Camp Transactions - 29 Releases Reported This Past Week

[And That]

Anyone else notice the walk (and BB/K) totals he put up in the minors when he was a prospect? Shame that never transferred over to the bigs, and it's too late to hope he could do that again.

[sbrylski]

There's a reason that Macias is available as a AAA backup and Counsell is making big bucks. Craig is simply a much better player.

 

I guess it was more of a sarcastic comment, I definately don't think Macias should really take Counsells roster spot.

[Mass Haas]

Brewerfan Player Index pages now in place for the following young Latin prospects signed over the past year, but yet to debut in pro ball. You've seen these names in some of the box score lines we're posting this spring.

 

16-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Allixon Cequea will turn 17 in May. He's a switch-hitter, and yes, this does mean he was the first Brewer ever signed who was born in the 1990's. Yikes.

 

RHP Yeison Cruz, 18, is out of the Dominican Republic. He was signed last August.

 

RHP Pedro Lambertus, a 17-year-old 6'3" Dominican (18 in June) was signed last September.

 

Catcher Jonathan Requena is from Venezuela, and turns 18 today (March 25th).

 

RHP Adrian Rosario is a 17-year-old 6'4" Dominican.

 

Luis Sanchez is a 17-year-old infielder from the Dominican.

 

6'5" RHP Juan Sepulveda is also out of the Dominican -- where are the southpaws http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif ?

 

Edgar Trejo is an infielder (with size -- 6'3", 194) out of Venezuela. Only 17, he'll be 18 in July.

[Mass Haas]

From the Nashville site:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2224

 

Three candidates for a spot on the Sounds roster were released from minor-league camp by the Brewers: pitchers Benito Baez and Dave Bradley, and first baseman Mike Huggins. All three were new to the organization in 2007 after signing as minor-league free agents.

 

So much for minor league game numbers, as Mike Huggins (26 years old) was 9-for-25 with (8!) extra-base-hits this spring. Benito Baez (29) threw three hitless innings in his only outing.

 

That's got to be a tough pill to swallow, after training all off-season for a new opportunity.

 

Dave Bradley was recently featured here in this "hometown article" thread:

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...3985.topic

 

Huggins and Baez will be among those players who were Brewers in "name only", as they never appeared in a regular season game, so you won't see their names on historical sites like the Baseball Cube, etc.

[Mass Haas]

From the Huntsville Site (the Stars also reported David Bradley's release, which had been mentioned previously in this thread):

 

The Brewers announced that they have released former Stars' pitcher Matt Yeatman and oufielder Travis Ezi. Yeatman went 5-2 with a 4.63 ERA in five starts and 35 appearances in relief last season, while Ezi batted a combined .226 with two home runs and 21 runs batted in during stints with Huntsville in 2005 and 2006.

 

Matt Yeatman, 24, was traded to the Twins in the Matt Kinney deal in the spring of 2003. He was reacquired in a minor cash deal from the Twins prior to last season.

 

Travis Ezi, 25, was also a trade acquisition, acquired from the Cubs in exchange for catcher Mark Johnson in March 2005.

 

Feel free to review their career numbers via their Brewerfan pages linked below:

 

RHP Matt Yeatman

 

OF Travis Ezi

[Mass Haas]

Another "phantom" Brewer, never to actually play for the organization:

 

Nashville site:

 

The Brewers released catcher/infielder Craig Kuzmic from minor-league camp on Tuesday. Kuzmic was competing for a spot on the Sounds roster.

 

I wish Craig well, but if I went to all the trouble of building his Player Index Page this offseason, then you folks had better darn well at least review it once:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...yerId=1013

[wOOgiE22]

Man I haven't heard that name for a while. I can remember when Kuzmic played for the Timber Rattlers. But it doesn't look like I'll be hearing it for a while again.

[Mass Haas]

Seems to me like this is an indication Vinny Rottino makes the Brewers' Opening Day roster, because here's your new Nashville utility man, courtesy of the Sounds' site:

 

Link for photo, text follows:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2230

 

The Milwaukee Brewers signed veteran minor-league infielder Joe Dillon to a Triple-A contract on Tuesday and the former Pacific Coast League All-Star will likely open the 2007 season as a member of the Nashville Sounds.

 

The 31-year-old Dillon -- who has appeared at third base, second base, first base, and the outfield during his career -- recently exercised an out clause in his contract with the Florida Marlins after batting .231 (3-for-13) with four runs scored in 13 Grapefruit League spring training contests with the club as a non-roster invitee to camp.

 

Dillon spent the 2006 season playing in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, where he batted .195 with two homers and seven RBIs in 87 at-bats over 31 games.

 

Prior to going overseas, Dillon was a stalwart for the Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA-Marlins) in the Pacific Coast League, with whom he was a PCL All-Star in 2004.

 

In his most recent season on American soil, the outfielder hit .360 with 24 homers and 72 RBIs in 98 games for Albuquerque in 2005 and received his first career call-up to the Marlins, where he batted .167 in 27 contests.

 

A product of Texas Tech, Dillon was initially drafted by Kansas City in the 7th round in 1997 and has posted a career .294 average in 782 minor-league games.

 

Joe Dillon Career Statistics:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...llon.shtml

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site:

 

BIBBS RELEASED: Outfielder Kennard Bibbs, who spent the majority of the 2006 season with the Nashville Sounds, has been released by the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted .218 (34-for-156) in 67 games for Nashville last season following a late April promotion from Double-A Huntsville. He had spent the first five years of his pro career with the Brewers organization after being selected by the club in the 14th round of the 2002 draft.

 

Kennard Bibbs Career Stats via his Brewerfan Player Index Page:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=318

 

As recently as just last year, Bibbs was listed at MiLB.com at 5'9", 143 pounds. He had a nice ride having to overcome his size. Good luck, Kennard.

[qrk10000]

Thanks again, Jim, for always being on top of this stuff. You truly set the standard for Brewers minor league transactional coverage and it simply cannot be found anywhere else. Keep up the great work.

[dadofandrew]

They said a lot of nice things about Bibbs when he was with Gwynn. I would guess he simply could not hit the breaking ball.

[And That]

I was amazed how tiny Bibbs was the first time I saw him. It's like the gust from Branyan's backswing across the Maryvale complex would have tipped him over.

[JohnBriggs12]

When I saw in the thread title that Bibbs was released, I decided to post that now he can get on with his true calling which is being a jockey.

 

I saw him play for Beloit a few years ago at Kane County and figured he had made a wrong turn on the way to Arlington Park.

 

Apparently I'm not the only one who thought his size would hold him back.

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com also noted that:

 

Bibbs injured his knee during the offseason and was expected to miss all of 2007.

[Mass Haas]

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times:

 

Pitcher Joe Valentine, whose relief work was key in the Stars' pennant drive, was sold by the Brewers to a team in Japan.

 

Earlier this offseason, Baseball America noted Valentine as "released", which must have been part of this transaction.

[Mass Haas]

Earlier this offseason, 22-year-old RHP Ryan Marion, the Brewers 8th round pick out of a North Carolina high school in 2003, was released. Marion never advanced beyond low-A:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=586

 

After taking Rickie Weeks, Tony Gwynn, Lou Palmisano, and Charlie Fermaint with the first four picks in 2003, the rest of the top 10 was not Jack Z.'s finest hour. You had a 5th round high school catcher (Bryan Opdyke) who never got out of rookie ball, and then with the next five picks, pitchers, now all released, not one of which even advanced to high-A (Robbie Wooley, Brian Montalbo, Marion, Greg Kloosterman, and Tyler Morrison). That's a combination of some serious failures in scouting and player development -- and yes, Im only focusing on that little group of six consecutive top 10 picks.

[Mass Haas]

Earlier in the Minor League Spring Training Game Thread, we had posted the following:

 

You'll notice the name Dubose with a home run at the rookie league level Friday.

 

That would be 2006 35th round draft pick, 3B Sanduan Dubose, who initially was announced as signed in Brewer press notes last season, then that was rescinded, and he did not appear in a pro game last year. Potential nice power source, here's the writeup from last June:

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=35

 

He's already 24 years old, so he'll have to show a lot quickly. Could be a nice story, and we're always looking for those...

 

UPDATE: Sanduan Dubose was released by the Brewers this week.

[Mass Haas]

Earlier this off-season, two additional Brewer farmhands voluntarily retired:

 

Drafted in the 23rd round of the 2004 draft out of UCal-Riverside, Tony Festa saw action in all the corner infield and outfield spots in his three pro seasons. Now 26 years old, Festa was drafted at 23, and you just have to make your mark very quickly in those situations, especially as a low-round pick:

 

Tony Festa Brewefan Player Index Page

 

Similarly, catcher Brad Willcutt was 23 on draft day (27th round, 2005). Most organizations will bring in older college catchers to help guide the slew of inexperienced arms in rookie ball. So again, one has to make an all-around impression quickly:

 

Brad Willcutt Brewerfan Player Index Page

 

Good luck to both gentlemen in their post-Brewer careers.

[DHonks]

I kind of expected Festa to move on. Boy, that draft class sure seemed exciting in Helena. They were older players for the most part, and they thrived, especially with OBP. I think it was Festa, Richardson, Sollman, Rasheed, and one or two others.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have released the following players (in each case, click on the name -- the link will provide their Brewerfan Player Index Page):

 

22-year-old RHP Jose Beltre walked 53 and struck out 82 in 82 combined innings in Arizona (2005) and Helena (2006).

 

Canadian RHP Mark James, still just 19 years old, was the Brewers' 14th round pick in 2005. He posted an 8.34 ERA (41 BB's, 31 K's in 45.1 IP) in two seasons with the Arizona Rookie club.

 

LHP Brian Logan, who will turn 21 in April, was an undrafted free agent signed out of Louisburg College in North Carolina last June. He walked 22 and struck out 20 in 24 combined innings in Arizona and Helena last season.

 

23-year-old 1B Bill Rowe was a teammate of Cole Gillespie on the 2006 Oregon State National Championship squad. Undrafted, Rowe joined Helena on June 28th, and hit .279 in 129 AB's.

 

3B Fredy de la Cruz, a 21-year-old Dominican native, spent two seasons at Arizona and one in Helena. de la Cruz posted a .769 OPS in Helena in 2006, so this could be seen as a surprise to some.

 

Signed to his first affiliated contract out of independent ball in January '06, 6'10" RHP Steve Palazzolo was shuffled between West Virginia (where he struggled) and Helena (where he shined).

 

When you sign out of junior college as a 14th round draft pick, you certainly expect to have a career with your draft team consisting of more than 60 AB's, but 20-year-old 2B/SS Hector Bernal is among those let go. Five games in Arizona, then on to West Virginia, where Bernal broke his leg on a play at second base.

 

RHP Brandon Harmsen, 25 years old, was purchased from independent ball last July 31, and appeared in ten games with Brevard County, posting a 5.51 ERA in 16.1 innings. Prior to 2006, Harmsen spent four seasons in the Yankees system (drafted in the 6th round in 2002).

 

LHP Kyle Pawelczyk, also 25, was another independent league signee last July. He only made three appearances with West Virginia, and spent time on the Power disabled list. Previously in the Angel organization (3rd round, 2002), he spent four seasons with Anaheim. He began 2006 with the Padres' low-A club, but was released in late April.

 

Soon-to-be 23-year-old C Kyle Phillips appeared in 58 games for Brevard County in 2006 (.236 /.304 /.296). Prior to last season, he had spent four years in the Twins' chain -- he was drafted in the 10th round in 2002.

 

OF Nate Yoho, 24, was an undrafted signee in July 2005 out of the University of Iowa. He hit .232 with five home runs in 422 AB's since, spending all of 2006 as a backup in West Virginia.

 

It takes time to develop high school pitchers, but almost shockingly the Brewers have decided to part with LHP Brandon Parillo, just 21, after three professional seasons. Parillo, the Brewers' 8th round pick in 2004, nearly averaged a strikeout an inning over 133.2 pro IP (3.37 pro ERA), but more than that, was a ground ball machine. Only 11 of his 50 career outings (21 starts) came above the rookie ball level, with West Virginia in 2006. Here's Toby's comment history from the Power 50 for Parillo, where he was currently # 48:

 

LHP Brandon Parillo Power 50 History

 

RHP John Novinsky, who will be 28 in April, had not pitched since 2004 (shoulder surgery). Acquired in an August 2003 trade from St. Louis along with RHP Mike Crudale for RHP Mike DeJean, Novinsky has a Power 50 history as well, reaching as high as # 31 pre-injury.

 

RHP John Novinsky Power 50 History

 

1B Grant Richardson, who missed all of 2006 with a shoulder injury, was also released. Having turned 24 this past February, Richardson will best be remembered for posting a 1.044 OPS at Helena as a 21-year-old. Along with the rest of the inaugural 2005 West Virginia club, Richardson started miserably, but rebounded in the second half to finish at .285 (.826 OPS). His release, too, will be seen as a surprise to many. Richardson, the Brewers' 14th round pick in 2004, also peaked on the Power 50 at # 31:

 

1B Grant Richardson Power 50 History

 

Now 27, RHP Gerrit Simpson was an emergency trade acquisition (for later cash considerations) from Colorado when the Brewers sent out an APB for an arm for AA in July of 2005. But Simpson proved to be a very valuable member of the Huntsville Stars down the stretch in 2005, and for all of 2006, posting ERA's well below 3.00 and basically taking the ball for whatever innings were asked. He seemed to be one of those guys you really rooted for in the box scores, and I'll miss following his name.

 

Another puzzler, but RHP Dane Renkert, who at 25 was a bit behind playing age level, but had made 71 relief appearances, mostly with West Virginia, since being drafted in the 14th round in 2005, was let go. Renkert had a 2.83 ERA in 117.2 IP, allowing only 99 hits, walking 42, and striking out 110. He did have trouble minimizing the errors of the defense behind him, allowing 19 unearned runs during his career. Renkert made one Power 50 appearance, at # 50, in January 2006. We'll miss Renkert's newspaper columns for his hometown in Washington State. He had ironically written about the subject of player releases within the past week or so:

 

Dane Renkert's Newspaper Columns

 

Canadian RHP Mike Meyers was a non-roster invitee to big league camp this spring. This is Meyers' 11th season (drafted by the Cubs -- 26th round, 1997), but the 29-year-old has not had his big league cup of coffee as of yet. Meyers' numbers with Nashville in 2006 were overlooked by some, but his raw and peripheral stats were excellent last season.

 

OF Hasan Rasheed, 23, was a draft-and-follow signee in 2004 (26th round, 2003). Rasheed hit .299 in Helena in 2004, .305 in West Virginia in 2005, but his 2006 Brevard County season (.238) was cut to 51 games by an illness. Rasheed once was as high as # 35 on the P50:

 

OF Hasan Rasheed Power 50 History

 

Finally (for now), Milwaukee released former big league Brewer RHP Chris Demaria, 26. Acquired in excahnge for RHP Justin Barnes (recently featured on our Alumni Thread) in December 2005, Demaria appeared in ten games for Milwaukee (5.93 ERA) and 38 for Nashville (2.96) in 2006. He was another who peaked at # 31 on the Power 50:

 

RHP Chris Demaria Power 50 History

 

Released player names courtesy of Baseball America.

[colbyjack]

I'm really surprised by Bernal. I was tempted to pick him as a super-sleeper. His leg must have been slow to recover, or worse than originally thought.

 

I'm also mildly surprised by Rowe being let go. Not so much because I felt he was a prospect, but because the system is so thin at 1B. I wonder if Errecart's permanent move to 1B at BC had anything to do with this (assuming one or both of Grant Richardson and John Alonso will be taking the 1B job at WV).

 

EDIT: Scratch that, Richardson added to the list too.

[DHonks]

Parillo was a name I enjoyed to follow, so that's a shocker.

[DHonks]

wow, Richardson, too? Are these some early April's fools jokes? Do we have anyone who can play 1b?

 

Boy, we must have some sleepers in the organization, or else I really don't feel good about our minor league power numbers. It seems like everyone left (except Katin and Moss) is a decent obp, linedrive hitter.

[Mass Haas]

A reminder that you can click on our "Transactions" link, and sort transactions within a defined date range:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewTransactions.do

[LouisEly]

Most of the others are not surprising, but Brandon Parillo? Still only 21. That is surprising.

 

As is Grant Richardson. I guess that means that Errecart is the 1B of the future.