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Some things to read while getting scouted.
We are 30 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Maryvale, and another reliever is packing his bags this morning: Longtime minor league pitcher Rob Wooten received his camp invite over the weekend. He's 27 years old and has a career 2.86 ERA in the minors with ten strikeouts per nine innings, but just reached AAA Nashville for the first time in 2012.
Wooten may be coming to camp to help fill the void created by these departures: John Axford and Jim Henderson (along with Taylor Green) will be leaving Brewer camp in March to represent Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The Brewers now have five players committed to the event, with Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy playing for Team USA.
Full WBC rosters are expected to be announced on Thursday, when Team USA will unveil their selections at 9 am Central time and the rest of the world will name theirs at 3 pm.
Looking back to last week, Adam McCalvy has more details on Kelvim Escobar's minor league deal. He could earn up to $2.2 million in salary and incentives if he makes the team, and has a May 1 "out clause" in his contract if he doesn't.
Shaun Marcum is still on the market, but it's possible that could change soon. Jon Morosi reports that the Rangers, Padres and Pirates have all shown interest in the former Brewer. Meanwhile, FanGraphs would like your help projecting the 2013 seasons of the starting pitchers who remain with the Brewers.
Elsewhere in projections, badgernoonan of Ron Roenicke Stole My Baseball compared the Brewers' 2012 ZiPS projections to the recently-released 2013 version and notes that the system would suggest the NL's best offense in 2012 could be even better this season.
Looking further ahead, R.J. Anderson of Baseball Prospectus attempted to predict the rest of Ryan Braun's potential Hall of Fame career given his numbers to this point.
In the minors:
- Tom Haudricourt has Baseball America's official list of the Brewers' top ten prospects, led by Wily Peralta.
- Martin Maldonado went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles as Mayaguez routed Carolina 14-7 in the Puerto Rican playoffs. You can read about that and more in today's Winter League Recap.
- Mayaguez is now 7-3 in the round robin portion of the PWL playoffs and remains in first place.
- Back in the US, Hiram Burgos was one of several players attending this weekend's MLB Rookie Career Development Program.
- The future of Space Coast Stadium (home of the Brevard County Manatees) remains in doubt, but this Nats Insider post suggests local officials are making an effort to keep the Nationals in their spring training home.
- The Brewer Nation has profiles of the players with jersey numbers in the 90's and #78, Taylor Jungmann as the first two installments in his "Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers" series.
- Noted leisured gentleman Carson Cistulli of NotGraphs is having some fun with Damien Magnifico's name.
If you watched yesterday's NFL games, you might have noticed that Rickie Weeks (or someone who looks an awful lot like him) was in the crowd at the Falcons/Seahawks game.
Around baseball:
Angels: Signed pitcher Fernando Cabrera to a minor league deal.
Blue Jays: Signed catcher Henry Blanco to a one-year, $750,000 deal and designated pitcher Tommy Hottovy for assignment.
Giants: Signed pitcher Mason Tobin to a minor league deal.
Indians: Released outfielder Thomas Neal.
Orioles: Avoided arbitration with outfielder Nolan Reimold (one year, $1 million).
Phillies: Signed pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league deal.
Yankees: Released outfielder Chris Dickerson.
In former Brewers:
- James Gentile of Beyond the Box Score has CC Sabathia's 2008 season as the 11th best ever by a player traded during the year.
- Curt Hogg of Reviewing the Brew has a post on the time Pete Vuckovich took the mound in the World Series with his fly open.
- Trevor Hoffman is involved in a dunk tank fundraiser for a heart health care program.
This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History marks the 37th anniversary of longtime outfielder Vada Pinson signing with the Brewers, the last stop of his career. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that it's also the eighth anniversary of the Brewers signing former 20 game winner Rick Helling.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to answer the phone.
Drink up.