June Transactions

[Mass Haas]

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www.wvgazette.com/section...2007062526

 

Brewers' top pick signs; is expected to come here

Charleston Gazette

 

West Virginia may be in for a power surge at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers agreed Monday to a contract with Matt LaPorta, giving their top pick and the seventh overall selection in this year?s amateur draft a $2 million signing bonus.

 

LaPorta will report to the rookie Arizona League where he will rehabilitate a minor strain in his right quadriceps at the Brewers? facility. All indications are that LaPorta will arrive in Charleston to play for the West Virginia Power, the Brewers? low Class A affiliate, sometime this summer.

 

?My guess is as soon as his quad is in good shape he?ll probably be up here,?? said Andy ?Bull?? Barch, the Power?s radio play-by-play announcer.

 

?I?m not sure if he?s going to play down there or just work out to get his quad good and ready. As soon as he?s ready to rock ?n? roll down there, he?ll be up here. I hope that?s the case, because he can add some pop to this lineup.??

 

In June 2005, the Brewers didn?t waste any time in sending Ryan Braun, their first-round draft pick from Miami (Fla.), to the Power. Braun, who recently made his Major League debut with Milwaukee, spent only 10 games at the rookie league level before coming to Charleston.

 

A senior left fielder and first baseman at Florida, LaPorta was chosen the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2005 and this season, when he hit .402 with 20 home runs, 52 RBIs and 55 walks. He is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top amateur baseball player.

 

LaPorta led the nation in on-base percentage (.582), second in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.399), fifth in slugging percentage (.817) and ninth in homers. LaPorta, 22, hit 74 homers in his four-year career, ranking third in SEC history and ninth in NCAA history.

 

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound LaPorta was selected in the 14th round of the 2006 amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox after an injury-plagued junior season at Florida. The Chicago Cubs drafted LaPorta in the 14th round of the 2003 draft after he graduated from Charlotte (Fla.) High School.

 

Barch said LaPorta?s offensive abilities are comparable to those of Braun, the former Power third baseman. Braun hit .355 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 37 games with the Power.

 

?It?s assumed he?d put up the same numbers Braun put up,?? Barch said. ?[LaPorta?s] just a very, very good offensive player. If he stays here for any amount of time he could have double digits in home runs.??

 

The Power captured the South Atlantic League?s Northern Division title and accompanying playoff spot in the season?s first half with a 48-20 record, setting a franchise record for victories. The Power led the Sally League in batting average (.305) and was fourth in homers.

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County catcher Nestor Corredor, who was forced to leave a game earlier this week, has been placed on the Manatee disabled list, exact injury not disclosed.

 

Nashville catcher J.R. Hopf has been activated from the Sounds D.L. and transferred back to Brevard to take Corredor's spot.

[Mass Haas]

The Max St. Pierre as pitcher experiment is already over. The Brewers have released the converted catcher who was acquired in the Ben Hendrickson deal.

 

Filling in some roster updates on the lowest levels, now that the short seasons have begun:

 

RHP Wily Peralta, who underwent Tommy John surgery, is on the Arizona Brewer 60-day disabled list, as is just-turned 18-year-old RHP Joel DeLaCruz -- no word on the extent of the young Dominican's injury. DeLaCruz made two relief appearances in Arizona Rookie ball last year.

 

The Brewers have two players on the Arizona League restricted list: LHP Rene Ducler and OF Jose Rangel. Each was signed after this year's media guide came out, so we'll know more about them when / if they are activated.

 

The following players are technically on West Virginia's disabled list at this time: catcher Jesse D'Amico, RHP Amaury Rivas, and RHP Harold Mejia (Mejia has seen action with the Arizona Brewers recently, but technically he is on a rehab assignment there). Whether these players will report to West Virginia once activated remains to be seen, and none of their injuries are known.

 

Looks like there may be some additional info of this sort to report tonight -- will keep you posted.