Proctor, a fifth-round pick of the Dodgers in 1998, appeared in 307 games between the Dodgers, Yankees and Braves. In 343 career innings, he pitched to a 4.78 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 31.9 percent ground-ball rate. Proctor's best year came in 2006 with the Yankees when he totaled 102 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA. The Florida State University product banked nearly $3MM over the course of his career, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

• The Orioles have released pitcher Scott Proctor, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The O's acquired the 36-year-old from the Giants for cash in late March. As Kubatko explains, Proctor was expendable as the team finds itself with ample options in the upper minors. Proctor struggled to a 8.59 ERA in 7 1/3 innings as a Triple-A reliever before his release. Across seven full or partial big league seasons, the last of which came in 2011, Proctor logged 343 innings with a 4.78 ERA. His most productive years were 2006-07, when Proctor made 83 appearances in back-to-back seasons and posted 3.52 and 3.65 earned run averages, respectively.

• The Diamondbacks signed utility man Nick Evans, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).  Evans, who last appeared at the MLB level with the Mets in 2011, was cut loose by the Dodgers earlier this month.
• The Orioles have acquired pitcher Scott Proctor from the Giants for cash, Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reports (via Twitter). Proctor will pitch for Triple-A Norfolk. Proctor last appeared in the big leagues in 2011, when he played for the Yankees and Braves. He pitched in Korea in 2012.
• The Yankees have outrighted reliever Sam Demel to Triple-A Scranton, the team’s PR department reports (on Twitter). The team claimed Demel from the Astros earlier this week. The team also added Jayson Nix and Ben Francisco to its 40-man roster, the team notes (on Twitter) and, as MLBTR noted earlier today, designated reliever David Aardsma for assignment. Demel, 27, spent most of 2012 at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks system, posting a 4.07 ERA in 66 1/3 innings with 10.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. He has pitched 63 2/3 major-league innings in his career, all with the Diamondbacks.

Proctor, who celebrated his 36th birthday today, pitched to a 7.14 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 39 games for the Braves and Yankees in 2011.  For his career, the right-hander has a 4.78 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in seven big league seasons.

The Giants also signed Ryan Sadowski, according to Baggarly. The 30-year-old right-hander started six games for the 2009 Giants. Like Proctor, he pitched in Korea last year.

Proctor, 35, pitched for the Braves and Yankees in 2011.  He posted a 7.14 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 6.9 BB/9, 2.5 HR/9, and 31.6% groundball rate in 40 1/3 innings.  Proctor's average fastball velocity was up to 93.8 miles per hour, but it didn't translate into outs.

Valdes, a 33-year-old southpaw, joined the Yankees on an August waiver claim from the Cardinals after being designated for assignment.  Valdes tossed 12 big league innings overall and another 63 2/3 in the minors.   He's had some success against lefties.

Proctor, a 34-year-old right-hander, returned to the Yankees for eight games in September after spending most of the season with the Braves.  He began his career with the Yankees, suiting up in pinstripes from 2004-07.  In 40 1/3 innings for Atlanta and New York this year, Proctor posted a 7.14 ERA with more walks (31) than strikeouts (29).

Proctor, 34, was released by the Braves earlier this week. He had pitched to a 6.44 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 29 1/3 relief innings with Atlanta this season before being let go. Proctor spent parts of four seasons with the Yankees, posting a 4.29 ERA in 226 1/3 innings from 2004-2007. That was several arm injuries ago, however.

Proctor posted a 6.44 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings for the Braves this year. The 34-year-old, who signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in April, has struggled since appearing in 83 games in consecutive seasons (2006-07).

The Braves recently promoted Vizcaino to Triple-A and moved him to the bullpen, where he struck out eight hitters without allowing a walk in seven innings. In 97 innings of work as a starter and reliever across three levels this year, the 20-year-old has a 3.06 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

• "At least two teams" contacted the Braves about right-hander Scott Proctor, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  When the Braves re-signed Proctor last month, the team agreed to trade Proctor before May 15 if he so desired, since Atlanta couldn't call the righty up before that date due to releasing him during Spring Training.  Proctor wanted to stay with the Braves, and will be called up to the Major League roster on Sunday.  
• In another item, O'Brien thinks the Braves should consider making Jonny Venters at least a part-time closer alongside incumbent stopper Craig Kimbrel.  You can keep track of all the end-game news and rumors by following @CloserNews, MLBTR's sister Twitter feed.
• Talks between Steve Cohen and the Mets "are at a little bit of a stalemate right now," reports CNBC's Kate Kelly (passed along by Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com).  Cohen is willing to pay around $200MM for 49% of the franchise, but "he wants some significant say over how they do what they do," including getting some seats on the team's board of directors.  Despite this setback, Kelly says negotiations "are still happening and the goal is to get this thing done ASAP.”
• Mets GM Sandy Alderson recently noted that most serious trade negotiations don't begin to develop until June, but ESPNNewYork.com's Rob Parker argues that the Mets should be looking to deal Jose Reyes quickly, since the shortstop's trade value is at its highest.
• Is Bryce Harper the "best prospect ever"?  Fangraphs' Dave Cameron thinks it could be the case, given how Harper is just 18 years old.
• The Nationals, who aren't selecting first overall for the first time since 2008, intend to take the best players available to them this June. Yet amateur scouting director Kris Kline told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he intends to "really focus on pitching." The Nationals select 6th, 23rd and 34th, so they're expecting to obtain three "really good players."
• With the Marlins off to such a good start, ESPN's Jim Bowden thinks team management has to be looking into extending Edwin Rodriguez's contract.  The manager is just signed through this season and would seem like a no-brainer extension candidate, were it not for Jeffrey Loria's history of interest in bigger-name managers (such as Ozzie Guillen or Bobby Valentine).

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

Proctor, 33, was released by the Braves a week ago after signing a one-year deal worth $750K last November. Proctor appeared in four games for the Braves last season, but had an abysmal Spring Training in which he allowed 12 hits and walked nine men through just 10 2/3 innings of work. He did manage 12 strikeouts as well, though that's little consolation when you allow 14 runs.

The Braves paid Proctor just over 25% of the $750K he was guaranteed upon his release when he lost his bullpen spot to Cristhian Martinez. For his career, Proctor owns a 4.46 ERA through 302 2/3 innings. He's posted a respectable 7.8 K/9, but allowed far too many baserunners with a 4.0 BB/9 and 9.5 H/9. Opponents have a career .247/.326/.422 line against him and his platoon split is almost non-existent.

Proctor, 33, signed a one-year deal with the Braves back in November with a $750K base salary. O'Brien tweets that the Braves will owe him a little over 25% of that figure. The right-hander appeared in four games for Atlanta in 2010 and allowed four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. This Spring, the veteran allowed 14 runs (six earned) through 10 2/3 innings of work. He struck out 12 but also allowed 12 hits and walked nine batters.

Mather, 27, was selected off waivers from the Cardinals earlier this offseason (the day after signing Proctor). He owns a .233/.287/.415 line through 211 Major League plate appearances, all coming with St. Louis. Mather has seen time at both infield corners and all three outfield positions with the Cardinals in parts of two seasons.

The options for Gonzalez and Infante cost just $2.5MM each – a reasonable price to pay for two infielders who exceeded expectations in 2010. Gonzalez, who arrived in the Yunel Escobar trade, batted .250/.294/.447 with 23 hom runs in 2010. He hit most of his homers in Toronto, but added six in Atlanta. The 33-year-old is a good defender with some pop who has a sub-.300 on base percentage in his 12-year MLB career.

Infante, 28, batted .321/.359/.416 this year and made his first All-Star team. He finished third in the league in batting average and played second, third, short, left and right, so picking up his option was just a formality; the Braves weren't about to let him hit free agency.

• Of free agents Derrek Lee, Troy Glaus, and Eric Hinske, only Hinske has a chance of returning.  Bowman expects him to survey the market first.
• Billy Wagner still hasn't changed his plan to retire.
• Bowman expects the Braves to announce later today that they've exercised their $2.5MM options on Alex Gonzalez and Omar Infante.  They'll be declining on Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth.
• Scott Proctor, who is arbitration eligible, is expected to agree to a deal with a $750K base salary and incentives allowing him to approach $1MM.  The Braves also have Jair Jurrjens, Eric O'Flaherty, Martin Prado, Peter Moylan, and Matt Diaz eligible for arbitration.

WEDNESDAY: The Braves signed reliever Scott Proctor to a split contract, according to Mike Graham of TCPalm.com (hat tip to Talking Chop).  Proctor's agent Mark Rodgers said the Braves were "very aggressive in their pursuit of Scott."  The contract contains performance incentives.  Jeff Euston of Cot's Baseball Contracts informed me that Proctor would "have to spend all but about 21 days on the 25-man to qualify as a free agent after 2010."  He'll probably need all of April in the minors, meaning the Braves could retain Proctor for 2011 as an arbitration-eligible player if he has a successful '09 campaign.

Proctor, 33 in January, was released by the Marlins a month ago.  He had Tommy John surgery in May.  Proctor is a low-risk signing; the Braves may need to accumulate relievers in the event Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez both depart via free agency.

Proctor, 33 in January, was non-tendered by the Dodgers in December of last year.  He agreed to a $750K deal with the Marlins in January, but was not able to return from flexor tendon surgery as expected.  In May, he decided to undergo Tommy John surgery.  Proctor's best year was 2006, when he posted a 3.52 ERA in 102.3 relief innings for the Yankees.

Davidson, 26 in April, was claimed off waivers from the Pirates in April but designated for assignment by the Fish in May.  The southpaw worked only 10.6 innings for the Marlins' Triple A club.  A June waiver claim of Davidson by Baltmore was voided due to a shoulder injury.  Davidson found his way to the big league 60-day DL, earning a few extra bucks in the process.  Poor guy earned it – Fredi Gonzalez had him throw 52 pitches in his lone big league inning.