Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league.
- The Twins have signed C/1B/OF Joe Maloney from the independent Rockland Boulders, as J.J. Cooper of Baseball America noted last week (via Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press). As minor-league signings of lesser-known players go, Maloney’s is more interesting than most. The 25-year-old Maloney was drafted in the tenth round in 2011 and spent three seasons in the Rangers’ minor-league system, mostly struggling along the way. He blossomed in Rockland in 2015, however, hitting .337/.432/.559 in 433 plate appearances and earning Baseball America’s Independent League Player Of The Year award. The Twins hope Maloney could follow a path similar to that of Chris Colabello, who they also signed out of the Can-Am League and who just had a very good season in part-time duty with the Blue Jays. “I consider it more karma than comparison. Both are Cam-League MVPs. Both drive the ball to right-center field,” says Twins scout Billy Milos. “The advantage for Colabello is he never struck out much. But Joe does things Colabello can’t do. He’s way more versatile and a better athlete.” Berardino notes that Maloney is likely to begin next season with Double-A Chattanooga.
