• The Royals have signed catcher Max Ramirez to a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ramirez, 29, was once a top-100 prospect with the Rangers, but has only seen 140 career MLB plate appearances (all with Texas). He was the primary backstop for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate from 2012-13, but posted an interesting .192/.382/.192 line in 68 plate appearance with the Reds’ top farm club this year before hitting the open market.
• Two Somerset Patriots right-handers have been signed away to affiliated ball on minor league pacts, tweets Mike Ashmore of MyCentralJersey.com. Brett Brach has signed with the Nationals, while Kyler Newby will join the Angels. Brach, 26, had spent his career in the Indians organization, briefly reaching the Triple-A level. The 29-year-old Newby, who has spent ten seasons in the minors and owns a lifetime 9.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9, threw to a 2.70 ERA in 60 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A in the Athletics organization last year.
• Billy Buckner and Blaine Boyer have each accepted assignments with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. The pair of righties was designated for assignment (and, it turns out, exposed to outright waivers) on Sunday, in conjunction with a series of roster moves relating to the team’s acquisition of lefty Troy Patton.
• The Astros have released righty Chia-Jen Lo, according to the PCL transactions page. The 28-year-old Taiwanese native tossed 19 1/3 big league innings and even notched two saves last year for Houston. He worked to a 4.19 ERA with 7.4 K/9 against 6.1 BB/9. Lo, who was outrighted off of the club’s 40-man early this season, had struggled to a 4.74 ERA in 19 Triple-A innings in 2014, getting hit hard while striking out 8.1 and walking 5.7 batters per nine.
• MLBTR’s DFA Tracker shows several players in DFA limbo, with Blake Wood of the Indians joining Phil Irwin, Wandy Rodriguez, and Vin Mazzaro of the Pirates.

• Right-hander Joe Gardner has signed a minor league deal with the Cubs and been assigned to Double-A, where he will make his season debut on Saturday, his agents at Sosnick/Cobbe Sports announced (on Twitter). The former Indians and Rockies farmhand was a part of the 2011 trade that sent Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland. He began the season with the Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers where he fired five shutout innings with a 7-to-1 K/BB ratio. Gardner, a former third-round pick, twice ranked inside his team’s Top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America, who most recently noted that his low three-quarter arm slot makes him tough on right-handers.
• The Reds have released former top catching prospect Max Ramirez from their Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, according to the International League’s transactions page. The now-29-year-old Ramirez was 10-for-52 (all singles) with Louisville though he also managed to draw an impressive 16 walks in 68 plate appearances, making for a rather peculiar triple-slash of .192/.382/.192. He has a career .269/.348/.407 batting line in 470 games at Triple-A but hasn’t reached the Majors since 2010.

• The Reds signed catcher Max Ramirez to a minor league deal with an invite to Cincinnati's Spring Training camp, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  Ramirez has played for seven different organizations over a 10-year minor league career, including playing for the Royals' Triple-A club in 2012-13.  The 29-year-old has 140 career Major League PA, with the Rangers in 2008 and 2010.  This is the second catching move the Reds have made today after their acquisition of Brayan Pena.
• The Mets signed right-hander Joel Carreno to a minor league contract with an invite to their Major League Spring Training camp, the team announced (Twitter link).  Carreno posted a 4.06 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 1.67 K/BB rate over 37 2/3 relief innings with the Blue Jays in 2011-12 and had a very impressive 2.43 ERA, 12.2 K/9 and 3.75 K/BB rate in 66 2/3 IP split between Toronto's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2013.
• The Mets signed utilityman Anthony Seratelli to a minor league deal that includes a Major League Spring Training invitation, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports.  The 30-year-old switch-hitter has spent seven years in the Royals' farm system and posted a .286/.385/.452 slash line with 28 homers and 39 steals over 926 PA at the Triple-A level in 2012-13.  At least 10 teams had "serious interest" in Seratelli, Rubin notes.
• The Diamondbacks signed outfielder Jordan Parraz to a minor league contract, Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports (Twitter link).  A 10-year veteran of the minors, Parraz began 2013 with the Braves' Triple-A team before moving on to 74 games with the Twins' Double-A affiliate.

Here's more from the AL Central…

• Jake Peavy admitted to reporters, including Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago, that he's disappointed that the White Sox weren't able to make the playoffs, as he had hoped when he signed a two-year extension with the team last offseason. However, he's enjoying his time with the Red Sox and relishes the chance to pitch in meaningful games: "…this is what, as a competitor, as a baseball player, playing at the highest level, you dream of being able to do,” Peavy said. “Pitching in games that mean the world to your teammates, to yourself, to your coaching staff and your fan base."
• Former Tiger and current MLBPA Deputy Executive Director Tony Clark told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that Tigers owner Mike Illitch was always committed to winning, even in the years in which the Tigers weren't competitive. Clark added that he's excited to see the current group of Tigers playing well, as he has fond memories of his days with the team. Clark hit .277/.355/.502 with 156 homers for the Tigers from 1995-2001 after Detroit picked him second overall in the draft.
• Royals catcher Max Ramirez has left the Wasserman Media Group and is now represented by Burton Rocks, tweets Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Ramirez, a former top prospect, will be a free agent this winter and batted .263/.336/.375 with nine homers in 467 plate appearances at Triple-A Omaha.

• The Athletics announced that Jeremy Accardo has cleared outright waivers and has chosen to become a free agent.  Accardo posted a 4.82 ERA in 37 1/3 innings with the Indians and A's in 2012, with his Oakland experience amounting to just two innings after signing with the club in August.
• The Royals announced that they re-signed five players to minor league contracts: right-handers Juan Gutierrez and Devon Lowery, catcher Max Ramirez, infielder Matt Fields and outfielder Nick Van Stratten.
• Infielder Nick Green, who was outrighted to the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate yesterday, has elected free agency, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. Green, 34, appeared in seven games for Miami this past season, playing second base, third base and shortstop.

• 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.

Ramirez has a .229/.267/.339 line for the Cubs' and Astros' Triple-A affiliates this year. In parts of two MLB seasons with the Rangers, the 26-year old has a .217/.343/.357 line.

Ramirez has bounced around constantly in 2011. The Rangers designated him for assignment in January and saw the Red Sox claim him. The Cubs claimed him less than a week later only to release him in May. The Astros then signed him, but his stint with Houston was short, as they released him last week.

• Baseball America's Matt Eddy posted a comprehensive list of recent minor league transactions, including a swarm of draft pick signings and undrafted free agent pickups from the last week.
• The Rays released Chris Carter according to the Triple-A International League transactions page. The 28-year-old hit .270/.309/.460 with ten homers in 233 plate appearances.
• The Astros released catcher Max Ramirez and first baseman/DH Brian Dopirak, tweets Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.  The Astros had signed Ramirez in May after he'd been released by the Cubs.  Dopirak was added in December.  Both players had OBPs under .290 in their brief Triple-A stints.
• The Phillies signed righty Tim Redding to a minor league deal, tweets MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.  The 33-year-old posted a 6.59 ERA in 13 starts for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate this year.
• The Angels inked righty Jerome Williams for their Triple-A rotation, tweeted his agency Full Circle Sports Management.  The 29-year-old was drafted 39th overall by the Giants back in '99, one pick after the Rangers grabbed Colby Lewis.  Williams hasn't pitched in the bigs since '07.

Ramirez hit .286/.373/.381 in 226 plate appearances for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate last year, picking up another 85 PAs with the big club.  He played 11 games for the Cubs' Triple-A team this year.  Ramirez may still have potential with the bat, but he is considered a below-average defensive catcher.    

The Red Sox claimed Ramirez in January after coveting him for years. Five days later, they exposed him to waivers and the Cubs claimed him. Once a highly regarded prospect, Ramirez hit just .235/.300/.353 in 40 plate appearances at Triple-A Iowa. It's far from his career minor league line of .297/.394/.474, but the sample is small enough that another organization figures to give him a chance if he's looking for one. The Twins, for example, could sign him to a minor league deal.

• D'Backs manager Kirk Gibson told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that Tony Abreu cleared waivers and is going to Triple-A (Twitter link).
• The Royals told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that Gregor Blanco cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A (Twitter link).
• Outfielder Nick Evans cleared waivers yesterday, GM Sandy Alderson told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The Mets outrighted Evans when he didn't make the Opening Day roster.
• Another Mets player, Luis Hernandez cleared waivers, reports MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. He's unsure whether he'll accept a minor league assignment.
• Cubs catcher Max Ramirez cleared waivers and was outrighted to minor league camp, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
• The Tigers outrighted infielder Audy Ciriaco to create a 40-man spot for reliever Enrique Gonzalez, tweets MLB.com's Jason Beck.
• Retired reliever Billy Wagner was removed from the Braves' 40-man roster today, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.   Wagner has no plans to come out of retirement, but if he did he'd have to play for the Braves in 2011.  The AP has details.
• Orioles righty Rick Vandenhurk cleared waivers, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
• Mets reliever Jason Isringhausen, who didn't make the club out of Spring Training, agreed to spend two weeks in Port St. Lucie.  According to ESPN's Adam Rubin, one condition of the extended Spring Training agreement is that "if another team approaches Isringhausen in the interim about a major league opportunity, the Mets must either call up Izzy or let him depart."  The Mets chose Blaine Boyer over Isringhausen for the Opening Day roster, which so far has allowed them to retain both relievers.
• Outfielder Brandon Boggs, outrighted by the Brewers yesterday, accepted his Triple-A assignment according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

It's not surprising to see Abreu on waivers, since Arizona made him available earlier in the month. Ramirez is no stranger to waivers, having been claimed twice this past winter. Hernandez doesn't have an obvious role on the Mets and has drawn trade interest. 

Ramirez will restore some of the catching depth the Cubs lost when they sent Robinson Chirinos to the Rays in last week's Matt Garza trade. Ramirez appeared in 28 games for the Rangers last year and posted a .217/.341/.348 line 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.

The out-of-options catcher could compete with Welington Castillo and Koyie Hill to back up Geovany Soto.

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.

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 career line. The Rangers already have three backstops on their 40-man roster: Taylor Teagarden, Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor.

Rapada, 30 in March, appeared in 13 games for the Rangers last year. He pitched just nine innings, walking seven and striking out five. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 1.82 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings. Those numbers, which are similar to the ones he posted for the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate in 2009, have yet to translate into big league success for the left-hander.