Former Montreal Expo Michael Barrett moves up to Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

Earlier this month, I mentioned on Twitter how Michael Barrett was signed to a minor league contract by the New York Mets. In the article linked from the Twitter post, it said how we was expected to move up to Triple-A Buffalo after a few weeks. Well now he has.

He played 15 games for the High-A Mets affiliate, St. Lucie Mets. In those 15 games, he batted .220, in 50 AB. His OBP was .278.

In two games for the Buffalo Bisons, he is so far 0 for 6.

Presently catching for the Mets is Henry Blanco and Josh Thole. Rod Barajas is on the 15 day DL with a strained left oblique. Omir Santos who is on the Mets 40 man roster despite playing currently with the Double-A Binghampton Mets. He has not played for the Mets since last year. With all that in mind, perhaps Michael will be back in the Bigs in the near future.

I met him in the off season, at a sports journalism panel, so it would be nice to see him playing for the big club.


A few days ago, former Expos closer, Chad Cordero signed a minor league contract with the Mets, on July 22. He was re-signed by the Mariners late last year (December 28). So to this point in 2010, he played in 17 games for the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners Triple-A affiliate), and moved up to the big club June 3 (Contract purchased from Tacoma (AAA)).

Chad Cordero played nine games with Seattle, his first in the Bigs since being with Washington in 2008. July 15, he "refused option to Tacoma (AAA) and became a free agent". Hence now signing with the Mets, and has been assigned to the Buffalo Bisons. So a couple of former Expos team mates will probably form a battery shortly with the Bisons. He is still playing out of the bullpen.


Speaking of former Expos, Valentino Pascucci is also currently with the Buffalo Bisons (on the 7-day DL at the moment). He only played 32 games with Montreal, starting 17 (2 at 1B, and 15 in OF). He not not played in the majors since.

In January 2009, he signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers (61 GP with the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes, batting .211), then in June 2009, a minor league deal with the Padres (65 GP with the AAA Portland Beavers batting .277), and finally in February of this year a minor league deal with the Mets, so far appearing in 46 games, batting .238. He has been playing the outfield. Primarily in right it would seem.

Minor League (Triple A) affiliation changes for 2009

This was a post I have been meaning to write for a little while ago. I'd probably write more about the minors if I knew more! Anyway, there are a few changes worth noting. I'll start with Triple A.

The Syracuse Chiefs are now the Triple A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Their triple A club prior was the Columbus Clippers for 2007 and 2008. The Jays end their long 31 year affiliation with them, and now have the Las Vegas 51s. I mentioned this in a past post. That won't be too convenient unless the Jays are playing on the West Coast. The 51s were the Dodgers affiliate from 2001 - 2008.

The Dodgers now have the Albuquerque Isotopes (named after the Simpsons episode where the Springfield Isotopes were supposed to move to Albuquerque). They were the Marlins affiliate before that, from 2003 - 2008. Said Simpsons (Hungry, Hungry Homer) episode aired March 4, 2001. At that point the Albuquerque Isotopes were still the Calgary Cannons. On another note, Canada should have more minor league ball, not to mention major league ball (*cough*Montreal*cough*), maybe the World Baseball Classic will help bring more ball back to Canada, as that is the goal of the tourney, or one of. That and when Selig leaves, but this all deserves a post of its own.

So the Marlins have a better affiliate now geographically, the New Orleans Zephyrs. They were affiliated with the Mets for 2007 and 2008, Nationals for 2005 and 2006, and the Astros from 1997 - 2004 (to go a little ways back). They were the first professional team to return after Hurricane Katrina (from Wikipedia). I actually helped with that Wikipedia article around that time! Anyway...

The Mets now have the Buffalo Bisons as their Triple A squadron. It was a possibility that the Jays would get Buffalo, but I suppose that obviously did not work out, or happen. They were the Indians affiliate from 1995 - 2008. So now the Indians have the Columbus Clippers.

I think that covers it. I will end this post now, and cover more affiliation changes soon. I had a lot of help from this article, Baseball affiliation changes don’t follow the script, and accompanying graphic!

Tim Wallach named Albuquerque Isotopes new manager

Montreal Expos veteran, Tim Wallach has been named the new manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes. This is the first year the Isotopes are the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate, as they had the Las Vegas 51s prior (as I mentioned in a previous post). The Isotopes were the Marlins Triple-A team from 2003 to 2008.

Wallach spent 13 seasons with the Expos, before moving onto the Dodgers, California Angels, and ending his career with the Dodgers. He was a three time gold glover at third, and a two time silver slugger.

After retiring in 1996, he was named hitting instructor for the then Class A (high level) Dodgers affiliate, San Bernardino Stampede, in 1997 (They are once again a Dodgers affiliate, now called the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino since 2003. They were a Mariners affiliate from 2001 to 2006.). He then stepped in as manager for the second half of the 1998 season. In 2000 he coached at Cal State-Fullerton. In 2001 he took over as manager for the Class A advanced Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. They have been an Angels affiliate since then.