• RHP Chad Orvella, who last played in the majors for Tampa Bay in 2007, was released by the Angels after signing with the club earlier this month.
• The Dodgers released outfielder Brian Barton.  Barton was one of just two non-pitchers to appear in a game last season without making a plate appearance.  He entered his only major league game of 2009 as a pinch-runner and was caught stealing.
• Jesse Foppert was released by Florida.  Foppert's last major league game was in 2005 with San Francisco, but the right-hander has been pitching in the Giants' (and, briefly, the Mariners') system ever since.  Prior to the 2003 season, Foppert was the fifth-highest ranked prospect in the game by Baseball America. 
• And finally, if you see a spate of "Boston Releases Papelbon" headlines, it's not an April Fool's joke.  The Red Sox released right-hander Josh Papelbon, Jon's younger brother.

• The Angels signed reliever Chad Orvella.  The 29-year-old spent '09 with the Royals' Double A club and the Rays' Triple A team.  Once considered the Rays' closer of the future, Orvella had shoulder surgery in May of '08.
• The Twins signed pitcher Brad Hennessey.  Hennessey soaked up 360.6 big league innings for the Giants in his career, but the former first-rounder sat out the '09 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• The Giants signed lefty Andy Sisco.  The towering 27-year-old southpaw missed the last two seasons due to April '08 Tommy John surgery.  The Giants also inked Pablo Sandoval's older brother Michael out of the Atlantic League.

The 28-year-old right-hander was released by the Rays in early June after posting a 6.12 ERA in 32 1/3 innings for Triple-A Durham. The Royals immediately assigned him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he'll work in middle relief.