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Minor Moves: Wilson, Beimel, Parraz, Velazquez, Bell

2013-05-18T18:18:00-05:00

We'll keep track of today's minor moves here.

The Padres signed outfielder Mike Wilson to a minor-league deal, according to MLB.com's transactions page. The former Mariners prospect hit .239/.343/.452 for Triple-A Tacoma last year. He has 27 career big-league at bats.
The Braves have signed lefty reliever Joe Beimel to a minor-league deal, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). Beimel missed 2012 due to injury. He pitched 25 1/3 innings for the Pirates in 2011, posting a 5.33 ERA with 6.04 K/9 and 3.20 BB/9.
The Twins will sign outfielder Jordan Parraz and assign him to Double-A, MLBTR has learned. Parraz, 28, hit .141/.230/.321 in 78 at bats for the Braves' Triple-A affiliate this season.
The Marlins have signed infielder Gil Velazquez, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel reports (on Twitter). Velazquez, 33, has a career .245/.307/.327 line in the minors. He played in the Yankees' farm system earlier in 2013 before being released.
The Yankees have signed third baseman Josh Bell to a minor-league deal, Chris Cotillo of CLNSRadio.com reports. Bell has hit .195/.223/.265 in 272 career big-league at bats. He received 55 at bats for the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte in 2013 before being released.

Athletics Designate Daric Barton For Assignment

2013-05-18T14:30:48-05:00

The Athletics have designated first baseman Daric Barton for assignment, the team reports (on Twitter). The move clears roster space for outfielder Chris Young, who had been on the disabled list. Young's return allows the Athletics to move Brandon Moss from the outfield back to first base.

The A's had previously designated Barton for assignment in late March, but he cleared waivers and stayed in the organization, then made his way back to the 40-man roster when the A's purchased his contract March 8. He has received 21 at bats with the A's since then, hitting .143/.217/.286. Barton has hit .248/.359/.370 in his career.

Angels Claim Chris Nelson, Designate Scott Cousins

2013-05-18T13:21:03-05:00

The Angels have claimed infielder Chris Nelson off waivers from the Yankees and designated outfielder Scott Cousins for assignment, the Angels report (on Twitter). The Yankees designated Nelson for assignment two days ago.

Nelson hit .222/.243/.278 in ten games with the Yankees, who acquired him for a PTBNL or cash two weeks ago after the Rockies designated him for assignment. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2004 Draft.

Cousins has hit .179/.230/.285 in 179 career at bats with the Marlins and Angels. He had appeared in seven games with the Angels so far this year, but received only five plate appearances.

Yankees Designate Alberto Gonzalez

2013-05-18T11:47:37-05:00

In order to make room for the recently-acquired Reid Brignac, the Yankees have designated fellow infielder Alberto Gonzalez for assignment, tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. As McCullough further tweets, Yankees GM Brian Cashman says he wanted Brignac's left-handed bat to platoon on the left side of the infield with the right-handed swinging David Adams and Jayson Nix.

Gonzalez was acquired by New York just over two weeks ago, and saw only nine plate appearances for the team. Over a total of 35 plate appearances this year with the Yankees and Cubs, Gonzalez has put up a .250/.286/.375 line.

Yankees Acquire Reid Brignac

2013-05-18T10:31:03-05:00

The Rockies have traded utility infielder Reid Brignac to the Yankees, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman adds (via Twitter) that the Rockies will receive $75,000 cash in the deal. Brignac was designated for assignment by the Rockies on Thursday.

Brignac, 27, has made versatility his calling card. As MLBTR's Mark Polishuk recently explained, Brignac has been trusted to man both middle infield positions, as well as third base and the corner outfield, at the big league level. He has not done much with the stick in his career, however, posting a lifetime .228/.270/.321 line.

For a Yankees team that continues to be hit with new injuries, Brignac will provide flexibility. He joins a middle-infield mix headlined by Robinson Cano but otherwise featuring less-than-inspiring names like Alberto Gonzalez and Jayson Nix. Brignac follows third baseman Chris Nelson as a Rockies castoff that ended up in New York this year. He will hope to stick longer than Nelson, who only wore pinstripes for 37 plate appearances.

Marlins Designate Jon Rauch For Assignment

2013-05-17T21:28:50-05:00

The Marlins have announced that right-hander Jon Rauch has been designated for assignment. The move creates a spot on the 40-man roster for Duane Below, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Tigers.

Rauch signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Marlins in February, but pitched to a 6.89 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 15 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old owns a career 3.88 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 over 594 big league innings. Before he signed with Miami, the Brewers were among the clubs with interest in Rauch.

Twins Release Rafael Perez

2013-05-17T19:16:30-05:00

The Twins announced that they have released left-hander Rafael Perez. Perez signed a minor league deal with the team in February, but had yet to pitch for the big league club.

The 29-year-old logged just four innings for Triple-A Rochester, pitching to a 2.25 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 6.8 BB/9. Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets that the Twins had agreed to release Perez if he was not able to make their roster, and felt that he was not ready for big league hitters. Perez has a 3.64 ERA with 7.3 K/ and 3.2 BB/9 over 329 Major League innings, all with the Indians.

Max Fogle contributed to this post.

Padres Designate Thad Weber For Assignment

2013-05-17T16:41:35-05:00

Corey Brock of MLB.com reports that the Padres have selected the contract of Tim Stauffer and designated right-hander Thad Weber for assignment (Twitter link). In a related move, Carlos Quentin has been placed on the paternity list.

The 28-year-old Weber allowed just two runs in nine innings for the Friars this season, though he walked five and struck out only six in that time. The Padres claimed him off waivers from the Tigers last August. Weber has just 13 innings of big league experience and averages 89.8 mph on his fastball. He does have a stellar 68.2 percent ground-ball rate in that admittedly tiny sample.

Stauffer, 30, was a key member of the Padres' pitching staff from 2009-11. After a strong year-plus in the bullpen, he shifted to the rotation for the end of the 2010 season and all of the 2011 campaign. He made one start in 2012 before elbow surgery cut his season short. From 2009-12, the former No. 4 overall pick in the draft had a 3.27 ERA, 6.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 346 1/3 innings of work.

Stauffer signed a minor league contract this offseason after being waiver in the fall. His deal had an opt-out clause around June 1, so the Padres were nearing a decision on him. Stauffer had a 3.16 ERA through 42 2/3 innings at Triple-A Tucson this season.

A's Designate Chris Resop For Assignment

2013-05-17T16:31:00-05:00

The Athletics announced (via Twitter) that they have selected the contract of left-hander Hideki Okajima from Triple-A Sacramento and designated right-hander Chris Resop for assignment to clear room on both the 40-man and 25-man rosters.

Okajima, 37, was a fixture in the Red Sox bullpen from 2007-09, when he posted a combined 2.72 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 192 innings. In 2007, he made the All-Star team and finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. Okajima's command began to erode in 2010, and his strikeout rate dropped as well. He spent much of the 2011 season in the minors before returning to Japan, where he was dominant in 2012. After signing a minor league deal with Oakland this offseason, he had a 2.16 ERA with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 16 2/3 Triple-A innings this season.

Resop, 30, had a 6.00 ERA in 18 innings for the defending AL West champs this season. He struck out 13 and walked 10 in those 18 innings. Over parts of eight Major League seasons between the Marlins, Braves, Pirates, Angels and A's, Resop has a 4.62 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.

Minor Moves: Humber, Jeroloman, Boyer

2013-05-17T14:40:00-05:00

Here's your rundown of minor moves for Friday...

Astros right-hander Philip Humber has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter). Today was the deadline for Humber to decide to report to Triple-A or elect free agency after being outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this week.
The Nationals have acquired minor league catcher Brian Jeroloman from the Pirates, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). The 28-year-old was hitting .222/.481/.278 thanks to his nine walks in 29 plate appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis. Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington adds that the Nats gave up cash for Jeroloman because they needed catching depth with Jhonatan Solano back in the Majors and Wilson Ramos on the DL (Twitter links). Jeroloman is a career .235/.349/.305 hitter in 122 Triple-A games.
Right-hander Blaine Boyer exercised the out clause in his minor league deal with the Royals and became a free agent, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Boyer hasn't pitched in the bigs since 2011. He has a 4.81 ERA in 234 career innings after being selected by the Braves in the third round in 2000. Boyer posted a 3.00 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 15 innings for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate, though he allowed four unearned runs as well and served up three homers.

Rockies Designate Reid Brignac For Assignment

2013-05-16T17:18:34-05:00

The Rockies have announced (via their official Twitter feed) that infielder Reid Brignac has been designated for assignment. In corresponding moves, Jeff Francis was placed on the 15-day DL while infielder DJ LeMahieu and right-hander Rob Scahill were called up from Triple-A.

Brignac was acquired from the Rays in February and he owns a .250/.294/.375 slash line in 53 PA this season. The 27-year-old was Tampa Bay's second-round pick in the 2004 amateur draft and, for his career, Brignac has a .591 OPS in 769 PA. Brignac has experience at short, third and second, and also has made a handful of appearances in the corner outfield spots over his six years in the Majors.

Angels Designate Barry Enright For Assignment

2013-05-16T16:47:12-05:00

The Angels have designated right-hander Barry Enright for assignment, according to Angels manager of communications Eric Kay (via Twitter). In corresponding moves, the Angels have also selected the contract of right-hander Billy Buckner and called up righty Ryan Brasier, while southpaw Michael Roth has been optioned to Triple-A.

Enright, 27, was acquired by the Halos in a trade with the Diamondbacks last July. Enright made 17 starts in his 2010 rookie season but has since struggled to stick in the Major Leagues. Enright has appeared in just 14 games since the start of the 2011 season, and he posted a 12.96 ERA in four games (two of them starts) with the Angels this year.

Minor Moves: Humber, De Los Santos, Richmond

2013-05-15T17:30:00-05:00

Here are today's minor moves from around the league...

Astros pitcher Philip Humber has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to Chris Cotillo of CLNSRadio.com (via Twitter). MLBTR has learned that the right-hander has until Friday to accept the assignment or elect free agency. Humber was designated for assignment earlier this week after posting a 9.59 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in seven starts and two relief appearances.
MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets that the Padres have requested unconditional release waivers on Fautino De Los Santos, confirming an earlier tweet from Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio. De Los Santos, 27, was designated for assignment over the weekend. He made only two appearances for Triple-A Tucson this season due to an injury but has a 4.21 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings at the Major League level -- all coming with the A's. His release will become official on Thursday.
The Rangers have signed right-hander Scott Richmond to a minor league contract, according to Jeff Sullivan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The 33-year-old Canadian hurler has a 5.27 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 169 big league innings for the Blue Jays. Richmond, who was pitching in Korea prior to this signing, was on Team Canada's roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He will report to extended Spring Training, according to Sullivan.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Dodgers To Sign Jonathan Sanchez

2013-05-15T16:00:00-05:00

4:00pm: Sanchez has a July 1 opt-out date if he's not on the Major League roster, according to Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio (on Twitter). Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles confirms the report (Twitter link).

2:17pm: The Dodgers will sign Jonathan Sanchez to a minor league deal, according to Pedro Gomez of ESPN (on Twitter). The contract is pending a physical, and Sanchez is likely to report to Triple-A Albquerque. Sanchez is represented by the McNamara Baseball Group.

The 30-year-old Sanchez began the year with the Pirates, but his Pittsburgh tenure didn't last long. He was designated for assignment and subsequently released following a six-game suspension for throwing at Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig. He posted a ghastly 11.85 ERA in his five appearances with the Buccos.

Sanchez was a staple in the Giants rotation from 2009-11 when he totaled 458 innings of 3.75 ERA ball and averaged 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He's always struggled with his command, and it's really gotten away from him since the beginning of last season. In his past 78 1/3 innings, Sanchez has walked 69 batters and fanned 68. His ERA in that time is a sky-high 8.73.

Yankees Designate Chris Nelson For Assignment

2013-05-15T15:00:52-05:00

The Yankees have designated Chris Nelson for assignment, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The move clears both a 40-man and 25-man roster spot for David Adams, who is joining the big league club today.

Nelson, 27, was acquired from the Rockies for a player to be named later or cash following a DFA from Colorado. In 10 games for the Yankees, Nelson hit just .222/.243/.278 with 11 strikeouts and one walk in 37 plate appearances. The former first round pick had a strong showing at the dish in 2012 when he hit .301/.352/.458 with nine homers.

The 26-year-old Adams has had an up and down journey throughout his minor league career. Once a key component in a potential trade for Cliff Lee, he found himself released earlier this season as a result of frequent injuries. He was re-signed to a minor league deal and is set to make his Major League debut after hitting .316/.407/.490 with three homers for Triple-A Scranton this season.

Marlins Release David Aardsma

2013-05-15T14:39:00-05:00

2:39pm: Ken Rosenthal reports that Aardsma's contract contained a May 15 opt-out clause that allowed him to request his release if he wasn't with the Major Leagues by this date. He exercised that clause and will seek a Major League deal with a new team (Twitter links).

2:06pm: The Marlins have released right-hander David Aardsma, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The former Mariners closer had signed with the Fish on a minor league pact on April 13 and sounded excited when discussing the opportunity a few days later.

The 31-year-old pitched well in 14 innings for Triple-A New Orleans, posting a 2.57 ERA and 12 strikeouts, although he did have eight walks in that time as well.

Aardsma pitched in one inning for the Yankees last season -- his long Major League appearance since 2010. Injuries have derailed the flamethrower's career, but he was a solid ninth inning option for Seattle from 2009-10. Aardsma picked up 69 saves in that time, posting a 2.90 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 121 innings in that role. Crasnick adds that he isn't sure whether the release was the Marlins' decision or if Aardsma requested the move.

Phillies Sign Carlos Zambrano

2013-05-15T11:28:00-05:00

11:28am: Zambrano's contract contains a July 1 opt-out date, per Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

10:14am: The Phillies have officially announced the signing of Carlos Zambrano to a minor league deal. He will report to extended Spring Training in Clearwater, Fla. Zambrano is represented by Praver/Shapiro, as shown in MLBTR's Agency Database.

The 31-year-old Zambrano had previously agreed to a contract with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League but never signed the contract as he continued to look for employment with a Major League team.

After spending parts of 11 seasons with the Cubs from 2001-11, Zambrano was traded to the Marlins (along with quite a bit of cash) for Chris Volstad. Notoriously hot-headed, Zambrano drew negative press in Chicago for fighting with teammates Michael Barrett and Derrek Lee. In his final years with the Cubs, he was suspended once by the league and once by the team for his antics. As a member of the Marlins, he posted a 4.49 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 0.61 HR/9, and 49.1% groundball rate in 132 1/3 innings (20 starts and 15 relief appearances).

Zambrano's name comes with quite a bit of baggage, but he's also a very accomplished Major League pitcher. "Big Z" owns a career 3.66 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 1,959 big league innings. He's made three All-Star teams, has three Top 5 Cy Young finishes and has a no-hitter under his belt as well. One of the best-hitting pitchers of the past decade, Zambrano also has three Silver Slugger Awards and a .238/.248/.388 batting line with 24 career homers.

Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio first reported the news (on Twitter), which was soon confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (also via Twitter).

Photo courtesty of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Moves: Sean Gallagher, Matt Fox

2013-05-14T16:41:00-05:00

Today's minor moves...

The Rockies inked pitcher Sean Gallagher to a minor league deal today, tweets Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio. Tracy Ringolsby of ROOT Sports confirmed the signing (also via Twitter). The righthander had been playing with the Atlantic League's Sugar Land Skeeters. According to the Denver Post's Troy Renck, the Rockies have been looking hard for minor league arms after multiple injuries and will send Gallagher to Double-A Tulsa as a starter. (Twitter links.) Gallagher, 27, first reached the bigs as a 21-year-old for the Cubs in 2007. The former top-100 prospect never panned out, however, and last appeared in the majors in 2010 as a reliever for the Padres and Pirates, sporting a cumulative 5.77 ERA over 57 2/3 innings. He was similarly ineffective as a minor league starter for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate last year, posting a 4.92 ERA over 139 innings. He failed to demonstrate strikeout ability or control, logging 5.4 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9.
The Mets have signed right-handed starter Matt Fox from the independent league York Revolution, MLBTR has learned. He'll start for their Triple-A Las Vegas club. Fox is represented by David Sloane of Taurus Sports Associates. Fox, a supplemental draft pick of the Twins in '04 as compensation for the loss of free agent Eddie Guardado, made four big league appearances for the Twins and Red Sox in 2010. He pitched with Boston's Triple-A club in '11 and was in the Seattle organization last year. Several former big leaguers hope to follow Fox from the Revolution back to a Major League organization, including Juan Rincon, Brett Tomko, Michael Wuertz, Andy Marte, and Eric Patterson.
Notable former Major Leaguers such as Ian Snell, Dontrelle Willis, Ramon Castro, and Ben Broussard are currently on the Long Island Ducks' roster, but as we learned yesterday from Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, Carlos Zambrano has not yet signed a contract despite agreeing to terms. It appears Zambrano will exhaust his options to join a Major League organization first.

No Contract Between Ducks, Zambrano Yet

2013-05-13T18:58:00-05:00

May 13: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports writes that Zambrano's name still doesn't appear on the Ducks' roster. Zambrano and the Ducks did indeed reach an agreement, according to Knobler's sources, but a contract has yet to be signed.

May 8: Righty Carlos Zambrano has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, tweets Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has confirmed the signing (also via Twitter).

As Ducks president and GM Michael Pfaff recently explained to MLBTR's Zach Links, the team prioritizes winning but wants to "help players with their careers, help them continue their careers, and help them get back to the major leagues." That's surely Zambrano's plan. The 31-year-old righty joined the Marlins via trade in January 2012, posting a 4.49 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 0.61 HR/9, and 49.1% groundball rate in 132 1/3 innings (20 starts and 15 relief appearances). Zambrano, a three-time All-Star, was a workhorse for the Cubs from 2003-07, averaging 215 innings per season.

From the '07 fight with teammate Michael Barrett, the five-year, $91.5MM contract signed that year, all kinds of odd ailments, the no-hitter in '08 against the Astros at Miller Park, the '09 on-field tantrum that led to a six-game suspension, problems with Cubs management, the move to the bullpen and back, the issue with Derrek Lee in '10 that led to a team-mandated suspension, his placement on the disqualified list in '11, to the salary dump trade to Miami, Z's final years as a Cub were tumultuous to say the least.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rays Sign Cory Wade

2013-05-13T15:29:09-05:00

The Rays have signed Cory Wade to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Durham, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter). Wade is represented by Casey Close of Excel Sports Management.

Wade, who turns 30 at the end of the month, spent the 2011-12 seasons pitching out of the Yankees' bullpen. He posted a 4.23 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in that time, but the two seasons were wildly different. In 39 2/3 innings for the Bombers in 2011, Wade posted a pristine 2.04 ERA. That number rose by more than four runs in 2012 as he finished with a 6.46 ERA in an even 39 innings.

Originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2004, Wade has a 3.65 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 39.5 percent ground-ball rate in 177 2/3 innings between Los Angeles and New York.