colbyjack

The Brewers always seem to send a reliever. Dennis Sarfate may be a good bet since the organization finally seemed to have converted him to the pen. Joe Thatcher just sprung to mind, a guy that they may want to try and push as a left-handed reliever similar to Mitch Stetter. Maybe even someone like Robert Hinton or Ben Stanczyk would be challenged in such a move. I agree that one of Palmisano or Rottino should be sent. I don't know how much playing time Rottino would receive as a catcher though, even if he is a priority type of player. Braun's a lock, I think everyone agrees on that one. Parra is a virtual lock, and JohnBriggs brings up a good point about him being bumped up just in time. Pogo brings up a good point about Gallardo. When the season is all said & done, he's going to have plenty of innings under his belt, no reason to push that total unnecessarily higher. Hammond will be up there as well, although not as high as Gallardo, as noted before he was a reliever in college and is only a year removed from not being used so much. Katin, Rogers & Jones would all be candidates among the A-ballers (adding to the possible reliever listed above). Jones & Rogers in particular could use the work, although I'm sure they'll get plenty in the fall instructional camp. My official guesses: Braun Parra Sarfate Palmisano Jones Gwynn

I didn't see this posted elsewhere, so I'll add it here. Inman is on BA's homepage once again. We've seen this photo before, but it's so much fun to go to BA and see one of the Crew's prospects: http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/winman06428309bta.jpg BA's Daily Dish The Brewers Will Inman is continuing to show why he was named the best pitching prospect in the South Atlantic League in our recent Best Tools survey. He is also proving to be one of the more mature 19-year-old pitchers around. The righthander had his longest and arguably most dominant outing of his career on Monday in low Class A West Virginia's 4-0 victory against Rome. He allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out nine in eight shutout innings. While he was not given a chance to complete his masterpiece, Inman put it in proper perspective. "I kind of wanted to go back out in the ninth and we had a talk about it, but this isn't the major leagues," Inman told the Charleston (W.V.) Daily Mail. "You have to look to the future and my pitch count was pretty high." Through eight innings, Inman threw 96 pitches and 70 of them were strikes. After allowing a single to Rome leadoff hitter Quentin Davis to open the game, Inman did not allow another hit until the fifth inning and then retired the final 11 batters he faced. "You can't really ask for anything more," West Viginia manager Mike Guerrero told the paper. "He had a great performance and threw a gem. To do what he did tonight, throwing eight scoreless innings, he was unhittable." The victory improved Inman's record to 9-1, 1.48. In 79 innings he has 90 strikeouts and 19 walks and has not allowed a home run. He has held opponents to a .199 average and has a WHIP of 0.95. He missed a month earlier in the season with a sore shoulder and durability has proven to be the only obstacle thus far in the 6-foot Inman's career. A third-round pick out of Tunstall High in Dry Fork, Va., in 2005, Inman works with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and has a slurvy curveball that is a plus pitch. Most important for him last night was that he had his changeup working as well. "All my pitches felt good out there," Inman told the paper. "I was able to keep them off-balance with an effective curveball and changeup, mixed in with my fastball."

I think maybe you move him up, though I know that's not likely. I like it when the Brewers are conservative moving up pitchers, especially since Inman missed several weeks earlier this year (not to mention their luck in recent years when they have tried to push prep pitchers a little). However, getting to 8 IP is no easy task for a pitcher at A ball on a strict pitch count. I think Inman has forced the issue now. Darren Ford not in the WV lineup and Gillespie out of the Helena lineup. Coincidence? Probably, as Cain (and even Brantley) is more deserving of a promotion than Ford, but I'd like to see Gillespie bumped up (possibly as far as BC since the WV OF is already pretty full).

A mighty fine pitching lineup from top to bottom in the minors tonight. Here's some pre-game love for Zach Braddock with the hope that he looks more like he did during his first start for the H-Crew than he has his last few. With no big-league Brewers playing tonight, you can get your Brewers baseball fix from about 6 pm this evening to right around midnight.

I just wanted to point out that Yo! is going for Huntsville today, with the game scheduled for later in the afternoon, so you can listen to both the Stars and the Brewers. Also, Carlos Villanueva is slated for the Sounds. While he would still be on tack to pick up a start later this week should Sheets go on the DL, it will be interesting to see if he is handled any differently. Derek Miller goes for the Manatees & Steve Garrison starts for the Power. Four solid starters today for the minor leaguers.

With Hochevar signed, Andrew Miller is now also in the fold for the Tigers: www.baseballamerica.com/t...62119.html

So is there any way the Brewers can compete with these other teams to sign either of those players? That would be pretty cool. Why not? The Brewers dropped over $700K on Pascual last summer and followed that up by signing Peralta for something like $500K. They had a lower draft slot this past June that may have allowed them to save an additional $500K or so off of their previous draft budget, and seem intent on proving that they are players on the Latin American free agent market.

www.pgcrosschecker.com/dr..._8206.aspx Luke Hochevar has signed with the KC Royals to a deal similar to Mike Pelfrey's from a year ago. I have learned that several other deals have already been agreed upon, as teams are just waiting when they want to try and slide them through the commissioner's office as they will be above the pre-determined slot value.

PG Crosschecker has some very good writeups on all of the players that will be participating at the Aflac All-American Classic. The write-ups are for subscribers only, but I hope more and more of you will see that the subscription is well worth it: www.pgcrosschecker.com/ If you're a BA subscriber, give PG Crosschecker a try, because Allan Simpson, if you haven't been able to tell already, is bringing the same ranking features that he instituted at BA to the new site (so I'm not just being a homer). The game itself will be aired live on TV Saturday, August 12th at 2:00 pm on Fox Sports Net. I just checked and the local FSN channel (31 on TW Cable in Milwaukee) is carrying the game. I will likely be offering a few scouting reports on the players that stand out to me to keep an eye on next week (Michael Main is the name to remember for the '07 draft). By the way, the Cape Cod League All-Star Game was played last weekend. Last year it was televised, this year it was not. While last year's game (and overall league) was filled with top level talent, this year that talent level seems to be down somewhat on the Cape.

What is that, Inman's 2nd worse outing of his career, and his team still picks him up for the win? Parra and Jones with nice outings, and a few bullpens looking pretty good so far as well, highlighted by Roberts & Stanczyk.

Thanks for providing that link, although it sounds like almost every team in all of MLB was there. If notable execs from the Brewers were there, that could mean one or both of the Team Canada duo. EDIT: Actually, if you go to the blog where that report originally comes from, you will find this report (as well as a more definitive mention that Gourriel did not defect as originally reported): globalbaseball.wordpress.com/ The Brewers will be trying out several top names in the next week, including the two Boras position prospects, Triunfel and Villalona. Truinfel is a five-tool shortstop and Villalona (whose name hasn't been confirmed from what I've heard...see below) is an exciting power-hitting third baseman. here's some notes on them from Baseball America (I beleive this link is free for all): www.baseballamerica.com/t...61865.html The writer of Global Baseball also has this to note on his blog (the last part is the part of interest): I got the chance to see one of Scott Boras?s Dominican clients in action a couple of times over the last week. RHP Jose Luis Arias is a legit 6?8?. His fastball sits in the 91-93 range and tops out at 95, and he reportedly has a slider in the 89-90mph range. I know, I?m skeptical too, and didn?t have the benefit of watching the gun while he was warming up, but that?s what I?ve been told. I won?t say which team is involved, but a signing may be close. Some exciting developments, and it's nice to hear the Brewers specifically involved, especially since both the Yankees and the Mets have already dropped big money on a few Latin players.

Price is the #1 prospect available for next June if you ask me, and a lot of other people for that matter. Matt Wieters, a catcher for Georgia Tech, is going to be right up there are well. LHP James Adkins (Tennessee), LHP/1B Joe Savery (Rice), LHP Nick Schmidt (Arkansas), RHP Andrew Brackman (NC State) and catcher JP Arencibia (Tennessee) are a few other names to remember. Baseball America had a sneak peek list of the top 10-12 high school and college prospects for 2007 in their 2006 draft preview, but that list by now is already outdated I'm sure. Michael Main is the top prep player to watch (a reminder the Aflac All-American Classic is coming up where you have the chance to watch the top 38 prep players in the nation on Saturday August 12th). PG Crosschecker already has a pretty substantial list of the top '07's. You need a subscription, but it's worth it: www.pgcrosschecker.com/ When I write my annual draft preview towards the end of September I will also have a quick preview of the '07 talent.

Anyone got any insight into the chances of Nix turning things around and becoming the steal of the Carlos Lee trade. Either you don't read many threads or I need to get crazy-obsessive about how much I think Nix could be the sleeper of the Lee trade http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

It's August 1st, so it's time to look at next year's draft order as it stands right now. If nothing else, it's interesting to look at this just to see how the teams stack up with one another. I think the teams that stand out to me are the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves, who were expected to be much better than what they are. The Braves in particular haven't drafted this high since they had the #2 overall pick in 1991. The Royals seem poised to hold the #1 pick two years in a row. 1. Royals (.352) 2. Pirates (.377) 3. Cubs (.410) 4. D-Rays (.415) 5. Indians (.433) 6. Nationals (.443) 7. Orioles (.449) 8. Braves (.462) 9. Marlins (.467) 10. Astros (.467) 11. Phillies (.471) 12. Brewers (.472) 13. Dodgers (.476) 14. Giants (.481) 15. Rockies (.486) 16. Rangers (.491) 17. Mariners (.495) 18. D-Backs (.514) 19. Angels (.514) 20. Reds (.524) 21. Padres (.524) 22. A's (.528) 23. Blue Jays (.543) 24. Cardinals (.558) 25. Twins (.587) 26. White Sox (.596) 27. Yankees (.598) 28. Mets (.606) 29. Red Sox (.606) 30. Tigers (.667) Keep in mind, tie-breakers are awarded to the team that finished worse the year before. Interesting that the break for over-.500 teams and sub-.500 teams is the 18th slot. Last year at this time I believe the cutoff was 12 or 13 IIRC. Only five teams in the NL are above .500, eight in the AL.

I've already seen a few interesting stories on Sequoyah. I think it goes without saying that he's from California http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

As skeptical I was of the Brewer selection, I agree, it's WAY too early to be questioning his career at this stage. He is a freak athletically, and I've seen athletic talent compensate for any perceived weakness in the long run way too many times to give up on him now.

I took a peek, and I couldn't find that thread either. It might have been hidden in a different thread with a confusing title. I don't even remember when it was posted. Pascual was signed in September, but the international signing period ends at the end of August. Not sure if there is some flexibility actually signing players officially on the dotted line or if the signing date deadline changed this year. The Yankees signed Contreras for something like 4 years, $22 million, out-bidding the Red Sox at the time for his services. I don't think Gourriel would command that kind of money, but he probably will land more than Kendry Morales did (6 years worth as much as $10 million). Signing Trunifel would far surpass the Pascual/Mercedes/Peralta signings. Signing Gourriel would dwarf them.

I found this link on a different site, so don't trust my Spanish-English conversion, but it says that stud Cuban infielder Yulieski Gourriel, along with Eduardo Paret, have defected. Unfortunatley, the story also says something about Gourriel being linked to the New York Yankees: www.elnacional.com.do/app...x?id=59855 If you watched the WBC you got to see just how impressive Gourriel was. Big-time bat speed, Sheffield-like. I wrote this about Gourriel in one of my PG columns after the WBC: Gourriel?s talent is extremely evident, as he just looks like a big-leaguer. Watching him hit reminded me of a young Gary Sheffield, as his bat whips through the strike zone and everything he makes contact with goes a very long way in a very short amount of time. He played a little bit of third base and a little second base in the classic, and I don?t see why he couldn?t be tried at shortstop. If Gourriel defects, and after showcasing his stuff on the international stage I?m sure that becomes a strong possibility, look for him to sign a contract possibly surpassing the one Jose Contreras inked a few years ago. Speaking of international signees, the Brewers so far according to reports have not signed any of the major names on the market after making a big splash in last year's market. The Nationals, Yankees and Mets have spent big so far, with the Yankees and Mets signing two big-name catchers (the Yankees dropped $2 million on Jesus Montero). There are several good players still available, including SS Carlos Tuinfel, who you know is good just for the fact that he's represented by Scott Boras. After last year, I would really like to see the Brewers remain active in the Latin market. Gourriel would be incredible, but he could garner a generous big-league deal possibly near what Jose Contreras got a few years ago.

Slot value is based on talent and signability. Players that sign for less than slot value typically aren't worthy to be selected where they were. Players that sign for more than slot value have a higher price tag and dropped further than they should, or at least further than where the player in question wanted to be taken (based on money typically). In Brae Wright's case, he has some personal issues in his past (check the draft forum for his profile), and in Shane Hill's, the Brewers had to buy him away from his college commitment. When the team claims they take the best available player at all times, that is only half-true, because the money involved with the signing bonuses plays a huge part of who is taken where. As for Samardijza, he's an extremely athletic and talented kid as noted, but the Cubs are taking a big, big risk on him for that kind of money, and they're letting him play football in the fall.

Actually, colbyjack, tonight makes game # 3 in a row... See, I told you that I felt like I missed something http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

Tonight is the second game in a row that Cole Gillespie isn't in the lineup. I feel I missed something...

I think it's pretty cool that Inman has probably his worst start of the year, or at least one of his two bad starts of the year, and he still fares pretty well, and picks up the W in the process. Not to jinx the guy, but he still has not allowed a HR all season. That's pretty amazing. There hasn't been as much obsessive Angel Salome love this season, but as noted in this thread and elsewhere recently, he's having a very solid year. The doubles are impressive, and he has very good BB:K ratio. Lorenzo Cain too...might the Brewers have a DFE hitter worth talking about?

Those are very well done. I need to show up so I can get one of myself.

As much as I like Fermaint, do you think he's deserving of a promotion? He has good numbers, not great ones, was already challenged with playing the level he's currently at to open the year, and swings & misses way too much for any player at any level. I say let him close the year right where he is. Plus, who plays CF at Huntsville, Chuck or Moss? That's the ultimate Katuluu vs. EDR faceoff. I agree with Iribarren. Since he's probably never going to hit for much power, keep moving him up as long as he keeps hitting. It's not like he's working on his power stroke in BC. And how about Robert Hinton? He and Iribarren could give the Stars a nice boost.

Good stuff going on down in Huntsville. No kidding. It's awesome seeing Braun heat up, and Yo has been incredible to follow all season long. It's nice that the Stars have a few special players to watch in the second half after a dreadful first half.