• In announcing the team’s non-roster spring invites, the Marlins revealed a few new minor league signings. Among them are several right-handed relievers who could challenge for a pen spot. Vin Mazzaro, 28, had great results in 2013 for the Pirates but spent most of last year in Triple-A. 29-year-old Ryan Reid had a nice 11-inning run in 2013 but has otherwise spent much of his time in the upper minors. And Pat Misch, 33, will look to return to regular big league action. He last threw in the majors in 2011 and did not play in organized ball last year.
• The Orioles have agreed to terms with righty Steve Johnson on a minor league deal that includes a spring invite, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Johnson, 27, saw 54 innings with the O’s over 2012-13, with a strong first year followed by a rough sophomore effort. Last year saw Johnson scuffle at Triple-A, though a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery may well have been a primary culprit for those difficulties.
• The Brewers have struck a minor league deal with one-time star lefty Dontrelle Willis, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. Willis will receive an invite to big league camp, where he’ll attempt to earn a spot on an active roster for the first time since 2011. Once one of the game’s most exciting young arms, Willis faded quickly and has bounced around the league since a failed stint with the Tigers. Most recently, he has spent time in the Orioles, Angels, and Rangers systems, but has thrown most of his innings in independent ball.

More minor moves from around the league…

• First baseman Brandon Allen has re-signed with the Mets, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York tweeted yesterday. The 28-year-old Allen, once considered a Top 100 prospect, hit .266/.368/.434 with the Mets at the Triple-A level last season.
• The Brewers announced today that they’ve acquired outfielder Kyle Wren — the son of former Braves GM Frank Wren — from Atlanta in exchange for righty Zach Quintana. (W.G. Ramirez was the first to report Quintana’s trade earlier this week, on Twitter.) The 23-year-old Wren hit .290/.350/.360 between Class-A Advanced and Double-A last season, while Quintana struggled to a 5.70 ERA in 85 1/3 innings with Milwaukee’s Class-A affiliate. He was a third-round pick by the Brewers as recently as 2012, however.
• Baseball America’s Matt Eddy has several minor league deals to report (All Twitter links). The Athletics have inked catcher Carson Blair and lefty Rudy Owens; the Marlins have signed righty Ryan Reid, lefty Pat Urckfitz and center fielder Kenny Wilson; and the Braves have signed right-hander Victor Mateo and lefty Francisco Rondon.

New York claimed Reid, 28, back in December from the Pirates. Reid finally got a brief MLB audition last year and threw 11 quality innings for Pittsburgh. Over 194 career Triple-A frames, he has a 3.57 ERA and has averaged 8.6 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9.

The 28-year-old Reid made his big league debut for the Buccos in 2013 and pitched well, posting a 1.64 ERA with seven punchouts and three walks in 11 innings of work. He posted a 51.5 percent ground-ball rate and averaged 91.9 mph on his fastball in that brief Major League sample. Reid has enjoyed continued success as a reliever in the minors, as evidenced by his career 3.57 ERA in 194 innings at Triple-A. He's averaged 8.6 strikeouts and 3.2 walks per nine innings in parts of three seasons at that level.

Reid came up through the Rays system before signing with the Pirates as a minor-league free agent prior to the 2013 season. He pitched well in both Triple-A and in a brief stint in the big leagues, posting a 2.73 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings the minors, but the Bucs did not make him a September callup. The Pirates acquired Sands from the Red Sox in the Joel Hanrahan / Mark Melancon deal, but he never appeared in the big leagues for the Bucs and posted a disappointing .207/.311/.329 season for Triple-A Indianapolis.