Ro Mueller

Wow. I hope Lauer finds his confidence and footing again some day. Rough

It looks like we’ll option two players on Saturday to enable Eric Lauer and Trevor Megill to return. Guessing Andrews and Boushley, but could be Rea. I’m sure Boushley could use the MLB active roster pay, while one can argue that Rea truly deserves the MLB active roster pay. Oh well.

I’m guessing Jahmai Jones or else we’ll shift someone (e.g. Vieira, Bukauskas) to the 60-day injured list). But a DFA seems more likely to me, since we already went that route with Brian Anderson, suggesting that nobody’s seriously injured.

Let's beat the Cubs, which presents at least a few advantages: Pre-playoff joy, especially for the fans Positions Canha and Donaldson to face more lefties (against the Marlins), not relying on struggling Tellez to play as much Reduces likelihood of Winker making the playoff roster (ahead of Toro - who's a more capable runner and fielder, has a 41-game on-base streak, switch hits and has even hit a few homers) and me being annoyed about it

If Boushley is starting on Saturday (TBD), he'll need to be added to the MLB 40-man roster.

@Brock Beauchamp - would you mind adding RHP Evan McKendry?

- INF Josh VanMeter released by AAA Nashville - OF Skye Bolt released by AAA Nashville - OF Monte Harrison released by AAA Nashville - C Brent Diaz released by AAA Nashville - RHP Edrian Robinson released by ACL Brewers

Drop: Anderson, Perkins, Houser, Chafin, Bukauskas, Teheran Add: Mitchell, Wiemer, Peguero, Lauer Let’s not ever put the ball in Chafin’s hands, please. I’d trust Lauer more to get a key strikeout. And Wiemer’s a better center fielder than Perkins, no?

My guess is we’ll activate Mitchell from the 60-day injured list and also select Payton Henry’s contract (but immediately assign him to the minors). Otherwise, Henry and Navaretto would become minor league free agents, I believe, leaving us with no 3rd catcher. We’d need to free up two 40-man roster spots - e.g. move Vieira to 60-day injured list, DFA Winker or Jahmai Jones.

Kudos to @wiguy94 @sveumrules and so many other who contributed to and livened up the daily Minor League Forum, tracking the games live and giving insights. It's impossible to name everyone, of course, so apologies for any omissions: @CheeseheadInQC @wibadgers23 @Jake McKibbin @markedman5 @BrewerFan @Smichaelis9 @Brewcrew82 @brewmann04 @SF70 @TheeAirbender @Robocaller

Payton Henry delivered the game-changing three-run blast, while Tyler Black and Abraham Toro continued their streaks as Nashville won the International League West’s second half title outright. Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic For the week, the Sounds won their series five games to one, winning the 10-team International League’s West Division title by two games. And for the 2023 season, the Brewers’ four full season minor league affiliates went a combined 291-251 for one of the top organizational records across the baseball landscape. Transactions: RHP Ryne Moore released - the Brewers’ 18th round pick in 2021, Moore started 12 of 13 games in the 2022 season (4.41 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.8 K/9 in 65 1/3 IP), split between for Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin, but then missed the first three months of the 2023 season with an injury. He ultimately returned to throw 18 innings for the ACL Brewers over seven weeks (4.50 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 3.0 K/9). We hope that Mr. Moore is back to 100% health and wish him luck wherever his career takes him. Game Action: Final: Nashville 8, Jacksonville 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review the affiliate write-up as part of their Link Report routine: Rick Sweet Becomes Winningest Sounds Manager With Triumph in Season Finale The Sounds rewarded 6,689 Nashville fans who wisely chose to spend a lovely 80-degree Sunday at the ballpark, rather than at home watching their football team get smoked, scoring in four straight innings to turn around an early deficit. Rehabbing opener LHP Aaron Ashby struggled to find the zone (35 pitches, 16 for strikes – 3 walks to 7 batters faced), but the defense limited the damage via a 1st inning double play and C Payton Henry (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs) throwing out an attempted basestealer in the second frame. Still, the team trailed 3-1 in the bottom of the 4th inning before 1B Abraham Toro (2-for-4, 2 doubles, RBI), extended his on-base streak to 41 games (including time in MLB) with a one-out double, right fielder Chris Roller (2-for-3, HBP, RBI, 2 SBs – will we re-sign him this offseason?) was hit-by-pitch and Henry extended his at-bat to a full count before launching his 424-foot, three-run blast for Nashville's first lead. We don’t have details on why center fielder Jackson Chourio (1-for-2, double in his first AAA action in center field) exited after the 4th inning, but we can say that replacement Monte Harrison immediately made his mark by smacking the first strike he saw for a solo homer and a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 5th inning. Like Roller, Harrison will also be a minor league free agent. Sounds’ Extras: Eight Sounds’ players collected hits in the win and six men had at least one RBI in a true team victory. Of course, 3B Tyler Black got in on the fun with a double and a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. The offseason excitement will be off-the-charts for Chourio, Black and LHP Robert Gasser, and rightfully so! On the mound, it was also a team performance, with RHPs Janson Junk and Luis Contreras (Win) capably combining on six innings: 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 Ks, with Junk stranding one inherited runner and Contreras (who’s eligible for free agency) earning the Win. RHP Tobias Myers (2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks) then blistered through the final six batters, throwing 18 strikes in 21 pitches in his second AAA appearance of the year, touching 96.1mph. The Brewers are off on Monday, so we’ll likely need to wait until Tuesday to see if it’s time for Joey Wiemer (0-for-2, walk, SF, RBI - played left field in this game) and/or rehabbing Garrett Mitchell (2-for-5 as DH) to return to the MLB roster, at the minimum for late inning defense and pinch running. 2B Owen Miller (0-for-4) and Toro will also be hoping for recalls, while the team may find a way to select catcher Henry’s contract to keep him around for catching depth. On behalf of the Minor League Link Report Crew (@Mass Haas, @Joseph Zarr), thank you all for diligently following along the 2023 journey. It’s been a hectic, win-fueled campaign, with two playoff teams (Carolina Mudcats, ACL Brewers) and three other squads nearly grabbing a berth. Thanks as well to the media teams from each and every club (e.g. Jeff Hem, Javik Blake, Chris Mehring, Kyle Lobner, Greg Young & Co.), as well as the players and coaches for the availability and day-in, day-out effort. Now enjoy the MLB playoffs! Go Brewers!!! Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

The Brewers’ minor league season finale is a nod to the future, with 19-year old Jackson Chourio getting his first start in center field for AAA Nashville, who aims to finish off a 5-1 home series win over Jacksonville and hold onto sole possession of first place in the West division second half standings. Rehabbing LHP Aaron Ashby will open for RHP Janson Junk.

This thread will be utilized for any minor league news Sunday, lineup updates, etc. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

- RHP Ryne Moore released by ACL Brewers (though I’d say it’s more accurate to mark his level as High-A Wisconsin, after which injuries pushed him down)

Cutting stateside minor league rosters from 180 to 165 for all clubs won't be pretty, with 450 players getting pushed out into the wilderness between September 2023 and April 2024. Some of these cuts are perhaps a casualty of this. Releasing Hall was a semi-surprise for me, given the expectation that Quero and Clarke will immediately move up to AAA. Maybe we'll bring Brent Diaz (free agent) back or entice Jose Sibrian with a AA roster spot (I'd been expecting Sibrian to re-sign for High-A ball). Either way, we'll definitely be on the lookout to add one or two catchers via the Rule 5 draft or free agency, although the 2019 Alex Alvarez Rule 5 experience at AA Biloxi wasn't that inspiring to me.

For some reason, they only planned for 4 teams to make the AAA playoffs: 2 from the 10-team PCL and 2 from the 20-team IL. Maybe it’s because MLB teams want to feel at more liberty to call up AAA players. Still stinks. For Ashby, they probably just want to end his season on a better note: 4 walks to 6 batters in last game. Managing the mental side, I guess. Hope it goes well today!

That’s a nice comeback win, really picking up struggling pitchers. OF Chris Roller looks like quite a late season find, though he’s headed to free agency. With St. Paul rained out, Nashville has clinched at least a tie for the second half West division title. It looks like Ashby is opening again tomorrow (gulp), followed by Junk (who pitched Tuesday). I guess we’ve shut down Gasser and McKendry.

Nashville holds a 0.5-game lead in the International League West’s second half standings over St. Paul with two games to play. LHP Adam Seminaris makes his first AAA appearance of 2023, as they take on Jacksonville at home. 3B Tyler Black has a 12-game hitting streak.

- C Alex Hall released by High-A Wisconsin

Respectable final outing for Lauer - 10 Ks in 7 IP.. Will that be the last we see of him in the Brewers’ organization? Seems like a non-tender candidate, unfortunately, at his expected arbitration price range. Look at Ethan Small bailing out Alex Claudio there in the tense 8th inning. He hit 95.2mph in the 9th inning. Maybe he’ll be in the Brewers’ pen in 2024. Elsewhere, St. Paul won and Iowa lost, so it’s basically just Nashville and St. Paul battling to win the second half West title (but alas no playoff berth). Two games left on the season.

The AAA Sounds looks to take a 3-1 series lead over Jacksonville at home, with starting LHP Eric Lauer playing his 10th Nashville game since return from injury (3.94 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 13.5 K/9 in 32 IP during this period). RF Jackson Chourio has a 12-game hitting streak, including 3 games in AAA ball.

This thread will be utilized for any minor league news Friday, lineup updates, etc.Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

C Jhonnys Cabrera released by Low-A Carolina LHP Adam Seminaris assigned to AAA Nashville from AA Biloxi

Should we cap Burnes’ pitch count - e.g. 70 today, 70 on Sep 27th, then raring to go on Oct 3rd?