• The NPL's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have signed right-hander Ryota Igarashi to a three-year contract, according to Yahoo Japan (via NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman).  Igarashi appeared in two games each for the Yankees and Blue Jays in 2012, allowing a total of eight runs in four innings pitched.  The 33-year-old posted a 6.41 ERA in 73 innings with the Yankees, Jays and Mets over the last three seasons.  Igarashi originally came to North America on a two-year, $3MM contract with the Mets before the 2010 season.
• The Brewers signed right-hander Eulogio De La Cruz and southpaw Zach Kroenke to minor league contracts, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The Royals announced the signings of infielder Brandon Wood, left-hander Atahualpa Severino and right-handers Brian Sanches and Anthony Ortega to minor league contracts.
  

• The Cubs released right-hander Frankie de la Cruz, Eddy reports. The 28-year-old posted a 3.80 ERA with more walks (58) than strikeouts (57) in 94 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever at Triple-A this year. Chicago had claimed him off of waivers from the Brewers in March.
• The Rangers signed veteran catcher Koyie Hill, Eddy reports. The Nationals recently released Hill, who appeared in 11 games with the Cubs this year.

• Indians outfielder Thomas Neal, who was designated for assignment yesterday, has cleared waivers, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (Twitter link). The Indians outrighted him to Triple-A.
• The Padres announced that right-hander Erik Hamren cleared outright waivers. The Padres have assigned him to Double-A and now have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
• The Orioles announced that they outrighted left-hander Dana Eveland to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. They had designated him for assignment last week.
• The Mets outrighted Armando Rodriguez to Binghamton after he cleared outright waivers. The right-hander pitched at Class A in 2011, posting a 3.96 ERA in 16 starts. 
• The Cubs outrighted Frankie De La Cruz to Triple-A Iowa. They had claimed the 28-year-old right-hander off of waivers from the Brewers less than a month ago. De La Cruz spent most of last year as a starter at Triple-A, where he had a 3.88 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 137 innings.
• The Indians outrighted Rick VandenHurk to Triple-A. They had designated him for assignment soon after claiming him on waivers.

• Tom Gorzelanny could be the odd man out of the Cubs' crowded rotation, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  Chicago has already been shopping the left-hander this winter, and the Mets and Tigers were both reportedly interested. 
• Before Kerry Wood signed with the Cubs, he was promised a post-retirement job with the team by chairman Tom Ricketts, Levine writes.  No specific job was mentioned, though Levine cites a radio report that said Wood had been offered a broadcasting position.
• Walt Jocketty tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds "haven’t made a lot of progress" with their four remaining arbitration-eligible players.  One of those four arb-eligible Reds is Joey Votto, so it's possible his longer-term negotiations are taking up Jocketty's time.
• The Brewers have signed Eulogio de la Cruz, reports Matthew Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter).  De La Cruz, 26, spent last season pitching in Japan.  The right-hander has an 11.84 ERA and a 9.9 BB/9 rate in 15 career Major League games with the Padres, Marlins and Tigers since 2007, though his career minor league numbers (3.73 ERA, 4.2 BB/9 rate) are more respectable.

• Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo hopes to be non-tendered tomorrow, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  The righty, 28 this month, dealt with a groin injury and bounced up and down between Triple A and the Majors this year.  He earned $900K.
• Cases of players avoiding arbitration and signing for 2010, according to the AP: Matt Diaz of the Braves at $2.55MM, Ronny Cedeno of the Pirates at $1.125MM, and Esteban German of the Rangers at $600K. Diaz gets a 106% raise, heading into his third arbitration year.
• The AP also notes that the Nationals signed pitcher Ryan Speier for $425K.  The 30-year-old toiled at Triple A for the Rockies this year, mainly.
• MLB.com's Steve Gilbert (via Twitter) reports that the Diamondbacks have avoided going to arbitration with Augie Ojeda by re-signing the veteran infielder to a one-year deal.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the contract is worth $825K.  Ojeda, 34, has spent the last three seasons with Arizona and hit .246/.340/.345 in 309 plate appearances in 2009.  The defensive specialist is a valuable utilityman, able to play second, third and shortstop.
• Twins GM Bill Smith tells Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that his traditionally low-spending team has "substantial funds" to cover arbitration raises and potential signings that could raise Minnesota's payroll into the $90MM neighborhood for next season.  The general manager was predictably non-committal when asked if "substantial" translated to "enough to extend Joe Mauer."
• NPB Tracker passes on news from Japanese site Sanspo.com that the Yakult Swallows will announce next week that they have signed Eulogio De La Cruz.  The right-hander was released by the Padres on Wednesday.  De La Cruz has an 11.84 ERA in 15 appearances over three seasons with San Diego, Florida and Detroit.
• The White Sox seem ready to stick with Randy Williams as the only left-handed reliever (besides, of course, set-up man Matt Thornton) next season, as Chicago GM Kenny Williams told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  Gonzales notes that if the club changes its mind, a possible target could be former White Sox reliever Neal Cotts, who will be non-tendered by the Cubs tomorrow.

Here's what Padres exec Paul DePodesta said about De La Cruz in March, when the Padres acquired him:

Described by our scouts as a "little bull with a big arm" De La Cruz has supposedly thrown 100 mph. Most of the time, however, he sits between 93-97 mph with his fastball, which he complements with both a curveball and a changeup. He has just 16 innings at the big league level (and they weren't very pretty), but we believe he's big league ready. And now for my standard ending… we're excited to have him.

Cruz, 25, posted a 4.34 ERA in 25 starts at Triple A last year.  He came to Florida as part of the Miguel Cabrera deal in December of '07.  Cruz fits the Padres' desire for hard-throwing pitchers.  Here's Paul DePodesta's take on him.

The Marlins subsequently signed lefty Carlos Vasquez to a minor league deal, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  Vasquez has been a minor league reliever in the Cubs' and Red Sox systems.

Morosi also notes that Marcus Thames, Brandon Inge, and Chad Durbin are now on the block.

Baseball Prospectus’ Nate Silver weighs in on the big trade here.

FROM 12-4-07 at 5:30pm:

ESPN’s Peter Gammons is reporting that the Tigers have acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, and three minor leaguers.

This is what the hot stove league is all about, unexpected massive eight-player blockbusters.  All the talk was that the Tigers would have a quiet Winter Meetings.  Instead they traded for one of the best hitters in the game, adding an immediate 5-7 wins in the process.  Swapping out Willis for Miller will probably be a push in 2008 before things swing toward the Fish.

Maybin and Miller are both elite prospects; it seems packaging Cabrera with Willis was the only way they could get both.  Interestingly, it seems like Sports Review Magazine may have scooped this trade way back at 9:52am CST.  I am surprised this link didn’t get in my hands until now.