Milwaukee Brewers Outright Brooks Hall to AAA

Last week, the Milwaukee Brewers reportedly agreed to re-sign last year’s closer Francisco Rodriguez to a two year contract, the fifth time that K-Rod will be returning to Milwaukee. After testing the free agent market this offseason, the Rodriguez returned to a team with which he is very familiar and enjoys pitching for, though the deal has yet to be officially announced. In anticipation of the signing, the Brewers made a move today to clear room for Rodriguez, announcing they have outrighted 24 year old Brooks Hall off the 40 man roster.

The righty throwing Hall was drafted by the Brewers in the fourth round in 2009 out of high school in South Carolina. He has pitched at AA for most of the last two seasons, though he only managed five starts and 26.0 innings last year while dealing with bone spurs in his right elbow. Hall has posted a 3.63 ERA in 22 games (18 starts) at the AA level, covering 86.2 innings. Brooks has posted a lifetime 241/124 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 360.1 minor league innings, giving up only 0.7 home runs per nine innings. Despite his injury struggles, Hall was added to the 40 man roster during this past offseason.

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Despite finding himself off the 40 man roster, Hall will remain in big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Brewers’ Assistant GM Gord Ash says that Hall is still part of the team’s future plans.

"“This was strategically calculated, because [Hall] has not pitched that much, he’s been injured on and off. We hoped we could sneak him through, and that’s exactly what was able to happen.”"

With the move, the Brewers 40 man roster currently sits at 39, with K-Rod not expected to report to camp until next week while he waits on his work visa.

It seems likely that Hall could be ticketed for a return to AA, given that he has only pitched a limited amount of innings at that level. Biloxi figures to be the most talented of any of the Brewers’ farm teams this year, and if Brooks Hall can continue the success he experienced before getting hurt last year, he could easily earn himself a promotion to AAA and find himself back in the 40 man roster mix.