• Royals lefty Francisley Bueno has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Bueno was designated last Tuesday.
• The Indians announced on Twitter that right-hander Chris Jakubauskas has been released from Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old appeared in 11 games for the Clippers, totaling 14 innings of 3.86 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. He has also appeared in the Brewers organization this year.
• Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that Kyle McClellan, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday, will remain with in the Rangers organization after clearing waivers. McClellan will accept an outright assignment to Double-A Frisco. The 29-year-old allowed eight runs in 9 1/3 innings of work with the Rangers this season.
• Miguel Olivo has cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). Olivo was designated for assignment earlier this week after hitting .203/.250/.392 and informing the Marlins that he was quitting due to a lack of playing time.
• The Blue Jays announced that Chien-Ming Wang has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Buffalo, the team announced (hat tip: Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet on Twitter). Wang's agent told Nicholson-Smith on Wednesday that he would accept an assignment to Triple-A rather than electing free agency if he cleared waivers. Wang was roughed up in his final two outings with the Jays to send his ERA soaring to 7.13.
• Seven players are currently in DFA limbo: Brandon Lyon (Mets), Hector Gimenez (White Sox), P.J. Walters (Twins), Shawn Camp (Cubs), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Alex Liddi (Mariners), and Eric Hinske (D-Backs).

• The Blue Jays have announced that Ramon Ortiz and Clint Robinson cleared waivers and were outrighted off the 40-man roster, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson Smith (on Twitter). Ortiz was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, while Robinson was outrighted to Double-A New Hampshire. Both were designated for assignment earlier this week.
• Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets that the Pirates have acquired Triple-A right-hander Graham Godfrey from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. The 28-year-old Godfrey has amassed 46 Major League innings — all with the Athletics – and posted a 5.09 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
• The Pirates have acquired Triple-A lefty Atahualpa Severino from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Severino, 28, has a 3.40 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 156 1/3 career innings at Triple-A. He received a brief taste of the Major Leagues with the Nationals back in 2011, totaling 4 2/3 innings of relief.
• The Marlins have outrighted infielder Nick Green to Triple-A New Orleans, according to the PCL's Transactions page, meaning that he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment Wednesday.
• The Braves released minor league outfielder Corey Wimberly, according to the International League Transaction log. The 29-year-old hit .234/.268/.351 in 25 games (83 plate appearances) for Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
• The Indians announced (via Twitter) that they have signed right-hander Chris Jakubauskas and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old has a 5.58 ERA in 166 big league innings and last saw the Majors with the Orioles in 2011. Jakubauskas spent 2012 in the D-backs and Blue Jays organizations, and he appeared in eight Triple-A games for the Brewers this season. He has a 3.75 ERA in 175 career innings at Triple-A.

• The Blue Jays signed right-hander Chris Jakubauskas, according to the team's website. Jakubauskas, 33, appeared in 33 games for the 2011 Orioles, posting a 5.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 72 1/3 innings.
• Right-hander David Pauley elected free agency last week, according to the Blue Jays' site. The Blue Jays removed Pauley from their roster seven days ago after he made five appearances for the team.
• The Royals released catcher Ryan Eigsti from Triple-AA Omaha, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter). Eigsti, 26, appeared in 11 games for the Royals' top affiliate this year. He has a .213/.310/.322 batting line in parts of six minor league seasons.

In 72 1/3 innings this past season, Jakubauskas posted a 5.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 43% ground ball rate for the Orioles. He has a career ERA of 5.58 with 5.4 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 43.9% ground ball rate in parts of three seasons for the Orioles, Pirates and Mariners. Baltimore outrighted Jakubauskas off of its 40-man roster in October and he elected free agency.

• While he believes that Duquette is a "good man" and a "very bright" individual, Peter Gammons of MLB Network (via Twitter), he wonders if the GM will be able to get up to speed after a decade away from baseball.  After drafting Nomar Garciaparra in 1994, the former Red Sox GM gave up on the draft and only one first-round pick made it to the majors (Twitter link).  Gammons feels that the O's have decayed ever since Peter Angelos let Pat Gillick go at the end of his contract in 1998 and wonders if Duquette will have the contacts to find undervalued talent (via Twitter).
• It's amazing that Duquette got a GM job just a few weeks after one of his protégés, Ben Cherington, was named GM of the Red Sox, writes Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe.  Duquette who hired Cherington in 1999 as an amateur scout.
• Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports seems to doubt how much authority Duquette will have in Baltimore.
• Duquette comes with plenty of detractors, but so did manager Buck Showalter when he came to Baltimore, writes MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli. 
• Pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (via Twitter) is happy to have Duquette aboard as the team's new GM.  The right-hander writes, "By all accounts we're fortunate to have him."
• Last Sunday, Orioles pitcher Chris Jakubauskas refused his outright assignment to Triple-A and elected free agency, but said that he would like to reach a new deal with the club.  Tonight, Jakubauskas tweets that he hopes to have a new agreement for 2012 hammered out by tomorrow.

• More on Jakubauskas as the pitcher says he'd like to reach a deal with the Orioles and remain in the organization, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  Catcher/infielder Jake Fox is also expected to refuse his outright assignment and become a free agent.
• Orioles pitcher Chris Jakubauskas refused his outright assignment to Triple-A and elected free agency, tweets Kubatko.  Jakubauskas posted a 5.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 72 1/3 innings in 2011.
• Over the years, the Yankees scouting department has been charged with looking into major free agents while also identifying key supplemental pieces, writes Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger.  Their emphasis on "reclamation projects" has led them to such finds as Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon.
• As the Yankees look ahead to the offseason, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch wonders aloud if any team would bite on a trade for A.J. Burnett.  In 190.1 innings this season, Burnett posted a 5.15 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.

• The Orioles announced that they outrighted right-hander Chris Jakubauskas and catcher Jake Fox to Triple-A after the players cleared waivers. Baltimore now has 36 players on its 40-man roster. Jakubauskas posted a 5.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 72 1/3 innings in 2011. Fox, 29, posted a .756 OPS in 67 plate appearances this year, also appearing in left field and at first base. 

• The O's are unlikely to make a move with Alfredo Simon until February 26th, the mandatory date for all players to report to Spring Training, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.  After being named as the primary suspect in a murder and denied bail in the Dominican Republic, Simon probably won't be able to join the club by that date.  Once that date passes, Baltimore can move the reliever to the restricted list, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster.
• Baltimore has signed a trio of free agent pitchers to minor league deals according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.  The club reached deals with right-handers Chris Jakubauskas and Mark Worrell as well as lefty James Houser.  Houser, who was tabbed by the Rays in the second-round of the 2003 draft, turned in a 3.67 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 for the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate in 2010.  The Orioles now have a handful of interesting pitchers in their farm system after signing Clay Rapada and Nick Bierbrodt last week.

• The Braves
 re-signed Brent Clevlen and signed independent leaguer Beau Torbert, who posted tremendous numbers in the American Association this year. Earlier in the week, Torbert told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he's excited to be joining the Braves.
• The Astros signed right-hander Casey Fien. Fien has appeared in 11 games for the Tigers, but the 27-year-old has not proven himself against big league hitters.
• Former Yankees lefty Royce Ring elected free agency.
• The Pirates released Chris Jakubauskas and saw Brandon Moss elect free agency. Moss arrived in Pittsburgh in the Jason Bay trade, but he hit just .228/.295/.373 in parts of three seasons for the Pirates.
• Former Mariners catcher Guillermo Quiroz became a free agent.
• The Rangers signed Kevin Cash. The 32-year-old backstop posted a .483 OPS for the Astros and Red Sox last year and threw out an uncharacteristically low percentage of would be base stealers.

The Pirates designated Jeff Karstens for assignment to clear roster space.  Karstens, 27, was pretty well-regarded by the Pirates when he arrived as part of the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte trade with the Yankees in July of 2008.  He pitched well in his nine starts that year but was bumped from the rotation in June for Charlie Morton.