Spring Training Transactions

[MassBrew]

The Brewers confirm that Pete Rasmusen is in camp...

[brewcru1]

My magic 8 ball tells me that Francisco Plasencia and Andri Gomez are gone too.

[MassBrew]

Jones to start year with Stars

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

MARYVALE, Ariz. - So cautious are the Milwaukee Brewers now about their top prospects, the Stars' finest pitcher of 2003 is returning for an encore.

 

Mike Jones, considered one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, worked in 17 games in Huntsville last season before a tender elbow convinced Milwaukee to shut him down.

 

After much deliberation among Milwaukee officials, Jones will be returning to Huntsville to begin the season, an anchor for an otherwise relatively inexperienced pitching staff.

 

"I'm fine with it,'' Jones said of the decision.

 

"It doesn't mean he's going to be there the whole season,'' said farm director Reid Nichols.

 

Jones, who turns 21 on April 23, was 7-2 with a 2.40 ERA for the Stars and was named to the midseason Southern League All-Star team.

 

A first-round draft pick in 2001, Jones became a medical quandary for the Brewers' doctors. There was much debate whether Jones might require surgery, but a prescription of rest and rehab in the offseason seems to have done the trick for what was eventually diagnosed as a strained elbow ligament instead of a tear.

 

Jones said Wednesday he had no pain in the arm any time this spring.

 

Starbrites: Tim Bausher, a reliever who was in Beloit last season, was moved to the Stars' roster from Indianapolis Wednesday. He will be another candidate for the closer's role. He was outstanding in the Arizona Fall League, with a 2-0 record and 1.98 ERA in 10 appearances. ... Johnny Raburn had three hits and three RBIs in the Stars' 7-5 win over Mobile, San Diego's Double-A affiliate, on Wednesday. ... The minor league staff held a long meeting Wednesday morning and planned to meet again today to finalize all the rosters. ... Manager Frank Kremblas is pleased with the idea of next Tuesday's preseason game with Birmingham at 3 p.m. "It'll let our pitchers throw against somebody else instead of just working in the bullpen,'' he said.

[Al the Thinking Man]

My magic 8 ball tells me that Francisco Plasencia and Andri Gomez are gone too.

 

Brucrew, please tell me the morning before I get fired, so I can sleep in.

 

Based on BC's "insider" status, that's as good as done.

[colbyjack]

I'm glad to hear that Jones will open the season at AA. Last year I had hoped that he would open the year at High Desert, as I don't see the rush in bumping him up. I would rather see our young pitchers get more innings at the lower levels first, and then get promoted more aggressively at the higher levels if their production warrants it. Nichols stated a few times this offseason that Jones would start at AA, with Melvin saying he would start at AAA, so it seems to me that Nichols may have won a debate there. As much as Melvin talks about being patient with the promotions of prospects, it does seem as though he's trying to get some of these young men up to the majors as quickly as humanly possible, and I'm not so sure that's a good idea.

[MassBrew]

Always fun to look back at Toby's Power 50 history, in this case relating to just-released OF Francisco Plasencia.

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPow...ayerId=139

 

That's not picking on Toby; he saw something during ealier Maryvale visits that he latched on to; just didn't work out, apparently...

 

In fact, among the releases thus far, Plasencia joins Judd Richardson, Dan Hall, Ralph Santana, Nic Carter, Manuel Melo, and Brian Foster as Power 50 alumni (click on any name for their P50 history):

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPow...kerList.do

 

And one more -- even in a roundtable discussion among the most diehard fans of obscure Brewer farmhands, you'd be likely to win a bar bet that RHP Chris Gittings was also a Power 50 alum (albeit a cameo appearance).

[MassBrew]

Two Stars veterans return

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

As the Huntsville Stars roster grows closer to being set, two more veterans of the 2003 Southern League West team have been returned.

 

Ryan Knox, a 25-year-old outfielder who has spent part of the last three seasons with the Stars, has been sent down from Triple-A Indianapolis.

 

Ditto Brandon Gemoll, the Stars' first baseman last season and author of perhaps more clutch hits - his 65 RBIs was second on the team - than anybody on the club.

 

Knox will join the outfield quartet of holdover Brad Nelson, Tony Gwynn and Jason Belcher, who batted .320 at High Desert and has been sent down from Indianapolis.

 

Outfielders Chris Morris, Pete Rasmusen and Kennard Bibbs, who have been on the Stars' roster most of the spring, have been sent to Class A.

 

Gemoll will back up Prince Fielder at first base and can be the designated hitter. The DH is used against American League affiliates, and the addition of Montgomery, a Devil Rays farm club, in the SL West provides more opportunities for the DH than before.

 

The infield is set now with Gemoll, Fielder, Rickie Weeks at second, Enrique Cruz at short, Chris Barnwell at third and Johnny Raburn in a utility role.

 

The search is still on for a back-up catcher.

 

The pitching staff is taking shape. Mike Jones, Jeff Housman, David Nolasco, Ryan Miller, Brian Adams and Chris Saenz are back from last year. They'll be joined by Tim Bausher, Dennis Sarfate, John Novinsky and Reggie Rivard, with a couple of other spots yet to be filled.

 

The Brewers are stepping things up a little more quickly with Nick Neugebauer's return. He's been assigned to High Desert, a convenient locale to his home in Riverside, Calif. ...

 

Jason Shelley, who pitched in nine games for Huntsville last season, will remain at extended spring training before joining the club later. ...

 

Reid Nichols, the Brewers' director of minor league development, will be in Huntsville for next Thursday's season opener against Montgomery.

 

Technically, the official moves involved here were all transfers -- MassBrew

 

Knox, Gemoll and Novinsky from AAA to AA

Gwynn from A to AA

Morris from AA to A+

Neugebauer from MLB to A+

[colbyjack]

No Manny Parra, or does he factor into the "with a couple of other spots yet to be filled" category? I remember a report earlier this spring saying he had some discomfort or something in his arm, and I'm wondering if that is still an issue. Or, has the team simply decided to start him at High Desert?

[950opsLHcatcher]

I knew I should have moved Gemoll down to AA, but I just couldn't do it to the guy. I guess he could work on making better contact, but he's earned a promotion more than a lot of other people who have gotten one.

 

If Parra starts in High Desert, good. They should start Sarfate there, too. I don't see Matt Parker's name, which I'll take as a good sign for now. And how far as Chris Morris fallen, exactly?

[colbyjack]

If Parra starts in High Desert, good. They should start Sarfate there, too.

 

I agree 100%.

[lend d money]

The absolute only reason I can see starting Dennis in AA and Manny in HD(if ,in fact, that is the plan) is because of season-ending and offseason health concerns. Otherwise, IMHO, Manny at the very least is equally refined as Dennis.

[lend d money]

I forgot to make mention of Brandon. With Prince, what are their plans for him? When they play in DH games, their already potent offense will be even stronger by comparison to most other teams.

[DHonks]

They mention Neugy going to High Desert. My question is more with our current 40 man roster...people keep saying he'll go on the 60 day dl. But why? He isn't hurt and he isn't rehabbing. He should still have an option to use, which is beneficial because then he won't rack up even more service time.

[pogokat]

rotoworld indeed reorted that Neugie was optioned...a good sign that the brewers are sick of paying him.

 

and...that sucks for Gemoll....hopefully Liefer will suck up the joint and Brandon will get moved back to indy....he needs to learn to play the outfield...or catcher

[lend d money]

I might be telling you something you already knew, but Brandon started with the Snappers as a corner OF. My guess is he was moved due to a lack of speed.

[DHonks]

The Journal Sentinal is reporting several bits of news.

 

First on Neugy:

Melvin said Neugebauer was sent to High Desert to pitch in warm weather and not have the pressure associated with higher levels in the system.

"He just needs to pitch," Melvin said. "We talked to him and he's fine with it. He needs to start over at ground zero and build his arm back up. If he could get to 60 pitches (per outing) by the end of the year, that would be good."

 

Then on Parra:

Left-hander Manny Parra, one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, has been shut down with shoulder problems and will begin the season on the disabled list. Parra originally was targeted to start the year at Class AA Huntsville.

It says he should be back in early May.

[colbyjack]

Thanks DHonks.

 

Good news, very bad news. Neugie should spend the entire year simply building his arm strength back up. I'm happy to hear that they are taking an extremely conservative approach with him.

 

As for Parra...man I cringe when I hear shoulder problems when associated with a pitcher. That's how we got into this whole mess with Neugebauer to begin with. Not good news at all. May his problems be minor, and may we see his name in the box scores come May.

[DHonks]

As for Parra...man I cringe when I hear shoulder problems when associated with a pitcher.

 

I always cringe when I hear this about Parra, because I was told that he partially tore his labrum in his post-signing workout, hence why he didn't debut for over a month.

[Anders34]

That is really unfortunate news on Parra. Considering Greg Miller had his bursa sac removed and is due back in mid-May, it may not be that terrible of an idea to scope his shoulder just to make sure there are no tears of the rotator cuff, etc...

[brewcru1]

Quote:

---

rotoworld indeed reorted that Neugie was optioned...a good sign that the brewers are sick of paying him.

---

 

What? Neugebauer is still on the 40 man roster, with ML service time. He'll still be making $30,000-$40,000 a month pitching in the minors. If the Brewers were really sick of paying him, they'd release him

[brewcru1]

My Magic 8 ball says that these players are no longer with the organization:

 

Chad Petty

Calvin Carpenter

Justin Gordon

Scott Wiggins

Phil Hendrix

 

There may be more, but all I get now is, reply hazy ask again later.

[DHonks]

He'll still be making $30,000-$40,000 a month pitching in the minors

 

I think that's pretty high. I believe the 40 man roster spots are more like $60-100k for the year, unless the contract he signed stipulated a higher minor league salary

[Al the Thinking Man]

Petty is a bit of a surprise, but I'm unaware of the others. Gotta get down to 120 or so, I assume.

[brewcru1]

D Honks-- I think there are certain salary restrictions for players on the 40 man. A player who's in at least his 3rd year, if not 4th year on the 40 man is going to be making quite a bit of money. Not to mention that his MLB service time is going to drive it up even higher. 30k may have been a bit overestimating, but 20k a month could be a better guess

[SoCalBrewfan]

My Magic 8 ball says that these players are no longer with the organization:

 

Chad Petty

Calvin Carpenter

 

Someone keep an eye on Toby...this may put him over the edge...