Transactions Notes: 5/5/11 - 5/11/11

This was a pretty slow week for transactions within the organization. We saw the second and third days with no transactions in the entire system since opening day, back to back no less. The Rockies are finally getting into their longer term mindset for where they want their players for the first half of the season, with obvious constraints around who is healthy. There is just over a month until play begins in Tri-City and Casper.

5/5/11

A+
- Will Harris assigned to Modesto Nuts from Extended Spring Training.
- Chad Rose placed on the 7 Day Disabled List.

An exchange of relievers at Modesto. Rose had struggled through his 9 appearances with the team this year. Harris is an interesting player to take a look at; he pitched just short of 63 innings for Modesto back in 2008. Since then, he pitched one inning for the Dust Devils in 2009 and missed all of 2010 with injury. Three years since he was a regular reliever for the Nuts, he's back again. In three and a third innings pitched since returning to active play, he's accumulated 7 strikeouts.

A
- Chandler Laurent assigned to Asheville Tourists.
- Tyler Massey assigned to Extended Spring Training.

Laurent spent a short time with Modesto last year, but this is the 2009 draftee's first chance at regular play with a full season team, and in a very small sample of three appearances since joining the Tourists, he's been effective. Massey is an unusual case in the organization. Drafted in the 14th round of the 2008 draft, Massey as considered potential top-draft material for some time before he slid down several rounds. He had the potential to be a steal pick, but most of Massey's pro career has consisted of him going in circles. This is the third straight season he's started the year at Asheville.

While there are many players in the system struggling more than Massey has so far in this young season, most have made more progress than he has over the past few years, and Massey, who hasn't hit above .220 with Asheville, was off to a .238 start in 13 games. There has to be growing concern that he needs some serious coaching attention, which is likely why this particular move was made. When EST finishes, we could see Massey back with the Tourists.

Check after the jump for the rest of the week in organizational transactions.

5/6/11

AAA
- Eliezer Alfonzo assigned to Colorado Springs Sky Sox from Extended Spring Training.
- Josh Muecke assigned to Colorado Springs Sky Sox from the Temporarily Inactive List.
- Jordan Pacheco placed on the Temporarily Inactive List.
- Clayton Mortensen placed on the Reserve List.

The plan was to call up Clay Mortensen to make the next day's start, but the move ended up not happening until one day later. The Sky Sox had activated Josh Muecke nonetheless, so Mortensen was placed onto the reserve list where he could wait for his callup and not take up a full roster spot (MiLB transactions sure are a lot more forgiving than MLB ones, aren't they?)

Pacheco wasn't doing terribly with the Sky Sox, but he wasn't exactly standing out either. This is the least offensive production we've seen from Pacheco since his non-roster invite of 2010, which isn't what you want to see in such an offense driven league. That said, the move to the TIL could be entirely unrelated to his performance, and just be related to rest, minor injury or another reason altogether, but as of the posting of this article, he has not returned to play. Alfonzo, who has spent limited time on MLB rosters for the last five years (Giants '06-'08, Padres '09, Mariners '10), is backing up Matt Pagnozzi at AAA for now.

5/7/11

MLB
- Clayton Mortensen recalled from Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
- Esmil Rogers placed on the 15 Day Disabled List.

So here we have the belated roster move. Rogers' projected time on the disabled list is still unknown at this point (though the tests seem to indicate that the soreness is nothing more than a mild strain), but he will regardless be eligible to be reactivated on this Tuesday, May 17th at the earliest, since the placement was retroactive to May 2nd.

Mortensen had been optioned down to AAA nine days previous, but because he was replacing a player headed to the disabled list, he was allowed to circumvent the mandatory 10 days on optional assignment. As I explained when Mortensen was optioned back down last time, all of his further optional assignments and recalls this year are golden as he has already spent more than enough time on assignment this season to burn his final official option year, but he will be eligible for a bonus one in 2012.

AAA
- Claudio Vargas activated from the 7 Day Disabled List.
- Andrew Johnston placed on the 7 Day Disabled List.

The revolving door of pitchers at AAA continues. Johnston, who entered his second season this year penciled in as the Sky Sox closer, was having horrendous issues with being outright hittable (23 hits given up over ten and two thirds innings pitched). Non-roster invitee Claudio Vargas, who had injured himself midway through Spring Training, was kept in the organization and allowed to spend time rehabbing with the organization. He is now, for the time being, working back to form as a member of the AAA rotation, which is still in a seemingly constant state of flux. No other moves had to be made regarding Mortensen's callup, as Muecke already replaced him on the roster the day before.

A
- Taylor Reid activated from the 7 Day Disabled List.
- Craig Bennigson placed on 7 Day Disabled List.

Once again, we have an Asheville transaction that wasn't fully reported. Since Reid was activated, the opnly Tourists player that hasn't made it into a game was Craig Bennigson, implying that he is most likely the corresponding move, but I won't know where he went until I check Matt Eddy's blog at the very earliest. I'll update the post when I know.

Update: Bennigson was placed on the 7 Day Disabled List.

This is just a simple swap of relievers again. Reid was projected as an opening day member of the Tourists pen, but had to begin the season on the DL.

5/8/11

AAA
- Andy Graham activated from the 7 Day Disabled List.
- John Maine placed on the 7 Day Disabled List.

Maine is just three weeks away from being able to opt out of his contract with us, and with a move to the DL, in addition to the way he's pitched thus far, it's looking pretty unlikely Maine sees a Rockies uniform by then barring the most absolute of disasters. Maine probably doesn't have an MLB shot anywhere else, so that decision will really come down to whether or not he wants to stay here in particular, or look for another organization where he has a quicker path of ascent. Graham had spent a decent amount of time on the DL, but was activated here and thus continued the length of the absurdly large Sky Sox pen, which still consists of nine pitchers.

5/9/11

No transactions!

5/10/11

No transactions! Amazing!

5/11/11

AAA
- Ty Wigginton assigned to Colorado Springs Sky Sox, on rehab assignment.

Though AAA's game was rained out along with the Rockies yesterday, Wigginton officially joined the Sky Sox roster. Players on rehab from the MLB don't count towards roster limits, so no corresponding move had to be made. Wigginton is eligible to be activated from the DL today, but the move is expected to occur on Saturday, assuming he can play through the weather. The plans may have to change should AAA's next games be postponed.

AA
- Michael Mitchell activated from the 7 Day Disabled List and assigned to Tulsa Drillers.
- Mike Daniel released.

Daniel was a minor league depth piece signed in the offseason out of the Braves organization (though he spent most of his pro career with the Nationals, where he was a 7th round pick in the 2005 draft). He got off to a hot start with the Drillers, but had since tapered off, and it is clear with his release that he was only ever viewed as a placeholder for other players.

Unlike some of the other players that have been on the MiLB disabled lists this year so far, Mitchell was not assigned to a team while rehabbing, and was instead presumably in Extended Spring Training, which is why his being assigned to AA Tulsa is mentioned in the transaction report on top. This is Mitchell's first year starting his season with the Drillers, though he still spent most of 2010 at AA after beginning the year with Modesto.

And that's all, folks! See you next week.