New Faces Hoping to Catch on with Brewers This Spring

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Photo: Josh VanMeter - Instagram

Josh VanMeter

Josh VanMeter

Brewers pitchers and catchers aren’t required to report to Maryvale Baseball Park for another couple of weeks, but many players will be there early, if they aren’t already there now. For players that are new to the organization getting to camp early can provide an opportunity to get comfortable in a new space, start the relationship with a new coaching staff off on the right foot and get some extra reps in before the start of Cactus League games that might be their best chance to prove themselves.

So far this spring the Brewers have 18 players expected to be in camp as non-roster invitees, players signed to minor league contracts who have been invited to major league spring training to help fill out rosters, get some experience at this level or, in many cases, compete for roles on the big-league club. The Brewers may add more players to the list in the weeks ahead, but as of Monday morning the group included ten pitchers, two catchers, three infielders and three outfielders. 

Here are a few of the non-roster invitees that are new to the organization this spring and might play a big role in the Cactus League, if not beyond:

 Infielder Josh VanMeter

One of the most experienced infielders in camp this spring is coming to camp to compete for a job. VanMeter, who turns 28 in March, has 300 games of MLB experience across four years with the Reds, Diamondbacks and Pirates. He was the Diamondbacks’ primary second baseman two seasons ago but has seen significant time in the majors at first base, third base and left field in addition to his work at second.

VanMeter was pretty good in his rookie season with the Reds in 2019, playing primarily in the outfield and batting .237 with a .327 on-base and .408 slugging in 96 games. He hasn’t been able to match that success in three seasons since, however, and hit just .187/.266/.292 across the same three categories in 67 games for Pittsburgh last year. Nine of those 67 games came against the Brewers, including one in April where he hit this home run off Corbin Burnes.

VanMeter won’t be high on the depth chart at any of his multiple positions when he comes to spring training but his versatility and veteran status may nonetheless get him lots of opportunities to get into Cactus League games, and if he performs and/or others struggle he may find his way onto the roster at some point.

Pitcher Thomas Pannone

He’s still only 28 years old but Pannone, a left-hander with experience starting and relieving, has already been on quite the baseball journey. He was 24, entering his sixth pro season and coming up on the cusp of the big leagues when he was suspended for the first half of the 2018 season for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. He nonetheless made his MLB debut later that year and pitched in 49 games across two seasons for Toronto, posting a 5.43 ERA and striking out 98 across 116 MLB innings.

The Blue Jays released Pannone in 2020 and since then he’s been in AAA with the Angels and Red Sox, who eventually released him to pursue opportunities internationally. That’s where his story gets interesting: Pannone signed with Korea’s Kia Tigers, where he posted a 2.72 ERA in 14 starts down the stretch. 

Pannone has never been a high strikeout guy and as of 2019 his fastball velocity was a little below average for an MLB regular at about 90 miles per hour. He is left-handed, however, which might get him some additional opportunities, and there’s a non-zero chance that he found something in Korea that will translate to success against MLB hitters.

Pannone won’t be the only pitcher in camp attempting to return to the US after pitching in Asia, however: Former Padres, Red Sox, Cubs and Mets pitcher Robert Stock will also be in camp as an NRI after spending last season pitching for Korea’s Doosan Bears, and former Mariners and White Sox reliever Thyago Vieira is in the same situation after spending three seasons with Japan’s Yomiuri Giants. 

Pitcher Alex Claudio

One of the pitchers with a new locker in the Brewers’ clubhouse in Maryvale is nonetheless a familiar face: Claudio pitched for the Brewers in 2019 and 2020 and tied a franchise record by pitching in 83 games in his first season with Milwaukee, matching a mark that had stood largely unchallenged since 1971.

Claudio is a lefty specialist, however, and MLB rule changes over his career have changed his fortunes a bit. In 2019 Claudio faced one or two batters in 29 of his 83 outings, and since then baseball has implemented a rule requiring relievers to either face a minimum of three batters or complete an inning before being removed from the game. This makes it harder to strategically use a pitcher like Claudio, who is not as effective against righties. Since leaving the Brewers Claudio has pitched in 41 games for the 2021 Angels with a 5.51 ERA and spent most of 2022 in AAA with the Mets, returning to the majors for just three appearances.

Claudio pitched in winter ball for Caguas in Puerto Rico, however, and logged a 2.38 ERA in 11 1/3 innings across 12 appearances there. He turns 31 this week so it’s not too late for him to make another run at the majors, but his path is more difficult than it used to be. One thing in his favor (and Pannone’s, Stock’s and Vieira’s, for that matter) is the fact that the Brewers are not shy at all about mixing and matching pieces in their bullpen, so if they’re successful this spring or at AAA Nashville there’s a good chance they’ll get a shot at some point.