Jim Goulart

Hopefully box scores daily for you. Today it's all the Cleveland affiliates, and the Timber Rattlers' Chris Mehring is even twittering updates from Arizona. Jump on my Chris Dennis bandwagon now, fans. As Mehring notes, two triples in his first two AB's. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

I know we keep saying we'll rarely comment on independent league signings / alumni (there's more than you can imagine), but just couldn't resist yet another comeback story with the former garbage man, 36-year-old RHP Joe Winkelsas (Wikipedia) who signed with Southern Maryland of the Atlantic League. Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Manager Butch Hobson has announced the signing of four pitchers new to the organization for 2010. The latest round of signings is headlined by veteran righty Joe Winkelsas, who has Major League experience in two seasons. Winkelsas ended a brief retirement by signing with the Blue Crabs, and did not play in 2009. He is a veteran of 13 professional seasons, including stints in the Majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006. In 302 career appearances as a professional, all have come in relief. In addition to the Atlanta and Milwaukee organizations, Winkelsas was last employed by the Chicago White Sox. In his most recent season in 2008, he split time between Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham. He also spent a portion of the 2004 season in the Atlantic League, with the Somerset Patriots. Winkelsas brings 61 career saves to the Blue Crabs this season.

I know we keep saying we'll rarely comment on independent league signings / alumni (there's more than you can imagine), but just couldn't resist yet another comeback story with the former garbage man, 36-year-old RHP Joe Winkelsas (Wikipedia) who signed with Southern Maryland of the Atlantic League. Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Manager Butch Hobson has announced the signing of four pitchers new to the organization for 2010. The latest round of signings is headlined by veteran righty Joe Winkelsas, who has Major League experience in two seasons. Winkelsas ended a brief retirement by signing with the Blue Crabs, and did not play in 2009. He is a veteran of 13 professional seasons, including stints in the Majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006. In 302 career appearances as a professional, all have come in relief. In addition to the Atlanta and Milwaukee organizations, Winkelsas was last employed by the Chicago White Sox. In his most recent season in 2008, he split time between Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham. He also spent a portion of the 2004 season in the Atlantic League, with the Somerset Patriots. Winkelsas brings 61 career saves to the Blue Crabs this season.

The Brewerfan 40-man roster page now reflects that Lorenzo Cain has two options left (2011 and 2012 if used in consecutive years), while Angel Salome and Marco Estrada each have one, meaning they would have to be up to the big leagues to stay in 2012.

The roster limit for DSL teams is 35 players, though it's likely the Brewers' squad will be in the 25-30 range. Certainly as of this time, it wouldn't appear the Brewers have a full squad ready to go, but they will, and as planned, it won't be a shared squad, in 2010 and beyond. Several candidates are currently finalizing the vetting process for age / identity verification, and we have another active thread on this forum where we just posted a specific update on that process. Don't be surprised if some of the Latin players who toiled on the Maryvale squad in 2009 are members of the 2010 DSL squad. *** Finally, another injury update for you among these kids -- soon-to-be 20-year-old RHP Luis Guerrero will also miss the 2010 season with an arm injury. Guerrero has actually pitched for the Maryvale Brewers in each of the past three summers (stats), and had us most excited as a 17-year-old in 2007, despite a high walk total. One wonders how difficult things have been for him off the field, and how different it may have been for him had the Dominican Academy been in place previously.

This thread, which began in November, isn't all that lengthy, and we invite everyone to re-read it now. The reason is that we now know that SS/3B Santo Aybar, prominently mentioned in the thread above, won't be joining the Brewers after all, as he failed the investigation as to age / identity, although we don't know in which way. Regardless, he's not a Brewer, and apparently won't be. Just this week Baseball America ran a feature on bringing in Sandy Alderson to focus on MLB's operations in the Dominican. It's not surprising that the Brewers have had other potential candidates also fail this "vetting process", none quite so prominently identified as Aybar, but it's better to find out before the fact than after, right? We also have this new thread post with more details on the Brewers' planned DSL summer league team for 2010.

ON THE MOUND: Also scheduled to pitch this afternoon (subject to change) is RHP Todd Coffey, RHP Claudio Vargas and RHP Trevor Hoffman. *** No minor league camp kids for this game, as all their own games have begun as of today. All the minor league affiliates meet their matching affiliates from the Indians' system, and we should have info for you in the Minor League Forum later.

CHAT ROOM, CHAT ROOM, CHAT ROOM Box score here Free audio webcast with Brian and Bill via MLB.com. Here's your online linkage for audio. Gameday, which is pretty much functioning normally for most of the action now, can be found here.

Video highlight of Jonathan Lucroy's home run Thursday night

I feel really good about the future of this bullpen when I see the stuff from Axford and Braddock, not to mention Michael Fiers. Wait, I just mentioned him...

Someone at BCB (hat tip, as they say) noticed that the Star-Telegram posted a box score of this afternoon's Dave Bush "B" game. It's a PDF file.

ON THE MOUND: Also scheduled to pitch tonight after Manny Parra (subject to change) is RHP John Axford, LHP Mitch Stetter, RHP Chris Smith and RHP Marco Estrada. MINOR DETAILS: In uniform from minor-league camp is RHP Nick Bucci. A Nick Bucci sighting on MLB.TV / MLB.com would be very sweet, eh? (Canadian reference)

First of all, Dave Bush tossed in a "B" game against the Rangers in Surprise today. We may hear bits and pieces about that game from the usual sources. CHAT ROOM, CHAT ROOM, CHAT ROOM for tonight's action (yes, tonight's, not "this afternoon's"!) Actually, it'll be interesting in the chat room. Some may be listening live to WTMJ or watching on MLB.com as of 8:00 PM. Others may pop in while watching the tape-delayed game on MLB Network at 10:00 PM. That could prove to be quite the time. Or you could all just watch NCAA basketball http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. (But DVR the Brewers' game!) Box score here Whether you watch MLB.com or MLB Network, be aware that it will be the Rangers' broadcast team. Here's your online linkage for audio / video. Gameday, which is pretty much functioning normally for most of the action now, can be found here.

McCalvy (edit: changed topic title from "six" to "eight to nine" more weeks based on Logan's reply #24 --1992)

We've learned that both Wes Etheridge and Matt Cline are in camp and competing for jobs with everyone else this spring. Good luck to them.

OF Charlie Fermaint (4th round, 2003), a Top 10 Power 50 ranking after the 2006 season (# 9), was given his release by the Washington Nationals.

OF Charlie Fermaint (4th round, 2003), a Top 10 Power 50 ranking after the 2006 season (# 9), was given his release by the Washington Nationals.

brief Trent Oeltjen video interview -- g'day to the likely Nashville Sound!

Baseball America: Reinstated from inactive list: RHP Wes Etheridge, SS Matt Cline (career stats at links) Both ’07 draft picks, Etheridge (12th round) and Cline (22nd round) missed the ’09 season while on the restricted list. *** So maybe two are rejoining the fold. Sometimes (actually, usually), reinstating a player is a precursor to granting them their release. We'll try and find out for you.

We now know a bit more about some of the kids that will be making up the Brewers' Dominican League entry when the season opens in late May / early June 2010. The Brewers shared a squad with the Orioles in 2009, they'll have their own team this coming season. Longtime Brewer minor leaguer Nestor Corredor debuts as a manager. First, here's a reminder about those who took part last season, some of whom will probably return to the DSL. The seven pitchers, the two lefty's are asterisk'd -- click on their name to view their vitals. Eliezer Montano (Venezuela), who will pitch as an 18-year-old this season, is notable as a 6'7" southpaw, all of 170 pounds. The other lefty, Jose Ramos (D.R.), is also a skyscraper at 6'5", but is a beefy 228. INJURY UPDATE -- Unfortunately, Ramos (2009 stats as a reliever) will miss all of 2010 with arm surgery (we're not aware of the specifics, although obviously serious). The six position players -- disregard Luis Chirinos, he was recently released. 6'6" 1B Hitaniel Arias (D.R.) was a $450,000 bonus baby when he signed in the summer of 2007. C / DH Jhonathan Javier (D.R.) was a statistical stud in 2009 (.971 OPS), as you'll recollect from our Link Reports. He played his first pro season at age 21 last year, so you'd expect him to be stateside this summer. OF Ronny Puello (D.R.) was off to a fine start before he was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. *** Here are the signings who have yet to have a professional appearance: 18-year-old RHP Joel Dicent, 6'4", 195 lb. (D.R.) Scouting director Bruce Seid was excited about a newly signed pitcher out of the Dominican Republic, 18-year-old right-hander Joel Dicent. "He's 6-4, 195 and throws 90-95 (mph)," said Seid. "He'll go to our academy in the Dominican. We've brought a lot of big, hard throwers into the system this year." 18-year-old RHP Jean Capellan, 6'2", 185 lb. (D.R.) "He has an aggressive mound presence," Seid said. "I liked what I saw from him. He wasn't considered a top-tier prospect, but to our organization he's got potential to do something from a pitching standpoint." Capellan reaches 92 mph with his fastball and features a hard breaking ball. 21-year-old LHP Manuel Ruiz, 6'5", 175 lb. (D.R.) 19-year-old RHP Jairo Mejia, 6'5", 180 lb. (D.R.) 18-year-old IF Juan De Leon, 6'4", 210 lb. (D.R.), Bats and Throws right -- at that size, you'd think a "corner" infielder 19-year-old IF Yonki Hernandez, 5'10", 160 lb. (D.R.), B/T right -- at that size, you'd think a "middle" infielder; Miller Park needs a "Yonki" someday 17-year-old RF Jose Pena, 6'3", 185 lb. (D.R.), B/T right Signed for $400,000, here's the thread link from last July with discussion history. By the way, Pena's confirmed birthday is March 3, 1993, so he just turned 17 years old. Soon-to-be 18-year-old OF Erickson Salaya, 6'2, 175 lb. (Venezuela), B/T right http://profile.pics.ak.sonicocnt.com/photos/7/AE/DE/35177092/bg_profile.jpg?1223458852 19-year-old OF Dionis Hinojosa, 6'1", 180 lb. (D.R.), B/T right http://profile.pics.ak.sonicocnt.com/photos/2/CT/DL/16544467/bg_profile.jpg?1206381357 Pictures are from Facebook.

This story from Massachusetts (actually not far from me) details what's happening with three local products in the minor leagues, including infielder John Delaney (and his brother). Full article at the link, John's portion below (note about catching interesting, whatever it takes, right?) -- *** While Jason is starting his fifth full season of professional baseball, his younger brother John is still hoping to get through his first. The Milwaukee Brewers drafted John out of Quinnipiac in the 25th round of the 2008 entry draft, and he spent the rest of the year in the Rookie League with the Helena Brewers. Last year was supposed to be his first full season in the minors, but a torn quadriceps muscle and two concussions limited Delaney to just 70 games and a .207 average with the Brewers’ Class A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Now, Delaney said he is back to 100 percent and anxious to get his career going again in 2010. “Things didn’t go exactly how I planned,” Delaney said. “But right now, I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve been in to start a season and I’m looking forward to this year — I think it will be a good one for me.” When he did play, Delaney said A ball felt more like an extension of his years at Quinnipiac rather than a big adjustment and is confident that he can make an impact now that he is fully healthy. “To me, it wasn’t a big jump,” he said. “There was nothing I hadn’t seen before and it was just the best players from each team [in college]. I still think I have the ability to play there.” Delaney hopes to move up in the Brewers organization behind a strong arm and a Mark DeRosa-like versatility to play almost anywhere on the diamond. He reported early to Brewers camp in Arizona this year to add catcher to his repertoire, a position the 24-year old infielder has never played. “It’s been a little different,” he said. “You have to be the leader on the field, and that is not a problem for me.”

Haudricourt with a fairly lengthy update on Josh Butler

ON THE MOUND: Also scheduled to pitch today (subject to change) is LHP Scott Schoeneweis, RHP Carlos Villanueva and RHP Kameron Loe. MINOR DETAILS: In uniform from minor-league camp is OF Norris Hopper (#92), RHP Donovan Hand (#97) and RHP Jake Odorizzi (#96).

Free webcast with Brian and Bill via MLB.com (it will also archive) here. Thanks, trwi7.

Injury updates and a catching analysis from both Adam and Anthony