2021 Minor League Transaction Thread

[damuelle]

Another promotion:

 

- Utility man David Fry promoted from AA Biloxi to AAA Nashville

 

- IF Gabriel Garcia activated from Development List by Biloxi

 

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Not sure I follow the Fry promotion. He's deserving of a callup but my count that means there are 33 players on the roster not including Broxton. I guess the roster limits are not tightly adhered to. They have 4 catchers at AAA and 1 at AA. Maybe this means Thomas Dillard will get more looks at C (or another move is pending)

 

I love all these promotions. Its fun to see these guys move up.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Not really surprised by Cornielle or Montero, but I figured Rodriguez would be a “If he impresses in instructs he’ll start 2022 at Carolina” guy. He has improved as the season has gone on, though, and the Brewers have had him starting from Day 1, so hopefully there is something there they like.

[damuelle]

LHP Leoni De La Cruz promoted from DSL-1 to ACL Blue. Signed in June 2021, he’s already 23 years old, so was dominating the DSL youngins as expected (1.45 ERA, 29 Ks in 18.2 innings).

[zagski6]

C Kekai Rios has been promoted to AA Biloxi.

 

This move will ultimately mean more time behind the plate for Zavier Warren.

[damuelle]

- LHP Antoine Kelly promoted from Low-A Carolina to High-A Wisconsin.

 

- C Alex Hall promoted from Low-A Carolina to High-A Wisconsin.

[damuelle]

Catcher Jose Sibrian promoted from ACL Blue to Low-A Carolina to support catching depth

- Signed in 2015, he'd had a breakthrough 2019 with the Rocky Mountain Vibes (.727 OPS there), but was absent for most of 2021 MILB Spring Training and only started playing in Arizona in July this year, with things not going well (.513 OPS thus far)

[damuelle]

- LHP Kelvin Bender released from ACL Blue in a surprise move

 

- 21-year old Kelvin was a 17th round draft pick in 2019, signing for $125,000 out of Junipero Serra High School in California. After a rough 2019 and then Covid-cancelled 2020, his 2021 debut was also delayed due to injury and/or Covid. That said, he has a 0.66 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 13.2 innings this year, with 20 strikeouts! Similar to recently promoted fellow 2019 draft pick RHP Jefferson Figueroa, I really thought Kelvin was up for promotion to Carolina. That said, we wish him a world of success with whatever comes next.

[clancyphile]

Not sure I follow the Fry promotion. He's deserving of a callup but my count that means there are 33 players on the roster not including Broxton. I guess the roster limits are not tightly adhered to. They have 4 catchers at AAA and 1 at AA. Maybe this means Thomas Dillard will get more looks at C (or another move is pending)

 

I love all these promotions. Its fun to see these guys move up.

 

Fry's played all over the diamond in his pro career - more at some positions than others. The bat's been there his whole career, though.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

Spoke again today with Eduardo Brizuela, the Brewers Complex League administrator. Drew Smith, ranked as the seventh best undrafted free agent signing from the shortened 2020 draft class, made his season debut only a few days ago due to a broken wrist in spring training. Alexis Ramirez and Pablo Abreu will both miss the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgeries. Scotty Sunitsch may also end up missing the entire season due to hip surgery. A side note, Julio Mendez, who suffered cardiac arrest after being hit by a pitch a few seasons ago, did make a full recovery and, although he won’t play professionally again, he is back to living a normal life.

 

***

 

2017 Thread the night of the Mendez incident. Chilling.

[clancyphile]

Spoke again today with Eduardo Brizuela, the Brewers Complex League administrator. Drew Smith, ranked as the seventh best undrafted free agent signing from the shortened 2020 draft class, made his season debut only a few days ago due to a broken wrist in spring training. Alexis Ramirez and Pablo Abreu will both miss the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgeries. Scotty Sunitsch may also end up missing the entire season due to hip surgery. A side note, Julio Mendez, who suffered cardiac arrest after being hit by a pitch a few seasons ago, did make a full recovery and, although he won’t play professionally again, he is back to living a normal life.

 

Sunitsch was looking to be on par with Ashby in some metrics - he had a lower BB/9 ratio than Ashby, and matched him in K/9. For 2020 and the pre-season 2021, I had him two slots lower than Ashby.

 

Hope he pulls through and gets back on the mound soon.

[damuelle]

- Undrafted rookie RHP Trevor Tietz assigned to ACL Gold.

[damuelle]

Prospect on the move:

 

- SS Eduardo Garcia promoted from ACL Gold to Low-A Carolina

[damuelle]

- RHP/1B Quinton Low (13th round draft pick) added to ACL Blue roster.

[damuelle]

- LHP Caden Vire (12th round draft pick) assigned to ACL Gold.

[damuelle]

One release from a few days ago:

 

- RHP Peyton Long released by Low-A Carolina.

 

Peyton was a 30th round pick in the 2019 draft out of Central Methodist University, reportedly receiving a $75,000 signing bonus. He received a solid look, piling up 77.1 innings in 34 appearances (including 4 starts) across ACL Gold and Low-A Carolina, posting a 6.05 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 7.9 K/9. Good luck to Peyton in his next endeavor.

[damuelle]

- RHP Peter Strzelecki promoted from AA Biloxi Shuckers to AAA Nashville Sounds

[damuelle]

- RHP Victor Castaneda was moved up from High-A Wisconsin to AAA Nashville to make today’s start

 

- RHP Dylan File was placed on AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list

[damuelle]

A few minor moves yesterday:

 

- RHP Zack Brown promoted back up to AAA Nashville from AA Biloxi

 

- IF Yeison Coca assigned back down to A+ Wisconsin from AAA Nashville

 

- RHP Patrick Weigel placed on Development List from AAA Nashville

[damuelle]

After sadly ending the MLB season 3 weeks earlier than planned, I guess we'll be seeing some MILB transactions to report. Here's one from last week:

 

- LHP Kyle Lobstein of AAA Nashville Sounds elected free agency

 

Lobstein was acquired for cash on July 13, 2021 from the Washington Nationals, who had DFA'd him. The Brewers subsequently DFA'd him as well on August 17th and he was outrighted on August 20th. He made 23 appearances for the Sounds (none for the Brewers), registering a 4.94 ERA and 1.65 WHIP with 7.6 K/9 in 23.2 innings.

[damuelle]

- OF Troy Stokes of AAA Nashville elected free agency

 

- 1B Renato Nunez of AAA Nashville elected free agency

 

The 25-year old Stokes was acquired from the Pirates on June 25th along with Jandel Gustave for Catcher Samuel Escudero, though the "grand return" of this former 4th round draft pick to the Brewer organization didn't exactly go as planned: .606 OPS in 155 PAs.

 

The 27-year Nunez was only with the organization for 5 weeks, signing August 30th after being released by the Detroit Tigers/Toledo Mud Hens. He'd hit well in Toledo (.968 OPS in 311 PAs), but never got going in Nashville (.520 OPS in 75 PAs).

 

Good luck to both gentlemen.

[damuelle]

Seven players released from DSL clubs, including one who appeared likely to pitch in ACL before being suspended for the year:

 

- RHP Edinson Mejia (participated in 2021 MILB spring training in Arizona) - 20 years old - last pitched in 2019 - 9.0 innings, 5.00 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 13.0 K/9

 

- 2B Sebastian Burciaga - 20 years old - .590 OPS in 321 PAs over 2019 and 2021 seasons. Burciaga showed promise in 2019 (.652 OPS, with 16 stolen bases and only 33 Ks in 243 PAs), but he never got going in 2021

 

- SS Angel Bautista - 19 years old - .584 OPS in 236 PAs over 2019 and 2021 seasons

 

- OF Isaac Curbata - 19 years old - .536 OPS in 139 PAs over 2019 and 2021 seasons

 

- OF Bryan Nino - 19 years old - .482 OPS in 279 PAs over 2019 and 2021 seasons

 

- C Henry Leon - 19 years old - .396 OPS in 89 PAs over 2019 and 2021 seasons

 

- RHP Erik Ozuna - 19 years old - 6.0 innings pitched in 2021 - 30.00 ERA, 5.00 WHIP, 4.5 K/9

[damuelle]

- RHP Alec Kenilvort has retired.

 

The 28-year old Kenilvort was drafted by the Rockies in 2014 and reached Low-A ball in 2016 before being cut. He started 2017 in independent ball (Schaumburg of the Frontier League) before the Brewers signed him in July 2017. Though he struggled the remainder of 2017 at Low-A Wisconsin, he DID post a 13.5 K/9 in 17.1 innings.

 

However, 2018 was a bit of a breakout at High-A Carolina, where he threw 68.0 innings and registered a 4.24 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, perhaps focusing less on strikeouts (8.7 K/9) and more on control. Unfortunately, that was the last time Mr. Kenilvort pitched for the Brewers, as injuries and Covid wiped out the past 3 seasons.

 

Best of luck to Alec.

[damuelle]

11 Nashville Sound players have opted for free agency:

 

- OF - Matt Lipka - 29 - acquired from Diamondbacks for cash in late June - .792 OPS in 267 PAs in Nashville

 

- 3B/1B - Zach Green - 27 - signed in December - .716 OPS in 378 PAs in Nashville

 

- C - Christian Kelley - 28 - signed in May after Pirates' release - .716 OPS in 149 PAs in Nashville

 

- IF - Daniel Robertson - 27 - signed to MLB deal in January - saw MLB time in April & May (.577 OPS in 90 PAs); .370 OPS in 88 PAs in Nashville {Personal thought: In late May, when we opted to retain Robertson and DFA Jace Peterson instead, we were darn lucky that Peterson went unclaimed and chose to stay in the system}

 

- UT - Tim Lopes - 27 - claimed from Mariners in December - saw MLB time in June & September (.282 OPS in 11 PAs); .706 OPS in 370 PAs in Nashville

 

- OF - Derek Fisher - 28 - acquired from Blue Jays for RHP Paxton Schultz in February - injured most of the year; saw MLB time in June (.750 OPS in 8 PAs); .578 OPS in 85 PAs in Nashville {Personal thought: It would have made sense to DFA one of Fisher (lefty OF), McKinney (lefty OF/1B) or Jace Peterson (lefty UT) in late April instead of Phil Bickford. Oh well}

 

- OF - Keon Broxton - 31 - signed in September after Twins' release - .349 OPS in 42 PAs in Nashville

 

- LHP - Blaine Hardy - 34 - signed in February - brief Covid callup to MLB club in August (1.0 bad inning); 2.63 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 8.2 K/9 in 68.1 innings in Nashville

 

- RHP - R.J. Alvarez - 30 - signed in April - 4.08 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11.2 K/9 in 35.1 innings in Nashville

 

- RHP - Chad Sobotka - 28 - acquired from Braves in Orlando Arcia trade in April - 4.85 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 6.7 K/9 in 39.0 innings in Nashville

 

- RHP - Patrick Weigel - 27 - acquired from Braves in Orlando Arcia trade in April - saw MLB time in April & May (4.50 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 20.3 K/9 in 4.0 innings); 7.27 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, 10.0 K/9 in 43.1 innings in Nashville

[Mass Haas]

Interesting regarding some "non" minor league free agent Brewer farmhands.