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Claudio Vargas

Blue Jays Release Claudio Vargas, Eugenio Velez

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Here's your rundown of minor moves from around the league for Monday…

  • The Blue Jays announced that they have released right-hander Claudio Vargas and infielder Eugenio Velez from Triple-A Buffalo (Twitter link). The 35-year-old Vargas posted a 5.86 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 83 innings for the Bisons this season. A veteran of eight Major League seasons, Vargas hasn't appeared in the Bigs since 2010 with the Brewers. Velez hit .270/.372/.437 with seven homers and 21 steals in 69 games at Triple-A. He last appeared in the Majors with the Dodgers in 2011 and went hitless in 37 at-bats.
  • Seven players are currently in DFA limbo: Carlos Pena and Ronny Cedeno of the Astros, Brendan Harris of the Angels, Alberto Gonzalez of the Yankees, Chris Dickerson of the Orioles, J.C. Gutierrez of the Royals and Chris Heston of the Giants.

Blue Jays Sign Vargas, Thompson, Velez

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The Blue Jays announced that they signed five players to minor league deals that include invitations to MLB Spring Training. They signed right-hander Claudio Vargas, right-hander Rich Thompson, left-hander Juan Perez, third baseman Eugenio Velez and, as first reported by Jon Paul Morosi, first baseman/DH Luis Jimenez.

Vargas, 34, has experience in parts of eight MLB seasons, though he hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2010. He has a career 4.83 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 as a starter and reliever. Thompson, 28, pitched well out of the bullpen for the Angels in 2011, but appeared in just three games this past season. Perez appeared in ten games with the Brewers in 2012, striking out and walking more than one batter per inning. The 30-year-old Velez has five years of MLB experience with the Dodgers and Giants, but he last appeared in the big leagues in 2011. Lastly, the Blue Jays signed Jimenez, who made his MLB debut in 2012, appearing in seven games with the Mariners.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Nova, Vargas, Rays

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Links out of the AL East..

  • The Yankees are still listening to offers on Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, and Ivan Nova, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).  Team executives have acknowledged that Granderson and Hughes have come up in trade talks but say that it would be tough to replace both in the short-term.
  • Right-hander Claudio Vargas has agreed to a minor league deal with the Blue Jays, according to Metis Sports Management (via Twitter).  Vargas retired in summer 2011 before inking a minor league deal with the Brewers this past spring.
  • The Rays aren't going to be shaking things up right away but there could be some trades on the horizon, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "At the very least we have more clarity. I wouldn't say anything is imminent. But we just have more clarity on how we might be able to complete this offseason looking out over the next six-to-eight weeks," said executive VP Andrew Friedman.
  • It seems that almost everyone in Nashville this week was poised to spend big bucks except for the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Scott Boras and two other agents who have discussed clients with the Yankees in recent days said their perception was a clamp had been placed on spending with the team’s payroll already at $168MM for 2013.  Meanwhile, the Yanks still have major needs in right field, the left side of the infield, and at catcher.

Brewers Sign Claudio Vargas

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The Brewers have signed right-hander Claudio Vargas to a minor league deal, according to his agency, Metis Sports Management. The eight-year MLB veteran will report to Triple-A Nashville, where he'll start. 

Vargas, 33, retired last summer then signed with the Vaqueros Laguna of the Mexican League in time for the 2012 season. He posted a 7.32 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 17 relief appearances for the Brewers in 2010, his most recent campaign in the Major Leagues. He has since pitched in the minor leagues for the Dodgers and Rockies. 

Claudio Vargas Retires

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Right-hander Claudio Vargas has retired, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page.  Vargas signed a minor league deal with the Rockies this winter and he had an 11.08 ERA in 26 innings for Triple-A Colorado Springs this season.  According to Baseball Reference, Vargas earned just over $5.7MM in his career.

Vargas, 33, was originally signed as an amateur free agent by Florida in 1995 and pitched for the Expos/Nationals, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mets and Dodgers in his eight-year pro career.  He retires with a career ERA of 4.83 in 217 games (114 of them starts).  Vargas' best season was 2009, when he posted a 1.74 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in 36 relief appearances with the Brewers and Dodgers.

Rockies To Sign Claudio Vargas

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The Rockies have agreed to terms with Claudio Vargas on a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The right-hander will compete for a job in the Rockies' pen.

Vargas posted a 7.32 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 17 relief appearances for the Brewers last year before they released him. The Dodgers picked Vargas up in June, only to release him two months later. The 32-year-old has played for five teams in his eight-year MLB career, all of them in the National League.

The Rockies, who added Sean White yesterday, have room for competition in their 'pen. Matt Lindstrom, Matt Belisle, Rafael Betancourt and Huston Street are likely guaranteed spots, but there's still room on the roster for three other relievers.

Dodgers Release Claudio Vargas

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The Dodgers released right-hander Claudio Vargas, according to the transactions page for the Pacific Coast League. It's the second time this year that Vargas has been released; the Dodgers signed him after the Brewers released him in early June.

The 32-year-old posted a 7.32 ERA with the Brewers this year, with 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 19.2 innings of work. His Triple A numbers were a little better, but similar; Vargas posted a 5.89 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 47.1 innings for Albuquerque.

Dodgers Sign Claudio Vargas

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The Dodgers signed Claudio Vargas, according to the transactions page for the team's Triple A affiliate. The Brewers released the 31-year-old pitcher last week after designating him for assignment.

Vargas has a 7.32 ERA in 17 appearances this year with 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. The fastball-slider pitcher has allowed 28 hits, including three home runs in 19.2 innings.

Brewers Release Claudio Vargas

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The Brewers released Claudio Vargas, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter). The team designated Vargas for assignment last week and couldn't find clubs interested in trading for Vargas.

Vargas, who turns 32 in two weeks, has a 7.32 ERA in 17 appearances this year with 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. The fastball-slider pitcher has allowed 28 hits, including three home runs in 19.2 innings.

Last summer, when the Brewers were looking for pitching, they acquired Vargas from the Dodgers. Now, they're still looking for pitching, but they'll rely on recent call-ups (Chris Capuano, Kameron Loe) and acquisitions (Brian Bruney) to contribute instead of Vargas.

Melvin On The Brewers’ Search For Pitching

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin told reporters that he asked his staff about Dontrelle Willis, but did not pursue the lefty, who the Tigers just sent to Arizona. Left-handers Chris Narveson, Chris Capuano and Randy Wolf make up three fifths of the team's rotation, so the club had minimal interest in Willis, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

The Brewers are looking for pitching, however. McCalvy suggests Brian Bruney, who is now a free agent, could be an option for the club. The Brewers spent big on Doug Davis, Randy Wolf, Trevor Hoffman and LaTroy Hawkins last winter, but they still don't have enough pitching. Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he believes the team's signings can only be evaluated in context.

"What people don't understand is you have to look at availability," he said. "Not everybody wants to come here. Some players have no-trade clauses."

The Brewers contacted a number of teams about Claudio Vargas after designating him for assignment over the weekend, but have yet to receive trade offers for him, according to Haudricourt.

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