SB Nation - Mike Jones

The Brewers' Rule 5 Draft Eligible Players

TheJay — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:08 -0000

As noted in my FanPost of Sunday night, the deadline for filing major league and minor league reserve lists is fast approaching. Eligible players not added to the major league 40-man roster by November 20 can be selected in the Rule 5 draft.

What does it take to be eligible?

If 19 or older on the June 5th before he signed his first contract, a player is eligible for the fourth Rule 5 draft after signing (usually after four years in the minors).
If 18 or younger on the June 5th before he signed his first contract, a player is eligible for the fifth Rule 5 draft after signing (usually after five years in the minors).
Any player who is eligible for one Rule 5 draft is eligible for all subsequent Rule 5 drafts.

(see ESPN Transactions Primer , Baseball America Rule 5 Draft column, MLB Rules summaries)

You may recall some Brewers being added to the 40-man roster last offseason to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. Omar Aguilar, Alexandre Periard, Mark Rogers, and Cody Scarpetta were the fantastic four. At the risk of undermining the above statements, Scarpetta actually became eligible for the draft through a little-known technicality: the Brewers voided his original contract because of an injury and later re-signed him, making him immediately eligible (link). That comes up probably once in a February blue moon.

I have attempted to make a comprehensive list of Brewers farmhands who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Obviously not all (or even most) of these players are realistic candidates to be selected. In addition, some of these guys may be minor league free agents. If you think I've made a mistake or missed someone, post a comment. Notable names are above the jump while you must click and scroll for the rest. Ages listed are for the 2010 season and levels listed are where the player spent the bulk of 2009:

Zach Braddock (22, LHP, A+/AA - one of the last draft-and-follow players, he did not sign until the spring of 2006 at the age of 18. This gives him one more year before becoming eligible.)
Lorenzo Cain (24, CF, AA)
Chris Cody (26, LHP, AA/AAA)
Nick Green (25, RHP, AA/AAA)
Taylor Green (23, 3B, AA - another draft-and-follow guy, brewerfan has him signing June 1, 2006. Since he did not turn 19 until November 2005, I think that puts him in the 18 and younger category and means he is not eligible until next offseason. Lorenzo Cain was in a similar situation last year.)
Dave Johnson (27, RHP, AAA)
Mike Jones (27, RHP, A+/AA/AAA - former #1 pick finally reached AAA, did not do well)
Brendan Katin (27, RF, AAA)
Mike Ramlow (24, LHP, Inj/A - yet another draft-and-follow, injured most of this season)
Amaury Rivas (24, RHP, A+)

The Brewers currently have 33 of 40 roster spots filled. I am not 100% sure of Green's exemption from the draft but the Brewers certainly have roster room if I'm wrong. We'll all find out together on Friday. Assuming Green does not need to be protected, I think only Lorenzo Cain and Amaury Rivas really need to be added to the roster. I don't think the other guys are tempting enough for any team to commit a 25-man roster spot in December. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the current talent and/or upside just aren't there.

As promised, the rest of the Rule 5 eligible farmhands.

Erick Almonte (32 in 2010, 1B, spent 2009 in AAA)
Patrick Arlis (29, C, AAA)
Mike Burns (31, RHP, AAA/MLB)
Chuck Caufield (26, LF/RF, AA)
Anderson de la Rosa (25, C, A+)
Ryan Delaughter (23, RHP, R - converted outfielder threw 5 innings in Arizona rookie ball.)
Chris Errecart (25, 1B, A+)
Jim Henderson (27, RHP, A/A+ - Canadian added veteran presence to low-minors bullpens.)
Robert Hinton (25, RHP, AA)
Mark Holliman (26, RHP, AA)
JR Hopf (27, C, AA)
Shane Justis (27, 2B, AA - was selected in minor league portion of last year's Rule 5 draft.)
Brandon Kintzler (25, RHP, AA - not sure how it works for these indy-league guys. Not sure it matters.)
Brock Kjeldgaard (24, 1B, A - converted pitcher known for power, strikeouts.)
Joe Koshansky (28, 1B, AAA)
Rafael Lluberes (25, LHP, A+)
Martin Maldonado (23, C, A+)
Michael McClendon (25, RHP, AA)
Sean McCraw (24, C, A)
Johnny Raburn (31, 2B/SS, AA/AAA)
Tike Redman (33, OF, AAA - former Pirate spent about as much time in Nashville as Jon Knott.)
Jose Romero (24, LHP, R - injury-marred career, presumably.)
Ivan Rusova (23, RHP, R - who? The Giants somehow drafted this Cuban in the in 26th round in 2005.)
Juan Sandoval (29, RHP, AA)
Adam Stern (30, OF, AA - O Canada!)
David Welch (27, LHP, AA - the lone representative from Australia.)

The following players would have been Rule 5 eligible but are already minor league free agents according to Brewerfan. A few names from the above list (i.e., Redman) probably belong down here, too:

Drew Anderson (29, LF, AA - he actually spent September 2006 in the majors.)
Chris Capuano (31, LHP, Inj/R)
Carlos Corporan (26, C, AAA - hitting only 1.000 in major league play.)
Ruben Flores (26, RHP, A - acquired for Bill Hall.)
Lindsay Gulin (33, LHP, AAA)
Ryan Houston (30, RHP, AAA)
Jon Knott (31, RF, AAA - spent about two weeks in a Nashville uniform.)
Wes Littleton (27, RHP, AA/AAA - best known for "saving" a 27-run game with the Rangers.)
Kevin Melillo (28, 1B/3B, AA)
Sam Narron (28, LHP, AAA)
Freddy Parejo (25, RF, AA)
Josh Wahpepah (25, RHP, AA)
Chase Wright (27, RHP, AAA - outrighted off 40-man roster on August 26.)

That's a lot of links about a bunch of guys no one will remember a few weeks from now. :)

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:42:24 -0000

Yes, this is a picture of Trevor Hoffman with his dog from the Brewers' 2010 Pet Calendar, via Adam McCalvy. This might be the slowest news day ever.

View full size photo »

Some things to read while having it both ways.

If we're not hearing much from the Brewer front office this week, it's because they're in Arizona working on a plan for the offseason.

Here's proof that it's been a quiet week: The Brewers' Wives announced the release of their 2010 Pet Calendar, and it's one of today's top stories.

Keith Law chatted with fans again yesterday, and View From Bernie's Chalet has a roundup of all the Brewer-related notes. Today's topics include a terrible Ryan Braun trade proposal and Rickie Weeks.

The full article is Insider-only, but Jason Gray of ESPN has a look at Jonathan Lucroy, and the sudden shift that has led to him being considered the organization's top catching prospect.

Elsewhere in the minors:

I don't remember if I've seen/mentioned this previously, but Baseball America's Minor League Transaction Report noted that the Brewers re-signed former first round pick Mike Jones as a minor league free agent. Jones reached AAA for the first time in 2009.
The Timber Rattlers are asking for your help to pick a first baseman for their 15th anniversary team. Follow the link for bios on the candidates, then jump over to the front page to vote.

Around baseball:

Blue Jays: Claimed pitcher Sean Henn off waivers from the Orioles and designated Michael Barrett for assignment.
Mariners: Outrighted first baseman Bryan LaHair, and pitchers Randy Messenger, Cesar Jimenez and Marwin Vega to AAA. Vega is the only one who won't become a minor league free agent.
Orioles: Declined their option for 2010 on Melvin Mora.
Pirates: Claimed left handed pitcher Justin Thomas off waivers from the Mariners.

Do you have software development and/or engineering skills and the desire to find a job where you can spend the day talking sports? SB Nation is hiring for a couple of positions.

Oh, and speaking of open positions, you have until the end of the day today to express interest in the Weekend Editor position here at BCB. I'm planning on making a decision tonight or tomorrow.

Happy birthday today to Manny Parra, who turns 27. Hopefully Rick Peterson turns out to be an early birthday present for him.

Elsewhere, happy birthday to:

Laynce Nix, who turns 29.
Former Brewer farmhand Marco Scutaro, who turns 34.
Dave Valle, who played in 16 games for the 1994 Brewers and turns 49.
And a posthumous happy birthday to longtime Milwaukee Brave Joe Adcock, who would have turned 82.

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:00:55 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Mike Cameron dives into third for a triple during the 12th inning Tuesday.

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Some things to read while not sleeping.

After staying up to catch the end of last night's game, I didn't get much sleep and for some reason all I can think of is breakfast. At least one Brewer blogger isn't having this problem, as Miller Park Drunk left the game early.

Felipe Lopez also left early last night, but the news might not be as bad as you'd think. Initial reports were that Lopez had aggravated a hamstring injury, but Adam McCalvy says he actually injured the arch of his foot rounding third base in the ninth inning last night. Lopez was checked out by a doctor but declined an X-ray and is expected to be reevaluated today.

One would think Lopez would want to do everything he can to get back in the lineup for the next couple of days: The Reds have announced Kip Wells as tonight's starter, and will start former Brewer Justin Lehr tomorrow. Lehr has made five starts for the Reds this season, his first major league appearances since posting an 8.62 ERA for the Brewers in 2006.

With last night's loss, the Brewers dropped to eleven games back of the Cardinals, their largest deficit of the season. Doug Melvin says he's not inclined to trade veterans at this point, but Ken Rosenthal is reporting that six Brewers were placed on trade waivers yesterday, including Felipe Lopez, Braden Looper and Mike Cameron.

What should the Brewers do with Prince Fielder? Dave Cameron of FanGraphs thinks the Brewers should trade him this offseason before he gets too expensive and patch some of the other holes in the roster. Meanwhile, David Pinto of Baseball Musings thinks the Brewers should offer Prince $20 million per season to buy out some of his free agent years. Either way, it's a tough spot for the Brewers: Fielder's incredible season means he could be worth significantly more than they can afford when he's eligible for arbitration again after next season, but it also makes him very difficult to trade, as few teams have and are willing to part with pieces that be worth fair market value for one of the NL's most productive hitters.

Jody Gerut went 0-for-1 last night, but is still hitting .345/.406/.552 since July 26, raising his season OPS by 51 points. Tony Gwynn, for whatever it's worth, is hitting .225/.317/.270 over the same time frame. Casa de Machado is willing to admit that Gerut might not be "complete trash."

Before the season it was almost an afterthought, but re-signing Craig Counsell might be one of the best moves Doug Melvin made this offseason. Sky Andrecheck of Baseball Analysts included Counsell as Best Team a Reasonable Amount of Money Can Buy.

Amidst everything else that's been going on the last few weeks, we haven't talked much about Corey Hart or Seth McClung, who are both getting closer to healthy. Hart hopes to head out on a rehab assignment next week, but the Brewers are taking things a little slower with Seth McClung's elbow. McClung has already had Tommy John surgery once.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this one: Jason Kendall has a six game hitting streak going, is hitting .340/.415/.457 since August 4 and is among the leaders in Plunk Everyone's new BACON and Beans statistic.

In the minors:

Mike Jones had one of the biggest nights of his career last night, rebounding from a rough debut by allowing just one earned run in 7.2 innings in Nashville's 4-1 win over Albuquerque. Jones allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven, and threw 108 pitches while earning his first AAA victory.
The Brewers have added two outfielders to the roster in AAA, signing Tike Redman and Jon Knott.
Hernan Iribarren will join them in AAA sometime in the next few days. He was optioned to make room for Jeff Suppan.

If you've got nothing else going on this afternoon and want to spend more time discussing Brewer minor leaguers, then you might be interested in The Official Site's chat with Amateur Scouting Director Bruce Seid at 1 pm. I have a date with some yard work, so I'll be unable to attend.

Here's an interesting note from Lookout Landing: Carlos Villanueva and Mark DiFelice are among the unluckiest pitchers in baseball when it comes to getting strikes called on pitches in the zone, and the Brewers are the unluckiest team in baseball in the same category.

Following last night's loss, CoolStandings dropped the Brewers' playoff chances to .6%.

I usually do my best to avoid the restrooms at Miller Park, but if you must use them, Casa de Machado has a guide to etiquette that you should read first.

Around baseball:

Giants: Placed Freddy Sanchez on the DL with a shoulder strain.
Nationals: Signed Livan Hernandez and will start him today.
Rangers: Placed Andruw Jones on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Red Sox: Acquired Billy Wagner from the Mets for two PTBNL, one of which is rumored to be AAA slugger Chris Carter.
Reds: Signed Lew Ford to a minor league deal.
Rockies: Placed Dexter Fowler on the DL with swelling in his knee.

How much of being a good manager is simply perception? Rays manager Joe Maddon said this on Twitter yesterday:

On the road Ive asked guys 2 think about doing better by talking about playing better Has 2 begin w/ mental effort b4 it shows up physically

If Ned Yost had said something like that, we might have mocked it mercilessly. But when Joe Maddon said it, it somehow seems less nonsensical.

The Brewers officially named eight players to the Arizona Fall League yesterday, with Mark Rogers, Omar Aguilar, Zach Braddock, Josh Butler, Rob Wooten, Jonathan Lucroy, Taylor Green and Lorenzo Cain getting the call (FanShot). This year's AFL will have some significant star power as Stephen Strasburg will make his professional debut in the league, and will be joined by Mariners #1 pick Dustin Ackley, Giants pitcher Joe Martinez and catcher Buster Posey, Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata and Reds infielder Yonder Alonso, among others.

It's been at least a few days since the last time I had to mention an umpiring incident, but there's another one to report today: Several Rockies players complained that umpire Bill Miller called catcher Yorvit Torrealba a derogatory name in the late innings of a game Monday.

Ever wonder what it's like inside Bud Selig's office? Hal McCoy spent half an hour there yesterday and details much of the furniture, including a couch made entirely of baseball bats. (h/t Dear Ken Macha)

Do you enjoy Chuck Norris Facts? If so, you might be incredibly disappointed by these Ed Sprague Factoids, but you might enjoy these Rollie Fingers pictures.

On this day in 1987, Paul Molitor's 39-game hit streak came to an end as he was standing on deck when Rick Manning hit a walk-off single to beat the Indians 1-0 in ten innings. On this day in 1998, Phil Garner became the first Brewer manager to record 500 wins as the Brewers beat the Rockies 6-5.

Happy birthday today to Ricky Bottalico, who made 40 appearances as a Brewer in his final major league season in 2005, and turns 40 today. Alex Sanchez, first ballot "Don't Be That Guy" Hall of Famer, also turns 33.

Oh, and if you're a pro wrestling fan looking for a place to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors, SBNation has a blog for you.

Drink up.

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:28 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

New Mariner Bill Hall congratulates teammate Kenji Johjima on hitting a home run last night.

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Some things to read while writing a scouting report.

All told, it was a pretty boring off day, so the biggest news might be Bill Hall's comments upon joining the Mariners this week. Hall said he tried too hard to live up to his big contract. He gave this quote to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, and it's halfway between laughable and sad:

"I can still hit righthanders," Hall said with a laugh. "I can hit anybody. It's one of those things where, if you say something so long, you might even start believing it yourself."

Since the start of the 2007 season, Hall has faced a righty 683 times and hit .206/.271/.353. If he doesn't recognize a problem there, how is he ever going to figure it out?

Meanwhile, the picture in this Miller Park Drunk post raises what might be the greatest unanswered question regarding Hall: How does a guy who constantly has a giant wad of chew in his mouth keep his teeth that white?

Now that we know Bill Hall will never reach the 200 mark as a Brewer, this streak may live on for a long time: Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that it's been 18 years since a Brewer had 200 hits, with Paul Molitor being the last to get there in 1991. Since then, 28 other teams have had at least one hitter do it. Ryan Braun enters play today with 145, so he'd need to play every day the rest of the way and hit roughly .327 to get the 55 hits he needs to get there. Braun, Fielder (134) and Mike Cameron (102) are the only Brewers with 100 hits on the season.

Of course, if Felipe Lopez (hitting .333/.398/.459 as a Brewer) was able to stretch his performance out over a full season, he'd easily reach 200. Jorge Says No! has a profile of Lopez, who can become a free agent after the season, and thinks he'll get a four year deal worth around $30 million from someone.

It's possible Prince Fielder could get there someday too. He credits improved patience at the plate for the impressive season he's putting together.

How ugly have things gotten for the Brewers? Casa de Machado threw in the towel on the 2009 season yesterday...on an off day.

And, as it turns out, getting Jeff Suppan back might not make things any better. Suppan was lit up again in AAA last night, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in just 3.2 innings. If he can make it through five innings in his big league return without pitching the Brewers out of the game, I'll be shocked.

The Brewers' second half collapse has turned up the heat on Doug Melvin, with a small but vocal percentage of fans calling for his head. If things stay this ugly, he might decide to look for a new opportunity, and Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun wants him to be the next President of the Blue Jays.

Adam McCalvy spent the day off on the farm, and has a great story on Mike Jones and Mark Rogers, as the two former highly touted prospects continue their rebound from injuries that have devastated their early careers.

On power rankings and playoff odds:

Yahoo moved the Brewers down a spot to 20th in their rankings.
Even though they were off yesterday, MLB Playoff Odds downgraded the Brewers to a .4% shot at making the playoffs.

Around baseball:

Mets: Designated Livan Hernandez for assignment.
Orioles: Claimed pitcher Chris Lambert off waivers from the Tigers.
Padres: Traded reliever Scott Patterson to the A's for cash, and signed reliever Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.
Red Sox: Released outfielder Chris Duncan.

With the Reds out of the playoff hunt for 2009, the youth movement has come on in full force: At one point last night, the eight Reds position players on the field combined to make $3.235 million, just $35,000 above the minimum possible. They beat the Giants 2-1.

One by one, every team in baseball is getting an opportunity to learn why the others have been so happy to be rid of Gary Sheffield. Sheffield requested a contract extension from the Mets yesterday, and when they declined to offer one he asked to be taken out of the lineup for last night's game. Adam Rubin thinks the Mets should bench Sheffield until September 1, then release him when it's too late for him to make a postseason roster.

I doubt there's any other long-standing matchup in baseball that's this close: The Dodgers beat the Cubs last night, and now lead them 1015-1014 in their all-time series. (h/t True Blue LA)

The Dodgers found a way to win last night without Claudio Vargas, but you can add Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness to the list of Dodger fans who wish they hadn't traded him for Vinny Rottino.

Add Major League Baseball to the list of sports working to take concussions more seriously. Brian Costa of the Newark Star-Ledger has a great read on some of the advancements in treatment of concussions, and the steps being taken to protect players who have had one.

Without the internet, we probably never would have known: Plunk Everyone says Brendan Ryan's grand slam last night was the only slam in 2009 hit with two men on base who reached via HBP.

On this day in 1982, Rollie Fingers pitched the last two innings of the Brewers' 3-2 win over the Mariners, becoming the first pitcher ever to record 300 saves. If Trevor Hoffman sticks around for one more season, the Brewers could also have the first pitcher to reach 600.

Happy birthday today to Craig Counsell, who turns 39, Lou Collier, who played in 138 games for the Brewers between 1999 and 2001 and turns 36, and John Henry Johnson, who appeared in 29 games as a Brewer in 1986 and 1987 and turns 53.

Drink up.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:35:57 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: the last time we'll ever see Bill Hall looking clueless after a strikeout in a Brewer uniform.

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Some things to read while abbreviating your quotes.

It's another rough week to be a Brewer fan, but at least Doug Melvin found a way to unload Bill Hall. Reactions from around the web:

Tom H. reports the Brewers are saving at least $1.3 million in salary for next season by trading Hall. That's the portion of his salary that will be paid by the Mariners.
Brewer Paradise Lost says Melvin is a genius for finding a team willing to take on any of Hall's salary.
Gord Ash told Adam McCalvy that one other team was interested in Hall, but the rumors about Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo were incorrect. Both potential trades were for minor leaguers.
Over at The Hardball Times, Jeff takes a look at the decision to give Hall a long term deal following the 2006 season, and still concludes it was the right move to make at the time.
The Bucky Channel is surprised Jack Z. had any interest in Hall.
Meanwhile, on the Mariners' side, Lookout Landing is playing the "He could be a great player if he puts it all together" card we've all become so familiar with over the last few years.
Pro Ball NW is calling Hall a "free lottery ticket" and expects him to platoon with Jack Hannahan at third.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are off today while they travel to Washington to open a four game series there. If you're a Brewer fan in the DC area, the Nationals have quite the deal for you: For one dollar, fans can get into the ballpark at 2 pm tomorrow, see the press conference introducing Stephen Strasburg and stay to see the Nats take on Manny Parra and the Brewers. Nats320 has more about the promotion.

The trip to Washington will be a return home for Felipe Lopez, who had a very forgettable three-year run as a National between 2006 and 2008 before being released. As part of tomorrow's game preview, Adam McCalvy has a look at Lopez's time as a Brewer and his rebound from some defensive lapses a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately for the Nats, they won't get to face Carlos Villanueva this weekend, at least as a starter. With today's off day, the Brewers had the opportunity to skip a starter this weekend, and Carlos Villanueva is the one getting the hook, with Mike Burns getting the start Saturday. Both Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush are expected back in the rotation by the next turn.

With Yovani Gallardo stuck on 11 wins, it looks like the Brewers will be without a 20 game winner again this season. As Chris Jaffe notes at The Hardball Times, 23 teams have had a 20 game winner since Teddy Higuera did it for the Brewers in 1986. Only Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Diego, Montreal/Washington, Colorado and Tampa Bay have longer active droughts.

In the minors:

Mike Jones' AAA debut didn't go so well last night, as he allowed six runs on ten hits and struck out no one in four innings and the Sounds lost 11-1. Hopefully it was just nerves and he'll settle down in his next start.
The Brewers spent $1.2 million signing Kentrail Davis, well over slot value for his pick, but it could have been much worse: The Biz of Baseball noted that Davis' deal was about 42% over slot, the lowest percentage among Scott Boras clients who signed on deadline day.
Brewerfan.net has a new Power 50 with Alcides Escobar moving into the #1 spot and most of the 2009 draft picks being slotted in. (FanShot)
The Tuscaloosa News has a look at the negotiation process with 15th round pick Del Howell, who at one point said he was "90% sure" he was returning to Alabama next season.
The Brevard County Manatees continue to have a successful season: They have the fourth best winning percentage in all of minor league baseball, according to Baseball America.
Timber Rattlers reliever Nick Tyson is the prospect of the week over at Between the Green Pillars.

On power rankings and postseason odds:

Beyond the Box Score moved the Brewers up one spot from 24 to 23 in their rankings.
MLB FanHouse dropped the Brewers one spot to 20th.
CoolStandings gives the Brewers a 1.2% chance of making the playoffs.
MLB Playoff Odds gives them .6%.

Maybe I should just forget all of this and write a blog about Anthony Witrado. Miller Park Drunk's post from a couple of weeks ago calling for his firing was the seventh most popular post in site history. That's saying a lot, because he's consistently got some pretty good stuff over there.

Speaking of people we don't like much around here, Jason Kendall received one fifth place vote in Dugout Central's poll asking for former stars who are playing their way out of the big leagues.

Around baseball:

Dodgers: Signed Vicente Padilla.
Indians: Placed Trevor Crowe on the DL with an oblique strain.
Rangers: Placed Eddie Guardado on the DL with knee inflammation.
Reds: Placed Johnny Cueto (shoulder inflammation) and Willy Taveras (strained quad) on the DL.

At FanGraphs, R.J. Anderson looks at the Dodgers' decision to sign Vicente Padilla and wonders if they made the wrong decision when they traded Claudio Vargas to the Brewers. Vargas has turned out to be a useful arm in the bullpen, but wouldn't have been stretched out enough to fill a vacancy in the rotation for the Dodgers.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back and be happy for what you have. The 2009 Brewers may be a disappointment, but the team continues to invest in the future, signing all of this year's high draft picks. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have fallen out of contention, dealt Alex Rios and Scott Rolen to free up money, and still let three of their top four draft picks walk away. Things are going to get worse before they get better in Toronto. Maybe much worse.

The Royals are 47-73, in last place in the AL Central and in the conversation for baseball's worst record. Yet somehow, they've almost made it through the entire season without a single player making their major league debut. One would think that will change in September, but the fact that it hasn't changed yet is pretty surprising.

Earlier this week Jason Marquis was brought up as a potential free agent signing for the Brewers this offseason. If the Brewers plan to pursue him, they'll also need to purchase a copy of Connect Four, because that's apparently how he prepares for starts.

On this day in 1992, the Brewers tagged David Wells for 13 earned runs on eleven hits and five walks in 4.1 innings en route to a 16-3 victory over the Blue Jays. Six Brewers had multiple hits, but John Jaha had the only home run.

Happy birthday today to Nick Green, who turns 25, and Tom Brunansky, who hit .187/.263/.317 as a Brewer in 1993 and 1994 and turns 49.

Oh, and I consider myself somewhat of a mac and cheese expert, but I don't get how this is even possible.

Drink up.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:23:50 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

Jason Kendall looks over his shoulder after his throw to first wasn't in time to get Ivan Rodriguez in the third inning Sunday.

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Some things to read while never getting too old.

Welcome back to the Jason Kendall Era. After Mike Rivera went 3-for-6 with two home runs and was on base seven times while starting back to back games for the first time since 2006, Jason Kendall was back in the starting lineup Saturday and Sunday, and responded by going 1-for-5, getting intentionally walked (!), and getting hit by a pitch. The performance actually raised Kendall's OPS to .599. Brew City Sports thought the Brewers had finally figured it out, but no such luck.

If you're going to argue that Kendall's defensive prowess earns him a free pass, save it. Baseball Digest Daily ranked Kendall as baseball's 11th best defensive catcher in 2009. I'm having a hard time believing that Kendall's middle-of-the-road defense makes up for the fact that he's one of baseball's worst hitters.

On the plus side, his HBP Saturday was the 499th in Miller Park history, which opened the door for Felipe Lopez to pick up the 500th.

If you're coming up with a new stat, it's probably a good idea to give it a smell test. For example, Joe Posnanski came up with a new hitting stat over the weekend, and Jason Kendall is fifth from the bottom. That smells about right.

Meanwhile, Ken Macha is updating the schedule to slot Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan back into the rotation in the coming weeks. Suppan's rehab start in Wisconsin wasn't good enough to earn him an immediate return to the Brewers, so he'll make a start in Nashville on Thursday and could rejoin the team on August 25. Bush, meanwhile, will start for Wisconsin tomorrow, in Huntsville on Saturday and hopefully for the Brewers on the 27th.

While Suppan is in Nashville he'll most likely get a chance to say hello to J.J. Hardy, who's doing very little to prove he deserves to return to Milwaukee. Even though he was given three days to report to the Sounds, Hardy showed up late on Friday and was only available to pinch hit. Then, he hit a home run on Saturday, but went 0-for-4 again last night, making him 1-for-9 in his first three games. Beyond the Box Score did the math and says the Brewers are about 2.3 runs better over the course of a season with Escobar playing short.

Meanwhile, Jason Bourgeois is hoping to prove he belongs in the major leagues on a permanent basis. He picked up his first major league RBI in Friday's game and hasn't been heard from since.

Prince Fielder has an eight-game hitting streak going, and has hit .412/.447/.824 over that time. Yesterday he hit his 30th home run, becoming the first Brewer ever to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs in three straight seasons. Fielder has posted a .973 OPS in August, which is impressive enough, but he was actually better in May, June and July.

In the minors:

The Brewers were hoping to announce a deal with 2009 sandwich pick Kentrail Davis yesterday, but were unable to do so. Davis was at Miller Park yesterday, presumably to undergo a physical. Tom H. thinks a deal is done but is awaiting approval from the Commissioner's Office, which has to approve any deal for more than slot money.
If that deal is in fact done, the top two remaining unsigned picks would be high school pitcher Brooks Hall and shortstop Scooter Gennett, and the team is still negotiating with both of them.
2001 first round pick Mike Jones is expected to be promoted to Nashville today. After years of battling shoulder and elbow problems, this will be the first time Jones has been above AA.
Josh Butler, currently working his way back from injury in Arizona, will take Jones' spot in Huntsville.
Also noted in the previous link: The Brewers are expected to send Lorenzo Cain, Taylor Green, Jonathan Lucroy, Mark Rogers, Josh Butler and Zach Braddock to the Arizona Fall League. Braddock's selection will depend on his health. Even if he goes, the Brewers will need to select one more pitcher.

Casey McGehee is still not playing every day, but FanGraphs ranked him fifth in the race for NL Rookie of the Year. McGehee could be having quite the magical season if his knee and Ken Macha allowed him to play more often.

On Power Rankings and playoff odds:

THT's Dartboard has the Brewers at 19th.
MLB Playoff Odds gives the Brewers a 1.8% chance of making the playoffs.
CoolStandings gives them a 3.3% chance.

Around baseball:

Mets: Placed David Wright on the DL with a concussion.
Pirates Designated outfielder Jeff Salazar for assignment.
Rangers: Placed Nelson Cruz on the DL with a sprained ankle.
Red Sox: Acquired Alex Gonzalez from the Reds for a minor league infielder and designated Chris Woodward for assignment.
Rockies: Released Mike Timlin.

How do you get a black eye in a bar fight you weren't involved in? That's the question someone needs to ask Brett Myers, who missed a rehab start over the weekend with said eye injury. To make matters worse, Myers initially told the team and media he suffered the injury playing catch with his son, then changed the story to say he fell out of his car, sober.

At least she finished the race, which is more than many of us would do: Trenni ran in the Sausage Race over the weekend, but finished in fourth place.

Of course, if you've been to Miller Park lately you know that the Sausage Race is also the start of the race to beat traffic out of Miller Park. Miller Park Drunk outlines the acceptable reasons to leave early. There's not many.

Baseball faces lots of issues: High ticket prices, poor umpiring, steroids, etc. With that said, American Polymath has a solution I've never heard before, but can get wholeheartedly behind: Baseball Needs Rob Deer.

How many times has a Brewer runner take off on a 3-2 pitch, just to return to your base when it's fouled off? I'm not sure I would have invested the time in tracking it, but Plunk Everyone reports they've done it 54 times this season, which puts them in the bottom third of teams. The Dodgers have fouled off a 3-2 pitch with runners going 103 times.

On this day in 1983, Tom Candiotti pitched a complete game in his first major league start and beat the Red Sox 5-1.

Happy birthday to Skip Lockwood, who pitched in 132 games for the Pilots and Brewers between 1969 and 1973 and turns 63 today. Jeff Liefer, who appeared in 16 games for the Brewers in 2004, also turns 35.

Oh, and I think we all wish our significant other was a little more like Sloane Peterson. (h/t C. Trent Rosecrans)

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:01:29 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

St. Louis Cardinals' Adam Wainwright (50) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run for the fourth consecutive season.

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Some things to read while I finish the last chapter of Help Wanted.

Actually, I probably won't have much time for video games today, as the first pitch for this afternoon's game is already about two hours away. Ryan Braun likely won't be in the starting lineup: X-rays came back negative on Braun's wrist last night (h/t FanShot), but it's still a quick turnaround from a night game to a day game, and resting him today would give him two full days off, with the off day tomorrow. Paul Noonan of Brewed Sports might not have to spend the rest of his life harassing Adam Wainwright after all.

J.J. Hardy, however, is expected to play. Today's game is listed in the top spot in Baseball Musings' Games of the Day.

Adam Wainwright shut the Brewers down last night, and has been lights-out lately. Fungoes credits a change in release point for his sudden dominance. Wainwright's home run last night also gives him one in each of the last four seasons.

Along with the good news, though, the Cardinals got some bad news yesterday: Troy Glaus is being given a 50-50 shot at returning to the lineup in 2009, and Kyle Lohse is expected to be scratched from Friday's start against the Giants.

This week's schedule has been pretty rough for the Brewers, with a road night game on Sunday followed by a day game at home Monday, then a night game last night and another day game today. One would think that would be enough, but Mat Gamel also found time to visit a grade school in Racine before yesterday's game.

Maybe he was campaigning for write-in votes. Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy are the leading vote-getters at their respective positions in All-Star balloting. In fact, no Brewer position player is lower than second.

Looking back for a moment: The Brewers are 3-1 in 1-0 games this season, but Monday's was the only of the three games to go to extra innings. It was only the seventh 1-0, extra inning victory in franchise history, and just the second since 1989.

For the first time in several days, I don't have a note on Jake Peavy today. I do, however, have Two-Fisted Slopper's argument for Erik Bedard.

I have a handful of draft notes today:

FanGraphs reviews the Brewers' last three drafts and looks ahead to June. They list second base as an organizational need, despite the fact that Cutter Dykstra and Brett Lawrie have both been moved to the position in the last three months. (h/t FanShot)
Andy Seiler has the Brewers selecting Chad Jenkins, a RHP from Kennesaw State, in the first round along with Tommy Joseph, a HS catcher from Arizona, and Brody Colvin, a HS pitcher from Louisiana, in the supplemental round.
Jim Gantner will be the Brewer representative at the draft.

Somewhat related, here are today's minor league notes:

Wily Peralta has been named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week following a week that saw him go two starts without allowing a run with a 17:2 K:BB ratio.
Mike Jones, a former #1 pick who's become a bit of an afterthought, pitched six scoreless innings in his first start in Huntsville and hit 94 on the gun.
Chris Duffy accepted his assignment to Nashville and should join the team today.

Also, Adam McCalvy is looking for mailbag questions, if you have one in mind.

Around the league:

Angels: Placed Scot Shields on the DL with patella tendinitis.
Marlins: Signed Clay Hensley and Gary Glover to minor league deals.
Mets: Placed Jose Reyes (calf tendinitis) and Ryan Church (hamstring) on the DL.
Nationals: Designated Daniel Cabrera for assignment and must add Mike MacDougal to their roster today or lose him to free agency.
Orioles: Placed outfielder Lou Montanez on the DL with torn ligaments in his thumb.
Rays: Jason Bartlett has been placed on the DL with an ankle injury.

Jason Bartlett's DL trip in Tampa opened the door for former Brewer Joe Dillon, who has been called up by the Rays. On top of Dillon (and Gary Glover), here are some other former Brewers in transactions, courtesy of Baseball America:

Former Nashville Sound Abraham Nunez signed with the D-Backs.
The Reds acquired Justin Lehr from the Phillies for future considerations.
The Indians called up Greg Aquino.
The Twins brought Ben Hendrickson off the minor league DL. Hendrickson threw one inning in his 2009 debut, and has now pitched for four teams in the last six seasons in AAA, posting a 3.88 ERA in the process.

Also, Eric Gagne has signed with Quebec in the Can-Am League. Apparently he'll be a starter there, but if he's healthy he probably won't be there long.

Speaking of players who could be available: Ken Rosenthal says the Rockies could be looking to sell, but the Pirates are probably not.

Tomorrow will be a big day in Baltimore, as #1 prospect Matt Wieters is expected to make his major league debut. In a note that's probably not unrelated, the Orioles drew just 10,130 fans to Camden Yards last night, the smallest crowd in that ballpark's history.

The Nationals have the #1 pick in June's draft and have a wide variety of needs, but perhaps they should look for someone who can spell. Roosevelt has two o's and one s.

I'm not sure what's worse, a "Teddy Rossevelt" bobblehead or a Scratch and Sniff Cap.

Oh, and happy birthday to John Jaha, who turns 43 today.

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:07:23 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Corey Hart, freshly shaved head and all, celebrates Tuesday's victory while J.J. Hardy maintains a safe distance.

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Some things to read while coming out of your shell.

The main topic of conversation this morning continues to be replacing Rickie Weeks. Ray Durham has been in touch, and Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks Mark DeRosa could be a fit (thanks to 80Badger for the link), but Doug Melvin is focusing on internal options, and as of this writing, 92% of voters in our poll agree with that decision.

Meanwhile, Hernan Iribarren has been called up to fill Weeks' spot on the roster (Also noted in FanShot). Iribarren, who is left handed, did not play last night and likely will not play tonight against lefty Wandy Rodriguez, but could be considered to start on Thursday.

Speaking of Wandy Rodriguez, both Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle and Crawfish Boxes are excited to see his matchup with Yovani Gallardo tonight. Gallardo, meanwhile, is just trying to stay sharp after what was basically a missed turn in the rotation on Friday.

After a decade of living in obscurity, Mark DiFelice is suddenly the center of attention. Jeff Passan of Yahoo had a story on him earlier this week, and now he's also profiled in Hardball Cooperative and The Madison Capital Times. Of course, all this attention had to come this week, when DiFelice allowed an earned run for just the second time in 16 appearances.

Speaking of obscurity, Dave Bush is moving towards an obscure record of his own pretty quickly. Bush hit two Astros batters last night to bring his Brewer career total to 46, just three shy of Jamey Wright's franchise record. Bush's seven plunks in 2009 lead the National League. He only hit ten batters in all of 2008.

Mike Hampton started last night's game for the Astros, but left early with a left thumb lasceration. I haven't seen anything on how long he'll be out.

Jeremy Jeffress, the #3 prospect and top pitcher in our Community Prospect Rankings, has been demoted to Brevard County after posting a 15.03 ERA and walking 21 hitters in 11.1 innings over his last four starts. Former top pitching prospect Mike Jones has been promoted to Huntsville to take his place (Also noted in FanShot).

Power rankings, anyone?

The National Post has moved the Brewers from fourth to second in their NL power rankings.
Goatriders of the Apocalypse has moved the Brewers from fourth to first in their NL Central rankings.

Around the league:

Nationals: Placed Elijah Dukes on the DL with a hamstring strain and designated Alex Cintron for assignment.
Reds: Placed reliever Nick Masset on the DL with a strained oblique.

Is 2009 a renaissance for aging catchers? Plunk Everyone noticed that catchers 35 years old or older are catching 17.3% of games this season, the second highest total since 1960.

Take a deep breath, everyone. Stephen Strasburg, who is almost certain to be the #1 pick in June's draft and is dominating college hitters at San Diego State, is not expected to make his MLB debut this season. I've heard all the hype about him being the "greatest prospect ever" and whatnot, but seriously, let's let this guy make his pro debut before we slot him into the Nationals' rotation.

Giants pitcher Noah Lowry's long and winding road back to the big leagues continues. Lowry is scheduled for surgery to have a rib removed to address thoracic outlet syndrome. His agent, meanwhile, has called the Giants out for failing to correctly diagnose Lowry's ailment the first time.

The road is just as long and winding, but maybe a little darker, for Khalil Greene. Greene is getting some extra time off to address an anxiety issue. Greene has admitted to "punishing himself physically," and others have expressed concern about the severity of the punishment. Greene missed a fair portion of last season after breaking his hand punching an equipment trunk.

Oh, and no matter what I do, I never seem to get a cheering section quite like Tigers outfielder Clete Thomas.

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:48:11 -0000

Some things to read while trying to figure out what you'd do with two toasters.

The Brewers, along with 21 other MLB teams, were off yesterday, but this site was not. Thanks to a link from Big League Stew that ended up on the front page at Yahoo, over 57,000 readers stopped by yesterday, far and away the biggest day in BCB history. Thanks to BLS for the link, and if you're one of our new readers, welcome. Please consider taking a look at the Posting Guide and Game Thread Guidelines.

The off day also gave Ryan Braun plenty of time to go pick up an award. Braun was named NL Player of the Week after hitting .458/.567/.958 over the Brewers' last six games, with three home runs and 12 RBI. This is the first time Braun has won the award. (Also noted in FanShot)

Yovani Gallardo may not have been at his best over the weekend, but there's a lot to be optimistic about. Over at The Hardball Times, Harry Pavlidis has a Pitchf/x profile of Gallardo that's well worth a read.

Manny Parra takes the mound tonight for the Brewers. He's 1-4 in six starts, and hasn't really looked sharp all season. Looking for a reason for optimism? Fish Chunks says the Brewers are 8-2 on May 12 since moving to the National League.

A couple of minor notes:

The Official Site takes a look at Brett Lawrie, two months into his professional career. Pretty much everyone who sees the guy seems to like him. On his blog, though, McCalvy mentions Lawrie having a weird stance. Does anyone have pictures/video of it?
Mat Gamel's defense is still questionable, but his bat continues to propel him toward the big leagues: He's currently fourth in the PCL with a 1.105 OPS.

Gamel was one of dozens of topics covered in Tom H.'s chat over at the JS site yesterday. It was a pretty good chat, all told. Some questions that should have been ignored were bludgeoned instead, but there was also conversation regarding Jason Kendall, Alcides Escobar, Brad Nelson, Mike Jones, Mark Rogers, Chris Capuano, Jake Odorizzi, Erik Komatsu and others.

The Brewers continue to move up in power rankings:

Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who had the Brewers at #25 two weeks ago, has moved them all the way up to #8.
WhatifSports has the Brewers at #10.

The transaction wire was pretty quiet yesterday, but I did notice these moves in Baseball America's Minor League Transactions:

Tony Armas Jr. signed a minor league deal with the Braves.
Former Brewer minor leaguer Nic Ungs has signed with the Marlins.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, the Pirates have signed 17-year-old Dutch outfielder Daan Cornelissen. With the move, the Pirates have now signed players from each of six continents over the last 12 months. The BBTF thread is worth reading, just for the first few comments.

Former Brewer and current Astros hitting coach Sean Berry has been released from the hospital following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his kidney. He's expected to rejoin the team in a couple of weeks.

Oh, and Nick Punto needs to be more careful about letting his hand linger.

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:27:04 -0000

Some things to read while preparing an extra special dinner for Opening Day.

FanGraphs Scoreboard

Unfortunately, today's big story may turn out to be the weather. As I write this, it's 54 and cloudy in San Francisco, but it's going to rain and perhaps thunderstorm this afternoon and well into the evening. There does appear to be a window to play a day-night doubleheader tomorrow, but that's the last thing everyone wants to do to open the season.

Small sample size analysis of Opening Day, anyone?

The Brewers swept the Giants last season and have not lost to them since August 26 of 2007.
The Brewers have hit Lincecum in limited opportunities: He's 1-2 with a 5.25 ERA in four starts against them. Ryan Braun has taken him deep twice.
Jeff Suppan will start on Opening Day for the fourth time in his career, but the first time since 2002. He's 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA in those starts.

The JS has today's lineups (h/t FanShot). Today's opener is also one of Baseball Musings' Games of the Day.

While waiting around for the start of the season, Adam McCalvy and Doug Melvin sat down with a six pack...of questions, with Melvin discussing roster composition, closers, injuries, payroll flexibility and the aftermath of a postseason appearance.

Braden Looper made his final minor league start this week, throwing 89 pitches over 6 innings, and appears to be ready for his debut at Friday's home opener.

This week's games will also see the debut of a new studio analyst for Brewer games, former Brewer Jerry Augustine.

I thought I waited until the last minute to make my 2009 predictions for the NL Central, but MLB Trade Rumors has done me one better, and waited until Opening Day to release their 2009 Brewer Offseason in Review.

J.J. Hardy is giving Brewer fans a fair amount to be excited about this spring. Obviously, they're just spring training stats, but John Sickels noticed Hardy's 11 spring training walks and says, "If he maintains strike zone judgment like that, he could have a monster season." Hardy also picked up a first place vote in Dugout Central's preseason NL MVP voting.

If you'd like to feel good about baseball on Opening Day, here's a double shot for you: Ken Macha is having a lucky spring and Casey McGehee is profiled in another hometown paper.

If you're looking to watch some baseball in person this weekend but you haven't made plans yet, there may still be hope for you after all. There are reportedly still tickets available for Saturday and Sunday's games against the Cubs, and some grass seating available for the Timber Rattlers opener as well.

While I'm on the subject, here are some other minor notes:

The Timber Rattlers roster has been announced. It's probably going to be the biggest collection of pitching prospects in the Brewer system in a long time.
Taylor Green is taking longer than expected to recover from his wrist injury and may be out into June. This frees up some time for Vinny Rottino to play third base in Huntsville.
Former #1 pick Mike Jones was offered his release over the offseason, but decided to remain with the Brewers. He'll continue to rehab in Brevard County along with Mark Rogers, another former #1 pick.

Barring something unforeseen, this is likely the last batch of predictions and projections for 2009:

Baseball by Paul has the Brewers winning 84 games and finishing in second place.
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star thinks the Brewers will finish third.
Chuckie Hacks is projecting the Brewers to win 94 games.
Two-Fisted Slopper has them winning 83 games and finishing in second place, and also has a bunch of other Brewer predictions.
Circling the Bases' four contributors predicted the Brewers to finish third, third, third and second.
Jonah Keri has the Brewers winning 81 games and finishing in third.

Here's an unlikely niche market: Fans who watch baseball in Milwaukee and like to drink but don't know where the bars are. Assuming that niche exists, Drew Olson of OnMilwaukee.com has filled it.

Elsewhere around baseball:

D-Backs: Two switch hitters, Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark, hit home runs in yesterday's opener from both sides of the plate, the first time it had happened since 2000, and the first time ever on Opening Day.
Dodgers: Cleared a space on their 40-man roster by moving Claudio Vargas to the 60-day DL with elbow tendinitis.
Indians: Placed Jamey Carroll on the DL with a broken bone in his hand and added Tony Graffanino to the roster.
Twins: With Joe Mauer already on the shelf, backup catcher Mike Redmond also had to leave yesterday's game with a groin injury.
Yankees: CC Sabathia was seen applying a hot water bottle to his ribs in the dugout yesterday, but he says it was only to stay warm.

So the Marlins are 1-0, they lead the NL East and yesterday's game featured an inside-the-park home run from new acquisition Emilio Bonifacio. Yet somehow, they still only drew 30,000 fans, well below capacity. I'm not convinced a new stadium is going to solve their problems.

That's all for today. Drink up.