2005 Brewers Preview, Part I

Important Off-season Dates:

Feb. 19: Voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players
Feb. 24: Voluntary reporting date for all other players
Mar. 2: Mandatory reporting date
Mar. 2-11: Teams may renew contracts of unsigned players
Mar. 16: Last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days
Mar. 30: Last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2005 salary
Apr. 4: Opening day! Active rosters reduced to 25 players

Off-season Transactions:
10/26: Signed 3B Matt Erickson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
11/8: Signed C Mark Johnson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
11/17: Signed C Pat Borders to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
11/17: Added SS J.J. Hardy, OF Brad Nelson, RHPs Mike Jones and Luis Pena, and LHP Jeff Housman to the 40-man roster
11/28: Signed C Damian Miller to a 3-year Major League contract
11/29: Designated OF Chris Magruder for assignment
12/1: Signed LHP Rigo Beltran to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
12/6: OF Chris Magruder accepted assignment to AAA Nashville and was invited to spring training
12/6: Signed IF Trent Durrington to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
12/7: Lost RHP Pedro Liriano on waivers to the Philadelphia Phillies
12/8: Resigned C Chad Moeller to a 1-year Major League contract
12/11: Traded RHP Dan L. Kolb to the Atlanta Braves for RHP Jose Capellan and a PTBNL (non-roster RHP Alec Zumwalt)
12/13: Selected RHP Marcos Carvajal in the Major League Rule 5 Draft and sold his contract to the Colorado Rockies
12/13: Traded CF Scott Podsednik, RHP Jose Vizcaino and a PTBNL to the Chicago White Sox for LF Carlos Lee
12/15: Traded IF Keith Ginter to the Oakland Athletics for RHP Justin Lehr and OF Nelson Cruz
12/15: Signed LHP Tommy Phelps to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
12/16: Resigned 3B Russ Branyan to a 1-year Major League contract
12/16: Signed IF Kevin Orie to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
12/20: Did not offer a contract to RHP Chris Saenz, making him a free agent
12/21: Signed RHP Julio Santana to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
1/3: Signed RHP Chad Paranto to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
1/7: Signed RHP Jerome Gamble to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
1/10: Sent 1B Travis Hinton to the Chicago White Sox as the Player to be Named in the Carlos Lee trade.
1/11: Resigned Chris Saenz to a 1 year deal and with an invitation to spring training
1/11: Signed IF Steve Scarborough to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
1/12: Signed C Julio Mosquera to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
1/13: Released LHP Matt Ford, making him a free agent
1/13: Resigned LHP Matt Ford to a 1 year, minor league contract
1/13: Signed RHP Rick Helling to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training
1/17: Signed RHP Ricky Bottalico to a 1 year contract
1/19: Signed RHP Brooks Kieschnick to a 1 year deal, avoiding
salary arbitration 1/27: Signed OF Brady Clark to a 1 year deal, avoiding salary arbitration
2/4: Signed IF Jeff Cirillo to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training
2/4: Signed 2B Junior Spivey to a 1 year deal, avoiding salary arbitration

Arbitration Results
Russell Branyan, 3B (2004 salary, $300,000): New contract, $800,000 for 1 year
Brady Clark, OF (2004 salary, $376,000): New contract; $1,150,000 for 1 year
Brooks Kieschnick, RP (2004 salary, $380,000): New contract, $550,000 for 1 year
Chad Moeller, C (2004 salary, $370,000): New contract, $700,000 for 1 year
Ben Sheets, SP (2004 salary, $2,425,000):
Junior Spivey, 2B (2004 salary, $2,400,000): New contract, $2,125,000 for 1 year

Players Invited to Big League Camp

Pitchers (29):
Mike Adams, RHP (40-man)
Rigo Beltran, LHP (NRI)
Jeff Bennett, RHP (40-man)
Ricky Bottalico, RHP (40-man)
Jose Capellan, RHP (40-man)
Chris Capuano, LHP (40-man)
Doug Davis, LHP (40-man)
Jorge de la Rosa, LHP (40-man)
Ben Diggins, RHP (40-man)
Jerome Gamble, RHP (NRI)
Gary Glover, RHP (40-man)
Rick Helling, RHP (NRI)
Ben Hendrickson, RHP (40-man)
Jeff Housman, LHP (40-man)
Mike Jones, RHP (40-man/injured)
Brooks Kieschnick, RHP (40-man)
Justin Lehr, RHP (40-man)
Sam Narron, LHP (40-man)
Wes Obermueller, RHP (40-man)
Chad Paranto, RHP (NRI)
Luis Pena, RHP (40-man)
Tommy Phelps, LHP (NRI)
Andy Pratt, LHP (40-man)
Julio Santana, RHP (NRI)
Victor Santos, RHP (40-man)
Dennis Sarfate, RHP (40-man)
Ben Sheets, RHP (40-man)
Derrick Turnbow, RHP (40-man)
Matt Wise, RHP (40-man)

Infielders (18):
Russ Branyan, 3B (40-man)
Jeff Cirillo, IF (NRI)
Enrique Cruz, SS (NRI)
Trent Durrington, IF (NRI)
Matt Erickson, 3B (NRI)
Prince Fielder, 1B (NRI)
Bill Hall, SS (40-man)
J.J. Hardy, SS (40-man)
Wes Helms, 3B (40-man)
Mark Johnson, C (NRI)
Damian Miller, C (40-man)
Chad Moeller, C (40-man)
Julio Mosquera, C (NRI)
Kevin Orie, IF (NRI)
Lyle Overbay, 1B (40-man)
Pat Borders, C (NRI)
Junior Spivey, 2B (40-man)
Rickie Weeks, 2B (40-man)

Outfielders (8):
Brady Clark, CF (40-man)
Nelson Cruz, RF (40-man)
Corey Hart, RF (40-man)
Geoff Jenkins, RF (40-man)
Dave Krynzel, CF (40-man)
Carlos Lee, LF (40-man)
Chris Magruder, RF (NRI)
Brad Nelson, LF (40-man)