Your 2024 Biloxi Shuckers

[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.)

Shuckers' Opening Night is Friday 4/5 - at home vs. Montgomery (Rays).

The eventual Biloxi formal announcement will come directly from the Shuckers, 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 Shuckers 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]

Frustrated for him because he deserves better, but hopefully a short stay back in Biloxi: LF Noah Campbell starting 2024 with the Shuckers.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

SS Freddy Zamora heading back to Biloxi as well

[ARobsBrewCrew]

1B Zavier Warren going to Biloxi as well.  Lots of familiar faces in AA to start the year. 

[ARobsBrewCrew]

RHP TJ Shook returning to Biloxi for another go around.

[Joseph Zarr]

4 hours ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

RHP TJ Shook returning to Biloxi for another go around.

BIG season for TJ. I am personally hoping for strides in the in zone consistency, health, and continued growth. I continue to absolutely see MLB caliber stuff in his arsenal and in his build. Like many a young arm, he just needs innings; exposure to situations; health; and a continued commitment.to the grind.

[Jim Goulart]

 

[ARobsBrewCrew]

LHP Nate Peterson is moving up to AA Biloxi to start the season.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

1B Wes Clarke will not begin 2024 with Nashville as I previously reported, he also returns to Biloxi.  Thus is the downside of having depth in the upper minors.

[Ro Mueller]

5 hours ago, ARobsBrewCrew said:

1B Wes Clarke will not begin 2024 with Nashville as I previously reported, he also returns to Biloxi.  Thus is the downside of having depth in the upper minors.

I guess this is the only way to get Clarke some catching reps.

[Joseph Zarr]

I have to say: I don't understand this all that much. Shuckers already have 3 catchers rostered and they have Martinez and Warren to cover 1B. Whereas, Nashville currently only has two Catchers and, well, they don't have a single true 1B rostered. What's the thinking here? (I ask to the void) IF I were the Brewers, I'd maximize the opportunity to build on Clarke's immense momentum built since last summer and see where the ride takes us. Sending him back to the Southern League? It just, well, it just seems a bit silly. Then again, I am not privy to any of the intimate conversations about player path etc. so will defer and give it the benefit of the doubt to play out.

[ctmyers]

18 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I have to say: I don't understand this all that much. Shuckers already have 3 catchers rostered and they have Martinez and Warren to cover 1B. Whereas, Nashville currently only has two Catchers and, well, they don't have a single true 1B rostered. What's the thinking here? (I ask to the void) IF I were the Brewers, I'd maximize the opportunity to build on Clarke's immense momentum built since last summer and see where the ride takes us. Sending him back to the Southern League? It just, well, it just seems a bit silly. Then again, I am not privy to any of the intimate conversations about player path etc. so will defer and give it the benefit of the doubt to play out.

I would assume that Miller gets the majority of reps at 1B for Nashville and he's likely the first IF callup if anything goes wrong with Hoskins/Bauers/Ortiz/Mona.  That, or Wilken is going to Nashville...

At the same time both Biloxi and Nashville have packed IF rosters.  It could be Clarke's best opportunity for regular AB's to take all the catching reps he can and build up trade value.  

 

[jay87shot]

15 minutes ago, ctmyers said:

I would assume that Miller gets the majority of reps at 1B for Nashville and he's likely the first IF callup if anything goes wrong with Hoskins/Bauers/Ortiz/Mona.  That, or Wilken is going to Nashville...

At the same time both Biloxi and Nashville have packed IF rosters.  It could be Clarke's best opportunity for regular AB's to take all the catching reps he can and build up trade value.  

 

Good point on Miller at 1st. I took me a bit to figure out who would play 1st at Nashville. I doubt Clarke will be in AA long, like you said Miller is probably the 1st one called up (maybe Weimer). 

[RedStickBrew]

2 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I have to say: I don't understand this all that much. Shuckers already have 3 catchers rostered and they have Martinez and Warren to cover 1B. Whereas, Nashville currently only has two Catchers and, well, they don't have a single true 1B rostered. What's the thinking here? (I ask to the void) IF I were the Brewers, I'd maximize the opportunity to build on Clarke's immense momentum built since last summer and see where the ride takes us. Sending him back to the Southern League? It just, well, it just seems a bit silly. Then again, I am not privy to any of the intimate conversations about player path etc. so will defer and give it the benefit of the doubt to play out.

I’m with you. I guess Wes did himself no favors with a 50% K rate in spring training ABs. No matter where he starts the year he really needs to get a handle on that particular issue

[CheeseheadInQC]

2 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I have to say: I don't understand this all that much. Shuckers already have 3 catchers rostered and they have Martinez and Warren to cover 1B. Whereas, Nashville currently only has two Catchers and, well, they don't have a single true 1B rostered. What's the thinking here? (I ask to the void) IF I were the Brewers, I'd maximize the opportunity to build on Clarke's immense momentum built since last summer and see where the ride takes us. Sending him back to the Southern League? It just, well, it just seems a bit silly. Then again, I am not privy to any of the intimate conversations about player path etc. so will defer and give it the benefit of the doubt to play out.

Do we know if those catchers are staying in Biloxi, though? One might swap up or down a level to fill in. If they want to get him significant catching time, you avoid triple-A with Quero. 

[Ro Mueller]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I have to say: I don't understand this all that much. Shuckers already have 3 catchers rostered and they have Martinez and Warren to cover 1B. Whereas, Nashville currently only has two Catchers and, well, they don't have a single true 1B rostered. What's the thinking here? (I ask to the void) IF I were the Brewers, I'd maximize the opportunity to build on Clarke's immense momentum built since last summer and see where the ride takes us. Sending him back to the Southern League? It just, well, it just seems a bit silly. Then again, I am not privy to any of the intimate conversations about player path etc. so will defer and give it the benefit of the doubt to play out.

My friend, I struggled with this too at first, but there's a possibility that this decision was made jointly with the player, essentially following a "keep catching" path which has helped Cooper Hummel and David Fry make the big leagues.

In Nashville, you have to figure that the catching starts will be 4 games Quero, 2 games Navarreto each week. Quero needs the experience and Navarreto needs to stay fresh. Then Coach Murphy or another senior coach mentioned that Black should play 4 days at first base and 2 days at third base. So Clarke would basically have been left with 1-2 first base starts and 2-3 DH starts per week.

Wes Clarke has been listed as the starting catcher in 7 Minor League Spring Training games thus far (vs. Wood 5, Kahle 4, Norman 3, Diaz 3, Navarreto 2, Yerzy 2, D. Garcia 2, Quero 1, D. Miller 1, R. Rodriguez 1). As such, I'm guessing Wes will get at least 3 starts behind the plate in Biloxi per week, paired up with 2 players amongst Ramon Rodriguez, David Garcia, Andy Yerzy or Nick Kahle.

[Harold Hutchison]

On 3/28/2024 at 10:57 AM, ctmyers said:

I would assume that Miller gets the majority of reps at 1B for Nashville and he's likely the first IF callup if anything goes wrong with Hoskins/Bauers/Ortiz/Mona.  That, or Wilken is going to Nashville...

At the same time both Biloxi and Nashville have packed IF rosters.  It could be Clarke's best opportunity for regular AB's to take all the catching reps he can and build up trade value.  

 

Or he ends up an option behind the plate, given Quero's fragility (Quero's highest number of games played is 95 in 2022, and he probably won't top it this year). Clarke has a very good power bat, and he's been available.

[sveumrules]

1 hour ago, clancyphile said:

Or he ends up an option behind the plate, given Quero's fragility (Quero's highest number of games played is 95 in 2022, and he probably won't top it this year). Clarke has a very good power bat, and he's been available.

What injuries did Quero have before his freak one to start this season?

Going through his game log it looks like he missed one week two times in 2022 and had absences of one and three weeks last year, that seems about par for the course for a catcher.

If you think 95 games played by a teenage catcher in his first full pro season stateside is a sign of fragility you might need to recalibrate your expectations, or dig a little deeper for context.

[CheeseheadInQC]

1 hour ago, clancyphile said:

Or he ends up an option behind the plate, given Quero's fragility (Quero's highest number of games played is 95 in 2022, and he probably won't top it this year). Clarke has a very good power bat, and he's been available.

Most minor league catchers who play a lot of games play a lot of games at other positions. Quero doesn’t. In terms of games caught, I believe one minor league catcher caught 100 games last year, and it was a 28 year old minor league veteran. Most minor league starting catchers catch between 65 and 85 games per season and Quero was smack in the middle of that.

[Ro Mueller]

The AA Biloxi Shuckers have rolled out a formidable 29-man Opening Day roster, including RHP Jacob Misiorowski, Brock Wilken, Wes Clarke and many other studs. Never mind that the player cap (I believe) is 28(!?): 

[Jim Goulart]

Via the "Brew Crew Scoop" Podcast: "Javik Blake, the voice of the Biloxi Shuckers, fills us in on all the big names that he saw in AA Biloxi last year and who to keep an eye on in 2024." (go to the 24:00 minute mark)

[sveumrules]

Gotta feel for Shuckers pitchers when Darrien Miller gives them the best chance at nabbing potential base stealers…

Wes Clarke
(35 SB | 4 CS in 2023 at AA)

Darrien Miller
(80 SB | 18 CS in 2023 at A+)

Andy Yerzy
(35 SB | 7 CS career at AA)

Can Lamar Sparks catch?

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

AUDIO: "Manager Joe Ayrault joined the pregame show on Wednesday ahead of the exhibition game to chat about his first few days in Biloxi, the returning roster and who impressed in Arizona!"

[SF70]

Wilken-EBJ-Misiorowski are maybe the most important trio of prospects to follow in the Brewers system. Good seasons from the 3 really sets up the big-league team to have quite the homegrown team over the next couple of seasons.