Jim Goulart

From John Sickels site via Nick Melotte -- Milwaukee always seems to hit the same three locales in their Latin scouting, targeting the big two - Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, and also Panama. It's more of the same this year as they have only signed players from those three countries with OF Bryan Dimas being the lone Panamanian. Dimas signed for just $45,000, which is a drop in the bucket for MLB organizations. Dimas' bonus is nothing compared to the deal signed by right hander Yunior Juan (2016 stats at link) though. The 22-year-old Dominican pitcher signed for $0, and no I did not make a typo. Juan did not receive a penny for his services, playing for the love of the game and the opportunity to play baseball for a living. Brewers - C Roberto Molina ($200K) Brewers - RHP Jeison Medina ($50K), and RHP Jose Romero ($10K)

Chris Kusiolek on Gilbert Lara Lara is low energy, low acumen, sluggish hands, heavy footed, slow twitch, questionable projection. Chris' byline: Baseball evaluator. Busting my ass to continue towards the ultimate goal. Videos from backfields, Cal League, PCL and wherever else there's talent to be seen. Palo Alto, CA He does document quite a bit via Vine, but you're right, DHonks, not an affiliated scout.

John Sickels revealed his list today. Top 100 Prospects: End of 2016 Lewis Brinson #27 Phil Bickford #34 Josh Hader #36 Corey Ray #61 Isan Diaz #69 Luis Ortiz #100 Brett Phillips (considered)

Bumping thread from June with disappointing update on catcher Carlos Leal, via the Brewers (via Tom H.) -- Tough news from #Brewers farm system. C Carlos Leal, who sat out entire season, has had big setback in recovery from shoulder surgery. Kyle with the note at his tweet. Carlos is an agent39 client (Josh Kusnick).

Phillips, Isan Diaz, Nottingham, Uhen, Spurlin, Tayler Scott to AFL Joining them is 24-year-old RHP Javier Salas (10th round, 2014), 51 walks in 66.2 innings in 2016, so hopefully set to correct that. BrewCrewBall report

Man oh man, rough month for agent39 (Josh Kusnick) between Jeremy Jeffress and Steve Clevenger (ouch) One night, you're enjoying the big league starting lineup debut of your client in San Diego while continuing to follow the success of your guy Seth Lugo with the Mets, and the next morning you're helping craft the second high-profile player apology you've had to issue in a month.

Q&A from north of the border with 2016 Manatee catcher Dustin Houle

Five Brewers find love from Baseball America at the Rookie Ball level

BrewCrewBall's Q&A with Helena RHP Gentry Fortuno

Initial post in this thread updated to indicate Josmil Pinto's addition to the 40-man roster.

AUDIO via Chris Mehring's Rattler Radio Blog: A full hour-plus with Manager Matt Erickson Do as I did and enjoy it during your daily commute, what a great postseason wrap-up listen...

This thread has been locked with the latest development, please follow on here -- Brewers High-A Affiliation -- Oh My, Hello Lancaster, and All That Means

NOTE: Our forum thread detailing the status of the future of the Brevard County Manatees goes back to 2013 and was getting cumbersome with recent developments at over seven pages long, so it has been locked. As you'll read below, the latest news warrants a new focus with the start of this new thread. *** My oh my, this is likely not going to end up well for the Brewers, at least not at the High-A level. Maybe there is still hope for a last-minute longshot AAA switch to Toledo, as mentioned in our Sky Sox affiliation saga thread on Friday (link here, please discuss the AAA team status in that thread). Ballpark Digest reports (via this tweet), and this post enhances with more detail, that Steve Bryant, who has owned the Carolina Mudcats for 27 years, since 1989, wants to sell his team, or at least the majority ownership, to an MLB franchise. It is the Colorado Rockies, who had a Carolina League affiliate in Salem from 1995-2002, and not the Brewers, who are apparently in the lead to do so. As the Ballpark Digest tweet refers to, the Rockies were squeezed out of Modesto in the California League this offseason, where they had played since 2005. Modesto's ballpark plays very pitcher-friendly and is one of the more desirable locations among the now-eight team Cal League. The Mariners, seeking to maintain a permanent West Coast affiliate at the High-A level, and having lost the Bakersfield location (which migrates to the Carolina League for 2017), stepped up and purchased a majority share in the Modesto club, as detailed here by Ballpark Digest. Initially it seemed the Rockies would settle for Lancaster in the California League, which would ensure that the Brewers would not have to move their former Brevard County affiliation to one of the most offensively-skewed ballparks on the planet (the aptly-named Hangar). This latest development means the Rockies' aggressiveness (and Brewers' passiveness?) could see Milwaukee with the sole remaining seat in the musical chairs roulette, in Lancaster. Do you know what the Red Sox did after their 2007-2008 stint in Lancaster? They bought their High-A team in Salem (Carolina League) and escaped for good. Boy, did the Brewers pick the wrong year to place a 40-97 team in Brevard County! Shades of Nashville, right? Let's agree the Brewers can salvage this Player Development Contract offseason with a AAA move from Colorado Springs to Toledo. (There had better be a full-court press on there...). But barring that Hail Mary completion, not only will the Brewers have to occasionally avoid sending pitchers to Colorado Springs (as they have hinted at doing in print and on-air reports this summer), but this will be shades of the Brewers' High-A affiliation with the (like Bakersfield, now defunct) High Desert Mavericks, circa 2001-2004. Our Brewerfan website (and the daily Minor League Link Reports) originated in 2001, and our longtime readers will recollect similar quotes from that era regarding the Brewers' best pitching prospects and that High Desert (Adelanto, CA) location. The Brewers had four managers give High Desert a shot (Frank Kremblas, Mike Caldwell, Tim Blackwell, and Mel Queen). Stan Kyles and John Curtis had pitching coach stints there before escaping the desert (excuse me, before getting promoted). In what was a combination of the state of the Brewers' weak system in those years (but moreso a nod that top pitching prospects were bumped to AA Huntsville in those days as quickly as possible, or skipped High Desert altogether), the Brewers posted records of 60-80, 42-98, and 49-91 in the final three years of the relationship, before thankfully, Brevard County became available. Does the Biloxi roster allow for 30 pitchers? Heck, we can't have Taylor Jungmann and others who will be ill-affected by Colorado Springs pitch for the Sky Sox. And as for this wonderful group of 2016 Timber Rattlers and Manatee pitchers? Wow, welcome to Lancaster, where Astros' pitchers surrendered 161 home runs in 140 games with a 4.99 ERA this season (that's home and away, perhaps someone can locate the home/road breakdown for us). And let's not overlook what an environment like Lancaster does to developing hitters. This article at SB Nation's Crawfish Boxes site is a fine read which includes the opening text just below -- Is Lancaster Teaching Houston Astros Prospects Bad Habits? The Astros are looking to move their High-A affiliate to Fayetteville, North Carolina, for "efficiency reasons and development reasons," which prompts the question: Is Lancaster hurting the development of young hitters? By Anthony Boyer ( @EephusTosser) Lancaster, home to the Astros' High-A team since the 2009 season, has a reputation as an extreme hitters' park. A combination of altitude, aridity, and fierce winds that usually blow out to right field all adds up to offense, and a lot of it. Because of that, there has been some speculation - including by yours truly - that when hitters are knocking every other ball over the fence, it may be hard to teach them good habits, like pitch selection, that will make them more-effective professionals in the long run. *** The player development implications of the Brewers' High-A affiliate landing in Lancaster are almost too numerous to mention. Others will dig deeper into the numbers than I have done here, but the Milwaukee analytical staff will be put to the test to properly assess and place youngsters at this level for the next two years, and possibly beyond. It's one thing to assess 26-29 year-old's at AAA Colorado Springs, it's even more impactful to developing 21-23 year-old's at High-A. The convenient shuttle for players and coaching rovers between Brevard County and Biloxi, that'll be gone. The Hangar is not a natural grass park, but has "a high grade sports turf artificial playing surface". From our own minor league fandom perspective (yes, hardly important in the big picture), only one of the eight California League teams (San Jose) is on MiLB.TV, but at least there would be audio coverage, something we didn't have with the Manatees in 2016. And for you night owls, late-night audio entertainment, as we had with the oddly fantastic Mike Lindskog in his young High Desert days (and look, Mike is back in the Cal League!). And nothing personal, Lancaster staff, you're all fine folks, you're just used to being the last kids picked on the playground. *** Sidenote: This is not the first time Mudcats owner Steve Bryant has sold his team. Bryant sold the AA Carolina club to an ownership group that moved the team to Pensacola as the Blue Yahoos in 2012. Bryant then acquired the Kinston Indians Carolina League franchise and moved that club in-state to the still-home of the Carolina Mudcats. That's how Carolina made the unique move from a AA to High-A affiliate. Let's remember that the Rockies' purchase of the Mudcats is not official as of yet. *** And finally, obviously what will be big topics of discussion here -- - When will Mark Attanasio and the Brewers join the ever-growing trend of MLB teams making significant financial ownership investments in favorable minor league teams and/or ballparks, to ensure the best and most convenient player development situations? - Is there still time for the Brewers to sweep in on a Carolina purchase in this case? Did the Brewers know that it would take an ownership attempt in order to set up their High-A affiliation there, and if so, when did they realize this? Why are the Rockies in the lead here and not the Brewers? - If the Brewers don't land in Toledo at AAA nor Carolina, does that mean that VP of Special Projects Gord Ash's summer didn't go so well? It had been reported earlier that Ash was tasked with working on the 2017-18 affiliation situations. *** I'm not sure what the most-forsaken, least-desirable AA location is, but at this pace, when the Biloxi contract is up after 2020, somehow Milwaukee will end up there. At least we can count on the Timber Rattlers, right? The Brewers might want to buy out Wisconsin ownership just to make sure. Yikes, maybe we'll learn prior to the September 30th deadline this was all wasted text and the Brewers will be in both Toledo and Carolina next April, or at least one. Otherwise, not good. Not good. Opposite of good. -- Jim G.

FS Wisconsin ran this video today

AUDIO: Tim Dillard joins Matt Pauley on WTMJ's Sports Central

Making the Transition - Trent Clark BY Jared Wyllys, BP Milwaukee

Young, young, young - RHP Marcos Diplan turns 20 today (Sunday).

After 14 years in the Cal League, Ballpark Digest now mentions that the Rockies have interest in returning to the Carolina League, where they fielded a team in Salem from 1995-2002. The implications here are serious for the Brewers, as the only two High-A options that appear to be on the table are the Carolina Mudcats, as discussed earlier in this thread, and the drastically offensively-skewed California League Lancaster Jethawks. Way back on June 26th this was the post, it's now looking like a 50-50 situation:

From 2012 but still relavant -- For International Players, Instructional League Often Proves A Big First Step By Ben Badler, Baseball America

As per Baseball America, seven first-time eligible Brewers were drafted by Dominican Winter Ball teams Friday. This doesn't mean they'll see a lot of action, but don't be surprised if their names pop up in a box score or two (or more) -- Biloxi RHP Junior Rincon High-A IF Jose Cuas High-A RHP Marcos Diplan High-A RHP Freddy Peralta Wisconsin RHP Miguel Diaz Wisconsin OF Carlos Belonis Wisconsin 1B Juan Ortiz

Every other team? That's way too much of a blanket statement, many fans of other organizations are asking similar questions. Big part of it is just the talent makeup in the system - where are on-field positions of excess depth, where are there gaps in talent due to a poor draft season, etc. Surely some individual players can be debated, but there have been other years where posters here have clamored for more aggressive promotions - "what's this guy still doing at ____?"

By the way, this August 28th article puts a damper on things, but doesn't completely shut the door -- Mud Hens-Tigers relationship likely to be extended The Mud Hens are one of five Triple-A teams whose affiliation agreement with a major league team ends after this season. But don’t expect Toledo to do anything but renew its relationship with the Detroit Tigers, a partnership that was struck in 1987. While Mud Hens general manager Erik Ibsen would not confirm the renewal — “There obviously has been discussions,” he said — his words made it clear Toledo values its affiliation with the Tigers. “We have a fantastic relationship with Detroit from the top on down,” Ibsen said. “The field staff we have here this season is outstanding.” Full article at the link...

It's a total longshot, but the Tigers have been just dreadful at the AAA level for nearly a decade now. Of course the Tigers want to stay given the convenient 29-year local partnership, but if somehow Gord Ash and the Brewers could point out their #1 rated farm system, an invite to Toledo and the International League would be spectacular, and there may not be a better time to seize the opportunity. There's no real hint of that, but the lack of a Tigers-Mud Hens renewal two weeks shy of the deadline reminds us of the Lloyd Christmas "so you're saying there's a chance" line. It'd be Christmas indeed! Mud Hens' season a string of failures Toledo’s baseball team continued its recent string of failures, suffering a seventh straight losing season while missing the Governors’ Cup playoffs for the ninth year in a row. Other negative aspects of play on the field are highlighted in that article, but no direct comments from Mud Hen management. Just a one-hour drive between Detroit and Toledo, five and a half hours between Milwaukee and Toledo. Please read this July 22nd column from David Briggs of the Toledo Blade. It will open your eyes. Mud Hens don’t get benefits in marriage 30th anniversary coming up? Heck, these days marriages do end after 29 years. Well, I'll be married 29 years this month, and my wife and I are renewing our Player Development Contract, but that's besides the point . From the column you just read -- The Tigers are no longer good parents. An organization that shops on Madison Avenue for its major league talent too often combs the clearance rack to fill out its minor league rosters. Take their lack of a Triple-A taxi squad, a common and effective practice in which teams stash a couple of veterans on the rosters of their short-season Class A affiliates. Or their reluctance to make a small investment in better minor league free agents. If you have followed our Brewerfan minor league transaction thread, you'll know that perhaps no other organization takes advantage of carrying extra players at the higher levels of the system than Milwaukee. With very liberal use of the Helena Rookie paper roster prior to mid-June, and then the Temporary Inactive List later in the season, the Brewers constantly rotate a larger flexible AAA and AA roster. The Brewers can point Toledo management to multiple audio interviews and articles talking about this year's amazingly positive AAA clubhouse atmosphere, and if Milwaukee hasn't done so already, re-signing Tim Dillard to a 2017 AAA deal and pointing Toledo fans to his Twitter account would be a fantastic selling point. We read during the offseason that in his new role as "Vice President - Baseball Projects", Gord Ash would be tasked with working on finding a new home for the Crew at the AAA level. Hopefully Gord has put together every imaginable PowerPoint presentation, the very-best George Costanza Penske File-type accordion binder full of selling points, and found his way to formal meetings in Toledo during this open shopping period. No disrespect to the fine folks behind the scenes at Colorado Springs, it's absolutely nothing personal, but no win in 2016 for the Brewers would be bigger than this one. Make it happen Gord! Shock the world!

Via Baseball America's Matt Eddy -- I know April is rough, but the Midwest League's placement was a bit surprising

Major delays here, if it happens at all -- Plan for Triple-A baseball in San Antonio shelved What this basically does is eliminate a clear path for the Brewers to grab a site in let's say, Fresno, in 2019. Without some other organization's AAA relationship crumbling in the next two years, it's Colorado Springs for as far as one can envision right now.