In one of the week's noteworthy transactional moves, Joliet Slammers right-hander relief pitcher Tanner Kiest's contract was sold to the San Francisco Giants. Kiest pitched six innings for the Frontier League's Slammers in 2023 and showed dominant stuff, striking out 11 batters total and allowing just two runs. 

His strong start to 2023 continued the positive momentum he built with Joliet in 2022, pitching 49 innings for the Slammers last season and amassing a 3.19 ERA with 80 strikeouts. Don't be surprised to see Kiest's dangerous fastball make an impression on the National League West. 

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Another Major League acquisition from the independent leagues this week saw the Minnesota Twins buy the contract of Boise Hawks right-hander pitcher Matt Gabbert. 

In an official team statement, Hawks manager Gary Van Tol said of Gabbert, who opted for a spot with the club when the Boise State University program to which he was originally signed folded, "He has an incredible story to tell and it's only the beginning.

"He bet on himself and went against the grain to reach his dream. He may have paved the way for future high schools players who are looking for a different opportunity to better prepare them for the big leagues."

Gabbert spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Pioneer League's Boise club and showed plenty of promise, but his first start of the 2023 campaign was especially eye-opening. He pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 11 Idaho Falls batters. 

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Subscribe To FloBaseball To Watch More Independent Baseball Action

You can watch more standout prospects like Matt Gabbert and Tanner Kiest this week on FloBaseball and the FloSports App along with more Independent Baseball Leagues from around North America.

Independent baseball coverage lives on FloBaseball and the FloSports app this summer. FloBaseball is the official streaming provider for some of the best independent leagues in the game. Catch all the talented players by streaming the games live or catching up on replays with a FloSports subscription.

Here’s a list of transactions throughout the leagues during the last week:

Atlantic League

June 9

Staten Island Ferry Hawks 

• OF Brandon Pugh assigned to Staten Island Ferry Hawks
• SS Garrett Kueber placed on the temporarily inactive list 

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

• Traded SS Garrett Kueber to Staten Island Ferry Hawks

June 8

Frederick Baseball Club

• Released RHP Enrique Santana

Long Island Ducks

• Activated RHP Stephen Woods Jr. from the temporarily inactive list.

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

• Activated 1B Alex Crosby from the 7-day injured list.

June 7

Charleston Dirty Birds

• Signed/activated C Yovan Gonzalez.

Lexington Counter Clocks

• Placed RHP Merandy Gonzalez on the temporarily inactive list.
• Activated RHP Raymells Rosa from the 7-day injured list.

Long Island Ducks

• Placed LHP Stephen Tarpley on the 7-day injured list.

June 6

Charleston Dirty Birds

• Activated LF Dwight Smith Jr. from the temporarily inactive list.

Frederick Baseball Club

• Activated RHP David Kubiak from the temporarily inactive list.
• Charleston Dirty Birds traded LHP Jake Fisher to Frederick Baseball Club.

Gastonia Honey Hunters

• Released RHP Brian Eichhorn.
• Signed free agent LHP Sam Freeman.

High Point Rockers 

• Released RHP Sam Burton.
• Signed free agent RHP Cam Bedrosian.
• Signed free agent RHP Ryan Weiss.
• Placed RHP Neil Uskali on the temporarily inactive list.

Lancaster Barnstormers

• Signed free agent RHP Jesús Liranzo.
• Placed RHP Travis Lakins Sr. on the 7-day injured list.

Long Island Ducks

• Released RHP Chris Pike.
• Signed free agent 3B Brantley Bell.
• Activated LHP McKenzie Mills.
• Southern Maryland Blue Crabs traded LHP McKenzie Mills to Long Island Ducks for 2B Philip Caulfield and Player To Be Named Later.

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

• Activated 2B Philip Caulfield.
• Traded LHP McKenzie Mills to Long Island Ducks for 2B Philip Caulfield and Player To Be Named Later.

Staten Island Ferry Hawks

• 3B Deibinson Romero assigned
• Released RHP Austin DeCarr
• Released RHP Jonathon Crawford
• Activated RHP Blake Loubier from the temporarily inactive list.

Frontier League

June 8, 2023

EMPIRE STATE GREYS 

• Placed OF Eric Jenkins on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to June 5. 
• Signed RPH Amuary Telemaco, Jr. 

OTTAWA TITANS

• Activated RHP Augie Gallardo from the injured list. 

QUÉBEC CAPITALES

• Activated LHP Franklin Parra from the injured list. 

SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS

• Activated LHP Antonio Frias.
• Released RHP Logan Schmitt. 

TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES

• Signed RHP Kaleb Schmidt.

June 7, 2023

EVANSVILLE OTTERS

• Placed catcher Justin Felix on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to June 4.

GATEWAY GRIZZLIES

• Signed RHP Ben Krizen.

LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS

• Activated RHP Sam Curtis from the injured list.

SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS 

• Released RHP Ben Strahm.

June 6, 2023

EVANSVILLE OTTERS

• Activated INF George Cahill from the injured list.

JOLIET SLAMMERS

• Signed LHP Steven Washilewski.

LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS

• Released catcher Scott Combs and OF Ellison Hanna II. 
• Activated catcher Mike Blanke from the injured list.

NEW YORK BOULDERS

• Signed RHP Juan Alcantara.

QUÉBEC CAPITALES 

• Signed catcher Tyler Blaum and catcher Ruben Castro. 
• Released catcher Andrew Banuelos and RHP Marcos Encarnacion.

SCHAUMBURG BOOMERS

• Activated RHP Juan Pichardo and LHP Luis Perez. 
• Released RHP Matt Craven.

TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES

• Released RHP James Bradwell.

WASHINGTON WILD THINGS

• Signed LHP Robert Gonzalez.

June 5, 2023

EVANSVILLE OTTERS

• Released INF Kelvin Melean.

GATEWAY GRIZZLIES

• Released catcher Jonathan Soto.

JOLIET SLAMMERS

• Placed UT Christian Fedko on the 14-day injured list, retroactive to June 3.

OTTAWA TITANS

• Released RHP Max Steffens.

QUÉBEC CAPITALES

• Placed catcher Jordan Siket on the 14-day injured list. 
• Placed RHP Michael Brettell on the inactive list.

 WASHINGTON WILD THINGS

• Signed OF Brett Carson. 
• Released LHP Greg Loukinen.

June 4, 2023

JOLIET SLAMMERS

• Sold the contract of RHP Tanner Kiest to the San Francisco Giants.

NEW JERSEY JACKALS

• Placed UT Brelyn Jones on the inactive list. Signed RHP Chandler Benton.

TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS

• Signed OF Pat Adams.

TROIS-RIVIÈRES AIGLES

• Placed 1B Nolan Machibroda on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to June 3.
• Signed OF/RHP Jordan Schulefand.

WASHINGTON WILD THINGS

• Received RHP Hayden Shenenfield from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League to complete a previous trade. 
• Signed RHP Hayden Shenenfield. Released RHP Angel Landazuri. 
• Placed LHP Kobe Foster on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to June 1.

June 3, 2023

FLORENCE Y'ALLS

• Released 1B Logan Mathieu.

NEW YORK BOULDERS

• Signed RHP Rony Baez. 
• Released RHP Caden Lemons. 
• Placed LHP Ryan Munoz on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to June 2. 

OTTAWA TITANS

•  Signed LHP Kenny Williams. 
• Released RHP Nelson Gonzalez. 
• Activated INF Jackie Urbaez from the injured list. 
• Placed RHP Brooks Walton on the 7-day injured list.

QUÉBEC CAPITALES

• Activated RHP Abdiel Saldana.

Pioneer League

June 8

Grand Junction Jackalopes 

• Released Trevor McGee 
• Released Roberto Baldenebro 
• Signed Connor White to their active roster 
• Signed Calvin Marley to their active roster 

Rocky Mountain Vibes 

• Released Caleb Sloan 
• Signed Rafael Kelly to their active roster

June 7

Idaho Falls Chukars 

• Placed Joe Slocum on the Ineligible List (Injury 10 days) 
• Reinstated Robb Paller to their active roster 

Ogden Raptors 

• Traded Tim Bouchard to the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League in exchange for a player to be named later 
• Reinstated Coleton Horner to their active roster

June 6

Billings Mustangs 

• Placed Jared Fry on the Ineligible List (Injury 10 days) 
• Signed Lance Logsdon to their active roster 
• Released Myles Miller Signed Antonio Fernandez to their active roster 

Grand Junction Jackalopes 

• Released Aldo Buendia Released Kevin Saenz 
• Released Andrew Brautman 
• Signed Ethan Smith to their active roster 
• Signed Garrett Sheffield to their active roster 
• Signed Justin Kleinsorge to their active roster 

Northern Colorado Owlz 

• Reinstated Carter Linton to their active roster 
• Released Jon Hodo Ogden Raptors 
• Released Trevor Rogers 
• Signed Quinn Waterhouse to their active roster 

Rocky Mountain Vibes 

• Reinstated Jacob Barfield to their active roster 
• Reinstated Ethan Lopez to their active roster 
• Placed Brandon Trammell on the Ineligible List (Injury 10 days) 
• Released Adam Moraga
• Released Nathan Draves 
• Signed Thomas Jeffries to their active roster 
• Signed Chris Macca to their active roster 
• Signed Gaylan Young to their active roster.

June 5

Boise Hawks 

• Placed Matthew Sox on the Ineligible List (Injury 10 days) 
• Signed Casey Dykstra to their 2023 roster 

Missoula Paddleheads 

• Acquired Dondrei Hubbard from the Kane County Cougars of the American Association in exchange for future considerations 
• Released Austen Seidel

June 4

Missoula Paddleheads 

• Reinstated Jayson Newman-Dodd to their active roster 
• Placed Austin Bernard on the Ineligible List

June 3

Boise Hawks 

• Sold the contract of Matt Gabbert to the Minnesota Twins 
• Reinstated Kevin Pindell to their active roster 

Glacier Range Riders 

• Reinstated Austin Bates to their active roster 
• Signed Connor Housley to their active roster 
• Placed Luke Dawson on the Ineligible List (Injury 10 days) 

Great Falls Voyagers 

• Signed Anthony Herron to their active roster 

Missoula Paddleheads 

• Placed Jayson Newman-Dodd on the Ineligible List 

Rocky Mountain Vibes 

• Placed Jacob Barfield on the Ineligible List 
• Placed Edmond Americaan on the Ineligible List (Injury 10 days)

How To Watch Independent Baseball In 2023

Atlantic, Frontier, Pioneer and the Coastal Summer Plain League, as well as the Florida Collegiate Summer League, are all streaming on FloBaseball and the FloSports app. Replays, highlights and more news can be found on the site. 

Independent Baseball Schedule

Checkout the schedule on FloBaseball to see where your favorite teams in the Atlantic, Pioneer, Frontier, Pioneer, Coastal Summer Plain and the Florida Collegiate leagues are playing.