Jim Goulart

Nate Orf (prior Venezuela stint) gets some respect in this article.

Scouting Report, Video two weeks prior to the HBP

Dominican Box - 2B Jonathan Villar 0-for-5, K *** Dominican Box -- 2B Wendell Rijo, 0-for-2, K *** Venezuela Box -- 3B Hernan Perez 1-for-4, R, RBI, K *** Venezuela Box -- 1B Jesus Aguilar 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, K, E *** Venezuela Box -- LF Johnny Davis 1-for-5, double, BB, R, two K, outfield assist

Not sure if he'll be heading back after the holidays, but a very successful stint for reliever Tristan Archer is done (at least for now, Archer's tweet).

VIDEO: Jesus Aguilar's Wednesday HR

RHP Paolo Espino returning to Texas on a minor league deal with a big league camp invite.

AUDIO via Matt Pauley's Brewers Extra Innings Podcast Sun. 12/17: "A quiet winter meetings has Brewers fans anxious but there is still a lot of off-season left. While GM David Stearns has not pulled off a "big move", he has reportedly brought pitcher Yovani Gallardo back to the Crew. Is there reason to worry that a top-line pitcher has not yet been acquired? What does Gallardo have left in the tank? Matt will touch on these subjects and more. Matt will also be joined by Disciples of Uecker editor Gabe Stoltz, who will share his opinions." *** AUDIO via the Milwaukee Tailgate Podcast Mon. 12/18: "Welcome back,Yovani! J.P., Ryan and Steve discuss the Brewers most significant signing of the offseason, and answer listener questions about the lack of activity so far this offseason." *** Don't forget the Minor League side of things (Baseball America and Rattler Radio podcasts).

Wednesday's games: Dominican Box -- Jonathan Villar, batting 2nd and playing second base, made his official winter debut, 2-for-4, R, K. His teammate was starting RHP Jorge Lopez, who took a no-decision in the 4-2 loss. Lopez' line was 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 4:3 GB:FO. You can follow his game log here. Lopez sports a 2.49 ERA in a whopping 68.2 IP thus far this winter. Oh wait, winter officially starts today! This fall, then... *** Dominican Box -- Busy RHP Tristan Archer allowed one run in two innings of work. Estrellas Top of the 5th Pitching Change: Tristan Archer replaces Carlos Pimentel. Gabriel Guerrero grounds out, shortstop Erik Gonzalez to first baseman Ryan Court. Frank Schwindel grounds out, shortstop Erik Gonzalez to first baseman Ryan Court. Hector Gomez doubles (10) on a sharp ground ball to left fielder Eury Perez. Audry Perez doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Eury Perez. Hector Gomez scores. Robert Andino grounds out, shortstop Erik Gonzalez to first baseman Ryan Court. Estrellas Top of the 6th Orlando Calixte flies out to left fielder Eury Perez. Jordany Valdespin flies out to center fielder Franchy Cordero. Junior Lake strikes out swinging. *** Venezuela Box -- Seeing action in the second game of a doubleheader, LF Johnny Davis was 0-for-1 (BB, K). *** Venezuela Box -- In the first game of a different doubleheader, Hernan Perez, batting 2nd and playing third base, went 0-for-3 (one K) in his winter debut. In the nightcap, Perez grounded into a forceout as a pinch-hitter (box). *** Venezuela Box -- His team lost in walkoff fashion, 10-9, but don't blame 1B Jesus Aguilar, who reached base in four of five plate appearances, homering for the second consecutive game, walking three times, and scoring three runs. His OPS is up to .939 (.266/.424/.516). Sweet. *** Venezuela Box -- We'll let superfan and backer, BrewCrewBall editor Kyle Lesniewski, tell you how Junior Guerra did. Kyle was pleased .

Old friend catcher Adam Weisenburger has played in 13 Australia Winter League games thus far and is playing in their league All-Star game as of this Thursday AM post (box).

Tuesday's action -- Kyle Lobner updates you on Jesus Aguilar and Tristan Archer within his "BrewFrostyMug" weekday tweetstorm. Click the names for the data. Also on Tuesday, 2B Wendell Rijo was 0-for-2 (two BB's, one K, one CS) in the Dominican (box).

AUDIO via the Rattler Radio Soundcloud Thurs. 12/7: "In the final Rattler Radio Podcast of 2017, Timber Rattlers president Rob Zerjav pops in to talk with Chris Mehring & Kyle Lobner about the Winter Meetings and some last minute Christmas presents you can get for the Timber Rattlers fan in your life. Then, Chris & Kyle discuss Kyle's latest Frosty Microbrew about Jose Cuas making the move to the mound and many other baseball topics."

Frosty Microbrews: Cuas Moves to the Mound By Kyle Lobner / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

OF Shane Peterson to the Padres after a year split at the big league and AAA level with Tampa Bay.

AUDIO via Baseball America: Their Brewers' Prospect Podcast - Great news if you're a Freddy Peralta fan, not so much for those high on Corey Ray

RHP Austin Ross, one year removed from the Brewers' system and coming off a strong year for the Reds spent mostly at AA, inked a minor league free agent deal with Arizona.

Sunday in Venezuela -- Box Score -- 1B Jesus Aguilar 0-for-3, R, K

Saturday in the Dominican -- Box Score -- 2B Wendell Rijo, 1-for-4, BB, R, SB, E Last year's Rule 5 loss to the Padres, RHP Miguel Diaz, made his 4th winter appearance in this game. *** Sunday in the Dominican -- Box Score -- 2B Wendell Rijo, 0-for-3, HBP, E

Australia Box Workhorse C Alex Hall 0-for-4, SS Jess Williams 1-for-4, two RBI, another error for the youngster (10 in 19 games)

OF Caleb Whalen, 25, retired, as noted previously in this thread. The 2016 38th round pick (and son of Brewers scout Shawn Whalen) split time in a backup role between Wisconsin and Carolina last summer.

Continuing the release summaries with -- Position Players You need catchers to work with all these arms, and five catchers appear on the list. Catcher Kyle Beam's "septic tank employee" backstory was one of the most entertaining of 2017, but the Old Dominion product ended up appearing in only four Maryvale games, but did homer for his only professional hit. Beam spent most of the summer on the restricted/suspended list; we don't know the full story behind that. *** OF Jose Gomez (39th round, 2016) also had a great backstory, given his 5'3" frame, as was covered in this Helena Independent feature. Seems like a fine young man, and someone easy to root for moving forward. *** Catcher Alex Guenette, another 2017 undrafted rookie (UC-Irvine), did the Maryvale/Helena split last summer. *** Infielder George Iskenderian (24 next February) was the Brewers' 7th round pick in 2015 out of the University of Miami. Iskenderian bypassed Wisconsin, jumping from Helena to Brevard County in 2016, but was placed on the restricted list late in April of 2017 from the Biloxi roster when he left the team (and apparently baseball); he was off to a 3-for-35 AA start in 14 games. *** Catcher Tyler Lawrence, 23 last month, was brought in from Murray St., as yes, another undrafted free agent post-draft last June. He played in 15 games in the Maryvale heat, caught a ton of bullpens, we're sure, and did crack a home run among his eight professional hits. *** Catcher Kevin Martir never officially suited up for the Brewers. An 18th round 2015 draft pick of the Astros, he was signed by the Brewers last April after his release by Houston. We never did learn what injury issue prevented him from being active. *** Infielder Jonathan Oquendo was a four-year Brewer, drafted out of a Puerto Rico high school in the 14th round in 2014. Oquendo, still just 21 years old, split 2017 between the Timber Rattlers and Mudcats. A career .550 OPS overshadowed his defensive versatility. *** Another 21-year-old is Venezuelan catcher Yoel Vasquez, was an international signee in 2014. He missed the 2015 season (wrist, if I remember correctly), and saw limited action in Maryvale and Helena subsequently.

On the players released this week: All player name links lead to their respective page at MiLB.com -- Pitchers RHP Dalton Brown, 24 as of last September, was drafted in the 30th round of the 2016 draft out of Texas Tech (and found out about it in a unique way). After splitting 12 relief appearances between Maryvale and Helena in '16, Brown opened 2017 on the Wisconsin roster (along with two other pitchers named "Brown", Zack and Daniel). After two rough games as a Timber Rattler, Dalton Brown was placed on the disabled list on April 14th, where he remained for the season. To our knowledge, his specific injury status was not released at any point during the season. *** RHP Colton Cross turns 25 next March. A three-year pro, Cross was drafted in the 31st round in 2015 out of Shorter College (Rome, GA), draft day college press release. Like so many late-drafted college pitchers, Cross fared well in Maryvale (2015) and Helena (2016). Cross was jumped over Wisconsin direct to Carolina to begin 2017. Cross struggled in eight Mudcat relief appearances though, spent a month on the disabled list, and upon his return, was transferred to the Timber Rattlers for the remainder of the season. Cross posted solid numbers in Appleton, including no earned runs in his final seven games. *** RHP Cameron Hanes had recently turned 25 when he was signed as a non-drafted free agent this past June out of Florida Southern, where he closed games. Hanes had served a two-year mission through his church after high school. A brief and successful five-game stint in Maryvale led to Helena where one rough outing out of nine (four runs in 2.1 IP) skewed the numbers some. The Brewers went non-drafted free agent (NDFA) heavy this past June, and unfortunately for several, their pro adventure turned out to be brief. And yet expect another overload next June when the Brewers hope to unearth and/or develop a dominant hidden gem, it's not exactly a fair roulette wheel. Hoping Hanes (and the others) enjoyed their opportunity while it did last. *** Like Hanes, RHP Landon Holifield was a NDFA sign last June, except Holifield didn't get to experience an actual fan experience in Helena. Perhaps Holifield can cruise back to broadcasting opportunities. Holifield turned 23 last August, and after performing well in Maryvale, maybe we'll see him seek the independent ball route, and of course, another affiliated chance. The one-season Maryvale-only cuts when the numbers are good seem the cruelest - the Brewer scouts obviously saw something to offer the job. *** A 2015 9th round pick out of an Oregon high school (University of Washington commit), RHP Karsen Lindell did have opportunities over three summers, but as the numbers show (career WHIP of 2.01), it never quite came together in a Maryvale season and two Helena campaigns for the young man, who won't turn 22 until next June. This isn't the first time a Brewers top 10 high school pick didn't reach full season ball, as 2011 6th round RHP Mitch Keller comes to mind. *** LHP Frank Lopez turns 24 in February, but is entering his 8th pro season. Released by the Rangers this past June, he was scooped up by Milwaukee and assigned to Carolina for swing-man duty, with at best, middling results. We had been following Lopez in Venezuela for winter ball. *** RHP Branden Nunn signed as a NDFA with Milwaukee out of Missouri Baptist five days before his 22nd birthday this past June. Like Landon Holifield (above), Nunn pitched well in the desert heat, but based on the sheer number of bodies the Brewers brought in this summer post-draft, never had an opportunity in Helena or beyond. The Brewers went with a greatly reduced number of players in their Instructional League camp this season, and one wonders if that hurt some of the players on this list of releases. *** RHP Scott Serigstad was Milwaukee's 15th round pick in 2016 out of Cal State Fullerton, and as such, was assigned directly to Helena that year. It was rough going, unfortunately. Serigstad, who turned 23 last month, made only two brief July 2017 appearances in Maryvale. There is no formal disabled list at the rookie levels, so we did not learn anything more about Serigstad's health status -- perhaps it helps explain his 2016 struggles. Regardless, like all on this list, we wish him well in both baseball and non-baseball efforts moving forward. *** Yet another Maryvale non-drafted free agent short-timer, 2017 signee RHP Kadon Simmons out of Texas-Arlington turns 23 next April. Simmons finished very strong (eight relief appearances, one earned run), after having allowed at least one earned run in seven of his first eight pro games. And is often the case, one really rough outing (.1 IP, 5 ER) skewed the overall picture. *** Nicholls State RHP Jake Smith (22 as of last August) was also a NDFA, but he got two summer chances (2016, 2017) to impress in Maryvale. Overall, Smith fanned 45 in just 30.1 IP with a .156 batting average against, but also walked 28. My goodness, harness that control somehow, and that's an arm that likely has a chance at new opportunities. *** RHP Brandon Texiera technically was an independent league signing, but the NAIA college arm had yet to debut in the Frontier League when the Brewers obtained his rights. Already 24 years old upon signing, Texiera was able to bypass Maryvale and spent the summer on Helena's staff. Texiera would make 17 appearances, posting Pioneer League-type crooked numbers. *** Stop us if you've heard this before. And maybe the Brewers' 2018 non-drafted signings shouldn't stumble upon this thread, although most will be thrilled with their initial opportunity. RHP Tyler Thorne recently turned 23, and the Stanford product spent his summer in Maryvale as well. Thirteen relief innings (26 K, 6 BB) later, he's on this list, unfortunately. *** By the way, congratulations to RHP Kody Rock, the Canadian native who was seemingly the only 2017 non-drafted free agent pitcher who survived the purge (Mayville State, ND).

Continuing the release summaries with -- Position Players You need catchers to work with all these arms, and five catchers appear on the list. Catcher Kyle Beam's "septic tank employee" backstory was one of the most entertaining of 2017, but the Old Dominion product ended up appearing in only four Maryvale games, but did homer for his only professional hit. Beam spent most of the summer on the restricted/suspended list; we don't know the full story behind that. *** OF Jose Gomez (39th round, 2016) also had a great backstory, given his 5'3" frame, as was covered in this Helena Independent feature. Seems like a fine young man, and someone easy to root for moving forward. *** Catcher Alex Guenette, another 2017 undrafted rookie (UC-Irvine), did the Maryvale/Helena split last summer. *** Infielder George Iskenderian (24 next February) was the Brewers' 7th round pick in 2015 out of the University of Miami. Iskenderian bypassed Wisconsin, jumping from Helena to Brevard County in 2016, but was placed on the restricted list late in April of 2017 from the Biloxi roster when he left the team (and apparently baseball); he was off to a 3-for-35 AA start in 14 games. *** Catcher Tyler Lawrence, 23 last month, was brought in from Murray St., as yes, another undrafted free agent post-draft last June. He played in 15 games in the Maryvale heat, caught a ton of bullpens, we're sure, and did crack a home run among his eight professional hits. *** Catcher Kevin Martir never officially suited up for the Brewers. An 18th round 2015 draft pick of the Astros, he was signed by the Brewers last April after his release by Houston. We never did learn what injury issue prevented him from being active. *** Infielder Jonathan Oquendo was a four-year Brewer, drafted out of a Puerto Rico high school in the 14th round in 2014. Oquendo, still just 21 years old, split 2017 between the Timber Rattlers and Mudcats. A career .550 OPS overshadowed his defensive versatility. *** Another 21-year-old is Venezuelan catcher Yoel Vasquez, was an international signee in 2014. He missed the 2015 season (wrist, if I remember correctly), and saw limited action in Maryvale and Helena subsequently.

On the players released this week: All player name links lead to their respective page at MiLB.com -- Pitchers RHP Dalton Brown, 24 as of last September, was drafted in the 30th round of the 2016 draft out of Texas Tech (and found out about it in a unique way). After splitting 12 relief appearances between Maryvale and Helena in '16, Brown opened 2017 on the Wisconsin roster (along with two other pitchers named "Brown", Zack and Daniel). After two rough games as a Timber Rattler, Dalton Brown was placed on the disabled list on April 14th, where he remained for the season. To our knowledge, his specific injury status was not released at any point during the season. *** RHP Colton Cross turns 25 next March. A three-year pro, Cross was drafted in the 31st round in 2015 out of Shorter College (Rome, GA), draft day college press release. Like so many late-drafted college pitchers, Cross fared well in Maryvale (2015) and Helena (2016). Cross was jumped over Wisconsin direct to Carolina to begin 2017. Cross struggled in eight Mudcat relief appearances though, spent a month on the disabled list, and upon his return, was transferred to the Timber Rattlers for the remainder of the season. Cross posted solid numbers in Appleton, including no earned runs in his final seven games. *** RHP Cameron Hanes had recently turned 25 when he was signed as a non-drafted free agent this past June out of Florida Southern, where he closed games. Hanes had served a two-year mission through his church after high school. A brief and successful five-game stint in Maryvale led to Helena where one rough outing out of nine (four runs in 2.1 IP) skewed the numbers some. The Brewers went non-drafted free agent (NDFA) heavy this past June, and unfortunately for several, their pro adventure turned out to be brief. And yet expect another overload next June when the Brewers hope to unearth and/or develop a dominant hidden gem, it's not exactly a fair roulette wheel. Hoping Hanes (and the others) enjoyed their opportunity while it did last. *** Like Hanes, RHP Landon Holifield was a NDFA sign last June, except Holifield didn't get to experience an actual fan experience in Helena. Perhaps Holifield can cruise back to broadcasting opportunities. Holifield turned 23 last August, and after performing well in Maryvale, maybe we'll see him seek the independent ball route, and of course, another affiliated chance. The one-season Maryvale-only cuts when the numbers are good seem the cruelest - the Brewer scouts obviously saw something to offer the job. *** A 2015 9th round pick out of an Oregon high school (University of Washington commit), RHP Karsen Lindell did have opportunities over three summers, but as the numbers show (career WHIP of 2.01), it never quite came together in a Maryvale season and two Helena campaigns for the young man, who won't turn 22 until next June. This isn't the first time a Brewers top 10 high school pick didn't reach full season ball, as 2011 6th round RHP Mitch Keller comes to mind. *** LHP Frank Lopez turns 24 in February, but is entering his 8th pro season. Released by the Rangers this past June, he was scooped up by Milwaukee and assigned to Carolina for swing-man duty, with at best, middling results. We had been following Lopez in Venezuela for winter ball. *** RHP Branden Nunn signed as a NDFA with Milwaukee out of Missouri Baptist five days before his 22nd birthday this past June. Like Landon Holifield (above), Nunn pitched well in the desert heat, but based on the sheer number of bodies the Brewers brought in this summer post-draft, never had an opportunity in Helena or beyond. The Brewers went with a greatly reduced number of players in their Instructional League camp this season, and one wonders if that hurt some of the players on this list of releases. *** RHP Scott Serigstad was Milwaukee's 15th round pick in 2016 out of Cal State Fullerton, and as such, was assigned directly to Helena that year. It was rough going, unfortunately. Serigstad, who turned 23 last month, made only two brief July 2017 appearances in Maryvale. There is no formal disabled list at the rookie levels, so we did not learn anything more about Serigstad's health status -- perhaps it helps explain his 2016 struggles. Regardless, like all on this list, we wish him well in both baseball and non-baseball efforts moving forward. *** Yet another Maryvale non-drafted free agent short-timer, 2017 signee RHP Kadon Simmons out of Texas-Arlington turns 23 next April. Simmons finished very strong (eight relief appearances, one earned run), after having allowed at least one earned run in seven of his first eight pro games. And is often the case, one really rough outing (.1 IP, 5 ER) skewed the overall picture. *** Nicholls State RHP Jake Smith (22 as of last August) was also a NDFA, but he got two summer chances (2016, 2017) to impress in Maryvale. Overall, Smith fanned 45 in just 30.1 IP with a .156 batting average against, but also walked 28. My goodness, harness that control somehow, and that's an arm that likely has a chance at new opportunities. *** RHP Brandon Texiera technically was an independent league signing, but the NAIA college arm had yet to debut in the Frontier League when the Brewers obtained his rights. Already 24 years old upon signing, Texiera was able to bypass Maryvale and spent the summer on Helena's staff. Texiera would make 17 appearances, posting Pioneer League-type crooked numbers. *** Stop us if you've heard this before. And maybe the Brewers' 2018 non-drafted signings shouldn't stumble upon this thread, although most will be thrilled with their initial opportunity. RHP Tyler Thorne recently turned 23, and the Stanford product spent his summer in Maryvale as well. Thirteen relief innings (26 K, 6 BB) later, he's on this list, unfortunately. *** By the way, congratulations to RHP Kody Rock, the Canadian native who was seemingly the only 2017 non-drafted free agent pitcher who survived the purge (Mayville State, ND).

More from Saturday: Venezuela Box -- Johnny Davis, again in Lf (one error in the game), moved down to the 9-spot, 0-for-3 (one K)

Saturday afternoon in Venezuela -- Box Score 1B Jesus Aguilar scored three runs (1-for-2, double, two walks). 1.125 OPS in Aguilar's last ten games. .871 overall in 17 games.