Gomes’ promotion represents the latest step in his rather quick shift from player to prominent front office executive.  Gomes was a member of the Rays’ bullpen from 2011-15, and also pitched for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in 2016 before finally hanging up his glove.  Rhymes also played for the Rays in 2012, giving Andrew Friedman (the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations and formerly head of Tampa Bay’s front office) a pair of former players-turned-colleagues working under him in the Los Angeles baseball pyramid.

Gomes joins Jeffrey Kingston in the assistant general manager role, though the Dodgers still haven’t hired an official GM since Farhan Zaidi left to take over the Giants’ baseball ops department last fall.  At the time of Zaidi’s departure, reports indicated that Zaidi’s duties would be split between Gomes, Slater, and senior VP of baseball operations Josh Byrnes.  Since Friedman runs baseball operations anyway, it’s possible L.A. might not appoint a new general manager whatsoever.

• The Nationals have re-signed second baseman Will Rhymes to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite, according to his agency, Beverly Hills Sports Council (on Twitter). Rhymes, 30, hit .274/.360/.349 in 530 plate appearances at Triple-A Syracuse last season. He has a .266/.328/.343 line in 449 career big-league plate appearances with the Tigers and Rays.

• The Blue Jays have signed right-hander Neil Wagner to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, MLBTR has learned.  Wagner has a 3.77 ERA, 2.95 K:BB ratio and 10.2 K/9 rate in 312 career minor league relief appearances in the Padres, A's, and Indians' systems, plus pitched five Major League innings with Oakland in 2011.
• The Angels signed Billy Buckner, Luke Carlin, Brendan Harris, Trent Oeltjen, Jo-Jo Reyes and J.B. Shuck to minor league contracts with invites to the Major League Spring Training camp, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.
• The Nationals have signed infielder Will Rhymes to a minor league contract with a Spring Training invite, reports the Beverly Hills Sports Council's Twitter page.  (Rhymes is represented by the BHSC.)  Rhymes was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay in September and has a .266/.328/.343 line in 449 career plate appearances over three seasons with the Tigers and Rays.
• Matt Eddy of Baseball America recaps the week's minor league transactions, including news of Brandon Wood signing a minor league deal with the Royals.  Wood, the former Angels third baseman who was once considered one of the top prospects in the game, last appeared in the Majors with the Pirates in 2011 and posted a .722 OPS for the Rockies' Triple-A team in 2012.

• Infielder Will Rhymes and right-hander Albert Suarez have both cleared waivers and remain in the organization after being designated for assignment last week, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Rhymes hit .228/.299/.285 in 137 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing second and third base.  Suarez spent the year with Advanced-A Charlotte, posting a 4.08 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 25 starts.

Rhymes, 29, hit .228/.299/.285 in 137 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing second and third bases. He hit .256/.326/.390 in 194 plate appearances with their Triple-A affiliate as well.

Rhymes, who's listed at 5'9" and 155 pounds, owns a .283/.341/.370 line in 312 MLB plate appearances. He was far more impressive at the plate in 2010 than in 2011, when his batting average on balls in play dropped by 50 points.

Feliciano made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2010, soon after his 31st birthday. He posted a .563 OPS in 119 plate appearances and spent the 2011 campaign in the minors. Sanchez, 27, spent last year in Japan and has MLB experience with the Pirates and Yankees.