Spring Training Transactions

[MassBrew]

Time for the "Spring Training" version of the transaction history thread. The two "off-season" threads are linked here

 

pub123.ezboard.com/fbrewe...mp;stop=40

 

and here

 

pub123.ezboard.com/fbrewe...mp;stop=40

 

From the Journal Sentinel:

 

The Brewers signed right-hander Dan Reichert to a minor-league contract. Reichert, who posted a 6.06 ERA in 15 games for Toronto last season, passed a physical Sunday and will report to minor-league camp in a few weeks.

 

Right-hander Jose Silva, who joined Reichert and a handful of other players at a tryout Saturday, was offered a minor-league contract but declined.

 

Career numbers on the former # 1 pick:

 

www.sports-wired.com/play...p?Name=FGG

[brewcru1]

Chris Michalak (Ma-HALL-ak) signed a minor league deal last week and was invited to MLST. Not sure if anyone had posted that.

[brewcru1]

After originally turning down a minor league deal, Jose Silva has changed his mind and inked a 1 year AAA contract. So add yet another arm to the heap of pitchers already on the AAA roster

[DHonks]

I wonder if Silva wanted to go somewhere with a major league offer, then thought twice after reading somewhere how weak our pen is. He has a decent chance of making the team

[molitor fan]

I read that Michalak has changed his arm motion in the last year, and comes from the same arm slot as Mike Myers......interesting.

[batman]

Quote:

---

I read that Michalak has changed his arm motion in the last year, and comes from the same arm slot as Mike Myers......interesting.

---

 

Yeah, there was a feature article on the Brewers' site about it a few days ago.

 

//Michalak accepted a minor league contract with a Spring Training invitation and is once again competing for a roster spot. This time, he is aiming for the bullpen.

 

He is looking to follow in the footsteps of Myers, a submarine-throwing left-hander who pitched 141 games for the Brewers from 1998-1999 and has made a career facing the toughest left-handed hitters in the game, usually in close-and-late situations.

 

Other left-handers have tried it too, including former first-round Brewers draft pick Kelly Wunch, Mike Venafro and, most recently, Colorado's Javier Lopez.

 

Why is the submarine style so effective?

 

"The biggest thing is that the hitters just don't see it much," Michalak said. "How many lefties are there that do it? If you can drop down and get a little better angle, it makes it that much more difficult for them." //

 

Read the rest of it - some good stuff. Speaking of good stuff, the Brewers' site has been doing a very good job the last few days sharing high-quality content from Spring Training. Lots of articles, notes, feature stories, and the like... if you haven't made it a habit of checking out the site frequently, I'd highly recommend it.

 

Right man for lefty job?

 

~Bill

[brewcru1]

Jose Silva actually failed his physical, thus negating his signing with the Brewers

[MassBrew]

According to the independent Frontier League transaction wire, the Brewers have purchased the contract of 23-year-old catcher Tim Marks from the Richmond Roosters.

 

This should make a bit of news in Marks' college town of Indianapolis, where he played with Butler University.

 

It will most likely be a Beloit assignment (perhaps High Desert) for Marks. We'll know within the next two weeks.

 

At Butler:

 

www.sports-wired.com/play...Name=DBHFG

 

97 AB's with Richmond:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/c...ayer=marks

 

For squarepusher and the Player Index:

 

butlersports.ocsn.com/spo...tim00.html

 

butlersports.ocsn.com/spo...03aaa.html

[MassBrew]

RHP Jason Dickson, the former Anaheim pitcher, failed his physical and is no longer Brewer property. Dickson had been listed on the Indianapolis roster.

 

Here's the current roster of AAA players, which includes the non-roster invitees still in major league camp:

 

www.indyindians.com/clubh...ter04.html

[rpms6]

From BA...

 

Milwaukee Brewers

 

Released C Brian Foster, RHP Chris Gittings and OF Manuel Melo.

[DHonks]

so I guess we can forget those projections for Foster...you know, 30 homers, 250 K's.

[950opsLHcatcher]

Released C Brian Foster, RHP Chris Gittings and OF Manuel Melo

 

Foster... heh. He's supposedly pretty decent defensively, and has power, but he can't hit a darn thing. There are probably other guys I wouldv'e released first, but this isn't really that suprising with the emergence of Vanden Berg and Palmisano.

 

Gittings was taken about three years ago late in the draft as a big, projectable high school arm, but only pitched 35 innings in three years. Injuries might have finally gotten the best of him.

 

As for Melo, well, don't tell Brian.

[madbad2000]

http://www.bottlebill.org/images/general/crying.gif

 

Melo?

[squarepusher]

That's it. I'm taking down the site. I can't live without Manny Melo.

[giezer007]

why get ride of melo?

[igor67]

I'm guessing they felt that they had an abundance of speedy CF types in the low minors and it was time to thin things out a bit and Melo lost out.

[Katuluu]

You all seem to be forgeting a certain poster's infatuation with Foster. Brian has nothing on him.

[MassBrew]

Another Brewer cut makes for one of those "alumni" who never officially appears in a game for the organization.

 

Our Huntsville friend Mark McCarter reports that the Brewers have released 27-year-old Kevin Haverbusch, a player with AAA experience who was vying for the Stars' third base job. Haverbusch was also to be available for outfield duty, but that obviously won't be the case now.

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=635

[MassBrew]

News on the AA front from Huntsville:

 

Johnson, Barnwell returning to town

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

MARYVALE, Ariz. - One of the heroes in Huntsville's run through the Southern League finals has been reassigned to the Stars for the 2004 season, along with a pair of his 2003 teammates.

 

Catcher Kade Johnson, as expected, was placed on the Stars' roster Sunday. Johnson was the last Huntsville hitter to bat at Joe Davis Stadium last season, swatting a 12th-inning, game-winning homer that evened the playoff series with Carolina.

 

Chris Barnwell, an invaluable utility player last season, will also return to Huntsville, likely being given the chance as the regular third baseman. Pitcher Ryan Miller was also reassigned to Huntsville.

 

Johnson batted only .192 in 65 games with the Stars, though he hit .321 and hit in 24 of 25 games at High Desert before his promotion in May.

 

Barnwell played 35 games at second, 34 at shortstop, 18 at third and even made cameo appearances at first base and in the outfield while batting .246.

 

Miller was 1-8, but had a 3.84 ERA and was the busiest man on the staff, with 50 appearances, mostly as a late-innings setup man.

 

There are several question marks remaining as the Stars' roster is constructed, especially on the pitching staff and in the outfield. To predict the 12-man staff is like figuring an NCAA bracket.

 

Two more outfielders must be selected to go along with Brad Nelson and Tony Gwynn Jr. Jason Belcher, who hit .320 at High Desert, is a possible candidate, but he's still in Triple-A camp for now.

 

It looks as if Froilan Villanueva will be the backup catcher and Johnny Raburn the utility infielder, with Prince Fielder set at first, Rickie Weeks at second and Enrique Cruz at shortstop.

[Al the Thinking Man]

He must not have read that Delgado will be the reserve C either.

[brewcru1]

Here are more cuts that I have learned about:

 

Nic Carter

Justin Backsmeyer

Ralph Santana

Dan Hall

Jon Huizinga

Judd Richardson

[batman]

Can we get a moment of silence, please? The Nic Carter era is, sadly, over.

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

~Bill

[lend d money]

I have to admit to being somewhat surprised about Jon only because of last year's High Desert staff. Hopefully, they have people planned for there that are at least equally as good. Huizinga was used alot during the Snappers 2003 playoff push. He was utilized down the stretch much more than Bausher. He was Ok, but not spectacular. That type of player seems to be the type we bury in HD.

[MassBrew]

Obviously, these are just observations from afar:

 

OF/RHP Nic Carter a puzzling pick at the time (4th round, 2002), a rare Zduriencik misfire:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=321

 

RHP Judd Richardson (2001 fifth round pick out of Canada) -- by the time he overcame injuries, he was old for the leagues where he did see limited action:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=118

 

2B/OF Ralph Santana (42nd round pick, 2001) -- .290 career hitter in 1067 AB's, few strikeouts, nice SB totals and percentages; too few walks and a seemingly below-average glove, but at age 22, still a surprise. Played the organizational soldier role well at High Desert last year when asked to move to the outfield:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=120

 

RHP Dan Hall (15th round, 2000) -- simply put, did not take advantage of a golden opportunity when cemented in to the High Desert rotation for 2003:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...layerId=14

 

RHP Justin Backsmeyer -- former Ranger prospect and an independent league signee last season, Backsmeyer showed promise very early on in High Desert before succumbing to the Cal League -- secondary numbers were better than his 1-9 record:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=526

 

RHP Jon Huizinga -- Huizinga signed his first affiliated contract last June; allowed several unearned runs to score in his 41.2 IP at Beloit, perhaps masking his overall level of effectiveness:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=552

[MassBrew]

We have a note in to the Brewers hoping to confirm, but it looks like there's a new outfielder in camp (perhaps with a destination of High Desert?).

 

Here's the blurb from the Huntsville Times' coverage of Tuesday's AA preseason game:

 

Pete Rasmusen is a long shot to make the Stars' outfield, despite an RBI single yesterday. But he's an interesting story. He wasn't drafted out of Stetson University (despite a two-run homer to upset Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last spring) so he spent his second consecutive summer playing for the Greek national team in Europe. His mom Marina is a native of Greece, which qualified Pete for selection to the squad.

 

Haven't found much more on Rasmusen; he's listed as 5'9", 191, from McHenry, Illinois.