Brewers extend invitations to Spring Training

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers extended the first invitations to 2016 Spring Training on Friday after signing catcher Rene Garcia, infielder Hernan Perez and right-hander Hiram Burgos to Minor League contracts that included big league camp invites.

The agreements with Perez and Burgos had been previously reported, but the camp invite was a new detail. Perez spent most of the 2015 season playing off the Brewers' bench but was removed from the 40-man roster at season's end and briefly was a free agent. Burgos made six Brewers starts in 2013 before suffering a shoulder injury, but bounced back in the second half of 2015 to post a 3.35 ERA in 15 starts for Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Garcia, 25, has played eight Minor League seasons in the Astros and Phillies systems without getting a taste of the Majors. He was with the Astros through 2014, so his tenure coincided with that of Brewers general manager David Stearns, who was Houston's assistant GM for 2013-15.

Garcia is a .264 hitter with 15 home runs in 532 Minor League games.