May Transactions: Latest - Draft-and-Follow Signings Wrap Up

[Mass Haas]

In order to make room for LHP Sam Narron on the active Brevard County roster, RHP Luis Pena has been placed on the Manatee DL with an undisclosed injury -- we assume arm-related, unfortunately. We'll work on confirming that.

 

Brevard County -- where current or former 40-man roster starting pitchers (Narron, Pena, Jones, Parra) end up, in one shape or another...

[bork]

Yesterday's WV game indicates Brantley came off the DL. I believe their roster is now now full. So they'll have to make a move if Holmberg is ready to come off the DL in the next few days.

[Mass Haas]

Yesterday's WV game indicates Brantley came off the DL. I believe their roster is now now full. So they'll have to make a move if Holmberg is ready to come off the DL in the next few days.

 

You are correct, Bork. We will post another update to Monday's Link Report later this morning with more details, thanks.

[Mass Haas]

Here is the link to the thread on the Major League Forum discussing Jared Fernandez being designated for assignment, as well as the Brewers claiming RHP Chris Mabeus on waivers from the A's. For comments on these particular transactions, please discuss within the Major League thread, not this one, thanks:

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...1747.topic

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site:

Link for Jeff Housman photo, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=835

 

Stars Pitching Staff Shuffle

 

Chattanooga, TN ? The Milwaukee Brewers have placed pitcher Khalid Ballouli on the disabled list, retroactive to May 12, and activated pitcher Jeff Housman from the disabled list. Housman will be in uniform Wednesday night when the Huntsville Stars begin a five-game series against the Lookouts at BellSouth Park.

 

Ballouli last pitched on Thursday, May 11 and was taken out after one-third of an inning following a second cessation of play due to wet field conditions. It was then disclosed that he had soreness in his shoulder as the result of a lat muscle strain suffered last July. The right-hander has a record of 2-2 with a 4.91 earned run average in seven starts covering 33 innings pitched. Ballouli was named the BC Powder Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the period of May 1 through 7 after allowing only two earned runs on 10 hits in 13 2/3 innings, including a stretch over his two starts in which he retired 21 batters in a row.

 

Housman last appeared for Huntsville on April 24, throwing two innings at home against Mobile before leaving the game due to a strained left shoulder. The southpaw has a record of 1-1 with a 3.15 earned run average in four starts covering 20 innings.

[Brian the Automator]

Quite a few BrevCo transactions today:

 

5/17 Carlos De La Cruz activated from the DL

5/17 Alcides Escobar placed on the DL, retro to 5/16

5/18 Travis Ezi transferred to Huntsville

5/18 CJ Medlin transferred from Extended Spring Training

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site:

Link for Kennard Bibbs photo, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=838

 

Bibbs Promoted To Triple-A

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that Stars outfielder Kennard Bibbs has been promoted to Triple-A Nashville and Brevard County outfielder and former Star Travis Ezi has been promoted to Huntsville.

 

Bibbs, who spent the entire 2005 season with the Stars, batted .245 with no home runs and seven RBI in 33 games for Huntsville this season. He was selected by the Brewers in the 14th round of the 2002 draft and will be seeing his first action at the Triple-A level.

 

Ezi, who played in 17 games last season for the Stars and hit .226 with no home runs and three RBI, will leave Brevard County after hitting an even .300 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and five triples. The switch hitting outfielder was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for catcher Mark Johnson in March of 2005.

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Press Release:

 

CHARLESTON, WV (May 18, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move.

 

Today, right handed pitcher Robbie Wooley was activated after spending nearly two weeks on the disabled list. Left handed pitcher Brandon Parillo was sent to extending spring training to make room for Wooley.

 

Wooley was placed on the disabled list on May 5 after experiencing soreness in his right elbow. Wooley was 1-1 on the year with a 4.50 ERA over five starts before heading to the disabled list.

 

Brandon Parillo was 1-0 with a 9.31 ERA over seven appearances. Parillo spent time on the disabled list earlier in the season after experiencing soreness in his elbow.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes:

 

FERNANDEZ RETURNS TO SOUNDS; CHAVEZ PLACED ON D.L.: Right-hander Jared Fernandez has rejoined the Sounds after accepting his outright assignment to the club. He was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Tuesday and cleared waivers.

 

Fernandez made two relief appearances for the Brewers during his second stint with the club, allowing three runs in 3 2/3 innings, and posted a cumulative 9.95 ERA in four games for the club. In four PCL outings (one start) this season, the knuckleballer is 1-1with two saves and a 1.62 ERA (3 ER / 16.2 IP). To clear a spot for Fernandez on the roster, right-hander Wilton Chavez has been placed on the Sounds? disabled list due to a right ankle sprain.

[Mass Haas]

That's at least 40 organizational transactions for the month of May thus far.

 

Please remember you can always click on our "Transactions" Link on any Title Bar for the sortable database:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewTransactions.do

[Mass Haas]

LHP Justin Thompson of Nashville announced his retirement after Thursday's game.

 

A few details will be posted in the Link Report for Games of Thursday May 18th.

[Oswald Chesterfield Cobble]

not suprising about Thompson his numbers were pretty bad in Nashville, and I am assuming his sole motivation for signing a minor league contract with the brewers was to make it to the bigs

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Press Release:

 

CHARLESTON, WV (May 19, 2006) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move.

 

Today, infielder Kenny Holmberg was activated from the disabled list and outfielder Steve Chapman was sent back to extended spring training.

 

Holmberg was placed on the disabled list on April 30 after suffering a high ankle sprain. Holmberg, a 22nd round pick in the 2005 draft was hitting .308 with four homeruns and 8 RBI before the injury.

 

Chapman, a sixth round pick in 2004 was called up from extended spring training back on May 4th. Chapman hit .176 with three runs scored in six games with the Power.

[brewmann04]

Who in line to take his place in the rotation

[Mass Haas]

26-year-old Venezuelan infielder Milko Jaramillo, a long-time Dodger and Cardinal farmhand, has been signed by Milwaukee and assigned to AAA Nashville.

 

We'll have more later on Jaramillo, most likely, including his Brewerfan Player Index Page. Until then, here are his career numbers:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...illo.shtml

[And That]

Who in line to take his place in the rotation

 

I would assume the returning Jared Fernandez will take Thompson's spot in the rotation. That would make the AAA rotation Jackson-Sarfate-Meyers-Thurman-Fernandez, or something like that.

[JohnBriggs12]

Could Jaramillo's signing mean they are thinking about adding Barnwell to major league roster soon?

 

I think the hesitation of adding Barnwell was not due to having to make a 40 man roster move or the need to keep 13 pitchers, but to allow some time for Melvin to see if a deal for a veteran backup infielder was possible. This move seems to indicate there was nobody out there that interested Melvin.

 

Interesting that Thompson should choose to retire after throwing a complete game (albeit a loss) with 0 walks and 9 Ks.

[plowjockey]

Nice to go out knowing you can still do it. Quit on a high note and on your terms. Good for Thompson.

[Mass Haas]

Jared Fernandez indeed moves into the Sounds' rotation -- he'll start on Tuesday.

 

Nashville Media Notes:

 

JARAMILLO ADDED TO SOUNDS ROSTER: Infielder Milko Jaramillo has been added to the Nashville roster today, filling the spot vacated by pitcher Justin Thompson?s retirement. The 26-year-old had his contract purchased by the Brewers from the Reno Silver Sox of the independent Golden Baseball League, where he signed on May 1 but had not yet appeared because the league schedule doesn?t commence until early June. Jaramillo attended 2006 spring training in the St. Louis Cardinals? minor-league camp but was released prior to the season. The switch-hitter spent the last four seasons in the Cardinals organizations and batted .395 (15-for-38) in limited action with Triple-A Memphis at the end of last season, his lone career stop at the Triple-A level.

 

Golden Baseball League Site:

 

Jaramillo, 25, is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound shortstop who has almost 800 minor league games under his belt from Rookie ball to Triple-A. He was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a 17-year-old and began his pro career in 1997. He spent the next five seasons in the Dodgers? farm system, spearheading the defense for the San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers in 2000, who won the California League Championship. He was plucked away by the St. Louis Cardinals in the minor league phase of the 2001 Rule 5 Draft and quickly worked his way up their organization. He reached Double-A Tennessee in the Southern League in 2004 and then split time in the Double-A Texas League and at Memphis in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League where he hit .395 in 20 games of the 2005 season for the Redbirds.

 

http://www.goldenbaseball.com/ConPics/Con2352/milko.jpg

[Mass Haas]

As noted on our home page, the 2nd Draft-Follow-Evaluate candidate in the 2005 draft class signs:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewNews.do?newsId=44

[Southern Leaguer]

This from huntsvillestars.com -

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that Stars pitcher Carlos Villanueva has been promoted to Milwaukee and will join the team during their current series against the Cincinnati Reds.

 

Villanueva, in his second season with the Stars, has posted a 4-3 record with a 3.52 ERA in nine starts for the Stars this season. He spent part of the 2005 season with the Stars going 1-3 with a 7.40 ERA in 3 starts. He was acquired by the Brewers from the San Francisco Giants along with former Stars pitcher Glenn Woolard in exchange for Wayne Franklin and Leo Estrella in March 0f 2004.

[hsvstarsfan]

Villanueva's promotion to Milwaukee has been followed today by Joe Winkelsas. Villanueva was scheduled to start for the Stars tonight, when they begin a 10-game homestand vs. Jacksonville and West Tennessee. Chris Mabeus will start tonight, instead, according to the Stars. Mabeus was declared ineligible for promotion to the Brewers in violation of a 10-day rule. A player just picked up on waivers, such as Mabeus was from Oakland, cannot go from the minors to the majors until he has spent 10 days with his new minor league team. Mabeus will be eligible later in the week and I'm sure Villanueva, who has been assigned a middle relief role with Milwaukee, will go back to Huntsville.

[WV Brew]

journaltimes.com/nucleus/...temid=5777

 

Jason Thompson, Rottino story from the Racine Journal-Times.

[Mass Haas]

Joe Winkelsas joins the Braves' Ken Ray as pitchers in the big leagues this year who hadn't seen MLB since 1999.

 

It's an incredible story, really.

 

You really need to check out my post from January 31st.

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=96

 

We know that Winkelsas just blew away all younger competitors in terms of velocity and command in the tryout camp he attended this winter.

 

He was assigned to be Huntsville's closer specifically to lend a needed mature presence there, with no glaring candidate for closer at that level.

 

I think this is a creative and welcome call-up.

 

Just check out Ken Ray's numbers this year with Atlanta http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif -- and by the way, it was the Brewers who kick-started Ken Ray's career again (High Desert, 2003), after his four-year absence from affiliated ball.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have signed their third 2005 DFE, a Canadian, eh:

 

Notes from Brewerfan's Patrick Ebert:

 

34. Brock Kjeldgaard, RHP (Indians Hills CC, IA)

 

The Brewers likely discovered Kjeldgaard when scouting Jose Garcia at Indian Hills CC, a DFE candidate from a year ago. Like Garcia, Kjeldgaard will be under the tutelage of former Milwaukee Brewers farmhand Cam Walker. Like Walker, a native of Manitoba, and several other players on this list, Kjeldgaard is Canadian and a native of London, Ontario. At 6'5" he has a very imposing, strong frame with room for even more strength. Kjeldgaard profiles as a staff workhorse, and could easily add velocity to his 89-91 fastball. He has committed to play for the University of Nevada for the 2006-07 year if he doesn't go pro this spring or summer.

 

Brewerfan.net Draft Day page

Indian Hills CC Baseball page

NJCAA Baseball page

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseba...8-sun.html

 

Kjeldgaard signs with Brewers

By ERIC BENDER -- London Free Press

 

Right-handed pitcher Brock Kjeldgaard had just graduated from Indian Hills College in Centerville, Iowa, and had a baseball scholarship at the University of Nevada starting in the fall.

 

But the 20-year-old grad of Oakridge secondary school and London Badgers baseball felt he was ready for a pro career. So did the pros.

 

Kjeldgaard signed last week with the Milwaukee Brewers, the organization that drafted him last year in the 34th round, 1,015th over all. The Brewers had been watching the progress of the six-foot-five, 215-pounder and liked what they saw.

 

"I just thought I was ready to get into their system and get into their development program and make more progress," Kjeldgaard said in London, where he is visiting his parents. His Indian Hills team was knocked out of the regional championships even though he had pitched a crucial shutout game in the run for the college World Series.

 

Kjeldgaard will now go to Phoenix, Ariz., for the Brewers' extended spring training season and indications are that he will be assigned to the Helena, Mont. Brewers of the Pioneer League for the season.

 

Kjeldgaard played last summer with Medicine Hat in the Western Major Baseball League with Indian Hills teammate A. J. Reed of London, who is with the London Majors this summer.

 

Kjeldgaard helped Ontario to a gold medal at the Canada Summer Games in Regina last August with former Badger Brad McElroy, who is also with the Majors this summer.

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/brock_kjeldgaard.jpg