2024 Minor League Transaction Thread

[Playing Catch]

18 hours ago, Jim Goulart said:

Correct, he won't "need" a 40-man spot, but this new 2025 minor league deal does not preclude the Brewers from adding him later this fall if they get the sense that he is a sure-fire Rule 5 grab by another organization, and they feel they can spare the 40-man room.

What this does do is keep Martinez from walking shortly after the World Series completes and hitting the open minor league free agent market.

He agreed to a new contract today after a few weeks of discussions.

For Ernesto's sake, I hope is agent was successful in netting a nice deal. Clearly Martinez is comfortable in the organization, but he had leverage coming off his big 2025 which featured a huge second half.

My tea leaves tell me that the Brewers convinced him that he was part of their plans. Probably starting out in Nashville, and being a phone-call away from games for the big club. perhaps a 40-man add deadline in May or something.

[duewizard]

1 hour ago, Playing Catch said:

My tea leaves tell me that the Brewers convinced him that he was part of their plans. Probably starting out in Nashville, and being a phone-call away from games for the big club. perhaps a 40-man add deadline in May or something.

Black has struggled to hit in the majors and Hoskins has a history with injuries. I think EMJ is plan C if Hoskins gets hurt and Black needs time back down.

[TURBO]

37 minutes ago, duewizard said:

Black has struggled to hit in the majors and Hoskins has a history with injuries. I think EMJ is plan C if Hoskins gets hurt and Black needs time back down.

At this point, I have no clue what the Brewers plans are for Black.  Seems 2B and 3B are out the window.  I highly doubt they see him as a 1B, at least in the immediate future.  That leaves OF, which I thought he was playing a bit of in AAA?  I think, if he has any kind of value at all on the trade market, he should be moved, as I just don't feel we are committed to him anyplace on the field.

[Joseph Zarr]

The unfortunate end-of-roster resetting continues:

- RHP Jeison Pena has been released by the Carolina Mudats
- RHP Brailin Rodriguez has been released by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

** For reference, last year the Brewers released five players in all of October - all officially announced on October 18th. We have seen 9 releases already by October 11th **

[wiguy94]

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

The unfortunate end-of-roster resetting continues:

- RHP Jeison Pena has been released by the Carolina Mudats
- RHP Brailin Rodriguez has been released by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

** For reference, last year the Brewers released five players in all of October - all officially announced on October 18th. We have seen 9 releases already by October 11th **

Do we think this speaks to a big DSL class coming over?

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, wiguy94 said:

Do we think this speaks to a big DSL class coming over?

Considered the same thought. Maybe? Hard to know given we know so little about their intentions there. BUT, we certainly do know even tho they didn't make the post-season they had an extremely successful DSL season as a whole. 

[CheeseheadInQC]

5 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Do we think this speaks to a big DSL class coming over?

I don't know. They won't count against the limit until the ACL season starts and most of the releases haven't been guys who would be displaced by DSL players outside of maybe one low-A pitcher if Wande Torres skips the ACL.

I think it has more to do with the fact that, between pitchers with options likely to start in AAA and guys on minor league rosters, they have 73 pitchers in full season ball right now, not even counting college pitchers who didn't make their full-season debut last year but certainly are on track for a full-season spots or guys the Brewers will inevitably sign as minor league free agents. That makes it tough on a guy like Brailin Rodriguez, who would have been entering his final year before minor league free agency likely starting at high-A

The Campbell one was the most surprising to me, even with the Brewers not exactly treating him like a prospect last season, because the Brewers' only real position of depth at AAA right now is first base, presuming neither Martinez nor Clarke get plucked in the Rule 5 draft.

[Ro Mueller]

22-year old RHP Brailin Rodriguez signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in September 2018. His 2019 season in the DSL was noteworthy for 11 starts (5.72 ERA in 50.1 IP), before a respectable 2021 campaign in the Arizona Complex League (4.60 ERA with 35 Ks in 31.1 IP) saw him also throw 10.2 innings as the 3rd youngest pitcher in the Low-A Carolina League. Unfortunately, the 2022 season was lost due to injury and 2023 was miserable (8.16 ERA in 28.2 IP), before putting in solid work at Carolina in 2024: 3.23 ERA, 1.27 WHIP with 47 Ks in 47 IP. He also got a taste of High-A ball with 4 games at Wisconsin. Best of luck to Brailin in his next life adventure.

22-year old RHP Jeison Pena also signed from the Dominican Republic – in September 2020 in his case. Pena skipped the DSL, debuting in the Arizona Complex League in July 2021: 5.14 ERA with 35 Ks in 28 IP. A terrific strikeout rate saw him promoted to Low-A Carolina by July 2022, with Jeison also throwing 3 games at High-A Wisconsin: 3.30 ERA with 64 Ks in 46.1 IP across 3 levels that year, principally in relief. Unfortunately, the 2023 and 2024 campaigns were a struggle: combined 6.55 ERA with 86 Ks and 67 BB in 89.1 IP at Carolina. Good luck to Jeison wherever his path takes him.

[Ro Mueller]

On 10/11/2024 at 5:57 PM, wiguy94 said:

Do we think this speaks to a big DSL class coming over?

To me, the cuts feel deeper than usual. I'm guessing we expect to sign a high number of experienced minor leaguers from the relatively wide pool available. I only count 159 stateside minor leaguers at the moment, before we presumably lose perhaps 13 of 18 remaining MILB free agents and make about 4 pre-Rule 5 selections (dropping us to about 142 vs. an offseason cap of 175).

We can sign 18 more MILB free agents, promote 20 DSL players (vs. about 17 last year), place 12 players on long-term injured lists, release 3 players and still be in line with the 165-player cap next year.

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, Ro Mueller said:

To me, the cuts feel deeper than usual. I'm guessing we expect to sign a high number of experienced minor leaguers from the relatively wide pool available. I only count 159 stateside minor leaguers at the moment, before we presumably lose perhaps 13 of 18 remaining MILB free agents and make about 4 pre-Rule 5 selections (dropping us to about 142 vs. an offseason cap of 175).

We can sign 18 more MILB free agents, promote 20 DSL players (vs. about 17 last year), place 12 players on long-term injured lists, release 3 players and still be in line with the 165-player cap next year.

Sheesh. You should write about the Minor League Brewers! You kind of know a thing or two young fella!

[Joseph Zarr]

The stateside roster trimming continues 😔:

- RHP Gerson Calzadilla was released by the ACL Brewers

[Joseph Zarr]

- RHP Esmir Suarez has been activated from the 60-Day IL by the DSL Brewers #1

- C Estefano Lozano was activated from the 60-Day IL by the DSL Brewers #2

[Ro Mueller]

- Signed RHP Johandry Ramirez

He’s 17 years old, from the Dominican Republic, listed at 6’1”

[Joseph Zarr]

7 hours ago, Ro Mueller said:

- Signed RHP Johandry Ramirez

He’s 17 years old, from the Dominican Republic, listed at 6’1”

According to the Brewers Farm Instagram page, Ramirez is a 6'1" 160 lb RHP 

[Ro Mueller]

• OF Fabricio Valera released by DSL Brewers-2
• C Estefano Lozano released by DSL Brewers-2
• RHP Esmir Suarez released by DSL Brewers-1

[TURBO]

THIS makes me SOOOOO happy!

 

Brewers re-signed OF/1B Ernesto Martinez to a minor league contract.

 

Martinez registered an .832 OPS for Biloxi in 2024. He’ll provide organizational depth for Milwaukee in 2025 with an outside chance of making his MLB debut over the summer.

[Jim Goulart]

5 minutes ago, TURBO said:

THIS makes me SOOOOO happy!

Brewers re-signed OF/1B Ernesto Martinez to a minor league contract.

 

Martinez registered an .832 OPS for Biloxi in 2024. He’ll provide organizational depth for Milwaukee in 2025 with an outside chance of making his MLB debut over the summer.

Yes, you may have missed this update from October 8th from the amazing ARobsBrewCrew in this very thread.

[Ro Mueller]

 

[ARobsBrewCrew]

RHP Eric Prado recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season.  He will still just be 20 years old when he returns to the mound in 2026.

[sveumrules]

1 hour ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

RHP Eric Prado recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season.  He will still just be 20 years old when he returns to the mound in 2026.

Bummer. At least time is on his side.

Prado was one of only five pitchers in the Arizona Complex League to crack 40 IP in their age 18 season.

Melvin Hernandez was the only one that did it in his age 17 season, and his 3.81 FIP was 3rd out of 28 pitchers of any age who threw at least 40 IP in the ACL last year.

[markedman5]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Because these transactions were also technically processed on the Minor League side:

• RHP Bryse Wilson was sent outright to the Nashville Sounds where he elected Free Agency
• 1B/OF Jake Bauers was sent outright to the Nashville Sounds where he elected Free Agency

[ARobsBrewCrew]

Haven’t seen it reported elsewhere, but, according to Baseball America, C David Garcia has been re-signed to a minor league contract.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-transactions-oct-1-29-2024/

[Joseph Zarr]

42 minutes ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

Haven’t seen it reported elsewhere, but, according to Baseball America, C David Garcia has been re-signed to a minor league contract.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-transactions-oct-1-29-2024/

Baseball 'Merica also lists Juan Baez as a Catcher. Let's hope their transaction ledger is more accurate than their positional assignations. 😅

[Ro Mueller]

According to Baseball America, another 15 Brewers Minor Leaguers have become free agents:

• RHP Sam Carlson (AA)
• RHP Harold Chirino (AA)
• 1B Jesus Chirinos (A+)
• C Francisco Mejia (AAA)
• C Brian Navarreto (AAA)
• C Andrew Yerzy (AAA)
• INF Patrick Dorrian (AAA)
• INF Jose Acosta (A+)
• INF Christian Arroyo (AAA)
• INF Felix Valerio (AA)
• OF Reidy Mercado (A)
• OF Carlos D. Rodriguez (AAA)
• OF Chris Roller (AAA)
• OF Connor Scott (AA)
• OF Lamar Sparks (AA)