Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league, each courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise noted…
- Second baseman Cole Figueroa has elected free agency instead of an outright assignment to Triple-A from the Dodgers, per an announcement. Los Angeles designated the 29-year-old for assignment Friday after claiming him off waivers from the Pirates two weeks ago. Figueroa has picked up only 84 major league trips to the plate, but he has produced a respectable .288/.356/.376 line in nearly 2,000 Triple-A PAs.
- The Red Sox have outrighted outfielder Ryan LaMarre to Triple-A Pawtucket, tweets Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Boston designated LaMarre for assignment when it acquired infielder Aaron Hill from the Brewers last week. Since the Reds took him in the second round of the 2010 draft, LaMarre has totaled just 32 major league plate appearances – six of which came earlier this year with the Red Sox. The 27-year-old has batted .265/.343/.379 over 2,469 trips to the plate in the minors.
- The Reds have outrighted Juan Duran off their 40-man roster. The 24-year-old outfielder got a late start to his season and has struggled to a .191/.235/.255 batting line through 15 games and 51 plate appearances this season. Duran ranked among BA’s top 30 Reds prospects from 2008-11 but hasn’t appeared on that list since.
- The Braves signed right-hander Maikel Cleto to a minor league contract. The hard-throwing 27-year-old has experience in parts of four big league seasons with the Cardinals and White Sox but hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2014. He’s averaged an impressive 11.6 K/9 in the Majors but has also averaged six walks per nine innings and posted an unsightly 6.60 ERA in 45 innings. Cleto pitched 14 innings in the Mexican League and caught Atlanta’s eye it seems, perhaps due to a much-improved 16-to-1 K/BB ratio in that brief stint.
- Right-hander Vinnie Pestano has been released by the Yankees. The 31-year-old opened the season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and enjoyed a strong April, pitching to a 3.38 ERA with 16 strikeouts and one walk in 10 2/3 innings but hasn’t pitched for the club since due to injury. Pestano has six seasons of big league experience and has worked to a 2.98 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 202 2/3 innings at the big league level.
- The Marlins traded left-hander Tim Berry to the Padres in exchange for cash considerations. Berry, who was outrighted off Miami’s 40-man roster earlier this season, began the year in Double-A and was hit exceptionally hard, but he’s righted the ship after a stint on the disabled list and some time at Class-A Advanced, posting a 2.78 ERA over his past 22 2/3 innings (including one appearance with San Diego’s Class-A affiliate).
The Braves just took two huge steps backwards signing Cleto
Yes, a minor league contract and spot on the farm will be the end of the franchise.
You’re right. The Braves deserve him. Enjoy!
I think two steps back would put the Braves on top again.
Yeah, I’m sure his non guaranteed $12,000 salary will ruin the franchise…
Exactly, unless his name was Carl Crawford and coming from LAD, I could have believed him. But a minor league guy….
Tigers always are in need of pitching it seems, Pestano was a thorn in their side when he was with the Indians…might as well take a chance on him with the big dimensions of Comerica.
Padres seem to love marlins pitching. This is what the 4th guy they acquired?
Hand, paddack, clemens, berry.
& Edwin Jackson, he is just sitting at El Paso waiting for the eventual trade of either Cashner, Pomeranz or both so he can come up and have a handful of mop up starts to get through the season.
Edwin Jackson has marginally more chance of appearing on the mound at Petco than you do.
LMAO exactly
I guess that “marginally better” of a chance that he got to pitch at Petco this year over me was so accurate by you. Good Job.
LMAO exactly. You must feel weird that you agreed with this guy and then Jackson turns around and shoves it against your team today. Nice series man, your team really showed up out of the All-Star break on a good roll with your Big 3 starting the games.
I wish the marlins can get hand back how about a Nicolino for hand deal
as a marlins fan the marlins gave up to quickly on Clemens
The KBO Samsung Lions team have announced the signing of Colorado Rockies pitcher Yohan Flande today. The contract made was said to be on a one-year deal worth 345 million Won (300,000 USD), which also includes performance incentives. (Source: m.asiae.co.kr/view.htm?no=2016071118580431802#cb)
Via link report. Samsung Lions starting pitcher, Allen Webster (now former), was also released in this same day… In the wake of Flande’s signing, Yohan Flande will replace Webster as the teams’ new starter this year.