Spring Training Invites Announced -- LHP Thatcher, Nice!

[Mass Haas]

Brewers invited pitchers Tim Dillard and Yovani Gallardo, catchers Lou Palmisano and Nestor Corredor and third baseman Ryan Braun to spring training.

 

Dillard is a nice surprise among those not yet on the 40-man roster; 22-year-old Nestor Corredor gets a chance for a second consecutive year, because you always need catchers in camp.

 

Carlos Corporan got this invite last year, but he's more of a first baseman han a catcher now, it seems.

 

The previous non-roster invitees are listed here, there are now 14:

 

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p?c_id=mil

[brewmann04]

so out of the Invites who do you think might make the final Roster.

[JohnBriggs12]

Kind of disappointing that Joe Thatcher didn't get an invite.

 

Are they not even interested in looking at lefty relievers?

[clancyphile]

Braun. I think he could take the third-base job from Koskie decisiviely.

[TheEndless7]

Quote:

---

so out of the Invites who do you think might make the final Roster.

---

 

Braun and Yo. Maddux wanted to bring up Yo last season, according to a JS article, but they didn't let him. I get a strange feeling he'll be our fifth and CV will be the long man in the Pen.

[Team Canada]

I get a strange feeling he'll be our fifth and CV will be the long man in the Pen.

 

What about Vargas? I think Yo'll get at least 1/2 a season at Nashville.

[Hammer]

Quote:

---

I get a strange feeling he'll be our fifth and CV will be the long man in the Pen.

---

 

Are you referring to Carlos V or Claudio V?

 

Personally, I'd still like Yo G to start in AAA until June to see what we have in Claudio V...

[Boy Jeenius]

We have 5 solid starters. Why rush a 20 year old kid? Can Gallardo pitch well right away? Sure. Should it be done? Hardly.

[dadofandrew]

Barring several injuries, Yo will be sent to minor league camp with the first or 2nd cut. They have enough real decisions to make without wasting innings on a 20 year-old who was in AA.

[pogokat]

if sarfate truly has another option, then i say Chris Spurling is the most likely to make it from that list..

[dadofandrew]

I would agree with Pogo, but with Oxspring a close second. He would fit the "Helling type" more, as he's been a starter, if memory serves.

[And That]

I'd like to see Corey Thurman win the spot. He's still got some potential left in him, and appears to be totally healthy.

[jackalope02ca]

I don't know why but I just have a gut feeling that Dillard is going to surprise us and make the team. In what role I don't know but I think we'll see a fair bit of him this year shuttling back and forth between AAA.

[augie46]

Corey Thurman

[Mass Haas]

Tom Haudricourt in the JS:

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have invited minor-league right-hander Luther Hackman to their spring training camp as a non-roster player.

 

Hackman, 32, was picked up by the Brewers last August and assigned to Class AA Huntsville, where he went 3-0 with a 0.66 earned run average in eight relief outings. He was promoted to Class AAA Huntsville, retiring all six batters he faced in his only assignment.

 

Hackman pitched this winter in Mexico for Hermosillo, going 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 16 games (seven starts). He finished his campaign there with three scoreless outings.

 

In 149 major-league appearances (nine starts), Hackman has a career record of 9-10 with a 5.09 ERA. He last pitched in the majors in 2003 for San Diego, going 2-2 with a 5.17 ERA in 65 relief outings.

 

The Brewers have invited 15 non-roster players to camp, including 10 pitchers.

[dadofandrew]

And Luther leapfrogs Spurling as the sleeper pick to make the 25 man.

[Mass Haas]

An updated list from MLB.com includes the following:

 

Catchers C.J. Medlin (Happy Birthday today, March 3rd -- 25 years old) and Anderson de la Rosa, a 22-year-old converted outfielder from Venezuela -- you always need catchers in camp, and Damian Miller's injury contributed to the need.

 

Chris Barnwell, slugging Jeff Eure (who singled in his one at-bat Friday), Brad Nelson, and Guilder Rodriguez among the infielders, and 25-year-old offseason acquisition Ron Davenport (former Blue Jay farmhand) in the outfield.

 

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p?c_id=mil

[Mass Haas]

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p?c_id=mil

 

Perhaps not technically invites to major league camp, but nontheless several players added to MLB.com's list who appeared in Wednesday's split-squad games. Go to the MLB.com scoreboard for the two boxes from the 7th to see how everyone did (Cole Gillespie and Mat Gamel with singles, for instance, Gamel driving in two).

[Mass Haas]

Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel:

 

Phoenix- Less than pleased with the overall showing in exhibition play of the candidates for bullpen jobs, the Brewers added minor-league lefty Joe Thatcher to their camp today.

 

Thatcher, 25, pitched in the Brewers' system last year at three levels -- low Class A West Virginia, high Class A Brevard County and Class AA Huntsville. In 46 relief outings combined at those stops, he went 5-4 with a 1.37 ERA and 12 saves.

 

In 65 2/3 innings, Thatcher issued only 17 walks while striking out 80 hitters.

 

"We're bringing him over here to get a look at him," said manager Ned Yost. "We've heard a lot of good things about him. His numbers sure are good."

 

***

Very exciting. Regular readers of this forum know quite a bit about Thatcher:

 

www.kokomotribune.com/sit...34521.html

 

Fantastic thinking-forward move by the Brewers -- potential second lefty in the pen, given the weak performances of all the 12th man candidates (final reliever -- not counting Carlos Villanueva) thus far.

[wvpowerblkwel]

I'll hold my I told you so's until after he puts up some numbers, but I think Joe is "big league ready" from both a skills and maturity standpoint!

[bork]

I'll hold my I told you so's until after he puts up some numbers, but I think Joe is "big league ready" from both a skills and maturity standpoint!

 

I think most people here were scratching their heads, wondering why he spent so much time in West Virginia last year (or why he was there at all).

[wvpowerblkwel]

If I remember right, I talked to him at the start of his time in WV and he slipped and fell I think in the tub or shower right before camp broke and hurt himself...rib or something I think which is what brought about his time in WV.