2024 Minor League Transaction Thread

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, this daydream ended too soon:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

- RHP Justin Caceres has been released by the DSL Brewers #2

[Joseph Zarr]

- LHP Bruce Zimmerman has been signed to a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training. He has been assigned to the Nashville Sounds.

Zimmerman went 3-4 in 15 Games Started pitching for the Norfolk Tides (Orioles) last season. He did not appear at the MLB level.

[Jim Goulart]

On 9/4/2024 at 3:01 PM, Joseph Zarr said:

• The Brewers have scooped up another UDFA arm to throw into the pitching ranks in Northern Kentucky's  RHP Tanner Gillis . What's more? Spencer has some tidbits for us all

* This Transaction was first featured HERE by @Ro Mueller in the 'NDFA Signings' Thread *

Bumping this September 4th post for Tanner Gillis, a 24-year-old still awaiting his pro debut this spring (straight to Appleton?), as we have a new feature article with quotes. (the article shares a spotlight with his college teammate, now a Twins farmhand).

Against the Odds: The Road from Cedarville to the Minor Leagues
by Emily Tuttle, Cedarville (OH) University

[Ro Mueller]

Here are well wishes for 11 Brewers’ farmhands released over the past two months:

21-year old RHP Gerson Calzadilla signed from Venezuela in May 2021, dominating hitters for three seasons and winning the Arizona League Complex Pitcher of the Year in 2023 (amongst 17 teams) before an August 2023 injury derailed his solid trajectory. Calzadilla delivered a 2.80 ERA in 45 DSL innings and 2.66 ERA in 84.2 ACL innings (before the injury), although he averaged just 7.6 K/9 in those periods. He started 16 of 24 games in 2021-22 before shifting to long relief work in 2023. Promoted to Low-A Carolina in August 2023, he was injured the same month, then pitched just 11 innings in 2024. We hope Gerson has made a full physical recovery and wish him luck in his next opportunity.

20-year old RHP Esmir Suarez signed from the Dominican Republic in July 2022, delivering an excellent 2023 campaign in the DSL: 2.80 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.9 K/9 in 35.1 innings (10 games, 8 starts). The starts, solid stats and respectable 31 K / 12 BB ratio all indicated a likely promotion to the Arizona Complex League in 2024, but he instead spent the season on the injured list. We wish Esmir best of luck in whatever comes next on his road.

20-year old OF Ramon Moreno signed from the Dominican Republic in July 2022, debuting in the DSL in 2023 with a respectable .730 OPS in 158 PAs, including 10 extra-base hits (2 HRs) and 14 stolen bases. Promoted stateside to the ACL in May 2024, he delivered a .701 OPS in 106 PAs (helped by a .442 BABIP) with 7 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases. 221 of Moreno’s 535.2 career innings were in center field. Perhaps his proven speed will enable Ramon to latch onto another minor league contract. We wish him well.

20-year old OF/LHP Idalberto Santiesteban signed from Cuba in November 2022, producing a respectable .662 OPS in 101 DSL PAs with 21 stolen bases principally as a corner outfielder in 2023. The 2024 DSL campaign saw Santiesteban handle split duties, including 10 games as a pitcher (2.89 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 5.8 K/9 in 9.1 IP) and 27 games as a position player (.501 OPS in 64 PAs with 3 SBs). Hopefully Idalberto’s versatility will pay off for him elsewhere.

19-year old RHP Ranwell Smith signed from Nicaragua in June 2022, starting 10 of 20 games over his first two DSL seasons, with an encouraging second year: 4.34 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 in 37.1 innings. Shifted exclusively to bullpen work in the DSL in 2024, Smith produced a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings, accompanied by a 1.70 WHIP and 5.9 K/9. Good luck to Ranwell wherever his path takes him.

19-year old C/1B Ludwin Tejada signed from the Dominican Republic in June 2022, showing promise in 2022 and 2023 but never getting the promotion stateside. His .719 OPS in 70 DSL PAs in 2022 was accompanied by a 27% caught stealing ratio, followed up by a .522 OPS in 62 DSL PAs in 2023 with a 44% caught stealing ratio. Unfortunately, his 2024 DSL caught stealing ratio fell to 13% and his OPS stayed down at .607 (in 42 PAs). Best of luck to Ludwin in his next career opportunity.

20-year old OF Fabricio Valera signed from Venezuela in June 2022, making 26 outfield starts over two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He produced a .553 OPS in 2022 (57 PAs) and .634 OPS in 2023 (73 PAs) with one extra-base hit and three stolen bases, but had an encouraging 32 walks vs. 26 Ks. He spent the 2024 season on the injured list and we hope he’s made a full recovery. Good luck Fabricio!

20-year old 1B/C Estefano Lozano signed from Columbia in August 2022, playing 74 innings at first base and 30 innings at catcher over two DSL seasons. He managed a .408 OPS in 2022 (13 PAs) and .675 OPS in 2023 (46 PAs) before missing the 2024 season due to injury. We hope he’s healthy and wish Estefano success in his next endeavor.

RHP Justin Caceres signed from Nicaragua in June 2022, delivering a 6.97 ERA with 25 Ks in 31 DSL innings that year. His 2023 season went a bit better, highlighted by a 3.81 ERA with 26 Ks in 28.1 innings, though with a 1.80 WHIP. Unfortunately, Caceres spent the entire 2024 season on the injured list. We hope that Justin is healthy again and wish him luck in his next opportunity.

18-year old RHP Francisco Guevara signed from Venezuela in July 2023, immediately going on the injured list before debuting in the DSL in June 2024. An extremely rough start saw the first 10 batters reach base against him before results started to improve. All-in-all, Guevara faced 61 batters, allowing only 6 hits along with 20 walks, 6 HBPs and 6 strikeouts for a 13.06 ERA. Good luck to Francisco in his next opportunity.

18-year old OF Jeremy George signed from Panama in January 2024, playing in 19 DSL games this year and producing a .427 OPS in 53 PAs with 1 home run, 1 RBI and 3 stolen bases. He mainly played right field and we wish Jeremy well in his next opportunity. 

[Jim Goulart]

Brewers release recently-turned 23-year-old corner outfielder Eduarqui Fernandez. who spent all of 2024 with the Timber Rattlers.

Fernandez was considered the prize of the July 2018 international class, signing for $1.1 million as a 16-year-old.

SIDENOTES on the 2018 class via MiLB.com: Who remembers Branlyn Jaraba, who signed for the same amount and peaked in 2022 with 17 games at Carolina? Well, INF/OF Eduardo Garcia is having a strong winter season at least.

That signing class did net RH reliever Abner Uribe on the relatively cheap (85,000).

Back to Fernandez, debuting in the Dominican Summer League in 2019, he clubbed 11 home runs and nine doubles but fanned at a 32.5% rate. His best campaign was a split 2022 between repeating Maryvale and debuting at Carolina in 2022 (.772 OPS).

Fernandez struggled to a .190/.281/.316 line (.597 OPS) in 113 T-Rats games this summer, and it's clear the Brewers were not prepared to jump him to Biloxi for the start of 2025.