Transactions Notes 5/26 - 6/1, 2011

Bit of a busy and complex week to cover here. Let's get on it.

5/26/11

MLB:
- Felipe Paulino traded to Kansas City Royals for cash.

Paulino had been designated for assignment the previous week. He has been stretched out in his brief time with the Royals and can return to starting.

AAA:
- Josh Fields placed on Temporarily Inactive List.
- Ian Stewart placed on 7 Day Disabled List.
- Mike Paulk activated from 7 Day Disabled List.
- Radames Nazario assigned to AAA Colorado Springs.

Stewart hits the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. Meanwhile, Fields is sent onto the inactive list. He would be activated near the end of this transactions period. There was some confusion regarding this move as some people reported that Fields had been claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers. It should have immediately raises suspicions that Fields was not even on our 40 Man Roster, making a waiver claim impossible. I am presuming that somebody got Fields and Josh Wilson, who actually was claimed off waivers by the Brewers, confused.

Paulk was activated from his second stint on the disabled list with the Sky Sox this year (it would not be his last, see below). In between injuries, Paulk has performed well, but he has been unable to stay healthy and as a result has been unable to hold down a spot on a regularly changing AAA roster. Nazario's assignment marks his first pro play in 2011. He spent most of 2010 with the AA Drillers with a bit of time in A+ Modesto.

A+:
- Nick Schnaitmann placed on Temporarily Inactive List.
- Parker Frazier activated from 7 Day Disabled List.

Schnaitmann continued to struggle with the Nuts since being activated once earlier in the season. Frazier had been hit by a line drive a couple of weeks previous, but ended up only missing one start due to the injury. Schnaitmann would return to the Nuts for a third chance later in the week.

See the rest of the week after the jump.

A:
- Joshua Mueller unassigned?
- Erik Stavert reassigned?

You'll notice the vagueness there. Regarding Asheville's always difficult transactions, it has been even more difficult than usual to keep track of their transactions since the promotion of Peter Tago last week. The team had already seen Ricardo Ferrer (upon the activation of Josh Slaats) and Craig Bennigson (upon the activation of Albert Campos) sent away to Extended Spring Training. After reviewing the game logs for the Tourists since Tago joined the team, as well as consulted Matt Eddy's Baseball America blog, I came to the conclusion that Asheville starter Erik Stavert had been sent to Extended Spring Training, as he was the only Asheville player not to play during that period, and there was no report of Stavert being placed on any list (DL, TIL, etc.)

RockiesRoster got a surprise when an Asheville Tourist himself, reliever Brad McAtee, tweeted that Stavert was still with the team and would be starting this very night.. McAtee was unable to identify another player leaving the roster for Tago, which firstly confirmed that Stavert was not, in fact, sent to EST, and secondly suggested that Asheville was not making any permanent reassignments yet, meaning the team was carrying 26 players and would be shuffling the 25th spot between some of them. Nevertheless, a roster move had to be made to make room for Tago, and since Stavert's spot in the rotation was pushed back to here, I am continuing to assume it was him. My guess is that Stavert was placed on the inactive list and the move just wasn't picked up on by Eddy or anyone else, but that is merely speculation, hence the vagueness of the report above. Regardless, Stavert started this game, and was therefore activated from wherever he was.

This time Mueller is the only player that has yet to play since this transaction took place. Once again I can't confirm the destination as of now, but unlike last time, I'm not jumping to the conclusion that it was a reassignment to EST.

 

5/27/11

MLB:
- Jose Lopez designated for assignment.
- Eric Young Jr. recalled from AAA Colorado Springs.

The departure of Lopez from the 40 Man Roster would leave three spots empty, after the previous departures of Franklin Morales and Felipe Paulino. Though Lopez had improved offensively over the past couple of weeks, the team was willing to let him go in favor of an effective Young Jr. at AAA. This is Young Jr's first time with the Rockies this season. As of the writing of this article, Lopez is still in DFA limbo, presumably because the Rockies are trying to work out a trade. Lopez has enough service time to reject a minor league assignment, and is likely to be released if no trade opportunity is uncovered, leading to the Rockies eating most of his remaining salary.The Rockies have until Saturday 6/4 to work our Lopez' fate.

AAA:
- Cole Garner activated from 7 Day Disabled List.

Replacing Young on the Sky Sox roster was Garner, who missed nearly a month on the DL.

 

5/28/11

MLB:
- Bruce Billings optioned to AAA Colorado Springs and placed on the Reserve List.
- Juan Nicasio recalled from AA Tulsa.

Billings saw one appearance in his three days with the Rockies. As has been the case in several instances this season, Billings was placed on the Reserve List to wait for a roster spot to open (AAA had already planned and executed other moves for the day). Billings returns to his first optional assignment, which had already become official. This is Nicasio's first time with the MLB club. They're going to give him a try in the rotation with a second start.

AAA:
- Aaron Cook assigned to AAA Colorado Springs on rehab assignment.
- Joey Williamson assigned to AA Tulsa.
- Brad Emaus activated from 7 Day Disabled List.

After three rehab starts with the Drillers, Cook was promoted to AAA to make another. The plan was to activate him this weekend, but he will now be making one more rehab start instead. As usual, because this is a rehab assignment, no corresponding move was necessary.

Emaus was on the disabled list for eleven days with a left oblique strain. The Sky Sox were still carrying a surplus of pitchers at this point, so they chose to return Williamson to AA as the corresponding move, convenient because the Drillers already had a roster spot open with the promotion of Nicasio. Williamson had been promoted to eat innings for the Sky Sox with Billings having been promoted, but with him on his way back, there was no longer any need for Williamson. He made one AAA appearance.

 

5/29/11

MLB:
- Alfredo Amezaga designated for assignment.
- Chris Nelson recalled from AAA Colorado Springs

With Amezaga being removed from the 40 man Roster, it now sits with four open spots. Like Lopez, Amezaga was replaced by a versatile AAA infielder that was seen to be more valuable on the roster during this period of offensive struggles. Also like Lopez, Amezaga can refuse MiLB assignment should he so choose, but a player like Amezaga is more likely to accept assignment to the minors. Amezaga is in the process of moving through waivers right now, and his fate is due by Tuesday 6/7. Nelson is most likely to see time at third base behind Ty Wigginton, but also some at second behind Jonathan Herrera and Eric Young Jr.

AAA:
- Andy Graham placed on Temporarily Inactive List.
- Bruce Billings activated from the Reserve List.
- John Maine activated from 7 Day Disabled List.

Graham had been starting games for the Sky Sox while the rotation was one short. With the activation of Maine and Billings, both the rotation and pen were full. It's tricky to tell how long Graham will remain inactive without a clear spot evident, of particular note because Maine did not choose to opt out of his contract immediately on June 1st. Keep in mind that Nelson's promotion allowed for the second move to be made.

 

5/30/11

A+:
- Mike Zuanich placed on 7 Day Disabled List.
- Eliezer Mesa activated from 7 Day Disabled List.

Zuanich's placement on the disabled list is due to a "right hand injury". I have yet to find any specifics. Mesa had been on the disabled list since April 16th.

 

5/31/11

No organizational transactions.

 

6/1/11

AAA:
- Mike Paulk placed on 7 Day Disabled List.
- Josh Fields activated from the Temporarily Inactive List.

Paulk's third DL stint of the season, listed as lower back stiffness. The same two players had switched roster spots earlier in the week.

A+
- Tyler Matzek assigned to A Asheville.
- Nick Schnaitmann assigned to A+ Modesto.

Schnaitmann's second inactive list stint did not last long. After ten discouraging starts with little progress shown, the organization bit the bullet and chose to return top prospect Tyler Matzek to Asheville where he spent his pro time in 2010. Certainly hope he can regain confidence there.

A:
- Corresponding move for Matzek.

Again not reported, and too early to tell who it is by narrowing down who is playing. I'll mention it when I have a better idea.

A-:
- Ricardo Ferrer assigned to A- Tri-City.

I'm uncertain if Ferrer was added to the Dust Devils roster on the day or if it happened when he was first sent to EST from Asheville and this was just reported very late.