

[Mass Haas]

Yet to be assigned to Brewer affiliates, similar routes to the Crew:

 

RH reliever Nolan Clenney out of NC State and two seasons of indy ball. He'll turn 25 in June.

 

Press Release via Clenney's current indy ball squad

 

***

 

RH reliever Kent Hasler, 25, out of Louisiana Tech and three years of independent ball.

 

Hasler was signed by the Diamondbacks in March 2020, but the pandemic spoiled his first foray into affiliated ball, and he was about to embark on another indy ball season when the Brewers came knocking.

[folly412]

 

“Player moves: RHP Noah Zavolas has been moved to @nashvillesounds and OF Mitch Longo has been signed to a minor league contract and assigned to @BiloxiShuckers”

 

As a Zavolas fan, was disappointed he didn't get invited to the ATS last year or ML spring training after being the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. Now to (at least temporarily) skip AA is intriguing.

[Mass Haas]

We're still waiting on RHP Noah Zavolas' 2021 debut.

 

Zavolas was transferred back to Biloxi from Nashville on Sunday, necessitated by Alec Bettinger being optioned to the Sounds.

[damuelle]

Some much-needed reinforcements for Biloxi:

 

Add:

RHP Noah Zavolas (Tonight's starter)

INF Luis Castro

OF Chad Spanberger

INF Jamie Westbrook

 

AND

 

RHP Bobby Wahl on Major League Rehab

 

[damuelle]

Three more moves:

 

Leaving the Shuckers Roster:

 

INF Gabriel Garcia & OF Jesus Lujano to High-A @TimberRattlers

 

INF Daniel Castillo sent to the Complex League

 

[damuelle]

Also, pitcher Scott Sunitsch is now listed as being on the 7-day Injured List at High-A Wisconsin.