• The MLB.com transactions page lists a few new minor league deals. Infielder Cody Ransom has joined the Diamondbacks after spending some time in Japan last year. Ransom, 39, has seen action in eleven big league seasons, though he has broken the 100 plate appearance barrier only twice — in 2012-13, oddly enough. Ransom played well in that late-career run, putting up 505 plate appearances with a .207/.301/.414 slash and twenty home runs over those two seasons.
• The Padres signed utilityman Mike McCoy. Now 33, McCoy has yet to pass the 400 plate appearance barrier at the big league level and has struggled at Triple-A in the last two seasons, but does have a better prior track record.
• Catcher Robinzon Diaz, 31, is joining the Brewers on a minor league deal. Diaz last saw MLB action back in 2008-09 and has bounced around the upper minors since. In parts of eight seasons at Triple-A, Diaz has slashed .278/.305.387.
• The Dodgers will sign right-hander Chad Gaudin to a minor league deal, and he will be a non-roster invitee to Major League Spring Training, tweets MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. The 31-year-old Gaudin sat out the 2014 season as he recovered from neck surgery but was quite good with the 2013 Giants, working to a 3.06 ERA (with a 3.34 FIP and 4.00 xFIP) in 97 innings. Gaudin has experience as both a starter and a reliever in parts of 11 Major League seasons — the bulk of which have come with the Athletics. He has a lifetime 4.44 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and a 42.4 percent ground-ball rate in 836 1/3 Major League innings. Gaudin also worked out for the division-rival Diamondbacks recently.

• The Seibu Lions have announced the signings of infielder Cody Ransom, right-hander Michael Bowden and left-handers Randy Williams and Porfirio Lopez (passed on by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman).  Seibu also annnounced the signing of righty Greg Reynolds, which we heard about yesterday.
• The Tigers signed left-hander Duane Below to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, MLive.com's James Schmehl reports (Twitter link).  Below is back in Detroit after being designated for assignment last April, and he also pitched for the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate and for Korea's Kia Tigers in 2013.  Below posted a 4.27 ERA, 2.14 K/BB rate and 5.2 K/9 over 78 Major League innings with the Tigers.
• The Cubs have signed outfielder Mitch Maier to a minor league contract with a Spring Training invitation, the team announced.  Maier spent 2013 with the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate and posted an .882 OPS, though he only received 137 PA due to a wrist injury.  Maier, 31, was drafted by the Royals with the 30th overall pick of the 2003 draft and he hit .253/.332/.346 over 1043 PA with Kansas City from 2006-11.
• The Rangers have signed right-hander Daniel McCutchen to a minor league deal, according to the Sosnick/Cobbe Sports' Twitter feed (McCutchen's agents).  McCutchen posted a 3.43 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.60 K/BB rate over 60 1/3 combined innings for the Orioles' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, though his season didn't begin untl late May due to a 50-game suspension for a failed PED test.  The 31-year-old Texas native has a career 4.77 ERA over 188 2/3 IP with the Pirates from 2009-12.
• The Orioles signed righty Fabio Castillo to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, the team announced.  Though Castillo doesn't turn 25 until February, he already has eight years of pro baseball under his belt, posting a 4.63 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 2.01 K/BB rate over 514 2/3 IP over his minor league career.  Castillo pitched in the Giants' system in 2013 after spending the previous seven years with the Rangers.

Ransom, 37, did well at the plate for the Cubs this season, hitting .203/.304/.449 in 57 games.  The Cubs first acquired the veteran off waivers in mid-April after the Padres waived him.  For his career, the infielder owns a .213/.303/.400 slash line.

To keep track of Ransom and everyone else in DFA limbo, check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker.

Ransom had been designated for assignment by the Padres on Friday.  The 37-year-old had the most exposure of his big league career last year, racking up a .220/.312/.411 line in 282 plate appearances for the Brewers and Diamondbacks.  If Ransom somehow sticks on the Cubs' roster, he'll be arbitration eligible after the season.

Takahashi, 38, was scored upon in two of his three appearances for the Cubs this year.  The lefty posted a 5.54 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 1.43 HR/9, and 37.1% groundball rate in 50 1/3 innings for the Angels and Pirates in 2012.  The Cubs' bullpen is already being retooled, with a 5.82 ERA in the early going.

Lillibridge, 29, had one hit in 24 plate appearances for the Cubs this year.  He played second and third base.  Lillibridge hit .195/.250/.274 in 209 plate appearances for the White Sox, Red Sox, and Indians last year.  He was part of a "numbers crunch," Hoyer told reporters including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  With the recent additions of Ransom, Gregg, and Loe, the Cubs' 40-man roster remains full.

Ransom, 37, posted a .220/.312/.411 line and a career-best 11 homers over 282 PA with the Diamondbacks and Brewers in 2012.  This was by far the most playing time Ransom had ever received in a season, as the veteran chalked up just 383 plate appearances from 2001-2011.  Ransom signed a minor league deal with San Diego in December and was 0-for-11 in limited action with the Padres this season.

Ransom started this past season with the Diamondbacks, but the Brewers claimed him off of waivers in May. Three months later, the Diamondbacks claimed him back from Milwaukee and he spent the final month of the season in Arizona. In 282 total plate appearances, Ransom posted a .220/.312/.411 batting line with 11 home runs and 14 doubles. The 36-year-old played all four infield positions.

Glaus, 36, has been retired since 2010. He hit .240/.344/.400 with 16 homers in 483 plate appearances for the Braves that year, though he played first base almost exclusively. Glaus was hampered by knee and shoulder injuries late in his career, and he's supposedly 100% healthy after taking the last two years off. The Yankees have since signed Kevin Youkilis to plug their third base hole.

• The Padres outrighted right-hander Thad Weber to Triple-A Tucson, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Weber was claimed off of waivers from the Tigers in late August and saw time in two big league games for Detroit in April.
• The Cubs announced that they have outrighted utility man Adrian Cardenas and right-handers Jason Berken, Miguel Socolovich, and Marcos Mateo to Triple-A.  Socolovich spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A for the Cubs and Orioles, posting a 2.11 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.  Berken was also claimed off of waivers from the O's and posted a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 Triple-A starts.
• The Diamondbacks outrighted Jonathan Albaladejo, Tyler Graham, Mike Jacobs, Joe Martinez, and Cody Ransom to Triple-A Reno, according to the official MLB.com transactions page.  Albaladejo spent the 2011 season in Japan and saw just three innings of work for Arizona this year.  Jacobs, 31, hit .279/.362/.486 with 18 homers for Triple-A Reno.  Ransom was claimed off of waivers mid-season from the Brewers and hit .220/.312/.411 in 90 games.
• The Mariners announced that they outrighted first baseman Luis Jimenez to Triple-A. The 30-year-old appeared in seven games with the Mariners this past September after spending most of the season at Triple-A. Jimenez hit 20 homers with Tacoma, posted a .310/.394/.514 batting line, and was named his team's Offensive Player of the Year. The left-handed hitter can become a minor league free agent five days after the World Series ends. Seattle now has two open spots on its 40-man roster.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Ransom appeared in 17 games for the Diamondbacks before being claimed off of waivers by the Brewers on May 23rd. He appeared in 64 more games for Milwaukee and has a season batting line of .214/.305/.400 in 252 total plate appearances. Ransom, 36, has played all four infield positions this year.

• The Twins are listening to offers for Denard Span, but won’t move him unless they get a Major League starter in return, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
• White Sox GM Kenny Williams says the White Sox are still looking to add, Nightengale reports (on Twitter). The White Sox, who traded forFrancisco Liriano last night, would look to acquire a position player this time, Nightengale writes.
• Alfonso Soriano, Cliff Lee and Ervin Santana are among the players who could clear waivers and be traded in August, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.
• Willie Bloomquist, Brendan Ryan and Ty Wigginton are thought to be on the Yankees' long list of potential infield options, Heyman reports. Yunel Escobar, Chone Figgins, Jose Lopez and Cody Ransom are also thought to be on New York's list.
• One team that’s spoken with the Mariners reports that "they want everybody," Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets.

Ransom posted a .269/.345/.577 batting line in 58 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks this year, but they removed him from the 40-man roster earlier this week by designating him for assignment.  The 36-year-old played third base and shortstop, the same two positions he appeared at in 2011. Haudricourt reported earlier today that the Brewers were interested in adding shortstop help and Ransom's a fit since he has played more games at shortstop than at any other position. He has a .226/.310/.409 batting line in parts of ten seasons at the MLB level.

Ransom, 36, posted a .269/.345/.577 batting line in 58 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks this year. He played third base and shortstop, the same two positions he appeared at in 2011. Ransom has a .226/.310/.409 batting line in parts of ten seasons at the MLB level.

• The Diamondbacks re-signed veteran Cody Ransom to a minor league deal, writes Tom Singer of MLB.com.  In 101 games with Triple-A Reno last season, Ransom hit .317/.405/.629 with 27 homers.  The 35-year-old also had 33 at-bats with Arizona's varsity squad.

WEDNESDAY: The D'Backs announced that they designated infielder Cody Ransom to create 25-man roster space for Aaron Hill and John McDonald. The first roster spot opened up yesterday, when Arizona sent Kelly Johnson to Toronto in the deal that brought Hill and McDonald to the National League. The D'Backs now have full 25 and 40-man rosters.

Ransom, 35, appeared in 12 games for Arizona this year, hitting .152/.243/.303 in his 37 trips to the plate. He played short and third in 2011 and also has big league experience at first, second and left field. A nine-year veteran, Ransom has a .220/.304/.383 line in 383 career plate appearances.

Ransom, who turns 35 in February, is a native of Mesa, Arizona.  He is the second utilityman the D'Backs have signed in the past week, following their acquisition of Willie Bloomquist.  This could be a minor league depth move for the Snakes, since the club already has Bloomquist, Tony Abreu, Ryan Roberts and others battling for a backup infield spot.