Talbot spent time with the Columbus Clippers last year after four seasons away from the affiliated ranks. He threw well in 17 starts and one relief appearance. Over 103 2/3 frames, Talbot ran up a 2.52 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9.

With the Indians needing to backfill depth after losing another top starter in Carlos Carrasco, it’s not surprising to see them turn to the former second-round pick. Talbot, 35, is well known to the Indians from his first run with the organization back in 2010-11, during which he made forty starts. He owns a lifetime 5.30 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 232 2/3 total MLB innings.

• The Indians have added righty Mitch Talbot on a minors deal, per MLBTR’s Steve Adams (via Twitter). He’ll join the rotation at Triple-A Columbus, taking the place of the recently promoted Adam Plutko. Talbot last appeared in the majors with the Indians way back in 2011 and had not been with an MLB organization since 2013. In the interim, he has pitched in the independent leagues and KBO. Last year, Talbot spun 110 innings of 3.03 ERA ball with 8.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 for the Sugar Land Skeeters.

• The Mets announced that they have signed right-handers Mitch Talbot and Daryl Thompson to minor league contracts and assigned them to Triple-A Las Vegas. Talbot, 29, began the season with the Marlins but missed nearly four months with an elbow injury after making his first appearance of the season. He made two rehab appearances with Miami's Gulf Coast affiliate prior to his release. He has a 5.30 ERA in 224 2/3 Major League innings.
• Thompson, 27, was pitching for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League prior to his deal with the Mets. With the Crabs, he posted a 3.18 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 124 2/3 innings. His last experience in affiliated ball came with the Twins in 2012 when he posted a 4.71 ERA in 42 innings for Triple-A Rochester.
• As can be seen in MLBTR's brand new DFA Tracker, Sean O'Sullivan and Wade LeBlanc are currently in DFA limbo. For more on how to use the DFA Tracker, check out Tim Dierkes' primer from earlier today.

• The Marlins signed Kevin Slowey to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, writes Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald. The 28-year-old right-hander was limited to eight minor league starts in 2012 thanks to a stress fracture in his rib cage. Slowey enjoyed success prior to his injury as a member of the Twins' rotation from 2008-2010. Over the course of his five season tenure with the team, Slowey posted a 4.66 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9.
• Miami also struck a deal with Mitch Talbot, who received a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, says Spencer. Talbot, 29, returns stateside after spending the 2012 season pitching for the Samsung Lions where he posted a 3.97 ERA over 138 innings. The right-hander last pitched in the big leagues in 2011 where he struggled with his H/9 (12.7) along with giving up home runs in limited innings. 

The 28-year-old posted a 6.64 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 63 2/3 innings for the Indians in 2011, though he spent time on the disabled list with a lower back strain in July. He pitched 159 1/3 innings of 4.41 ERA ball in 2010 after the Indians acquired him from Tampa Bay for Kelly Shoppach in December of 2009.

Talbot is now a minor league free agent, according to the Indians, and he is out of options, as MLB.com's Jordan Bastian notes (on Twitter).  The 28-year-old started 12 games for the Indians and posted a 6.64 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 63 2/3 innings.  He spent time on the disabled list with a strained lower back and was outrighted to the minors in August.  

Head, also 28, made his MLB debut this year.  He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he hit 24 homers and posted a .284/.338/.526 line in 463 plate appearances.  He can elect free agency, as he has previously been outrighted.

• The Indians announced that they outrighted Mitch Talbot to Triple-A to create roster space for Ubaldo Jimenez. Cleveland had designated Talbot for assignment on Sunday. The 27-year-old posted a 6.33 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 58 1/3 innings for the Indians before hitting the disabled list with a lower back strain in July. The Indians note on Twitter that Talbot, who has never been outrighted before, has to accept the assignment.

Talbot, 27, posted a 6.33 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 58 1/3 innings for the Indians before hitting the disabled list. He pitched 159 1/3 innings of 4.41 ERA ball last year after the Indians acquired him from Tampa Bay for Kelly Shoppach in December of 2009.

• The Indians, who select eighth overall in this year’s draft, figure to select a college arm and ‘would love’ UCLA right-hander Trevor Bauer, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). We heard something similar from ESPN.com’s Keith Law last week.
• As MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian explains, Mitch Talbot is nearly ready to come off the disabled list, so it’s time for the Indians to consider re-organizing their pitching staff. Talbot is out of options and figures to assume a role in the rotation or, potentially, in the ‘pen. Alex White and Carlos Carrasco have options and could be demoted to the minors leagues without being exposed to waivers.
• On his weekly podcast, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggests that the Indians could pursue a right-handed hitter as a bench bat or semi-regular if they're looking add a player midseason.
• Indians manager Manny Acta likes Austin Kearns for his outfield defense, even though he has struggled at the plate, according to Hoynes.

Here's a list of pitchers who could sign deals like the four-year, $12.6MM contract Tampa Bay completed with Davis. Like the Rays righty, these pitchers are on track to hit arbitration after 2012 and free agency after 2015 unless otherwise noted (age in parentheses):

• Mat Latos, Padres (23) – Latos was flat-out phenomenal last year and would be positioned to ask for more than Davis obtained with his record deal. The skill is there, so if the Padres believe in his health (he's now on the DL) and maturity, Latos would be an extension candidate.
• Wade LeBlanc, Padres (26) – LeBlanc, now in the minor leagues, is older than Latos and without the same front-of-the-rotation potential. His numbers, though comparable to the ones Davis has, don't scream 'lock me up,' so a deal seems unlikely.
• Jhoulys Chacin, Rockies (23) – The Rockies were aggressive with extensions this offseason, locking up Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, and others. Chacin, who struck out a batter per inning in 2010, wouldn't cost nearly as much as his more experienced teammates.
• Mike Leake, Reds (23) – If one organization was as extension happy as the Rockies this offseason it was the Reds. Leake struggled down the stretch last year and just barely made Cincinnati's rotation. They'll likely let the 2009 first rounder prove himself before committing eight figures to him.
• Jon Niese, Mets (24) – Niese has comparable numbers to Davis, with slightly more strikeouts per inning (7.4 K/9) and a higher ERA (4.33).
• Brian Matusz, Orioles (24) – Matusz compares to Davis statistically, but he could establish himself as a front-of-the-rotation starter with a breakout 2011 season, so he may be reluctant to lock himself in to pre-set salaries.
• Mitch Talbot, Indians (27) - Talbot has poor walk (4.3 BB/9) and strikeout (5.0 K/9) numbers so far in his career, so he doesn't seem like a likely extension candidate. The Indians did extend Fausto Carmona, who doesn't get many strikeouts, but they may prefer to let Talbot prove himself further before committing to him.
• Brett Cecil, Blue Jays (24) and Madison Bumgarner, Giants (21) both impressed in 2010. They're possible super two players, which means they may go to arbitration four times, once more than the starters above. If either Cecil or Bumgarner signed an extension, it wouldn't be completely parallel to the Davis deal.

It's possible that none of these pitchers will sign extensions, since long-term contracts for starters with fewer than two years of service time are uncommon. Some players don't mind going year to year in anticipation of big arbitration paydays and many teams prefer not to commit eight-figure deals to relatively unproven pitchers.

But some small market clubs, like the Athletics, Indians and Rays, have successfully completed a number of multiyear contracts for emerging pitchers. Teams looking to spend now and save later could take note and approach their best sophomore arms about long-term deals.

Talbot, 26, pitched mostly at Triple A this year.  He posted a 4.47 ERA, 6.6 K/9, and 3.0 BB/9 in ten starts.  He missed a few months with an elbow injury, so the Rays had him make six starts in the Arizona Fall League to get more work.  He's out of options, so he'll presumably compete for a spot in the Indians' rotation.  Heading into the season, Baseball America had this scouting report on Talbot:

Talbot has an 89-91 mph fastball with good movement, a hard slider with impressive late cutting action and a changeup that continues to show better fade and depth.

Shipping Aubrey Huff to the Astros in July of '06 really paid off for the Rays.  They received Talbot and eventually spun him into Shoppach.  They also received Ben Zobrist, who was immensely valuable this year.

• Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says the Red Sox are just doing their due diligence by touching base with John Lackey's agent, reminding us that they also spoke to CC Sabathia's and A.J. Burnett's representatives last offseason.
• WEEI.com's Alex Speier breaks down Joe Urbon's pitch for his client, free agent outfielder Jason Bay.
• Hideki Matsui acknowledged that he'd be disappointed if he didn't return to the Yankees, according to Anthony McCarron of The NY Daily News. Godzilla says that his agent Arn Tellem is taking care of the situation, but he doesn't think the two sides have had any discussions yet.
• ESPN's Rob Neyer says that Jack Wilson's defense is definitely worth the $10MM the Mariners gave him yesterday.
• Steve Slowinski at DRays Bay goes back and evaluates the deal that brought Mitch Talbot and Ben Zobrist to Tampa in exchange for Aubrey Huff.
• Edgardo Alfonzo still thinks he could be valuable utility player and has two or three years of baseball left, according to The NY Post's Kevin Kernan. The 36-year-old hasn't played in the big leagues since 2006.

6:31pm: Baker says the Marlins wanted catching prospect Adam Moore from the Ms in a Hermida deal.  Baseball America ranks Moore as the Mariners’ sixth best prospect.  They say he looks like a future big league starting catcher; he’ll start ’09 at Triple A.

5:31pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald says the Ms and Rangers initiated the Hermida talks, and they didn’t get far.

4:44pm: Geoff Baker says the Marlins offered Hermida to the Mariners and Rangers for catching.

12:34pm: Rays Index found a note from MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan on Monday – the Rays like Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz.

12:26pm: Berardino has an update.  He says the Marlins proposed trading Hermida to the Rays for two pitchers, likely among Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, and Mitch Talbot.  The Rays rejected the offer and it’s unlikely to be revisited.

Berardino now says the Reds have yet to inquire on Hermida.

12:04pm: Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel discusses Jeremy Hermida trade possibilities in a blog post today (hat tip, Rays Index).  He says the Reds have definitely shown interest, and also discusses the Rays.  Berardino’s sources believe Micah Owings could be had, but not Johnny Cueto.  In the case of the Rays it’d apparently take Andy Sonnanstine rather than Edwin Jackson.

By the way, the Marlins have talked about the possibility of moving Hermida to left field if they keep him.  Hermida has been a slightly above-average right fielder according to the plus/minus system.