• The Rockies inked pitcher Sean Gallagher to a minor league deal today, tweets Chris Cotillo of CLNS Radio. Tracy Ringolsby of ROOT Sports confirmed the signing (also via Twitter). The righthander had been playing with the Atlantic League's Sugar Land Skeeters. According to the Denver Post's Troy Renck, the Rockies have been looking hard for minor league arms after multiple injuries and will send Gallagher to Double-A Tulsa as a starter. (Twitter links.) Gallagher, 27, first reached the bigs as a 21-year-old for the Cubs in 2007. The former top-100 prospect never panned out, however, and last appeared in the majors in 2010 as a reliever for the Padres and Pirates, sporting a cumulative 5.77 ERA over 57 2/3 innings. He was similarly ineffective as a minor league starter for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate last year, posting a 4.92 ERA over 139 innings. He failed to demonstrate strikeout ability or control, logging 5.4 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9.
• The Mets have signed right-handed starter Matt Fox from the independent league York Revolution, MLBTR has learned.  He'll start for their Triple-A Las Vegas club.  Fox is represented by David Sloane of Taurus Sports Associates.  Fox, a supplemental draft pick of the Twins in '04 as compensation for the loss of free agent Eddie Guardado, made four big league appearances for the Twins and Red Sox in 2010.  He pitched with Boston's Triple-A club in '11 and was in the Seattle organization last year.  Several former big leaguers hope to follow Fox from the Revolution back to a Major League organization, including Juan Rincon, Brett Tomko, Michael Wuertz, Andy Marte, and Eric Patterson.
• Notable former Major Leaguers such as Ian Snell, Dontrelle Willis, Ramon Castro, and Ben Broussard are currently on the Long Island Ducks' roster, but as we learned yesterday from Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, Carlos Zambrano has not yet signed a contract despite agreeing to terms.  It appears Zambrano will exhaust his options to join a Major League organization first.

• The Mariners have signed right-hander Josh Kinney to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports MLB.com's Greg Johns (on Twitter). The 32-year-old allowed 13 runs in 17 2/3 innings for the White Sox last season, though he did strike out 20 and get a ground ball nearly 60% of the time. It was Kinney's first big league action since 2009.  The Mariners also announced ten other minor league signings: infielder Luis Rodriguez, righties Jeff Marquez, Matt Fox, Jarrett Grube, and Scott Patterson, lefties Steve Garrison, Sean Henn, and Philippe Valiquette, outfielder Darren Ford, and catcher Guillermo Quiroz.  Rodriguez, Marquez, Garrison, and Ford logged time in the Majors this year.
• The Royals announced that they signed right-hander Juan Gutierrez, left-hander Francisley Bueno, catcher Max Ramirez and outfielder Greg Golson to minor league deals. Golson appeared in nine games with the Yankees in 2011, but they released him last week. Ramirez didn't play in the Major Leagues in 2011, but he has MLB experience with the Rangers.
• The Diamondbacks have signed Jonathan Albaladejo, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). The 29-year-old right-hander spent the 2011 season in Japan after posting a 4.15 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in four seasons with the Nationals and Yankees. The Mets were a finalist for Albaladejo.

• The Astros have signed outfielder Brad Snyder to a minor league contract, tweets Alyson Footer. The 29-year-old was drafted by the Indians in the first round of the 2003 draft, and spent the last three seasons in the Cubs' organization. He posted an .801 OPS in 407 Triple-A plate appearances for Iowa in 2011.
• Right-hander Matt Fox has agreed to a minor league deal with the Mariners, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The 28-year-old turned down more money from the Red Sox in favor of what he feels is a better opportunity to pitch in the bigs, MLBTR has learned. Fox made four Major League appearances for the Red Sox and Twins in 2010, but pitched exclusively for Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket last season.
• Within the previously linked tweet, Eddy adds that left-hander Joe Torres has re-signed with the Rockies. Torres, a former tenth overall pick by the Angels, spent most of 2011 pitching out of the bullpen at Double-A Tulsa, recording 10.1 K/9 and a 2.28 ERA in 55 1/3 innings.

Fox recorded five outs in a Red Sox uniform after Boston claimed him. While with the Twins last year, the 2004 supplementary first rounder posted a 3.95 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 123 innings at Triple-A.

The Red Sox officially announced their minor league deals with Tony Pena, Paul Hoover and Hector Luna. Those players also get invitations to big league Spring Training and, along with Fox, were placed on the Triple-A Pawtucket roster. 

The Red Sox announced that they designated right-hander Matt Fox for assignment to create roster space for Ramirez. Boston claimed Fox off of waivers from the Twins on September 9th and he recorded five outs in a Red Sox uniform. The 2004 supplementary first rounder posted a 3.95 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 123 innings for the Twins' Triple-A affiliate last year.

The Rangers designated Ramirez for assignment last week to create roster space for Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes. The team already has three backstops on its 40-man roster: Taylor Teagarden, Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor.

Ramirez appeared in 28 games for the Rangers last year, batting .217/.341/.348 in 85 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has spent most of his seven-year pro career in the minors, where he has a .298/.396/.476 line. 

Before the 2010 season, Baseball America wrote that Ramirez is "a plus hitter who works the count and drives the ball to all fields" when healthy. However, the publication described the catcher as a below-average defender with below-average arm strength and well below-average running speed.

• Gammons thinks the Victor Martinez situation could get dragged out all winter because the Red Sox do not want to sign him for four years as a catcher. That's the logic behind their two-year offer, they view him as a first baseman/designated hitter after the first two seasons and don't want to pay a premium for a guy playing a non-premium position.
• The Manny Delcarmen trade was the first step in recreating the bullpen. Gammons notes that Boston once landed Bronson Arroyo "for a dollar," and the club could try a similar approach with the pen this offseason. Basically, they'll just bring guys in and see what sticks rather than sign one player to a big contract. Matt Fox may have been claimed with that very idea in mind. 
• Gammons doesn't believe the Red Sox can afford to sign Carl Crawford, who he thinks will get seven years and $140MM. There is also some concern about the lineup being too lefty-heavy in a division with several top-of-the-line lefthanded pitchers.

Fox, who turns 28 this December, pitched well in his MLB debut Friday, limiting the Rangers to four hits and a walk in 5.2 innings of work. He pitched 123 innings as a swingman in Triple A with a 3.95 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. Fox has a 3.71 ERA in his six-year minor league career with 7.8 K/9, so he's a nice depth addition for Boston.

• Shin-Soo Choo is reminding his former team, the Mariners, of how talented he is, writes Doug Miller of MLB.com.  Seattle sent Choo to Cleveland in a deal for Ben Broussard in 2006.
• Jeff Larish is enjoying his second stint with the A's, writes MLB.com's Alex Espinoza.
• Twins manager Rod Gardenhire told Kelly Thesier of MLB.com that designating Matt Fox for assignment was not an easy decision.
• Yuneski Maya is excited to make his major league debut, writes George Von Benko in piece for MLB.com.
• Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun spoke to Cal Ripken Jr. who has high hopes for Manny Machado.

Fox, 27, made his first big league start this weekend, pitching 5.2 solid innings against the Rangers on Friday night. Revere, meanwhile, was Minnesota's first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2007 draft and was ranked by Baseball America as the team's fifth-best prospect prior to the season. In 406 plate appearances at Double-A New Britain this year, the 22-year-old hit .305/.371/.363 with 36 stolen bases.