Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/27): Playing for the Watching MLB Eyes

[Jim Goulart]

All minor league players know (at least they should know) that they are playing to impress not only their current organization's brass, but those front offices across all of MLB. As of yesterday, as seen in our transaction log just below, Biloxi's Bradley Blalock and Wisconsin's Yujanyer Herrera are making travel plans. Each will be remaining at their current level of play. Blalock has been assigned to Colorado's Eastern League AA club in Hartford, Connecticut. Herrera heads west to Spokane, Washington in the High-A Northwest League. You can read the Rockies' comments on the acquisitions via the team's website here, while simultaneously reminding yourselves of their departing arsenals with video highlights. Should they remain in their new homes for the balance of 2024, both Hartford and Spokane have already qualified for the postseaon.

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

It was a 4-2 Saturday on the farm, including the Shuckers and Timber Rattlers netting victories after completing their hugs and wishing their former teammates well.

 

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Transactions:

• Milwaukee Brewers traded RHP Bradley Blalock and RHP Yujanyer Herrera to the Colorado Rockies for RHP Nick Mears
• Milwaukee Brewers recalled LHP Tyler Jay from Nashville Sounds.
• Nashville Sounds activated RHP Nolan Blackwood from the Development List.
• 2B Jose Acosta assigned to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from Carolina Mudcats.
• RHP Miqueas Mercedes assigned to DSL Brewers 2 from DSL Brewers 1.

Mercedes, a March 2024 signee, has yet to make his pro debut. That will likely happen this coming week.

There was a pro debut on Thursday as RHP Ever Urena, a 19-year-old Dominican native just signed on July 12th, tossed a perfect inning of relief for DSL Brewers 2 in their 3-2 loss.

From yesterday's Link Report:

"The Brewers need to supplement this position player group like ASAP. With Jadher Areinamo sidelined, the Wisconsin bench was catcher Matt Wood and never-used catcher Victor Torres."

And thus, the Acosta reinforcement move on Friday (well, not because it was suggested here...)

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Charlotte (White Sox) 8, Nashville 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine:

Nashville Bats Quiet and Fall to Knights in Front of Sellout Crowd - Vinny Capra has RBI double in 8-1 loss

It's a 19-page Nashville Media Notes released each day. Page 13 is the transactions tracker. Despite the tiny font, there will be a need to add a page soon. If you've never reviewed it, check it out. The amount of player movement over the course of a AAA season is nuts.

You know it was a rough night when "Vinny Capra has RBI double in 8-1 loss" forces its way into the headline. Actually, as the game summary noted in its postscript section, Capra's in the midst of an effective stretch at the plate.

The bulk of LHP Aaron Ashby's starts seem to have dropped on Friday/Saturday's, so considering those games fall under my Link Report domain, I've had my say and will remind you of such from a week ago:

 

Consider me intrigued by 6'6" RHP Easton McGee, who the Brewers signed to a two-year minor league deal coming off Tommy John surgery. He'll be in his age 27 season in 2025 and should be built into a starting pitcher candidate by April.

It really is tough to find other worthwhile items within this one, regardless of magnifying glass size. The Sounds did identify three highlights and you'll find them here. With four wins yet to discuss, let's move on.

 

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Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 8, Pensacola (Marlins) 4
Box Score and Game Log

Two Homers, Six Innings from Henderson Lead Shuckers to Win - Sparks homers as part of a three-hit night, Henderson ties career-high with six innings

Score looks familiar? Biloxi was on the flip side Friday night.

CF Carlos D. Rodriguez was a late scratch. Since we can only say it for two more nights, "hug watch"? Unlikely. Rodriguez, as has been discussed, is a minor league free agent at season's end. So, an acquiring team would know they would need to add him to their own 40-man roster by October's Rule 5 roster set deadline.

Having strayed some from his outstanding norm in his last two outings, it was sweet to have Logan Henderson on point as he was in this game. This is just one of several game highlights you'll find from the Shuckers on their "X" feed, this being our sole look at Henderson (unless you count the lone blemish, the HR ball he surrendered).

A tale of two other RHP's with continued patterns followed - Tyler Woessner's struggles and Craig Yoho's dominance.

Second baseman Dylan O'Rae lifted his Biloxi OBP over 145 plate appearances to .331, on base four times on Saturday. O'Rae doesn't turn 21 until February and thus will most probably be back with the Shuckers to open 2021 and build on his development.

Red-hot OF Lamar Sparks turns only 26 in September, and if the Brewers don't resign the minor league free agent to be to a new deal, Sparks should be able to find a new affiliated home.

As was noted in the game summary, it's a "Mis" day on Sunday, 4:05 Central.

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Wisconsin 3, Beloit (Marlins) 2
Box Score and Game Log

Wisconsin Holds on To Beat Beloit - Hall Homers & Rund Saves

That game summary includes a video highlight of LH starter Tate Kuehner. The 15-second must-sit-through-advertisement is longer than the 12-seond clip, but it's a price we occasionally must pay here in prospect-follower land. The 23-year-old Kuehner has now fanned 82 in 68.2 IP in 2024.

Combined RISP for this game was 2-for-17, with the Sky Carp contributing the majority of the ineffectiveness, thankfully.  A Sky Carp is a goose that does not migrate for the winter (add one to the list of things you learned today), and Beloit's baserunners, for the most part, did not migrate to a new home. Hey, just trying to paint a picture here with minimal video for this road game...

Really solid Wisconsin mound work throughout as you'll see in the box score lines. And with the customary limiting of opponent runs, it only takes one or two T-Rat batters to step up to push the club over the top to another win. This time around, it was first baseman Tayden Hall (HR, single, walk), still making his way through a high-A transition since his May 7th jump from Carolina.

 

 

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Final: Carolina 8, Salem (Red Sox) 3
Box Score and Game Log

Carolina Downs Salem to Take Series Lead 

A 9-3 road win Friday, an 8-3 win Saturday, nice!

Speaking of Friday, MiLB posted a more complete highlight stream of Luis Castillo's huge night.

Back to Saturday, the Muddies banged out five doubles among their 15 knocks, two via second baseman Daniel Guilarte, who needed that result. This was one of those "contributions from all" box scores we've alluded to lately, a thing of beauty, actually.

There are more highlights from Castillo in particular at the team's "X" feed.

You will notice that catcher David Garcia was a very early exit, within the bottom of the 1st inning in this road contest. I tuned in to the MiLB TV archive (for subscribers), here. Garcia took a shot to the groin area (private part) off a foul tip at the 01:09:45 hour/minute mark, and it was a solid seven-to-eight-minute period before he could gingerly walk off the field. The broadcast actually went and cut to two separate commercial breaks waiting out Garcia's exit. Hopefully David will be fine.

Remember, this is former big leaguer and former Brewers' minor league coach Mark Littell, who came up with this while coaching in Helena.

I am not making light of Garcia's injury at all by posting this. Take care, David.

 

The thing about the Milwaukee's development of high-end high school starters Bishop Letson and Josh Knoth is that you simply don't see blow-up outings. That's incredibly rare for teenagers over the course of a season though July. I am just so impressed with the steadiness and the sticking to the plan the Brewers have done with the two prized righties.

 

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Final: DSL Brewers #1 Squad 7, DSL Padres Gold 3
Box Score and Game Log

Down 3-1 entering the bottom of the 6th, Team Uno posted a four-spot and never looked back. Impressively, your game log review will show the first two men were retired in the frame. 

Switch-hitting Jesus Made (did you remember he bats from both sides?) pulled a go-ahead RBI fly ball double to right. Luis Pena singled on a fly ball to center off a new pitcher to cap the inning. It's no surprise those two led the go-ahead charge.

But we give big credit to 20-year-old Cuban native Idalberto Santiesteban, the two-way OF/LHP, who has made six mound appearances vs. 46 plate appearances in this, his 2nd pro season. As the designated hitter in the nine-hole he provided a two-run single on a ground ball to right prior to the Made and Pena at-bats.

Solid mound efforts from all four Cervecero hurlers, with particular props to 17-year-old Dominican native RHP Dariel Jaquez for four innings of one-run ball. The youngster (really youngster) has a 0.91 WHIP through 22 innings, sweet.

 

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Final: DSL Guardians Goryl 9, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 2
Box Score and Game Log

Team Dos didn't make any noise until the 7th, when they were already down 6-0.

However, that noise did come from the club's most prominent prospects, as a line drive Jose Anderson single was followed by a Jorge Quintana home run pulled to right field. Quintana is another switch-hitter, which gives us extra work to determine whether the bomb was pulled or was an oppo taco. This one was pulled.

18-year-old second-year bonus baby middle infielder committed his 7th error which led to four unearned runs. At the plate, Ereu (a 2024 line of .264/.412/.319, .731 OPS) was 1-for-4, and that hit was as can be expected given the lack of early-age slug, a single.

Freddy Peralta's 17-year-old RHP cousin Christopher has had rough sledding after a hot start to his pro journey. So, so, early, early, early...

 

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My buddy Daniel gets a standard Sunday four-pack of games to report on Monday AM, with Nashville having a rare Sunday night game. 2023 1st round RHP Ryan Birchard will start for Carolina, his first appearance there since April 6th and only the 4th outing of his brief pro career. Have a nice Sunday!

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

MiLB Audio Links
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

 

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[Joseph Zarr]

Quote

 A Sky Carp is a goose that does not migrate for the winter (add one to the list of things you learned today), and Beloit's baserunners, for the most part, did not migrate to a new home. Hey, just trying to paint a picture here with minimal video for this road game...

[Austin Tatious]

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Joseph, what have you seen with Tyler Black as an outfielder?  Tracking the ball, arm strength, etc.  I know they’ve been running him in center but even if he goes to LF, that would be a plus IMO.   

[Joseph Zarr]

4 hours ago, Austin Tatious said:

Joseph, what have you seen with Tyler Black as an outfielder?  Tracking the ball, arm strength, etc.  I know they’ve been running him in center but even if he goes to LF, that would be a plus IMO.   

In the extremely limited action he's had out there? I would opine it is where he appears he could actually be the most effective. Is this saying much? I don't know 😅. Tyler's biggest issue defensively is the inconsistency. He's made some nice plays this season, for sure, but for every good play there's at least one headscratcher. In the outfield, he has plenty of room to roam so his decision making isn't as confined. He has plenty of agility and speed as we know so he can cover a lot of ground. Obviously, we haven't had enough looks to see how he handles jumps and routes on a routine basis but in the limited action in CF I've liked his work. He has a decent arm as a general rule but I haven't seen him have to uncork a meaningful throw from out there as of yet.