Releases

[Jim Goulart]

During the evening and overnight, we'll give each of these players their proper due by at minimum noting worthwhile achievements during their Brewers tenure:

 

McCalvy tweet -- Minor League releases

 

Perhaps some found out earlier, but two days before Christmas?

 

All player name links lead to their respective page at MiLB.com --

 

RHP Tanner Poppe, who had been on the Temporary Inactive List, retired (discussed below in this alphabetical list). The Brewers also formally announced the retirements of OF Michael Ratterree, detailed here on October 10th, and corner IF/OF Steven Karkenny, detailed here on October 22nd.

 

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As for the releases, remember these guys had to excel at every prior level (every age, at high school, college for those who took that route, etc.) just to reach the heights they did. They're all pretty darn good at baseball.

 

RHP Bubba Blau, 23, was drafted in the 24th round in 2014 out of Dixie State (Utah). Previously we mentioned here that his actual first name must be Bubba because MiLB.com lists it as such, but actually it's Maurice. A career highlight was on August 18th of this past summer when he closed out Helena's 13-7 road win over Ogden in front of local friends and family. Blau squeezed 14 solid 2015 relief appearances within three rugged ones, and his first two stints this summer (game log) unfortunately made salvaging overall good numbers for this past season tough. Here's a July 9th audio interview via the Helena site.

 

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Big-armed RHP Zach Cooper was signed by the Brewers this past June as a minor league free agent. Back at that time, we provided a detailed post on Cooper, so it's worthwhile to re-visit that now. Cooper missed a month from mid-July to mid-August with elbow soreness, and at age 26 this January, not even a stellar 1.00 WHIP in his 20 Timber Rattler appearances could save him a spot at Brevard or above for 2016.

 

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Another Timber Rattler, soon-to-be 24-year-old Luke Curtis, was drafted out of Pitt (where he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011), in the 18th round in 2014. He was bumped to Wisconsin after only five Helena appearances in his rookie year. This past summer, in 40 relief appearances, Curtis was 8-2 with a 3.06 ERA for a Timber Rattlers team that finished 50-89. His 34-to-26 K-to-BB ratio in 53 innings likely did not catch the eye of the new management analytics staffers, however.

 

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Four-year pro catcher Paul Eshleman, 25, was drafted by the Crew in the 23rd round in 2012, out of Cal State - San Bernadino, where he had transferred after three years at the University of Oregon. It's tough to shake the "backup catcher / taxi squad guy" once attached. For one shining week, Eshleman was indeed, a star, receiving Florida State League Player of the Week honors this past April, and you can listen to his walk-off home run here, along with his next day reaction.

 

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21-year-old Dominican Summer League OF Ariel Estades' release may be a statement about the Brewers' tolerance of indiscretions in the future. That's a fine line to walk, because the organization should hold highly-regarded talents to the same standards as more fringe farmhands. Estatdes was suspended 72 games for steroid use in July. Here's what we posted last March when the Brewers gave him a second chance at affiliated life --

 

We know the Brewers scout pretty heavily in Puerto Rico, as noted by the number of draft picks used on that island's players during the Melvin era.

 

Milwaukee has signed a soon-to-be 21-year-old CF who the Royals drafted in the 17th round in 2012, but released this past season (on July 1st, only four games played in 2014).

 

Ariel Estades is a LH bat, listed at only 5'11", 150 on his most recent MiLB.com player page.

 

***

 

Recently-turned 23-year-old RHP Jose Flores was one of several non-drafted free agent pitchers inked by Milwaukee this summer. Here was the story put forth by Flores' proud college at the time of the signing. Flores, like several of the other NDFA's, started out really well, allowing only two runs in his first ten professional innings. Three of his last five Maryvale outings weren't quite so successful, skewing the numbers some. With all these guys, we hope they pursue at minimum, independent league avenues to keep the dreams alive (see LHP Craig Breslow, post-Brewers, and RHP Brandon Kintzler, pre-Brewers).

 

***

 

Speaking of non-drafted free agent signees, infielder Steven Halcomb, a three-year Brewer (Maryvale, Wisconsin, then Brevard County), has his Gonzaga civil engineering degree to fall back on (thank you, Brewers Media Guide). Here's a Timber Rattler highlight and Manatee interview, both linked here.

 

Nathan Orf is proving the undrafted senior guy infield "leadership" signee can make a real go of it.

 

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Soon to be 23 years old, RHP J.B. Kole was the Brewers 8th round pick out of Villanova in 2014 ($159,000 signing, bonus information is always made available for picks in the top ten rounds), as that draft class, at least from a college perspective, takes another hit (11th round RHP Brandon Woodruff looks to be the cream of that college draft crop, keeping in mind 3rd round RHP Cy Sneed netted Jonathan Villar in trade). Kole (listed at a classic 6'4", 210) failed to advance past rookie ball, and won't be invited back for a 3rd look. Perhaps his relatively high draft status gets him another chance elsewhere.

 

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RHP Scott Lieser, 25, was interviewed four times during his 2014 stay with Brevard County, archived here. Signed as an undrafted player for Maryvale in 2013, Lieser made a big jump in placement and spent all of 2014 at Brevard County. Six poor (but perhaps statistically unlucky in a small sample) Manatee relief outings to begin 2015 found him assigned down to Wisconsin for the balance of this past season. Lieser had altered a very high leg kick so that it wasn't quite as pronounced as when he had first signed. He was followed closely with radio appearances in his Minnesota hometown that we had linked here, so they will be disappointed, but Lieser did well for an undrafted player.

 

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24-year-old LHP Tyler Linehan (9th round 2013, Fresno State, $125,000 signing) opened his 2nd pro season in 2014 with an expected stint in Wisconsin, but was shuttled back to Helena for the balance of that summer. Linehan then spent all of 2015 with the Timber Rattlers in that difficult middle relief role -- not part of a tandem, not a stand-alone starter, not a closer. We've seen in the past that it's tough to shine and progress when handed that role, but it was the nature of the assignment philosophy under Reid Nichols at the A-ball level. Linehan's peripherals didn't help his cause, unfortunately.

 

***

 

LHP Trevor Lubking only made seven appearances for the Crew, all in a rookie rehab mode at Maryvale this past July and August. We had detailed the former Rays' farmhand's background and signing in this post. Lubking had been prepared to play with a Frontier Independent League team when Milwaukee acquired him. He had let us know via Twitter that he was "rehabbing a stress reaction in his left elbow (pre cursor to a stress fracture)."

 

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23-year-old corner OF Mitch Meyer (24 this February) was yet another college pick member of the 2014 draft class (7th round). He only received a $10,000 bonus as a senior signing out of Kansas State, as MLB teams will now squeeze those minimum bonus signings into the latter stages of the top 10 rounds in order to allow for higher bonuses at the top, circumventing MLB limits. Meyer struggled in 75 games with Wisconsin in 2015 (he did miss a month with an undisclosed injury), but did manage to have a few highlight moments in his two-year pro stint. It's too bad Meyer couldn't have been more productive, he could have had a key spot with Brevard County in 2016. We've mentioned elsewhere on the forum that the upcoming Manatee squad could have immense trouble scoring runs, even well below the usual Florida State League frustration level.

 

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RHP Tanner Poppe, 25 (31st round, 2013, out of the University of Kansas), last pitched on April 29th. It seems his placement on the Temporary Inactive List was his retirement, which must have become official with paperwork filing at this time. Poppe reached AA in only his second season of pro ball, and although he was re-assigned to AA for this past season, that hardly seemed an issue. Here's earlier career archived audio with Poppe. Given his solid career numbers, this was probably a player the Brewers wished was still active. Best of luck to Poppe going forward.

 

***

 

RHP Caleb Smith, 22, signed out of the 15th round from the (here we go again) 2014 college draft class (Rice University). He actually was one of three Caleb Smith's (all the same spelling) active in MiLB in 2015. Control and lack of strikeouts kept Smith in Maryvale for both of his pro seasons. Back on his draft day it was noted --

 

15th round: Caleb Smith, Rice (2014) 8.16 ERA, 14 IP, 15 BB, 20 K (three schools in three years - Auburn, CC, Rice)

 

Surely Smith warranted a "projection" selection, it just didn't pan out. Kudos to him for the work he put in during two blistering Maryvale summers.

[Jim Goulart]

From November 5th --

 

The Brewers have updated their Front Office page with Wurth now removed (Farm Director Reid Nichols, who we've known was not retained, has been removed from the online posting).

 

A few scouts have been removed from the posting. No replacements have been named for those listed below. It's quite possible these individuals, like Wurth, left on their own, or retired, we don't know.

 

The most notable name gone is National Crosschecker Joe Ferrone. Hired in December 2010 (link), Ferrone replaced Ray Montgomery when Montgomery took the top amateur scouting job with the D-backs. Of course, Montgomery came back as Scouting Director after Bruce Seid's passing. Ferrone was also a candidate to replace Seid at that time.

 

Ferrone was one of two National Crosscheckers, the top tier of the amateur scouting rung, under Montgomery in 2015. The other was (and remains) Stephen Riha, whose hiring last December we brought to your attention in this post.

 

Ferrone is joining the Tigers, where he was from 2003-07 (link).

 

December 3rd update --

 

Longtime upper-level amateur scouts/crosscheckers Doug Reynolds and Corey Rodriguez have been named the National Supervisor and Regional Supervisor, respectively, of the professional scouting staff, as per the latest front office roster on the Brewers' site. Mike Serbalink, formerly with the Astros, Reds and Diamondbacks (January 2015 article), has an amateur scouting background in the Northeast and Canada, joins Rodriguez as a Regional Supervisor on the pro side of things.

 

Former big league RHP Bryan Corey is just now listed as a "Junior Scout" on the amateur scouting staff, although he's been with the organization since last February.

 

***

 

Formerly "Director of Video Scouting and Baseball Research", Karl Mueller is now "Director, Baseball Operations".

 

Oh, and Doug Melvin's title is now officially posted as "Senior Advisor".

 

January 3rd updates --

 

First of all, the Brewers have updated what was a big error in their online posting last month. Reynolds, Rodriguez, and Serbalink all received their new titles and/or positions, but they remain on the amateur side of the scouting tree, not the professional side, which makes so much more sense now.

 

Despite losing his job as the big league first base coach, Mike Guerrero's lengthy (since 1996) association with the Brewers will continue. He has been named one of Milwaukee's minor league roving coordinators, with the title of "Special Field Instructor".

 

Added to the amateur scouting ranks as "Junior Scouts" (they need to beef up that title to sound less Cub Scout-ish) are 29-year-old former Padres and Orioles' farmhand RHP Wynn Pelzer, who looks to be based in San Diego but with a coaching and training background in Georgia, and Taylor Frederick, who appears to be based in the Ottawa, Canada area. Frederick has an amateur playing and coaching background but did not play affiliated minor league ball.

[Jim Goulart]

In these tweets, Brewers Player Development confirms the release of the following ten players (Mass Haas may cover these guys in more detail later):

 

1B Alan Sharkey (13th round - 2012)

OF Omar Garcia (7th round - 2013)

LHP Shawn Clowers (NDFA - 2015)

LHP Boanerges Nova (IFA - 2013)

C Zach Taylor (15th round - 2015)

RHP Jeremy Newton (NDFA - 2016)

LHP Joan De La Cruz (IFA - 2012)

IF Josue Herrera (IFA - 2015)

OF Marcos Pinero (IFA - 2014)

RHP Axel Cruz (IFA - 2016)

 

1B Alan Sharkey (13th round - 2012)

 

Alan Sharkey certainly had a name that would have made for great marketing opportunities, but the bat simply never fully came around, bottoming out with a .496 OPS in 71 Timber Rattler games in his age 22 season, after posting a more respectable .678 OPS in 2015. Defensive work aside, that's just not going to keep you around, especially as a first baseman. Sharkey toiled in Maryvale for his first two pro seasons. Every one of his 282 games in five pro campaigns was at first base, as the lefty arm never saw the outfield in terms of versatility. Rare is the mid-to-late round position player high school signee who finds future success. If he chooses to go to school, the Brewers likely included funds for that at the time of his signing.

 

VIDEOS from 2015: Defense / Offense

 

***

 

OF Omar Garcia (7th round - 2013)

 

OF Omar Garcia, 23, was successful on 74% of his 184 stolen base attempts in his four pro seasons. Thirty-eight of his 40 base hits were singles in 2016, which included a 19-game introduction to AA. Garcia was a juco draft pick, and would seem to be a good candidate for an indy ball chance before another affiliated situation.

 

AUDIO and VIDEO 2013-2015: Interviews from Helena and Brevard County, highlights from Wisconsin in 2014

 

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LHP Shawn Clowers (NDFA - 2015)

 

Solid debut numbers in his age 22 Maryvale season did not translate to the Pioneer League, where batters scorched Clowers (Liberty University) for a had-to-be-a-bit-unlucky .385 average. Being a southpaw always merits a little more interest, and the undrafted guys are always easy to root for, but it was hard for the Brewers to overlook the raw 2016 numbers, apparently.

 

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LHP Boanerges Nova (IFA - 2013)

 

The 6'2" southpaw spent three seasons in the Dominican, which may be fine when you start at age 17, but at 20 it will put you a bit behind once you hit stateside. A 1.66 WHIP in Maryvale last summer seemingly didn't set him up for a full-season gig heading into 2017 at age 24. At least he can say he's the only "Boanerges" to ever play pro ball.

 

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NOTE: The four names above each warranted a surprise post on Rotoworld's December 14th transactions page.

 

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C Zach Taylor (15th round - 2015)

 

The junior college signee spent his age 19 and age 20 seasons in Maryvale, and was behind the plate in 20 of his 40 pro games, the rest at designated hitter or pinch-hitter. Tough numbers in limited opportunities, imagine there are some educational arrangements made for players who are enticed to leave community college to join the pro ranks, not just high schoolers.

 

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RHP Jeremy Newton (NDFA - 2016)

 

Help me out, guys, is the Doug Melvin / Gord Ash legacy in Canada now down to just Dustin Houle and Demi Orimoloye? Newton only walked one in his 8.1 pro innings, but the 17 hits allowed equaled a very brief and stark entry into pro ball.

 

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LHP Joan De La Cruz (IFA - 2012)

 

The LHP underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2015, which was slated to be his first stateside season after three in the DSL. Tough numbers crunch to dedicate rehab efforts to a player, but then have to say goodbye at this point.

 

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IF Josue Herrera (IFA - 2015)

 

The 19-year-old has now been let go by two organizations, as the Brewers picked him after he was cut after his age 17 season by the Diamondbacks. Two subsequent seasons in the Milwaukee system, including a 2016 that was limited by an injury of some sort, did not net him a stateside trip.

 

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OF Marcos Pinero (IFA - 2014)

 

The Brewers always seem to do well with their Venezuelan signees, but after two DSL summers, the right-handed outfield bat managed a .375 OBP but with no pop to speak of. You know the Brewers are also evaluating players in how they are taking to coaching, their classroom and English language work, and more. We can only go by the numbers.

 

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RHP Axel Cruz (NDFA - 2016)

 

Check out the 2nd half of this post to learn about the Puerto Rico native Cruz, as his signing is more reflective of Jeremy Newton's as a non-drafted free agent, rather than an international signing. So not only was the placement of the then 21-year-old in the DSL a bit unique, his release after doing a nice job in ten relief stints is a bit surprising as well.

[Jim Goulart]

On the players released this week:

 

All player name links lead to their respective page at MiLB.com --

 

Pitchers

 

RHP Dalton Brown, 24 as of last September, was drafted in the 30th round of the 2016 draft out of Texas Tech (and found out about it in a unique way). After splitting 12 relief appearances between Maryvale and Helena in '16, Brown opened 2017 on the Wisconsin roster (along with two other pitchers named "Brown", Zack and Daniel). After two rough games as a Timber Rattler, Dalton Brown was placed on the disabled list on April 14th, where he remained for the season. To our knowledge, his specific injury status was not released at any point during the season.

 

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RHP Colton Cross turns 25 next March. A three-year pro, Cross was drafted in the 31st round in 2015 out of Shorter College (Rome, GA), draft day college press release. Like so many late-drafted college pitchers, Cross fared well in Maryvale (2015) and Helena (2016). Cross was jumped over Wisconsin direct to Carolina to begin 2017. Cross struggled in eight Mudcat relief appearances though, spent a month on the disabled list, and upon his return, was transferred to the Timber Rattlers for the remainder of the season. Cross posted solid numbers in Appleton, including no earned runs in his final seven games.

 

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RHP Cameron Hanes had recently turned 25 when he was signed as a non-drafted free agent this past June out of Florida Southern, where he closed games. Hanes had served a two-year mission through his church after high school. A brief and successful five-game stint in Maryvale led to Helena where one rough outing out of nine (four runs in 2.1 IP) skewed the numbers some. The Brewers went non-drafted free agent (NDFA) heavy this past June, and unfortunately for several, their pro adventure turned out to be brief. And yet expect another overload next June when the Brewers hope to unearth and/or develop a dominant hidden gem, it's not exactly a fair roulette wheel. Hoping Hanes (and the others) enjoyed their opportunity while it did last.

 

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Like Hanes, RHP Landon Holifield was a NDFA sign last June, except Holifield didn't get to experience an actual fan experience in Helena. Perhaps Holifield can cruise back to broadcasting opportunities. Holifield turned 23 last August, and after performing well in Maryvale, maybe we'll see him seek the independent ball route, and of course, another affiliated chance. The one-season Maryvale-only cuts when the numbers are good seem the cruelest - the Brewer scouts obviously saw something to offer the job.

 

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A 2015 9th round pick out of an Oregon high school (University of Washington commit), RHP Karsen Lindell did have opportunities over three summers, but as the numbers show (career WHIP of 2.01), it never quite came together in a Maryvale season and two Helena campaigns for the young man, who won't turn 22 until next June. This isn't the first time a Brewers top 10 high school pick didn't reach full season ball, as 2011 6th round RHP Mitch Keller comes to mind.

 

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LHP Frank Lopez turns 24 in February, but is entering his 8th pro season. Released by the Rangers this past June, he was scooped up by Milwaukee and assigned to Carolina for swing-man duty, with at best, middling results. We had been following Lopez in Venezuela for winter ball.

 

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RHP Branden Nunn signed as a NDFA with Milwaukee out of Missouri Baptist five days before his 22nd birthday this past June. Like Landon Holifield (above), Nunn pitched well in the desert heat, but based on the sheer number of bodies the Brewers brought in this summer post-draft, never had an opportunity in Helena or beyond. The Brewers went with a greatly reduced number of players in their Instructional League camp this season, and one wonders if that hurt some of the players on this list of releases.

 

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RHP Scott Serigstad was Milwaukee's 15th round pick in 2016 out of Cal State Fullerton, and as such, was assigned directly to Helena that year. It was rough going, unfortunately. Serigstad, who turned 23 last month, made only two brief July 2017 appearances in Maryvale. There is no formal disabled list at the rookie levels, so we did not learn anything more about Serigstad's health status -- perhaps it helps explain his 2016 struggles. Regardless, like all on this list, we wish him well in both baseball and non-baseball efforts moving forward.

 

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Yet another Maryvale non-drafted free agent short-timer, 2017 signee RHP Kadon Simmons out of Texas-Arlington turns 23 next April. Simmons finished very strong (eight relief appearances, one earned run), after having allowed at least one earned run in seven of his first eight pro games. And is often the case, one really rough outing (.1 IP, 5 ER) skewed the overall picture.

 

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Nicholls State RHP Jake Smith (22 as of last August) was also a NDFA, but he got two summer chances (2016, 2017) to impress in Maryvale. Overall, Smith fanned 45 in just 30.1 IP with a .156 batting average against, but also walked 28. My goodness, harness that control somehow, and that's an arm that likely has a chance at new opportunities.

 

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RHP Brandon Texiera technically was an independent league signing, but the NAIA college arm had yet to debut in the Frontier League when the Brewers obtained his rights. Already 24 years old upon signing, Texiera was able to bypass Maryvale and spent the summer on Helena's staff. Texiera would make 17 appearances, posting Pioneer League-type crooked numbers.

 

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Stop us if you've heard this before. And maybe the Brewers' 2018 non-drafted signings shouldn't stumble upon this thread, although most will be thrilled with their initial opportunity. RHP Tyler Thorne recently turned 23, and the Stanford product spent his summer in Maryvale as well. Thirteen relief innings (26 K, 6 BB) later, he's on this list, unfortunately.

 

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By the way, congratulations to RHP Kody Rock, the Canadian native who was seemingly the only 2017 non-drafted free agent pitcher who survived the purge (Mayville State, ND).

[Jim Goulart]

Continuing the release summaries with --

 

Position Players

 

You need catchers to work with all these arms, and five catchers appear on the list.

 

Catcher Kyle Beam's "septic tank employee" backstory was one of the most entertaining of 2017, but the Old Dominion product ended up appearing in only four Maryvale games, but did homer for his only professional hit. Beam spent most of the summer on the restricted/suspended list; we don't know the full story behind that.

 

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OF Jose Gomez (39th round, 2016) also had a great backstory, given his 5'3" frame, as was covered in this Helena Independent feature. Seems like a fine young man, and someone easy to root for moving forward.

 

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Catcher Alex Guenette, another 2017 undrafted rookie (UC-Irvine), did the Maryvale/Helena split last summer.

 

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Infielder George Iskenderian (24 next February) was the Brewers' 7th round pick in 2015 out of the University of Miami. Iskenderian bypassed Wisconsin, jumping from Helena to Brevard County in 2016, but was placed on the restricted list late in April of 2017 from the Biloxi roster when he left the team (and apparently baseball); he was off to a 3-for-35 AA start in 14 games.

 

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Catcher Tyler Lawrence, 23 last month, was brought in from Murray St., as yes, another undrafted free agent post-draft last June. He played in 15 games in the Maryvale heat, caught a ton of bullpens, we're sure, and did crack a home run among his eight professional hits.

 

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Catcher Kevin Martir never officially suited up for the Brewers. An 18th round 2015 draft pick of the Astros, he was signed by the Brewers last April after his release by Houston. We never did learn what injury issue prevented him from being active.

 

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Infielder Jonathan Oquendo was a four-year Brewer, drafted out of a Puerto Rico high school in the 14th round in 2014. Oquendo, still just 21 years old, split 2017 between the Timber Rattlers and Mudcats. A career .550 OPS overshadowed his defensive versatility.

 

***

 

Another 21-year-old is Venezuelan catcher Yoel Vasquez, was an international signee in 2014. He missed the 2015 season (wrist, if I remember correctly), and saw limited action in Maryvale and Helena subsequently.

[Jim Goulart]

Releases:

 

Pat McInereny

Nathan Rodriguez

Karsen Lindell

Connor McVey

Caleb Marquez

[Jim Goulart]

Unfortunately, we have learned of another 22 Brewers minor league releases that took place last week. This would bring the total number, when added with the 35 noted in prior posts in this thread over the past week, to a total of 57 players. It's possible the earlier reports approximating the number at 40 may not have included the Dominican Summer League players who had yet to see action stateside.

 

These first few players listed below were scheduled to be minor league free agents at the end of the 2020 season (initial effective season 2014 or earlier), so this year's lost minor league season effectively ended their Brewers' tenure.

 

Corner IF/OF Patrick Leonard, 27, was re-signed to a minor league deal last winter after spending one season in the Milwaukee chain, posting an .834 OPS as Biloxi's primary first baseman. Leonard has spent time in the Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Chicago White Sox organizations.

 

OF Joantgel Segovia, 23, was signed out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old in 2013. Segovia made his full-season team debut with the Timber Rattlers in 2017. He reached AA with Biloxi last summer. Short on extra-base power, but a career .283 average (.345 OBP) proved useful during his climb.

 

RHP Carlos Luna, 23, like Segovia, signed at age 16 in the summer of 2013, out of his native Panama. Luna missed all of 2016 and 2017 with Tommy John surgery and its complications, which is a shame, because he had dazzled in the Dominican Summer League in 2015. Remarkably, Luna only peaked level-wise at Rocky Mountain in 2019, thanks to those injury delays.

 

NOTE: This is what we posted here in January upon the signing of infielder Luis Gonazlez, who, like veteran Andres Blanco, never actually suited up for the Crew.

 

Here's Luis Gonzalez' MiLB Player page, 25-year-old had spent his entire pro career in Reds' system (Baseball Reference page). Went down last May with a shoulder issue in his right arm and missed the rest of the season. Not nearly the speedster Luis Aviles was, but in effect, replaces the Brewers' long-time farmhand who became a minor league free agent himself.

 

Also, there are (were) now two Luis Gonzalez' active in the system, the other the 2018 8th round pitcher out of Puerto Rico who missed all of 2019 with a right elbow sprain (MiLB page). This youngster is still with the organization.

 

***

 

The players listed below did have control years with the Brewers beyond 2020, some were set to be free agents after the 2021 season, but that still adds to the discussion regarding them being let go at this time.

 

RH reliever Jon Olczak, 26, had a five-year run as a 21st round pick in 2015 out of North Carolina State. Olczak split 2019 between Biloxi and San Antonio. Olczak posted a 3.01 career ERA, 1.18 WHIP, with 244 K's to 64 BB's in 212.1 IP. Baffling release.

 

C Max McDowell, 26, was Milwaukee's 13th round pick in 2015 out of the University of Connecticut, and spent half of 2018 and all of 2019 in Milwaukee. McDowell was one of several players for which we had shared links to "hometown" articles, as their own communities follow the journey. McDowell was featured in plenty of highlight play packages from the Timber Rattlers, Mudcats, and Shuckers during his tenure.

 

LH reliever Daniel Brown, 25, made a steady four-year climb in the system as a 7th round pick in 2016 out of Mississippi State. Brown was effective in limiting the damage despite a relatively high walk rate. Brown spent all of 2019 with the Shuckers.

 

INF C.J. Hinojosa, 25, spent his one Brewer season with Biloxi after being acquired from the Giants in March 2019 for Erik Kratz.

 

OF Rob Henry, 25, 39th round, 2017, spent the past season and a half with Carolina, and is the owner of a career .373 OBP. he was among the Mudcats' crew of Ivy leaguers (Brown University).

 

RHP Matt Smith, 26, was another 2019 Mudcat (28 G, 22 starts). Drafted in the 34th round in 2016 out of Georgetown (man, what was the cumulative IQ on that Carolina team?), Smith missed all of 2017 and 2018 working back from Tommy John surgery, which must add to the frustration of a release after just one year back (3.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP in that comeback effort).

 

INF Eddie Silva, 24, yet another 2019 full-season Mudcat, spent two seasons in the Brewers' system, signed as a non-drafted player out of Florida International.

 

INF Trever Morrison, 25 (yes, another recent Carolina Mudcat), was selected in the 12th round in 2016 out of Oregon State. Morrison had briefly left the organization on his own to begin 2019 but returned in June.

 

Middle infielder Devin Hairston, 24, was the Brewers' 6th round pick in 2017 out of Louisville. he played in 111 games for Carolina in 2019, and also saw action in Biloxi during the season's final week.

 

C Charlie Meyer, 27, a Janesville native (UW-Stout), had primarily served as a bullpen catcher, and at one point, thought we had been read he was being groomed as a future coach in the system. As you'll see at the linked stat page, his pro plate appearances in 2017 and 2018 were very minimal.

 

RHP Tate Budnick, 24, a 2018 non-drafted signing out of the University of Portland, did not pitch in 2019 as he recovered from March Tommy John surgery. He saw action in Maryvale and with Helena in '18. In January, we had linked to a couple of podcasts in which Budnick shared his amateur and pro journey.

 

LHP Ian Exposito, 23 (24 later this month), was yet another non-drafted signee (St. Thomas University in Miami), and pitched well in Maryvale. So tough when the older late signees aren't assigned minimally to the Pioneer League or above.

 

Six more to be posted soon...

[Jim Goulart]

NOTE: It sucks, bluntly, that these young men didn't get a chance to show anything to management in 2020, but it was no different for all the spring releases as well.

 

Here's a bit of background on each of the latest releases announced by the Brewers -- in the case of international signings, the country of origin is noted at the start of each entry --

 

***

 

Before the master list of the latest releases was posted, two names had appeared a couple of days prior. The details on LHP Jose Alberro and RHP Leoner Colina can be found here.

 

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Venezuelan RHP Wuilder Rodriguez is the "veteran" of this group, having had brief stints in AA Biloxi on both 2017 and 2018. He was called upon for one AAA Colorado Springs start in '17 as well. Rodriguez spent much of 2019 season rehabbing an unknown injury at Maryvale and Rocky Mountain. Well, I'm sure it was known to Wuilder and the Brewers, but unknown to fans.

 

Rodriguez turns 28 in January. When he signed in March of 2015, he was already 22 years old. One year in the DSL, another in Helena, then Rodriguez jumped over low-A ball to have a fine season in Carolina in 2017 (1.63 ERA over 27 appearances, WHIP 0.97). All in all, a productive pro career (thus far) for an out-of-nowhere (surely short-money) older signing.

 

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The $500,000 2017 5th round draft signing of New Jersey high school 3B Nick Egnatuk (slot value for the 144th overall pick was $349,900) was never a guarantee of future success based on bonus level, but this did not work out. Egnatuk turns 22 next month.

 

Brewerfan Draft Signing Player Profile with Scouting Remarks

Brewers select Immaculata's Nick Egnatuk in MLB Draft

Meet the Brewers’ 5th Round Pick Nick Egnatuk

Nick Egnatuk eager to start professional career

Helena Brewers infielder Nick Egnatuk focuses on mental game in Year 2

 

So there's plenty of background for you there. Egnatuk was moved off third base after committing 15 errors in 26 games in 2018 (.813 fielding %). He only saw action at second base in 45 games repeating the Pioneer League in 2019, with ten errors there.

 

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Puerto Rico native RHP Luis Gonzalez was drafted in the 8th round in 2018. Gonzalez had a Miller Park workout a few days prior. Here's Jonathan Mayo's tweet and analysis for MiLB.com, including signing info.

 

Seeing Luis Gonzalez on the list of releases is a reminder of the depressing fact that of the high school pitchers the Brewers have drafted in the first 10 rounds from 2015 to the present, only Justin Jarvis has pitched in A-ball.

 

Gonzalez made seven appearances as a 19-year-old in 2018 (capturing the attention of this Twitter follower), although the overall small sample was rough. Then Gonzalez missed all of 2019 with an elbow strain. It's unclear whether surgery was ever required, does not appear so. Just three weeks ago, Luis was looking back fondly at his debut season.

 

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RHP Nick Belzer parlayed this Flatground App pitching video into a spot with the independent St. Paul Saints, where he would begin 2019 posting a 1.32 ERA in five starts, netting him a Brewers contract in June. Belzer, nearing 24 years old that August, did what he was supposed to, taming Arizona League rookies with a 1.15 WHIP in 48.2 IP. Belzer never saw action above Maryvale, and at some point the Brewers are going to have to start placing these types of signings directly at the low-A level to get a more realistic view of what they have. Belzer was one of several farmhands to get in work in 2020 Covid-era indy ball, heading back to St. Paul, where he appeared in 13 games (six starts) with a 4.21 ERA in 36.1 IP.

 

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Dominican switch-hitting 2B/3B/LF Edwin Sano (turns 22 in December) tracked a traditional path (two summers in the DSL, one in Maryvale, one at Rocky Mountain). Sano received plenty of opportunities to improve on his career-best 2018 .731 OPS at Maryvale with the Vibes in 2019, but did not (.698 in the rookie-level mountain setting). In all, a respectable run for a non-bonus baby international signing, and thanks to the Vibes, a web gem captured for eternity.

 

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Venezuelan RHP Jose Parra, 24 years old next March, signed in March of 2017, two days shy of his 20th birthday. Any signing significantly post the July 2nd signing period would be for short money, so to speak. Parra posted a 2.60 ERA over 62.1 IP in his debut DSL season, facing youngsters two years younger for the most part. So it made sense he'd debut in Maryvale in 2018, but performance dictated he repeat there in 2019, where he tied for the Arizona League lead in appearances (21) and tied for third in saves (5) - Media Guide notes. Parra finished up with three appearances at Rocky Mountain to boot. Parra's career numbers included only 30 walks in 118.2 IP (117 K), but also 15 HBP and 30 unearned runs - rookie level unearned run totals can be maddening, but sometimes the damage has to be limited.

 

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Venezuelan RHP Joel Pinto signed as an 18-year-old just prior to the start of the 2015 Dominican Summer League season. Pinto would toil three full summers on the island, before splitting 2018 between Maryvale and Helena, and then made 24 relief appearances with the Vibes in a full 2019 stint. Pinto is now listed at 240 pounds in the 2020 Media Guide, which is sixty pounds more than his signing (MiLB.com page) weight. There is a recurring theme within this post, in that lack of strikeouts for Brewer hurlers did not keep them in the organization for spring 2021. Pinto (143 K's, 211.2 career innings) fits that mold.

 

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Venezuelan OF Anderson Melendez, was a prominent July 2nd signing back in 2016, inking a $400,000 contract as a 16-year-old and earning "best-dressed" honors from Baseball America's Ben Badler. So young, so much trying to project when committing to these kids. Listed at a 6'2", 210 frame in the 2020 Media Guide that provided hope (165 on his MLB page, never go by that), an age 17 DSL season for the RH batter was followed by two Maryvale stints, with the often-seen collapse in numbers in the first year stateside. Melendez' defensive numbers showed he never committed an error in LF or CF, but nine in 88 career games in right.

 

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Dominican INF Victor Maria, like Anderson Melendez, was part of the 2016 July 2nd international signing class. Maria signed for a robust $375,000 with music playing in the background. He showed infield versatility and had speed (31 of 39 in SB attempts in his two DSL seasons), but a .332 OBP in 2018 was his only offensive glimmer as he moved up to Maryvale in 2019. A career .212/.292/.262 line again reminds us how signing a 16-year-old is a crapshoot.

 

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This was not a good day for the 2016 July 2nd international signing class. Hopefully the young men invested wisely, especially considering the dollars translate well in their native countries. Dominican OF (primarily LF) Francis Florentino was a $500,000 signing that day. Like Melendez and Maria, Florentino would debut in 2017 in the DSL, and while he didn't excel, it was enough to get him to Maryvale the following summer, where he would slug only .284 in 95 AB's. It got to the point that in 2019, the Brewers (or a diehard fan in AZ) posted very brief video commemorating Florentino's first home run as a professional. It didn't appear as though defensive numbers were strong, either. Sigh...

 

Is there any hope for the 2016 class? OF (mostly CF) Pablo Abreu signed for $800,000 and has made it to the fringes of the MLB Pipeline Brewers Top 30 with a .241/.322/.366 line with OK speed. Just a .493 OPS in 102 Timber Rattler AB's in 2019, at least it was above rookie ball. So, you decide.

 

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Venezuelan RHP Henry Medina, a November 2015 signing, turned 23 this past September. Medina was used primarily as a starter to begin his DSL career, and improved over three summers there to the point where he posted an impressive 1.41 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over his thirteen 2018 starts in his age 20 season. However, that came with an insanely low 33 K's in 76.1 IP. Medina then improved the strikeout rate but his other numbers suffered in his 2019 Maryvale debut. From this past May, here's a Spanish language Venezuelan League interview, only pointing out that even at the rookie level, these guys are big deals in their countries, and seeing Medina's smile to open the chat and proudly wearing his Brewers gear during Covid downtime places the releases, like always, in perspective to the player and his family/friends/fans.

 

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Dominican 2B/3B Victor Vargas only turned 20 this past August. Listed at 5'7", 169, and signed in March 2018, Vargas opened our eyes with an outstanding .302/.414/.438 line, with 16 stolen bases in 23 attempts in his debut DSL season spent primarily as a 17-year-old. That earned Vargas a bump to Maryvale for his age 18 season, where in 31 games and 111 at-bats, he would see all those slash lines literally cut in half. Pretty small sample, first-time stateside, it seems like Vargas would have been a worthwhile candidate to follow in a repeat Maryvale summer if it weren't for this lost season.

 

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RHP Moises Ruiz, originally thought to be from Venezuela but actually a Panama native, signed with Milwaukee in October 2017, having just turned 19. Used mostly as a starter in both his one DSL and one Maryvale summer, Ruiz posted a 1.58 combined WHIP with strikeout rates much too low and a walk rate too high. Occasionally however, Ruiz would light up a Brewerfan Link Report with tantalizing starts as he did in his pro debut, and this DSL gem, as well as what turned out to be his next-to-last Maryvale appearance.

 

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RHP Seth Beard signed on July 31st, 2019 out of Methodist University in his native North Carolina, as we noted in his initial Brewerfan post. Beard made six relief appearances in Maryvale. Could he have seen action in Low-A or High-A as a 24-year-old this past summer? Sure, but 2020 and all...

 

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Venezuelan RHP Yostin Villalobos (turned 20 in October) had a solid, consistent debut season in the DSL as his game log shows here. Outside of a significant lack of strikeouts (24 in 47 IP), nice work for an 18-year-old at the time.

 

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Dominican RHP Starling Javier (turns 20 in December) was initially listed as an outfielder, but there may have been an online error as he only appeared on the mound. In two DSL seasons, Javier walked 56 and hit another eight batters in 29.1 innings. Perhaps outfield would have been a better fit. His final mention within a Link Report was on a rare box score night.