Minor League FA list and signings

[Doc. Scott]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7707

This week's list. Not terribly Redsy, but there are a fistful of indy-ball stories recounted in this one. Especially the link to the story about Tom Wilhelmsen, the ex-Brewer draftee who has now been signed by Seattle (GM Jack Zduriencik originally picked the guy for Milwaukee) as a 26-year-old.

[Doc. Scott]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7830

Reds cut loose 2006 11th round pick Brandon Rice, who did not pitch last season.

There are a boatload of AAA optionings and such on the update, but nothing of particularly major note. LHR Eddie Guardado's career is likely over after he was let go by Washington. Same for LHS Shawn Estes.

[Doc. Scott]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7940

Reds release RHP Greg Dombrowski- he pitched only four innings with the GCL Reds last year. He's a UK grad.

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Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Enerio Del Rosario, RHP Sam LeCure, LHP Bill Bray, LHP Pedro Viola, 1B Yonder Alonso, SS Chris Valaika
Optioned to Double-A: RHP Jordan Smith, LHP Philippe Valiquette

Bray qualifies for a fourth option year because, even though he had been optioned to Louisville in ’07, ’08 and ’09, he has not yet accrued five seasons of professional experience. A player is not credited with a "pro season" when he spends fewer than 90 days on the major or minor league active list. This definition rules out short-season experience as well as the time Bray spent pitching for Brevard County after he signed out of the draft in ’04.
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The Cubs optioned RHR Jeff Stevens to AAA.

The Mets cut loose RHP Josh Fogg.

St. Louis sent LHS Ben Jukich back to the Reds. Can we try him in the bullpen now?

Washington cut LHR Ron "Big Rig" Villone.

[Edd Roush]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7940

Reds release RHP Greg Dombrowski- he pitched only four innings with the GCL Reds last year. He's a UK grad.

---
Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Enerio Del Rosario, RHP Sam LeCure, LHP Bill Bray, LHP Pedro Viola, 1B Yonder Alonso, SS Chris Valaika
Optioned to Double-A: RHP Jordan Smith, LHP Philippe Valiquette

Bray qualifies for a fourth option year because, even though he had been optioned to Louisville in ’07, ’08 and ’09, he has not yet accrued five seasons of professional experience. A player is not credited with a "pro season" when he spends fewer than 90 days on the major or minor league active list. This definition rules out short-season experience as well as the time Bray spent pitching for Brevard County after he signed out of the draft in ’04.
---

The Cubs optioned RHR Jeff Stevens to AAA.

The Mets cut loose RHP Josh Fogg.

St. Louis sent LHS Ben Jukich back to the Reds. Can we try him in the bullpen now?

Washington cut LHR Ron "Big Rig" Villone.

I was always a big fan of Ron "Bulldog" Villone. I would love to see him back.

[Doc. Scott]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=8064

Cincinnati Reds
Released: RHP Michael Bohana, RHP Enrique Garcia, RHP Hector Santana, LHP Mark Pawelek, LHP Matteo Pizziconi, OF Stephen Chapman
Optioned to Triple-A: OF Chris Heisey

Bohana was a 26th-round pick in 2008, while Garcia was taken two rounds earlier. Santana was signed out of the DR and made it as high as Sarasota. Pawelek was an ex-Cubs first-round pick that the Reds tried to make a reclamation project- but he walked 33 batters in 27 IP at Sarasota last year. Pizziconi, one of the two Italian lefthanders signed a couple years back, did not make the jump to Billings last year like his countryman Luca Panerati. Chapman was picked up around this time last year after being cut by Milwaukee- he was a part-time player at both Dayton and Carolina and didn't hit much in either spot.

Boston picked up LHR Scott Schoeneweis after he was cut earlier in the spring. The Sox also optioned RHR Ramon Ramirez (the ex-Reds one) to AAA.

Chicago released RHR Jeff Kennard and optioned ex-Red RHP Marcos Mateo to AAA.

Cleveland signed RHS Justin Germano- he'd spent 2009 in Korea with SoftBank.

The Dodgers jettisoned OF Brandon Watson.

Milwaukee acquired INF Ray Olmedo from Texas in exchange for C Matt Treanor.

The Mets let UT Jolbert Cabrera go.

Philadelphia released RHR Jason Standridge.

[JayBruceFan]

Not a signing or release but I didn't know where else to put it,

Craig Tatum made the Orioles opening day roster as their backup catcher

[Doc. Scott]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=8203

It's Closet-Cleaning Week around baseball:

Cincinnati Reds

Released: RHP Arshwin Asjes, RHP Josh Beal, RHP Forest Cannon, RHP Ramon Geronimo, RHP Adian Kummet, RHP Luis Montano, RHP Zach Ward, RHP Kip Wells, RHP Jake Wiley, C Jason Bour, 1B Dave Stewart, 2B Yen-Wen Kuo, OF Tony Brown, OF Albert Laboy, OF Kevin West

Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Jared Burton, RHP Carlos Fisher, LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Matt Maloney, LHP Travis Wood, 2B Drew Sutton

Option transferred: 1B Yonder Alonso (Triple-A to Double-A)

I was personally pretty surprised about Tony Brown and Ramon Geronimo. Brown had some serious power and Geronimo was pretty dominant in 2008 before struggling last year in Carolina.

Too many players released this week to even count, but here are a few freshly-unemployed gentlemen I wouldn't mind seeing in the Reds system:

4C J.R. House (versatile, career .302./363/.475 hitter coming off a down year), LHR Kevin Gunderson (Portland native and player on OSU Beavers NCAA champs), RHR Carlos Guevara (still think he could get big-league hitters out given a serious chance), LHR Macay McBride (former Atlanta phenom, missed almost all of 2008 and 2009 with injuries), RHS Travis "Groundhog Day" Chick (named as such because he was in Double-A for what seems like forever, still just 26), C Mike Rivera (a Crash Davis-like 163 minor-league homers), INF Henry Henry (oh, sure, even though the Pirates couldn't even use him- but how funny would it be?), OF Corey Patterson (kid could still be someone, lots of power and speed and he's got the good face), C James Skelton (former Rule 5 pick, just 24 with AA experience, think Ryan Hanigan at the dish).

[jmcclain19]

That's very true. At the time, a lot of RZ was very upset that Dustin Moseley had been traded for Ortiz, but in the end, it looks like it wasn't all that bad of an idea.

To be fair, Moseley's dad was a serious RZ poster for a while until he passed away so I'm sure there was tons of bias there.

[jmcclain19]

Carlos Guevara is out of work. I was on that guys case like no one else a few years back but sadly it doesn't look like the Screwball has helped him carve out a major league career yet.

Hoped he might one trick pony himself into a nice niche somewhere. At 28 now, that ship has likely sailed.

[Guacarock]

Ryan Freel fails to catch on with any major league teams or their minor league affiliates so he makes one last stab to resurrect his career by signing with the Somerset Patriots, an independent league team.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/pla...=286202&spln=1

[JaxRed]

Go get'm Farney