Offseason Moves -- Japanese OF Tatsuya Ozeki

[jwaltz]

Opps. There is only one letter between the "o" and the "u." I went for the wrong one.

[And That]

Just to echo what Patrick said, if Wilfredo ever figures it out on the mound, he'll be a monster on the mound. Until that point, teams will pick him up in December and hope to get that monster out of him. He doesn't like pitching out of the pen, and the Nashville rotation is already jammed with Eveland, Jackson, Sarfate, Hendrickson, Narron, Parra, Fernandez, Housman and Woolard all gunning for a spot, so he might start in Huntsville, with an eye towards being the first guy called up to AAA. He'll only be 27 when the season rolls around - he still has a chance.

[plowjockey]

Hope you guys are right with the nugget thing, he does sound interesting. But right now, I'm looking at the Brewers picking up a pitcher that could not pitch well enough to re-sign with the most pitching bereft organization in all of baseball(probably Japanese leagues included). If this guy pans out here, Maddux and Melvin would take a giant step closer to canonization.

[brewmann04]

what are the Chances that Wilfredo Rodriguez will be in the Pen for the Crew in 2006

[Kaukauna]

Brewers sign 32-year-old lefty Justin Thompson, he of brief fame as a starter for the Detroit Tigers, to a minor league contract. The club also invited Carlos Corporan and Nestor Corredor to Spring Training...all info per a team release.

 

Thompson, 32, was originally selected by the Detroit Tigers as the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 1991 June draft. A veteran of parts of five Major League seasons, Thompson?s best year came in 1997 with Detroit when he went 15-11 with a 3.02 ERA for the Tigers. The lefthander has battled injuries throughout much of his career but was one of the cornerstones of a nine-player trade that was engineered by Melvin when he was General Manager of the Rangers in 1999. Thompson pitched for the Rangers organization this past season, splitting the campaign between Double-A Frisco, Triple-A Oklahoma and Texas. He began the season with Frisco in the Texas League posting a 2-0 mark and a pair of saves alongside a 2.84 ERA in 12 appearances. He was promoted to Oklahoma in May and went 2-2 with 4.70 ERA over 25 appearances (one start). Thompson made a pair of relief appearances for the Texas Rangers in August, allowing four runs in 1.2 innings of work.

[NlGHTWlNG]

He had a good season in 1997...but that was 1997. Otherwise, he's had some good ERA's as a 30 year-old AA-baller. Does anybody know if his "stuff" is any good?

[deeswan]

Does anybody know if his "stuff" is any good?

 

Since he's nothing but a LOOGY, his stuff doesn't need to be any good.

[Gone]

From what I remember... I think he used to have a real good curve ball. Who knows what he has after his surgeries.

[deeswan]

Who knows what he has after his surgeries.

 

An 82 MPH fastball?

[strawbossisevil]

I really like what Melvin is doing with all of these FA minor league pickups. All of them are very low risk, and have potentially very high rewards. If just one of these pitchers turns out to be solid, we'll be in great shape. This is what Melvin has done in previous years (T-Bow, Pods) I'm looking forward to seeing who the 2006 version will be.

[brettac1]

Thompson was an All-Star, and I don't even remember it. Odd, you'd think the starting lineup and rotation of that vaunted 1997 Tigers team would roll off the tongue.

 

Honestly, though, what does it hurt? The guy obviously had some big time talent.

[DHonks]

Thompson had a pretty good strikeout rate and ERA last year, his first in several years. Who knows, he could have a Jaret Wright-like return from the dead. Ryan Anderson, Neugy, and Gold can also hope for something like this

[Mass Haas]

July 2005 article from High Desert on RHP Chris Demaria (Justin Barnes trade):

 

www.vvdailypress.com/2005...66004.html

 

Interesting to note that the Brewers now own both Demaria and Steve Bray, the Mavericks' tandem closers to open last season...

[hsvstarsfan]

Van Iderstine has signed with Schaumburg of the independent Northern League.

[JeffSackmann]

via Rotoworld, Wes Obermueller just signed a minor league deal with the Braves

 

---

www.BrewCrewBall.com

[Mass Haas]

Well, this Transaction thread is for current Brewers http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif , but we appreciate the Van Iderstine (previously noted on the Alumni thread) and Obermueller updates http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[DHonks]

anyone know how Thompson fared against lefties? He had some good rates in the minors last year, and I was wondering if there was a chance the Crew might have brought him in to have a chance to compete for a bullpen spot

[Mass Haas]

A couple of recent signings, just noticing now (from the Sounds' site):

 

Familiarity can be a good thing for both the player and organization at times, as the Brewers have re-signed several players now who had become minor league free agents at season's end. Joining C Mike Rivera, IF Corey D. Hart, RHP Brett Evert, and LHP Andy Pratt, are RHP's Mike Meyers and Alec Zumwalt. Each was a key contributor to the Nashville championship playoff run.

 

Especially good news on Zumwalt, who will only turn 25 in January and only converted to pitching in 2002. And of course, we can still consider him a "nugget" from the Jose Capellan / Dan Kolb trade.

 

Alec Zumwalt Career Statistics:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...walt.shtml

 

Meyers is 28, and joined the Brewers organization as a free agent last offseason.

 

Mike Meyers Career Statistics:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...yers.shtml

 

Since the Brewers normally note their spring training invites to big league camp in a press release, it's unlikely either pitcher received one here.

[Mass Haas]

In the "just another arm" category, apparently, the Brewers have signed RHP Wilton Chavez to a minor league deal. From the Nashville site:

 

The 27-year-old veteran of eight professional seasons spent his third consecutive year in the Pacific Coast League in 2005, logging a 5-7 record and 5.02 ERA (63 ER / 113 IP) in 28 games (15 starts) for Colorado Springs (AAA-Rockies). The Brewers mark the Dominican's fourth career organization, following stops in the Cubs, Expos, and Rockies chains. Chavez finished fifth among PCL hurlers with 11 wins for Iowa in 2003.

 

After the 2003 season, Chavez was traded by his longtime organization, the Cubs, to the Expos, for utility man Jose Macias. Baseball America mentioned at the time:

 

Chavez signed out of the Dominican Republic in 1998. Thought to be 16 at the time, he had his age revised upward by nearly three years when the Immigration and Naturalization Service began cracking down on falsified documents. (Incidentally, Macias suddenly aged two years for the same reason.) Chavez reached Triple-A in 2003, going 11-7, 4.24 in 26 games (22 starts). He had a 113-51 strikeout-walk ratio in 140 innings as opponents batted .269 with 17 homers. Chavez ranked well down the Cubs' depth chart of arms. His slurvy slider may be his best pitch, and his 87-91 mph fastball and changeup are just OK.

 

Wilton Chavez Career Statistics -- bump his birthday back three years from this link:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...avez.shtml

[Mass Haas]

Nashville site:

 

LHP Shane Nance - The 28-year-old Nance returns to the Brewers as a minor league free agent in 2006 after being traded from Milwaukee to Arizona in 2003 as part of the nine-player deal that sent Richie Sexson to the Diamondbacks. He spent the entire 2005 season at the Triple-A level, splitting the year between Tucson (AAA-D'Backs) and Omaha (AAA-Royals), and posted a combined 3-4 record, two saves, and a 5.16 ERA (34 ER / 59.1 IP) in 45 relief outings. Nance pitched for the Brewers in both the 2002 & 2003 seasons and carries a career 3.24 minor league ERA over 233 games during his six pro campaigns.

 

Shane Nance Career Statistics:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...ance.shtml

[Mass Haas]

Also announced today:

 

Catcher Jean (J.C.) Boscan - Boscan joins the Brewers organization as a minor league free agent in 2006 after spending the first nine seasons of his pro career in the Atlanta Braves chain, including parts of the last three at the Triple-A level. In 2005, the Venezuelan batted .222 (47-for-212) with three home runs and 20 RBIs in 72 games for Richmond (AAA-Braves) while sharing catching duties. He threw out 30 percent of attempted basestealers (18 of 60). The 26-year-old carries a .222 career average in 662 minor league games over nine seasons.

 

He'll never hit a lick, but if he help develops an arm or two along the way, fine...

[clancyphile]

Shane Nance is a pitcher who intrigued me when the Brewers acquired him. It mightbe too late to try him out as a starter, but maybe he joins the bullpen derby. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[emunney]

Shane Nance is back! Ah, to be left-handed.

[DHonks]

Nance nearly hung it up after parting ways w/the Dbacks last spring training...good for the little guy (by little, I'd guess 5'4", 5'7" tops)

[Mass Haas]

Technically, not an off-season move, but perhaps we'll know more soon. Former Pittsburgh catching prospect J.R. House will work out for the for the Brewers on Saturday the 14th in Orlando, Fla.

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...format=prn

 

Astros offer House minor league contract

Tom Aluise

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

J.R. House is off to an encouraging start in his quest to return to professional baseball.

 

The former Pittsburgh Pirate catcher, who spent this fall as a backup quarterback at West Virginia University, was offered a minor league contract by the Houston Astros after a recent tryout in Ormond Beach, Fla.

 

The former record-setting Nitro High School signalcaller still is in negotiations with the Astros and has two more tryouts scheduled this week.

 

He will work out for the New York Mets on Thursday in Ormond Beach and for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday in Orlando, Fla.

 

"Everybody right now is really optimistic," the 26-year-old House said. "But I'm not going to say I have a job until I have a job."

 

House, who decided to give college football a whirl after being released by the Pirates last March, said his troublesome right shoulder feels strong. He had season-ending surgery on Feb. 22 to repair a 70-percent tear of the rotator cuff in the shoulder.

 

The operation, one in a long line of physical setbacks in House's pro baseball career, apparently prompted the Pirates to give up on a player they once considered among their top minor league prospects.

 

During his tryout with the Astros, House took batting practice, fielded grounders and threw to second and third base from behind the plate.

 

Houston's scouts obviously didn't have a problem with House's arm strength.

 

"The main thing they want to see is if my arm is healthy," House said. "They know I can play.

 

"I think it takes a little bit of time to get back into the groove. But I feel good with the way everything is going. I've had one tryout and did well. I'm looking forward to the next couple coming up."

 

House has been lifting weights, running and throwing at his home in Ormond Beach since leaving WVU's football program prior to the Mountaineers' 38-35 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

 

"I've had to get a little more flexible," House said. "I bulked up during football. I've been taking yoga classes and stretching a lot."

 

House played seven seasons in the Pirates' organization. In addition to his shoulder problems, he battled rib and abdominal injuries, elbow problems, a knee sprain and mononucleosis. House had four operations in four years, including reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

 

House earned late-season call-ups to the Pirates twice -- in 2003 and 2004, after he hit .288 with 15 homers and 49 RBI in 92 games at Class AAA Nashville.

 

House has appeared in six Major League games. He has two hits in 10 career at-bats.

 

HOUSE WATCHED his former teammates beat Georgia earlier this month from a seat in the end zone. He cheered right along with the Mountaineer fans in his section.

 

"That was a great night, no doubt," House said. "It was an unbelievable game."

 

House said he actually predicted during a radio interview that WVU would win by three. He didn't foresee a 28-0 lead.

 

"I told the team when I left that I was going to miss the celebration in the locker room after they put a thumping on Georgia," House said. "It was just awesome to see that come true."

 

As WVU's third-string QB, House spent much of the season helping to signal in plays from the sidelines. During the Sugar Bowl, he essentially knew every play the Mountaineers were going to run before the snap.

 

Except for one.

 

"I had no idea on the fake punt," he said.