Offseason Transactions: Latest -- Ryan Dittfurth Auditions

[MassBrew]

The Brewers have purchased the contract of catcher Kelley Gulledge from Fargo-Moorhead of the independent Northern League. Gulledge, who will be 26 in January, was born in Nashville and attended the University of Alabama, so he should enjoy any time he spends in the organization's AA and AAA ranks.

 

Baseball America named him the top catcher in all of independent baseball in 2004:

 

www.fmredhawks.com/news/i...ase_id=223

 

2004 numbers in detail:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/c...r=gulledge

 

Gulledge was the Twins' 10th round pick in 2000, and spent a portion of 2003 in the Rangers' system:

 

www.sports-wired.com/play...?Name=FFED

 

I would imagine that Gulledge would be placed on the Huntsville roster initially.

 

Nice feature story on Gulledge from this past June:

 

www.in-forum.com/articles...ion=sports

[MassBrew]

From colbyjack:

 

Thanks to rpms6 for providing this on the MLB forum. MassBrew already brought up Kelley Gulledge, and I'm sure he'll add the rest to the transaction thread later:

 

Milwaukee Brewers - Signed catcher Pat Borders to a minor league contract; purchased the contract of catcher Kelley Gulledge from Fargo-Moorhead of the Northern League (Independent); added shortstop J.J. Hardy, outfielder Brad Nelson and pitchers Luis Pena, Mike Jones and Jeff Housman to the 40-man roster.

 

OK, colby, duly recorded for eternity.

 

well with these moves anyone who was left off the 40 that shoulda been added???

 

cheezscott's question is a fair one. For me, RHP Glenn Woolard seems like the one guy who could definitely be plucked in the Rule 5 draft. He's eligible, as, like Jeff Housman, Woolard was a college pick who made his debut in 2002. He'll be 24 years old in April, and with his knuckle-curve out pitch, would be a tempting candidate to stash in middle relief for a season. It stinks that the Brewers need to protect two pitchers (Chris Saenz and Mike Jones) who likely won't pitch in 2005 (I realize Jones may return by late in the season).

 

added RHP Luis Pena to the 40-man roster

 

Wow, Luis Pena signed when he was 16 years old out of Venezuela back in 1999. That, my friends, is how you sneak under the radar when it comes to Rule 5 speculation. He'll be 22 when next season starts -- it must be about upside, but Pena's even slipped under Toby's current Power 50 scope. Meanwhile, Mr. Woolard, at # 14, is there for the taking.

 

added LHP Jeff Housman to the 40-man roster

 

Congratulations to Jeff, but to Bruce Seid, too. Who's Bruce Seid? The area scout who signed Housman out of Cal St. Fullerton in the 33rd round in 2002. And that was no draft-and-follow-type 33rd rounder, either. Jeff Housman showed up in rookie ball in Ogden in the summer of 2002 and promptly gave up 55 hits (including five HR's) in 32.1 IP. His ERA was 8.13 and his WHIP was over 2.00. I mean, talk about a candidate for release at the end of the summer.

 

Then in 2003, we chronicled in detail his opportunity in Beloit (only after early injuries hit the Snappers), which not only included a roster spot, but a rotation spot. One thing we know about Jeff, play defense behind him -- that ERA has glittered for two seasons now, but he's allowed an amazing 42 unearned runs since 2003. If you boot it, they'll come around to score. But that shouldn't take away from a remarkable success story -- congratulations to Jeff!

 

Now about this Woolard situation...

[colbyjack]

Sorry MB, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, but you do a much more thorough & eloquent job with your transaction reports than I ever could.

 

For some reason I thought Woolard was already on there. That's a bummer, I hope the Brewers make an adjustment to fit him in, as I too would hate to lose him. I think I would move Pratt or Turnbow, despite recently adding both of them, to make a spot for a guy that clearly has earned his keep this past season.

 

For anyone that has seen him pitch, does Housman have a hard time pitching out of the stretch?

[JohnBriggs12]

Just saw the Kelley Gulledge transaction.

 

Now, some of you will recall that after they signed Ben Van Iderstine about a week after I suggested it on this forum, I made a tongue-in-cheek remark about the Brewers paying me for advising them. Then I made my next suggestion that they sign Fargo-Moorhead catcher Kelley Gulledge.

 

While I'm glad they are following my suggestions, where's my check Doug??

 

Gulledge is a good signing in all seriousness.

[lend d money]

I have to admit my jaw hit the floor when I saw the name of Luis Pena on the 40 man roster. Though I haven't seen Woolard pitch, the scoreless streak at Huntsville speaks volumes for itself. Plus, Pena has never logged a day beyond low A. Don't understand it.

[cosnj]

How about Novinsky??

Isn't he Rule 5 eligible??

[Cyanogen5]

I too find it odd that Woolard wasn't included...not sure what they are thinking. There is a pretty good chance that Pena would have flew under the radar...especially if they tucked him away at AAA. Anyway, I also find the make-up of the 40-man roster interesting.

 

We have all of the starters roles filled (not saying these will be the starters, just that the spots are filled)

 

1B Overbay

2B Spivey

SS Hall

3B Branyan

LF Jenkins

CF Pods

RF Clark

C Moeller

SP Sheets

SP Davis

SP Santos

SP Capuano

SP Hendrickson

BP Kolb

BP Adams

BP Vizcaino

BP Wise

BP Obermueller

BP Liriano

BP Kieschnick

BP Bennett

 

But we don't have all of the back-ups filled

BU C None on roster

4th OF Magruder

5th OF None on roster

MIN Ginter

3B/1B Helms

 

Then we have the kids who most of us don't expect to be with the team

 

Rickie Weeks

Jorge De La Rosa

Andy Pratt

Corey Hart

Dave Krynzel

Chris Saenz

Dennis Sarfate

Jones, Mike

Hardy, J.J.

Nelson, Brad

Derek Turnbow

Ben Diggins

Sam Narron

Jeff Housman

Gary Glover

Pena, Luis

 

Right now we can't sign any free agents without removing someone from the 40-man...so don't expect any signings in the near future. Also, we will not be picking any rule-5 guys...again, no room on the roster. Someone currently on the roster will be moving off of it so that we can have a back-up catcher. Who? I am sure we are not that attached to Magruder...but then who will man the OF spots. Does this mean that Krynzel or Hart are expected to be the 5th OF? Does this mean that JJ will slide into the middle infield spot? It will be very interesting to see what happens. I am expecting a trade or two in the near future...something to open up a couple of 40-man roster spots.

[lend d money]

I'm still trying to figure why we would need to keep a pitcher with a 3.86 ERA in low A, in his SECOND year mind you, "under the radar".

 

At any rate, I would have no problem taking Liriano, Wise, Bennett or Kieschnick off the 40 man roster for the right

player(s). The whole Kieschnick thing was fun, but a GOOD baseball team shouldn't need a "special teams" player to fill two roles in an average at best to subpar manner.

[pogokat]

i believe the brewers will trade a reliever....

 

Obermueller could easily be passed through waivers without a claim...

 

Narron, Turnbow, or Glover could probably all clear if the brewers need them to...

 

and some of those guys could get cut in Spring Training...

 

i think you will see the brewers with plenty of flexibility over the winter...

[clancyphile]

Do the Brewers really need eight guys in the bullpen?

[endaround]

Brooks was far from subpar. He had an RA+ of 120 and gave a VORP of 8.2 as a relief pitcher. He wasn't as stron with batting this year, but in 68 PAs he had a VORP of 4.4. A total VORP of 12.6 from a part time player is a very good thing.

[MassBrew]

In recent years, the Brewers seem to locate former first round draft picks who failed elsewhere. That's the case with catcher Jeff Winchester, who toiled in the Rockies' system since being selected 40th overall (supplemental pick) in the '98 draft. He'll get his chance with the Crew, although he only reached AA last season -- he just hasn't hit. He'll be 25 in January.

 

www.sports-wired.com/play...sp?ID=7483

 

The catchers in the organization are (in orrder of level, not ability or ceiling, obviously):

 

Chad Moeller

Pat Borders

Mark Johnson

Kade Johnson

Joel Alvarado

Nestor Corredor

Kelley Gulledge

Alberto Segura

John VandenBerg

Jeff Winchester

Carlos Corporan

Lou Palmisano

Clay Blevins

Ruben Angoma

Bryan Opdyke

Angel Salome

[DuluthBrew]

The top 11 on that list, are the most unspiring group of catchers I have ever seen. We couldn't trade them for a used puck bag

[MassBrew]

The Brewers dip again into the minor league free agent bin in OF Adrian Myers, this time to address a speed bench need, most likely for AA Huntsville or AAA Nashville. And, once again, Doug Melvin looks up a former Texas draft pick. Myers will turn 30 in May, as Melvin fills in some of the "organizational soldier" needs at the upper levels.

 

www.sports-wired.com/play...?Name=GDIJ

[MassBrew]

Third baseman Tony Zuniga (he'll be 30 years old in January) has been inked to a minor league deal, and reviewing the overall organizational roster, he'll likely fill the third base void for Nashville in 2005, somewhat like veteran Scott Sheldon did for a portion of 2004. Zuniga fared better in 2004 after he moved on to the Mexican Summer League.

 

www.baseballamerica.com/c...yer=zuniga

 

Career stats:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...?Name=HFEH

 

On what should be a young Nashville team, players like Adrian Myers and Zuniga fill necessary voids. Somehow, I remember being much more intrigued by the 2002 and 2003 minor league free agent signings. Oh well, it's still early.

 

Now if Daphne Zuniga had been signed http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[MassBrew]

Thanks again to the Brewers for helping us out with some transaction updates today.

 

This past weekend, all major league teams had to formalize their rosters so as to protect players for the Rule 5 draft, scheduled for the GM meetings taking place December 10th - 12th.

 

From the Brewerfan FAQ:

 

How does the "Rule 5 Draft" work?

 

A player is eligible for the offseason Rule 5 draft if he is not on the 40-man Major League Roster if he was 18 or younger when he first signed a pro contract and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed or if he was 19 or older when he first signed a pro contract and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed.

 

A player drafted in the Rule 5 draft must remain in the majors, be it on the 25-man roster or the disabled list, for all of the following season, or the club that drafted him must return him to his original club. Since a player to is returned must first be place on waivers, a third club can claim the player. The claiming club would then be responsible to the same rules placed upon the team that drafted him in the Rule 5 draft.

 

Does it cost anything to draft a Rule 5 selection?

 

Yes. The selection price was increased in 1985 to $50,000 from $25,000.

 

Is there more than one segment to the Rule 5 draft?

 

Yes. There are Triple-A and Double-A segments of the Rule 5 draft, with price tags of $12,000 and $4,000 respectively.

 

That being said, the Brewers can make use of the 30 spots on the Nashville roster in such a way that if any of these players are selected, they would have to remain on the selecting team's 25-man roster for the entire 2005 season.

 

Here are the 30 players protected in this manner on Nashville's roster:

 

LHP Brian Adams (was moved from the Huntsville roster)

RHP Khalid Ballouli (from Brevard County)

RHP Greg Bruso (from Brevard County)

LHP Ryan Costello (from Huntsville)

LHP Matt Ford (from Huntsville)

LHP Josh Habel (from Huntsville)

RHP Bo Hall (from Brevard County)

RHP Jesse Harper

RHP Wilfrido Laureano (from Arizona Rookie)

RHP Ryan Miller (from Huntsville)

RHP Greg Moreira (from West Virginia)

RHP David Nolasco (from Brevard County)

RHP John Novinsky

RHP Glenn Woolard

 

C Pat Borders

C Kade Johnson (from Huntsville)

C Mark Johnson

 

SS Ozzie Chavez (from Huntsville)

2B Callix Crabbe (from Brevard County)

SS Enrique Cruz (from Brevard County)

2B/3B Matt Erickson

3B Jeff Eure (from Brevard County)

1B/OF Brandon Gemoll

1B Travis Hinton (from Brevard County)

2B Guilder Rodriguez (from West Virginia)

IF Steve Scarborough

3B Tony Zuniga

 

OF Kennard Bibbs (from Brevard County)

OF Ryan Knox

OF Chris Morris (from Brevard County)

 

The following Rule 5 eligible players are listed on the Huntsville roster -- they could be had for the minor league cost detailed above, with no restrictions on placement. The Brewers actually acquired LHP Ryan Costello, who has shown some promise, via this means last winter (and don't forget the immortal David Manning the year prior!):

 

RHP David Bradley (from Brevard County)

LHP Carlos Ramirez (from Arizona Rookie)

RHP Eric M. Thomas (activated from the restricted list)

 

C Joel Alvarado

C Kelley Gulledge

C Alberto Segura (from Helena)

C John Vanden Berg (from Brevard County)

C Jeff Winchester

 

3B Chris Barnwell

UT Johnny Raburn

 

OF Adrian Myers

OF Mario Mendez (from Brevard County)

 

The following players listed on the Brevard County roster would also seem eligible for the minor league phase of Rule 5:

 

RHP Josh Alliston

LHP Mark Hamilton

LHP Eric Henderson

RHP Dan Kolb

 

The following player listed on the West Virginia roster would also seem eligible for the minor league phase of Rule 5:

 

IF Wandel Campana

 

All of these player level changes have been reflected in the Brewerfan Player Index, which you can also view by level with its convenient filters:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPlayerIndex.do

 

These moves will not be reflected in the Brewerfan transaction database, and will be deatiled in this post only.

 

And finally, if I've misrepresented any of the data provided to us by the Brewers, someone in the know should chime in ASAP. I would imagine that this specific data is not available anywhere else on the web, nor that any other organization's submission to MLB from this past weekend is represented online. So, thanks again to the Brewers for their cooperation with our little dedicated website. Very cool...

[950opsLHcatcher]

About the only thing that stands out to me there is the non-protection of Vanden Berg, and to a lesser extent Ramirez, Segura and Alliston.

 

Since the Brewers really seem to be rah-rah about the hometown player thing and since Vandy is a borderline prospect, I would have thought he was a no-brainer. I'd protect him over Zuniga (or, would have signed Zuniga later), Borders, Eure, and possibly Scarborough. If pressed, I also would have kept Ramirez and Segura over Borders and Eure.

 

Edit: I'd also like express my joy that Ramirez is in AA, if only for show. Yay! Also good news about Mega Thomas.

[Cyanogen5]

That is great news about Mega Thomas...I hope to see a few box scores with his name in them next year. Maybe it is time for me to pick the player I will have an irrational man-crush on...

[bork]

Brewers sign lefty reliever Rigo Beltran to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

 

sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-brewers-moeller&prov=ap&type=lgns

[MassBrew]

LHP Rigo Beltran turns 35 this week; career stats here -- not sure what his career splits vs. LH batters might be, oh well, at least Nashville will likely have a lefty in the pen:

 

www.sports-wired.com/play...?Name=IGJI

 

Rotoworld's summary of his 2004:

 

www.rotoworld.com/content...mp;id=5818

[cosnj]

Wow, the Brewers must really be worried about getting hammered in the Rule 5 draft if they are looking for help form a 35 year old lefty to play at AAA!!

[squarepusher]

Nuggets don't have expiration dates.

[950opsLHcatcher]

You're either too old or you get paid too much. What can you say?

[jwaltz]

The Phillies just claimed Pedro Liriano off waivers from us.

[bjkrautk]

Excite Sports story

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Infielder Trent Durrington agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and was invited to spring training.

 

Durrington, 29, appeared in 53 games for Milwaukee last season and hit .232 with two home runs and four RBIs. He also played in 51 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he hit .222 with a home run and nine RBIs.

 

Milwaukee also sent outfielder Chris Magruder outright to Triple-A and invited him to major league spring training. Magruder was designated for assignment on Nov. 29 to make room for catcher Damian Miller.

 

Glad to see Magruder wasn't claimed.