Minor Transactions, April (Thread Now Locked)

[MassBrew]

Beloit management was kind enough to fill us in as to RHP Jon Steitz' injury. Apparently, it's a shoulder injury that doesn't appear to be too serious, with the Brewers being cautious with it to start the season.

[MassBrew]

Former Huntsville announcer Steve Kornya puts the wraps on the whole Brian Moon / Mike Kremblas discussion with his well-thought out post here:

 

members.boardhost.com/sta.../2149.html

[MassBrew]

From Mike Lindskog and the Mavericks Front Office:

 

Brad Nelson, the Brewers #1 rated prospect according to Baseball America has been put on the Disabled List today. The Brewers announced that Nelson has been put on the seven-day DL due to a sore right wrist. It is undetermined how long Nelson will actually be sidelined.

 

Taking Nelson's spot on the roster will be Mark Ernster, who will be called up from Beloit and join the team on Saturday. The 25-year old Ernster, played 28 games in AA Huntsville in 2001, and did not play at all in 2002. In 2003, Ernster is hitting .226 with one home run and five RBIs for the Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League.

 

No word yet from Beloit on who will fill Ernster's spot...

[MassBrew]

Taking Mark Ernster's spot in Beloit will be infielder Keith Bohanan, the 22-year-old who was the Brewers 23rd round choice out of Oklahoma City University, so he's once again reunited with college teammate OF Kennard Bibbs.

 

Bohanan pretty much had a miserable 2002 season at Ogden, hitting .194 in 170 AB's with a .536 OPS (only four extra-base hits). Splitting his time across the Raptor infield over 54 games last summer, Bohanan also made 19 errors.

 

All that being said, this is a new year, wipe the slate clean, good luck Keith.

[MassBrew]

Brad Nelson update:

 

Broken hamate bone in the right wrist, surgery likely, will miss approx. 5-6 weeks....

[Al the Thinking Man]

No wonder his wrist was sore.

 

I'm sure he was insisting he was fine until the minute the X-ray came back.

[MassBrew]

I'm sure he was insisting he was fine until the minute the X-ray came back.

 

That's pretty presumptuous, Al. It's not like Nelson was struggling before he started missing games. It's not like the training staff could have read his mind and said "Hey Brad, you look like you've got pain in your wrist." In this case, of course he brought it to someone's attention. Can't buy it from you on that one, Al.

[igor67]

I'm going to sort of agree with Al on this one, not meaning disrespect to anyone. Brad gets hit on the wrist it hurts, he's a man and does his best to down play the pain. Otherwise why the nearly week delay in getting the Xray? The unfortunate thing is that wrist injuries seem to have become a sort of hitters bane in recent years, so we should probably take it slow and even anticipate that Brad may struggle a bit when he returns.

[MassBrew]

OK, probably not quibbling over. From my understanding, there was an X-ray taken very early in the week, and then an MRI a day or two later. While judging the medical efforts of the Brewers staff has been justified in the past, I'm not sure what they or Brad did incorrectly here to cause any speculation on our parts.

[clancyphile]

Can't really blame anyone for it taking a week to sort out.

 

Stick Kade Johnson at first, and let Brian Foster be the every day catcher. Keep Ernster on the bench.

[BrewDude]

Hey obviously for some reason the brewers still like this Ernster. Got to see if he still really has any worth. Might as well get him some at bats, besides he seems to be able to play a few positions. This will give some of the other guys a day off once in a while. This in turn will keep guys from getting burned out because no matter how much you love to do something too much can be tiring.

 

I do wish Belcher would hit a bomb pretty soon because I believe once he hits that first I see plenty more on the horizon.

[MassBrew]

As mentioned in David Weiser's Huntsville Updates within the Link Report for Monday's action:

 

RHP Tim Crabtree packed his bags today after announcing his retirement from baseball, saying his shoulder hasn't come around from shoulder surgery the way he would like, to still pitch professionally. He gave up two hits and a walk in Sunday's game, then made his announcement later that night....... Crabtree pitched in the major leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers for seven seasons, finishing with a 21-22 record and a 4.95 ERA....... No subsequent Huntsville roster move has been made as of yet.

[JaNelson52]

To replace the spot left by Crabtree, Huntsville has picked up Mike Nicolas on waivers from the Padres. From what I have read about him, he seems like a pretty decent prospect, and I wonder why the Padres waived him...perhaps mental/confidence issues or something? Anyway, he sure seems like a pure power pitcher and will probably complement the Huntsville roster nicely.

[rpms6]

Maybe Mike Nicolas is payment for the Brewers release of Mike Mathews?

[950opsLHcatcher]

Well, there is a new Power 50 member. Will he bump Brian Foster off? The horror.

[igor67]

Reliever prospects are about as risky as it gets, but while the K rate catches your eye his HR rate is really low too. If he can refine his control even a little he could easily make it. Call me crazy but on a different day I could have seen him as a rule V pick.

[MassBrew]

42 BB vs. 121 K in 77.1 Cal League innings last season -- that's a sweet trade for Huntsville; Tim Crabtree for this kid...

 

Mike Nicolas Brewerfan Player Profile Page:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=529

[Al the Thinking Man]

And he's only 23. The guy has had more K's than innings at every level, and had a 1.2 WHIP last year. He improved his 5+ 2001 ERA to a sub 3 ERA at the same level in 2002.

 

It makes as little sense as letting Paul Stewart go. I'd guess he yelled at someone, there's a short leash for guys not considered true prospects.

[bork]

JS mentions that he was charged with beating his wife last year. Also, the Brewers may be looking to trade him.

 

www.jsonline.com/sports/brew/apr03/135794.asp

[MassBrew]

Nicolas to Boston for PTBNL and cash

 

Please limit discussion to the Nicolas thread on the Major League forum, thanks.

 

Huntsville once again with an open roster spot.

[950opsLHcatcher]

He pushed RIch Paz off the Power 50 for about 3 hours, that jerk.

[MassBrew]

In addition to the transactions discussed within the Link Report for Games of Monday, April 28th (High Desert LHP Pete Smart on the DL, RHP Ken Ray signed), there is the following to report:

 

Beloit RHP Calvin Carpenter has been placed on Beloit's 7-day disabled list. Carpenter was originally scheduled to throw today, but LHP Jeff Housman will get the start.

 

No word as of yet on the nature of Carpenter's injury; we'll work on that for you. Still wondering on Khalid Ballouli as well, as the Snapper front office was unaware early this morning of the resaons Ryan Trytten started Monday's game.

 

Taking Carpenter's spot on the Snapper roster is LHP Craig Breslow, promoted from Helena's roster and extended spring training in Maryvale.

[MassBrew]

Calvin Carpenter's injury involves his pitching shoulder, no word on the extent.

[950opsLHcatcher]

Not really a transaction per se, but a small update on Carpenter and Ballouli. Both of them are scheduled to have MRIs on their pitching shoulders today (Wednesday), and it looks like Khalid could wind up following Carpenter to the DL. Tough early season luck for both the pitchers and the Snappers. For now, it looks like Trytten and Housman will be the guys to take the rotation spots, though Jason Baker (who has missed a little time with a sore arm himself) could also be in the mix. Or, I could concentrate real hard and convince the Beloit staff through telekinesis that Bo Hall should step in.

 

As an addendum, as I noted it in the Power 50, but I'll say here as well, Ben Hendrickson's name will probably reappear in the box score in the next 2-5 days as a relief pitcher. The Brewers have him working out of the pen for now after resting his sore elbow. He'll be on a 30ish pitch count the first time or two out, but he'll be back in the rotation fairly soon if all goes well and he is pain-free.

[MassBrew]

High Desert RHP Greg Schaub, the outfielder-turned-pitcher who has been in the Brewer organization longer than any other player other than Valerio De Los Santos, I believe, has been placed on the disabled list with a right arm injury.

 

Schaub was the Brewers' 3rd round pick in 1995, the same year that Geoff Jenkins was the first round pick. The 25-year-old was off to a fantastic start here in 2003, with a 2.08 ERA in his first eight relief outings, striking out 21 in 17.1 IP.

 

Taking Schaub's active spot on the High Desert roster is RHP Jeff Robinson, the Brewers' 7th round pick in 1999 who has been limited to 44.2 IP over the past two seasons due to arm injury concerns of his own. Robinson had been on High Desert's DL to open the season, and had been rehabbing at extended spring training in Maryvale.