June Transactions: Latest -- Updates on All the 'Missing'

[ja002h]

following requests from each player permitted in their contracts with the club.

 

So basically they wanted to go somewhere where they thought they'd have a better shot at getting called up sooner, is that right? Can't say I blame them. Heck, Orie'll probably go and win ROY somewhere now..

[paul253]

i dont think he can win rookie of the year...too much major league service

[brettac1]

It's a shame the Brewers never gave Orie a chance. He raked from the day he got to Nashville.

[Mass Haas]

Well, the Brewers are going the "veteran" route to address the third base situation prompted by Kevin Orie's departure...

 

Huntsville Times:

 

There will be a new look to the Stars' roster, with third baseman Tony Zuniga promoted to Triple-A Nashville after Friday night's game. Veteran infielder Nelson Castro joins the team today.

 

30-year-old Tony Zuniga's 2005 Numbers with Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...pid=408071

 

29-year-old Nelson Castro's Career Numbers:

Hasn't seen action in 2005, had 399 Southern League at-bats in the Dodgers' chain in 2004...

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...stro.shtml

[dadofandrew]

It was nice that Kevin and Chad played a couple extra games, as they could have left 6/15. Gave the Crew time to find replacements. Odd though that they would not choose to stay, as the Brewers have made it clear with Borders that they would not keep a player from going to the bigs.

[brewersClone]

I know it said in the paper that they considered bringing up orie this week, but chose fielder instead. I get why orie left, since the brewers have 4 players now that can play 3rd, a call up is going to be hard. Paranto was proabably 3rd on the depth chart with regards of getting a call up (adams and bennett ahead of him). Therefore I can't fault them for leaving and I wish them the best of luck.

[Mass Haas]

From poster jackalope02ca:

 

We just bought Darwin Soto from the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Northern League. Anyone know where he is going. He has been totally dominant since he finished serving his suspension for steroids he carried over from the Seattle organization.

 

Goldeyes site:

 

Darwin Soto is on his way back to organized baseball.

 

Following a month of outstanding relief for the Goldeyes, Soto's contract was picked up today by the Milwaukee Brewers, who have assigned him to their Florida State (High A) League club in Brevard County.

 

Winnipeg's closer, Soto was 1-0 with a 1.26 earned run average and five saves in 10 appearances. He struck out 18 and walked just three in 14-plus innings while holding opponents to just a .082 average.

 

Soto came to the Goldeyes following a year in the Seattle system and five years before that in the San Diego system. His contract is the first sold this season by the Goldeyes to a Major League organization and the 39th in franchise history. He is also the first Winnipeg player to be picked up by Milwaukee.

 

Career statistics through 2004 for 23-year-old RHP Darwin Soto:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...soto.shtml

 

Winnipeg Sun Column from April regarding Soto's suspension:

 

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Column...83217.html

 

http://www.goldeyes.com/05roster/soto05.JPG

[Mass Haas]

And the follow-up column from May -- notice the mention of former Brewer farmhand Ralph Santana:

 

Supplemental issue

New Goldeye pleads ignorance on failed drug test

By PAUL FRIESEN -- Winnipeg Sun

 

There's nothing quite like the first day of spring training: the smell of the grass, the sound of popping leather, the crack of the bat -- and talk of steroids, of course.

 

That's right, sports fans, the controversy that continues to swirl around Major League Baseball has found its way to your neighbourhood independent league team.

 

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are counting on a 23-year-old, Dominican right-hander by the name of Darwin Soto to be their ace out of the bullpen this year.

 

Only problem is, Soto failed a drug test before being cut by the Seattle Mariners organization, and the Northern League has suspended him for the first seven games of the season.

 

ROCKED THE GOLDEYES

 

News of Soto's positive test rocked the Goldeyes last month, and the organization continued to have trouble dealing with the matter on the first day of practice yesterday.

 

Originally, GM Andrew Collier and manager Hal Lanier, who's said there is no room for steroid users in his clubhouse, decided the media would not be allowed to talk to Soto.

 

Not a good idea.

 

You see, everybody has had their say in this matter except for Soto himself. We needed to hear his side of the story.

 

But the Goldeyes clearly wanted to sweep the whole thing under the rug.

 

According to Lanier, Soto was only going to offer a string of "no comments" anyway, as instructed by his agent.

 

Again, bad idea. There's no better way to keep a controversy alive than by not dealing with it.

 

After some pressure from the media, the Goldeyes relented. It turned out Soto had a lot more to say than anticipated.

 

Did he clear his name?

 

That's for you to decide.

 

Speaking through an interpreter -- teammate Ralph Santana, fluent in both English and Spanish -- Soto said he was surprised he failed the drug test.

 

"I didn't really know what I was using," Soto said. "I was taking stuff ... and when I found out, I was shocked.

 

"I was using some antibiotics and something like that, that people were telling me to take. When I found out I was using stuff I couldn't use, there was nothing I could do about it."

 

Asked about the antibiotics and who told him to take them, Soto said it was actually supplements that he'd been using for some time.

 

"It was a packet of supplements," he said. "Protein, vitamins and shakes. I was using it last year, and nothing came of it."

 

Later, while thanking the Goldeyes for not dumping him, Soto, through Santana, used the term, "steroids."

 

"I was disappointed, (thinking), 'Well, now that I'm caught with steroids, Winnipeg's not going to keep me.' I appreciated so much that they did keep me."

 

That's when Lanier jumped in, reminding everybody the minor league drug policy is stricter than the one used in the majors.

 

"The minor leagues test for probably six or seven things," Lanier said. "You could be taking Sudafed for a cold and it could show up positive. What we want to do here in Winnipeg is put all this behind us."

 

Fair enough.

 

PLEADED IGNORANCE

 

However, given one last chance to name the substance he tested positive for, Soto pleaded ignorance.

 

"They never told me," he said. "They just gave me a letter. I sent it to my agent. I was taking just regular supplements, just like everybody else was."

 

There's one problem with that. Players are told what substance they test positive for.

 

We don't want to be too hard on Soto. It could well be something was lost in the translation yesterday.

 

So we'll take him at his word. Presumably, he's learned his lesson. Under orders from the N.L., the Goldeyes will test Soto at least three times this season to make sure.

 

Hopefully, the Goldeyes have learned something, too.

 

That is, the steroid issue is probably here to stay.

 

Trying to sweep it under the carpet is pointless.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site:

 

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Thursday that Sounds infielder Matt Erickson has been released by the organization.

 

The 29-year-old, who has been hampered by a lingering right knee injury, batted .389 (7-for-18) in 16 games for the Sounds, adding two RBIs and two runs scored.

 

Erickson co-leads Nashville with four pinch hits (4-for-7, 2 RBI as PH) and recorded the Sounds? first pinch-hit RBI of season with 10th-inning single on April 15 at New Orleans.

 

The Sounds' active roster currently stands at 22 players, two short of the PCL limit.

 

Matt Erickson Career Stats (through 2004):

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...kson.shtml

[molitor fan]

Good luck to Matt, his wife Julie and son Maddux....Matt is one of the nicest people you will ever meet

[NlGHTWlNG]

Well that's a bummer. I sure hope he get's a shot with a major league club in the future. I wonder why we released him.

[bjkrautk]

I was at one of the games in which Erickson got to suit up for the Brewers at Wrigley last year. I wish him the best.

 

The last part of that press release....about having two open spots on the AAA roster....makes me wonder if DM has something up his sleeve. Especially when combined with Fielder still being in Milwaukee; it makes no real sense to cut someone now, unless you're planning on having someone else fill those spots.

 

Then again, it could just be clearing a roster spot to call someone(s) up from Huntsville (Sarfate, Eveland, Gwynn, Cruz .... plenty of worthy candidates).

[SoCalBrewfan]

I suppose there could be a trade in the works, but it's also nearing the all-star games so some roster wierdness probably doesn't hurt a team much with only a few games before the break....there's room for shuffling then.

 

This is the time of year when rosters get churned a bit...late June after the draft is one of the top couple times for player releases, and guys anywhere in the system who are not progressing must be looking over their shoulder a bit.

 

It sure seems like the time to move a pitcher or three from AA to AAA, with the resulting ripples throughout the system. If Pena is indeed back, Brevard has 5 and a half starters now (the half being little Unit) and could easily send reinforcements to the Huntsville rotation.

 

Personally I'd be sorely tempted to bring Corey Hart to the Show and move up a Cruz or two from H'ville to N'ville. There should be in IF shuffle coming, too, when Braun starts playing...and Hernan sure seems to have shown he has learned what low A ball can teach him, even it means separating him from Escobar. I'm sure they've got plenty to discuss

[And That]

With the way some of the college guys are hammering the ball in Helena, it looks like WV and Brevard may indeed get some of the reinforcements they have been looking for since the first week of the season.

 

Eveland and Sarfate deserve a promotion to AAA, as do both of the Cruzes. As SoCal pointed out, Iribarren has done well in A-ball again, and he has about 3/4 of a season under his belt there now, so he should move up. Tauby and Villanueva should both move up from Brevard soon, though none of the WV pitchers (especially starters) are especially worthy of a promotion, though you could make arguments for Wahpepah and Kloosterman, plus maybe Stanczyk.

[biedergb]

From the piece on Darwin Soto

 

Quote:

---

Speaking through an interpreter -- teammate Ralph Santana, fluent in both English and Spanish

---

 

Anyone know if that was the same Ralph Santana who tore up the Rookie leagues in 2001 after being drafted by the Brewers in the 42nd round?

[dadofandrew]

Does anyone know how it works to release an injured player in the minors? It seems strange to "release" a player within a few hours of him getting injured, does the Crew still cover his insurance? Would "buyout" be a more accurate term?

[RyDogg66]

wonder why we released him.

 

probably because of the glut of MI we have down in AAA right now.

 

I was hoping to see Matt in Milwaukee sometime this year again, good luck to him.

[Jopal78]

Quote:

---

Does anyone know how it works to release an injured player in the minors? It seems strange to "release" a player within a few hours of him getting injured, does the Crew still cover his insurance? Would "buyout" be a more accurate term?

---

 

I would imagine it is a similar situation to football whereas when a player gets injured in training camp and isn't going to make the team, the two sides usually reach a injury settlement where the still injured player is given some cash and releases his right to sue the team. In the case of Erickson I would imagine the Brewers give him a lump sum payment and send him packing in exchange for not filing a claim against the team, labor grievance, workmen's comp. or otherwise.

[Mass Haas]

This is incredible:

 

NASHVILLE - Now manning the outfield for the Nashville Sounds -- Corey Hart. Soon to be manning the infield for the Nashville Sounds -- Corey Hart.

 

Confused?

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have purchased the contract of infielder Corey Hart from the Bridgeport (Ct.) Bluefish in the independent Atlantic League and assigned him to the Sounds' roster to replace recently-released infielder Matt Erickson. He will join the team in Oklahoma City tomorrow.

 

Hart has spent the entire 2005 season with Bridgeport, where the switch-hitter led the Atlantic League with a .466 on-base percentage and batted .305 (53-for-174) with one home run and 20 RBIs in 51 games of action, appearing primarily as the club's shortstop (14 errors). He drew a team-best 51 walks and struck out only 33 times.

 

Prior to this season, Hart batted .239 over seven years in the Kansas City Royals farm system after being selected in the 23rd round of the June 1998 draft. He finished the 2004 season in the Pacific Coast League, playing for Omaha.

 

Infielder Corey Hart's Career Statistics (through 2004):

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...rt_1.shtml

 

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/images/news/hart2.jpg

 

I still think that they should play "Never Surrender" before 9th inning rallies when the Corey's are scheduled to hit...

[jwaltz]

The Sounds could have a lot of fun with this. Maybe get the singer Corey Hart to perform after a home game and give the first 1000 or so people to the game a free pair of cheap sunglasses.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Well, it appears that not only can Corey Hart play 3B, but SS and 2B as well. Clancy has to be the happiest man on earth right now. Corey Hart will be playing in the infield for Nashville.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville RHP Matt DeWitt has landed on the seven-day DL with an undisclosed injury.

 

That leaves the Stars with only ten healthy arms, so expect additional moves soon.

[RyDogg66]

clancy wont be happy unless the guy is catching.

[jackalope02ca]

It's the same Ralph Santana. He is now a no hit, error making machine but he can still run.

[dadofandrew]

It's astounding to me how these AAA vets go to indy ball and for the most part, hit like Bill Hall in '05. Heck, even 1st round draftees that go there usually hit about .350 or so.