Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Orioles announced that they’ve signed first baseman/outfielder Joe Maloney to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old Maloney was a 10th-round pick of the Rangers out of Division II Limestone College back in 2011. Texas cut him loose after an underwhelming age-22 season in 2013, but Maloney parlayed a solid two-year stretch with the Rockland Boulders of the independent Can-Am League into a 2016 minor league stint with the Twins. Maloney returned to the indy circuit in 2017, again suiting up for Rockland but this time posting a ridiculous .282/.359/.638 batting line and 35 homers (429 plate appearances) en route to league MVP honors. The O’s are thin on first base options in the upper levels of their minor league system, so Maloney could factor into that mix in 2018.
