Your 2024 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

[Jim Goulart]

(Note: We were asked to kick off these threads a bit earlier than usual, by a week or two. You may see various updates shortly.)

Timber Rattlers' Opening Night is Friday 3/29, a week earlier than the other affiliates - at Toledo (Tigers).

The eventual Wisconsin formal announcement will come directly from the Timber Rattlers, not the Brewers.

The three affiliates who begin play on 4/5 will send out their press releases within an hour or so of each other once the Brewers have given them the official go-ahead to do so.

Feel free to link to any formal Timber Rattlers notices you see.

Often, we learn via player tweets, who has been assigned where, prior to the formal affiliate announcements. We'll link to any of those posts in this thread as they come out.

As you might know, we use the "Your 2024" team threads to post and link to feature stories, including audio and video, that are outside the scope of game activity covered in the Daily Minor League Link Report.

These threads have become among the most popular for viewing here.

Please do not speculate on any player releases. Brewers Player Development or MiLB.com will update us formally.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

3B Luke Adams will begin his second full professional season with the Rattlers.  Not a surprising assignment, but still impressive as just a 19-year-old on Opening Day.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

2B Jadher Areinamo will return to A+ Wisconsin to start the season.  He had a brief stint there in 2022 as an 18-year-old.

[Jim Goulart]

Milwaukee Brewers Announce Initial Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Roster for 2024
Lara, Boeve, and Adams are top prospects to start season with the Rattlers
By Chris Mehring

[Ro Mueller]

If I'm counting correctly, we've got 5 draft picks from last season on Wisconsin's Opening Day roster: Boeve, Wichrowski, Kuehner, Manfredi and Yoho...but no Ryan Birchard (well, he's still 20 years old).

Luke Adams and Jadher Areinamo make the step up as expected, with Dylan O'Rae and Gregory Barrios joining them to add some exciting offense and defense.

Adding Aquino, Rudy and Yerlin Rodriguez brings some serious talent to the pitching staff and I see Alexander Cornielle is returning. I wonder if Stiven Cruz is moving to the bullpen after not seeing his name listed as a starter in spring training.

Let's hope they all thrive in the new season that's upon us.

[duewizard]

No Logan Henderson here or in Biloxi. Is he with Carolina again? 

Nvm just saw he will open on the IL

[Jim Goulart]

 

[sveumrules]

Pretty aggressive assignment for Alejandro Rodriguez straight to A+ as an undradted free agent who didn’t exactly show out in his brief ACL time last year.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

4 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Pretty aggressive assignment for Alejandro Rodriguez straight to A+ as an undradted free agent who didn’t exactly show out in his brief ACL time last year.

 

Maybe they saw something in his Winter League work for the Criollos de Caguas. He did wallop a 1.000 OPS and 1.000 OBP showing immense discipline at the plate...working a free pass in his single AB over the course of their 40 game season (minus playoffs - where they kept that hot bat on emergency back-up).

I can avow: I did not have C David Garcia assigned to Carolina and Rodriguez assigned to the T-Rats on my early season Bingo card. Nope. Did not have it.

[Zad Fnark]

I'm looking forward to a few games there this year.  I'm tentatively looking at May 31 for my first game. (I've learned to avoid freezing my butt on April games. 😀). Plus the food's better then what's at AmFam.  Mom passed away last summer, and I wasted the rest of the year cleaning out her house, so I didn't go anywhere.

[bigred]

17 hours ago, Zad Fnark said:

I'm looking forward to a few games there this year.  I'm tentatively looking at May 31 for my first game. (I've learned to avoid freezing my butt on April games. 😀). Plus the food's better then what's at AmFam.  Mom passed away last summer, and I wasted the rest of the year cleaning out her house, so I didn't go anywhere.

Sorry to hear about your mom. 😔

[Zad Fnark]

10 hours ago, bigred said:

Sorry to hear about your mom. 😔

Thanks.  Wasn't a fun thing.  She had two aortic aneurysms.  Surgery on the first in 2021 which she barely survived.  She decided not to have the second one operated on, and of course it blew up.  Dad died from the same thing 3 months before her surgery.  Both were heavy smokers prior, so I'm convinced that was a factor.  Dad quit smoking after a heart attack 20 years ago, but she kept smoking even after her surgery.

I just survived an aortic dissection, which is something different and evidently rare.

[Jim Goulart]

Article - Nice for Timber Rattlers fans with access to local TV:

64 of 66 games available on broadcast TV

 

[Jim Goulart]

Video and quotes within -

Despite snow, Timber Rattlers '95 percent sure' they will start the season on time

The Fox Valley's minor league baseball team is scheduled to open the season on Friday night. Despite eight inches of snow in Grand Chute, the T-Rats believe they will be good to go.

[TURBO]

4 hours ago, Mass Haas said:

Video and quotes within -

Despite snow, Timber Rattlers '95 percent sure' they will start the season on time

The Fox Valley's minor league baseball team is scheduled to open the season on Friday night. Despite eight inches of snow in Grand Chute, the T-Rats believe they will be good to go.

This is a bit surprising, but good for them if they can get it in on Friday.  I'm still expecting a doubleheader on Saturday or Sunday...

[CheeseheadInQC]

Based upon the upcoming schedule, it looks like the initial 6-man rotation will be Wichrowski, Cornielle, Jimenez, Aquino, Manfredi and Rudy.

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Matt]

It's remarkable how easy this delivery looks. 

[Jim Goulart]

 

[TURBO]

3 minutes ago, Mass Haas said:

 

I don't think he'll be #14 for long!

Saw him play 3 times so far, and he looks like a monster!

The future looks bright!

[Jim Goulart]

Thursday 4/18:

Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky (Hour One): Rob Zerjav, Timber Rattlers President (go to the 16:45 minute mark)

Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky (Hour Two): Timber Rattlers Manager Victor Estevez (go to the 16:50 minute mark)

A reminder we always link to the T-Rats' Postgame Podcasts when available within our Minor League Link Reports. Here is the link to Thursday night's latest via Chris Mehring and Kyle Lobner:

Postgame Podcast includes interviews with LHP Mark Manfredi and Manager Victor Estevez

[Jim Goulart]

Barrios Wins Midwest League Player of the Week Award
Wisconsin shortstop recognized for amazing series against Cedar Rapids
By Chris Mehring

[Jim Goulart]

T-RAT Talk with RHP Brett Wichrowski

"Brett Wichrowski isn't listed on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Prospect list for the Milwaukee Brewers...yet. That may soon change once the right-handed pitcher from Bryant University in Rhode Island keeps doing what he has been doing with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers since getting the call as the Opening Night starter for the 2024 season."

Kyle Lobner has the story in this week's T-Rat Talk.

[Jim Goulart]

Midwest League Player of the Week Award Goes to Eduarqui Fernandez
Outfielder keeps award with Wisconsin for second consecutive week
By Chris Mehring, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers