In 145 major league appearances with six different teams since 2000, Figueroa has a 4.55 ERA, 6.1 K/9, and 3.7 BB/9. He last appeared in the majors in 2011 with the Astros, and posted a 3.89 ERA, 5.4 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9 in 25 appearances with the Yankees and Red Sox Triple-A affiliates in 2012.

Figueroa joins former major leaguer Randy Keisler on the Lions roster.

• The Diamondbacks released right-hander Nelson Figueroa.  The 38-year-old spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox's Triple-A affiliates before hooking on with Arizona in December on a minor league deal.  The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances last season but has allowed 26 earned runs through four starts this year.
• The Indians released second baseman Matt Antonelli.  The former first round pick spent time with the Yankees and Orioles Triple-A affiliates last season.  This year, the 28-year-old saw times in just three Triple-A games for Cleveland before being cut loose.

• The Diamondbacks signed right-handers Nelson Figueroa, Alexis Lara, and Warner Madrigal, Eddy tweets.  Figueroa, 38, spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliates.  The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances.
• The Dodgers signed journeyman third baseman Dallas McPherson, according to Eddy.  The 32-year-old infielder has hit 144 HR at the Triple-A level for Pirates, White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, and Angels with a .276/.349/.572 batting line.
• The Nationals signed defensive-minded shortstop Brian Bocock to a minor league deal, Eddy tweets.  Bocock spent last year with the Blue Jays in the minors.
• Right-hander Dave Bush will return from pitching in Korea to sign with the Blue Jays, Eddy reports.  Toronto originally drafted him in the second-round in 2002.
• The Reds inked 7’1″ right-hander Loek Van Mil, whose is better than his numbers would indicate, in Eddy’s opinion.
• The White Sox signed utility man Andy Gonzalez, and right-hander Jeff Gray while re-signing catcher Damaso Espino and right-hander Matt Zaleski.
• The Cubs signed right-handers Andrew Carpenter and Cory Wade plus first baseman Brad Nelson to minor league deals.  Wade elected free agency from the Blue Jays in late November.
• The Giants signed outfielder Cole Gillespie, a 28-year-old right-handed hitter with a career .390 OBP in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.

Here's the latest from Yankee Stadium…

• The Yankees don't have interest in Juan Pierre or Rick Ankiel, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter links).  The Bombers' search for outfield help will intensify with the news that Brett Gardner will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery, though Gardner's agent Joe Bick says Gardner still hopes to return this season, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
• Wandy Rodriguez is "not even on [the Yankees'] radar," a source tells Marc Carig (Twitter link).  The Yankees reportedly had scouts on hand to watch Rodriguez pitch on Wednesday.
• The Yankees have released right-hander Nelson Figueroa, according to Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune (passed on by Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog).  Figueroa, 38, signed a minor league deal with New York in April and had a 3.96 ERA in 17 Triple-A games, nine of them starts.
• Darnell McDonald has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A, reports Collins.  The Yankees designated McDonald for assignment on Tuesday to create roster space for C.C. Sabathia's return from the disabled list.

The Blue Jays signed the 37-year-old to a minor league deal in January, but appear to have released him since. Figueroa started the 2011 season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros released him in August after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.05 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 99 2/3 innings.

Figueroa started the 2011 season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros released him in August after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.05 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 99 2/3 innings. The Pirates picked him up in August, only to grant him free agency after the season. This is clearly a depth move for the Blue Jays.

Figueroa started the season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros designated him for assignment in May after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. The 37-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.50 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 81 2/3 innings.

Figueroa started the season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros designated him for assignment in May after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. The 37-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.50 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 81 2/3 innings.

• The Astros announced that Nelson Figueroa and Joe Inglett cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A.  Inglett accepted his minor league assignment last week, according to MLB.com, while Figueroa accepted his assignment today, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
• The Astros are scheduled to activate Jason Michaels from the 15-day DL before tonight's game in Houston.
• MLB appointed team president Nolan Ryan as the 'control' person of Rangers, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Baseball’s owners approved the move, which makes Ryan accountable to MLB for operating the Rangers and following rules.

Figueroa made the Astros' rotation out of Spring Training, but has since been demoted to the bullpen. After a two-inning outing tonight in which he allowed a run and five baserunners, Figueroa has a season ERA of 8.69 with 16 walks, 45 hits allowed and 17 strikeouts. Last year he posted a 3.22 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 67 innings as a swingman.

If the 36-year-old right-hander gets picked up off of waivers, it will the fourth time he has been claimed in his nine-year career. Just last year, the Phillies selected Figueroa off of waivers from the Mets and the Astros nabbed him from the Phillies.

• The Astros set a 5pm deadline today to reach agreements with any remaining arbitration-eligible players, according to a team press release.  The club beat the deadline with Rodriguez, but not with Hunter Pence, so the Astros and the 27-year-old outfielder will go to an arbitration hearing.  As MLBTR's ArbTracker shows, Pence is Houston's last unsigned arb-eligible player.  The club offered $5.15MM, while Pence is asking for $6.9MM in his second arbitration year.  Pence is a Super Two player, so he still has two more arb years left after this one.
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post has the breakdown of Rodriguez's contract (Twitter link).  The southpaw will earn $7MM next season, $10MM in 2012 and $13MM in 2013.  There is a vesting option worth $13MM in 2014 that has a $2.5MM buyout.  Rodriguez also receives a $1.5MM signing bonus.
• MLB.com's Brian McTaggart notes that Houston now has its top four starters (Rodriguez, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Bud Norris) all under team control through at least 2012.
• Nelson Figueroa talks to Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer about how relieved he is to be on a guaranteed contract for the first time in his eight-year Major League career.

After avoiding arbitration with Humberto Quintero yesterday, the Astros now have six remaining arbitration eligible players:  Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Matt Lindstrom, Jeff Keppinger, Wandy Rodriguez, and Clint Barmes. 

• The D'Backs will likely bring interim manager Kirk Gibson back in 2011, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
• The D'Backs are close to an agreement with Jerry Dipoto that would keep the exec in Arizona as director of scouting and player development, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
• Astros GM Ed Wade told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle that he can see Nelson Figueroa being the team's fifth starter in 2011. The 36-year-old goes to arbitration this winter, assuming the Astros offer a contract.
• Jonathan Papelbon would like to set the market for closer contracts when he hits free agency after next season, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Papelbon has his doubters after a tough season, but he says he's looking forward to a dominant 2011 campaign.
• Some MLB executives are convinced that the Royals will dangle Zack Greinke as trade bait this winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
• Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reminds us of some of Omar Minaya's best and worst moves, since it looks like the Mets may soon replace their GM.
• Free agent pitching prospect Barret Loux will start accepting offers today, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

• White Sox Claim Manny Ramirez, August 31st, 2010 – Ramirez has been getting on base, but he has just one extra base hit since joining the White Sox. GM Kenny Williams was hoping for a repeat of Manny's 2008 surge, but he didn't get it and Chicago won't make the playoffs.
• Dodgers Claim Rod Barajas, August 22nd, 2010 – Barajas has an .882 OPS since joining the Dodgers, but it won't be enough to lead the team back to the playoffs. The catcher did his part when the team was in contention, hitting three homers in his first five games as a Dodger.
• Pirates Claim Chris Resop, August 4th, 2010 – The Pirates bought low on Resop and he has responded with 17.2 solid innings; he has walked 5.1 batters per nine, but also has a 2.04 ERA and 10.7 K/9 in Pittsburgh.
• Astros Claim Nelson Figueroa, July 21st, 2010 – The 36-year-old Figueroa pitched 54.1 innings for the Astros after GM Ed Wade claimed him from his former team, the Phillies. The right-hander posted a 3.98 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 for Houston.
• Indians Claim Jayson Nix, June 24th, 2010 – Nix has played second, third and left for the Indians and though he doesn't get on base much, he has hit 11 homers for the Tribe.

Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Indians three days ago, the second time they'd done so this year.  He's struggled mightily with the bat in the Majors and minors.  Figueroa cleared waivers and accepted a Triple A assignment in June, so I'm not sure what happened there.  The 36-year-old was excellent in the minors and decent in the bigs.

Trinidad, a 25-year-old southpaw, has a 4.55 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 12 home runs allowed in 97 Triple A innings this year.  Heading into the season Baseball America ranked him 26th among Astros prospects, saying he "profiles as a No. 5 starter or long reliever."  Majewski, 30, spent most of the season at Triple A where he posted a 4.04 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 2.8 BB/9 in 35.6 relief innings.