This Week in Brewers Transactions (9/30–10/4)

It’s been just four business days since the Milwaukee Brewers played their final game of the 2013 Major League Baseball regular season. A number of transactions — both at the 40-man roster level and elsewhere in the organization — have happened so far this week, so here’s a full “recappening” to make sure you’re up to speed.

I include my tweets about the bullet items to illustrate that the best way to get this information quickly is to just follow me on Twitter (@BrewerNation).

During the week of September 12–18:

• RHP Arcenio Leon was signed to a 2014 MiLB contract (but it would be announced officially by the team finally on 10/1).

Tuesday, October 1

• RHP Austin Blaski (21st round draft pick in 2012) retired from professional baseball. Blaski was a 2013 All-Star for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers before an arm injury cost him the rest of his season. He had surgery and retired, no doubt, as a result.
• The Brewers announced the minor league resigning of several players to 2014 contracts
• The aforementioned Arcenio Leon.
• C/3B Robinzon Diaz
• SS Hector Gomez
• INF Eugenio Velez
• OF Eric Patterson was released.

Wednesday, October 2

• LHP Chris Narveson elected minor league free agency
• C/1B Blake Lalli (who was DFA’d more than two weeks prior) elected minor league free agency
• RHP Dylan Brock (34th round draft pick in 2013) was suspended 50 games for violating the MiLB drug policy.

Thursday, October 3

• 1B Mat Gamel was lost on waivers to the Chicago Cubs. Gamel was waived to open up a spot on the swollen 40-man roster. (The Brewers have until five days after the World Series to reinstate any players not currently counted against that roster due to 60-day DL designation, suspension, etc.)
• INF Taylor Green was reinstated from the 60-day Disabled List.
• Green, OF Josh Prince, and RHP Nick Bucci were outrighted to Triple-A Nashville.

Friday, October 4

• (THIS SPACE WILL BE UPDATED WITH ANY TRANSACTIONS SHOULD THEY OCCUR ON FRIDAY)

A couple of notes about the transactions this week:

• The removal of Prince and Bucci from the 40-man roster opens two spots on it. It currently stands at 38.
• The Brewers have at minimum two players to add back in Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun.
• Two spots should open when Michael Gonzalez and Yuniesky Betancourt declare free agency following the World Series.
• There will be some names requiring protection from the Rule V Draft that will be added as the weeks progress as well.
• Nick Bucci’s removal from the 40-man roster shouldn’t come as a big surprise. He was only added after last season following a breakout campaign. A shoulder injury cost him almost the entirety of 2013 (he got into one game and recorded two outs) and position him for a good amount of work. It’s significant that he was outrighted to Nashville despite never having pitched above High-A. That means that though he will be exposed to the Rule V Draft in December, any team selecting him would need to add him to their MLB roster and keep him there the entire 2014 season. That’s quite frankly unlikely to happen.