2023 Minor League Transaction Thread

[Joseph Zarr]

- INF/OF Noah Campbell was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Nashville Sounds (retroactive to 9/6)

- C Brent Diaz was activated by the Nashville Sounds

[Jim Goulart]

20 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

- INF Ney Serrano: Unfortunately for Serrano, he was just never able to find consistent AB's and build momentum in the 2023 ACL after a respectable 2022 season. Here's hoping he keeps grinding and finds AB's and playing time in a productive environment.

Serrano signed for $360,000 in January 2021.

[Joseph Zarr]

- RHP Jeison Pena has been activated by the Carolina Mudcats

- RHP Blake Whiting was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats

[ARobsBrewCrew]

RHP Shane Smith has been promoted to AA Biloxi after an outstanding first full pro season to this point between Carolina and Wisconsin.

[wiguy94]

5 minutes ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

RHP Shane Smith has been promoted to AA Biloxi after an outstanding first full pro season to this point between Carolina and Wisconsin.

Wow good for him. 100% deserved as well.

[jay87shot]

23 minutes ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

RHP Shane Smith has been promoted to AA Biloxi after an outstanding first full pro season to this point between Carolina and Wisconsin.

It's looking like he might be our best relief prospect since Uribe lost prospect standards. Does anyone have a decent scouting report.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

I have heard that SS Eric Brown, Jr. is also headed to AA Biloxi.  Trying to confirm that at the moment.

[TURBO]

Tanner Shears promoted too?  He wasn't with the T-Rats yesterday, but did pitch Saturday night.

[Spencer Michaelis]

15 hours ago, jay87shot said:

It's looking like he might be our best relief prospect since Uribe lost prospect standards. Does anyone have a decent scouting report.

I tried to give as much info as I could in the July Relief Pitcher of the Month article  Smith came in at #2 that month 🙂

[TURBO]

4 hours ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

I have heard that SS Eric Brown, Jr. is also headed to AA Biloxi.  Trying to confirm that at the moment.

He was, heard it at yesterday's t-rats game, assuming the guys I talked to knew what they were talking about.

[duewizard]

6 hours ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

I have heard that SS Eric Brown, Jr. is also headed to AA Biloxi.  Trying to confirm that at the moment.

I hope he does well. His .709 OPS at High-A has not impressed me. Albeit, he has suffered from several injuries. I wonder what he can do 100% healthy.

[jay87shot]

Don't forget Brown was hitting like .150 through the 1st month and missed some time as well. He might be a good AFL candidate as well.

[Joseph Zarr]

- RHP Michele Vassalotti has been released by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

After an intriguing appearance and performance for Team Italy in the recent WBC, Vassalotti just wasn't able to sustain that momentum in the 2023 season. Said intrigue carring into the early portion of his 2023 Minor League regular season - in a brief April and then throughout May. Perplexingly, if I'm being honest, was pretty much downhill from there. He ends his time with the Brewers after 25 appearances with the T-Rats in 2023 pitching to the tune of a 6.75 ERA over 34 2/4 IP. He struck out 42 but walked 32 while conceding 35 hits - contributing to his unsightly and unsustainable 1.93 WHIP. He sadly never was able to put it all together in his 2023 season. This early release allows Vassalotti the clarity he may have needed before Minor League free agency officially begins - he was on schedule to become a free agent and now we know it will be elsewhere in 2024.

The now 23-year-old Venezuelan RHP, Vassalotti first signed on with the Brewers in June of 2017 as an International Minor League Free Agent. He dutifully spent time honing his craft with the DSL Brewers, ACL Brewers, Helena Brewers, Rocky Mountain Vibes, in the Arizona Instructional League, with the Brisbane Bandits, with the Mudcats (where he transformed himself into a worthy relief pitcher with a dangerous strikeout slider), and finally with the Timber Rattlers. Though he likely won't be further fine-tuning his craft within the Brewers organization, we certainly wish him the best of luck moving forward - in his baseball and life pursuits. 

[markedman5]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[sveumrules]

21 hours ago, duewizard said:

I hope he does well. His .709 OPS at High-A has not impressed me. Albeit, he has suffered from several injuries. I wonder what he can do 100% healthy.

Started off ice cold...102/185/102 (-11 wRC+) over his first 54 PA.

Then started figuring out before getting injured...326/426/437 (148 wRC+) over his next 162 PA.

Has since hit 250/360/403 (111 wRC+) over 86 PA after coming back from that injury.

Putting those last two stretches together and removing the abysmal start comes out to 300/403/425 (135 wRC+) with a 12.5 BB% and 16.5 K%.

[duewizard]

2 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Started off ice cold...102/185/102 (-11 wRC+) over his first 54 PA.

Then started figuring out before getting injured...326/426/437 (148 wRC+) over his next 162 PA.

Has since hit 250/360/403 (111 wRC+) over 86 PA after coming back from that injury.

Putting those last two stretches together and removing the abysmal start comes out to 300/403/425 (135 wRC+) with a 12.5 BB% and 16.5 K%.

Had no idea! I am still worried that those early PA indicate he might struggle to adapt and there might be a point at which he can't figure it out (no idea what his hh%,  barrel rate, etc stats are in that stretch). Still, those numbers are A LOT better. 

Next year with (hopefully) no injuries it will be interesting to see how he adapts in Biloxi. 

Thanks for educating me.

[Brewcrew82]

Any update on Jacob Misiorowski? Unless the Shuckers make the postseason, seems unlikely he'll be pitching again this season. Perhaps he'll get some run in the AFL to stretch his innings pitched out a little more. 

[wiguy94]

1 hour ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Any update on Jacob Misiorowski? Unless the Shuckers make the postseason, seems unlikely he'll be pitching again this season. Perhaps he'll get some run in the AFL to stretch his innings pitched out a little more. 

This is from McCalvy’s most recent newsletter.

“Flanagan confirmed that No. 3 Brewers prospect Jacob Misiorowski won’t pitch anymore this season for Double-A Biloxi. He’s been shut down since developing arm fatigue in the wake of a 12-strikeout performance last month, and continues to rehab at the club’s facility in Phoenix, Flanagan said. There just won’t be time to get him back on the field before the Shuckers' season ends. 

The good news is that the diagnosis -- arm fatigue -- hasn’t been replaced by something more serious. That would position Misiorowski to get some additional work in the fall should the Brewers choose to augment the 71 1/3 innings the big right-hander already threw at three affiliates in 2023.”

[Jim Goulart]

09/14/23    Brewers sent LHP Aaron Ashby on a rehab assignment to AA Biloxi
09/14/23    Brewers optioned RHP Colin Rea to AAA Nashville

[Sugarrayray]

Hey does anyone know what happened to Blalock a few weeks ago or why exactly he was shut down?

[wiguy94]

1 hour ago, Sugarrayray said:

Hey does anyone know what happened to Blalock a few weeks ago or why exactly he was shut down?

He was grabbing his side before he was removed so all I know is it’s probably not an arm injury

[Sugarrayray]

2 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

He was grabbing his side before he was removed so all I know is it’s probably not an arm injury

Ahh thank you! 
 

I’m glad to hear that which means it’s likely that he should be good to start fresh next year then.

[Ro Mueller]

- OF Garrett Mitchell sent on rehab assignment to AAA Nashville

[Jim Goulart]

Brewers have released LHP's Josh Shapiro and Fraudy Maldonado, as per MiLB's Transactions Page.

It would be easy for many fans to not be familiar with this pair of southpaws.

Shapiro has not pitched since his draft season of 2019 (34th round out of Marshall). The entirety of Shapiro's pro career will be his 12 appearances in Maryvale (three starts). The pandemic eliminated the 2020 season, and Shapiro underwent Tommy John surgery early in the 2021 season, though we don't know the surgery month. We also don't know the circumstances (follow-up procedures, other setbacks?) that have prevented Shapiro from taking a mound in earnest since that rookie campaign four years ago. We hope Shapiro, now 26 years old, is fully healthy at this point.

Maldonado was signed by the Crew in May of 2021. The 6'0", 155 lb. (listed at the time) Dominican native originally signed with the Mets in the July 2019 signing period. However, he was released before ever suiting up for the Mets' organization. Maldonado would make 32 relief appearances across 2021-2022 with a tough 1.76 WHIP (35 walks and nine HBP's in 38.2 IP). He would strike out 52 in those innings, so the arm was there, but not in 2023, when he was sidelined from the start with an undisclosed (but obviously serious) injury. Maldonado is still just 20 years old, and we wish him well, whether his pro baseball journey ends here or not.