Minor League Transactions

Transactions involving minor league players for the period Dec. 12-22. All transactions conveyed by Major League Baseball.

All Rule 5 draft selections below are from the minor league phase, except when noted by an asterisk (*), which signifies major league Rule 5 draft selection.

• You can find scouting reports for most major league Rule 5 draft picks in J.J. Cooper’s exhaustive preview.

• Trade Central collects scouting reports for young players traded for major league veterans.

Atlanta Braves
Released: RHP Raymar Navarro | LHP Kevin Matthews
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Anyelo Gomez* (Yankees) | 1B Skyler Ewing (Giants) | SS Tyler Smith (Rangers)
Rule 5 draft loss: C Joe Odom (Mariners)

Subscribers can read more about 25-year-old Rule 5 reliever Anyelo Gomez in our Braves Organization Report.

Baltimore Orioles
Traded: RHP Jake Bray to Athletics as player to be named for OF Jaycob Brugman
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Pedro Araujo* (Cubs) | RHP Jose Mesa Jr.* (Yankees) | LHP Nestor Cortes* (Yankees) | C Martin Cervenka (Giants)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Brandon Barker (Marlins) | LHP Mitch Horacek (Rockies) | C Yermin Mercedes (White Sox) | 2B Angelo Mora (Dodgers) | OF Jay Gonzalez (D-backs) | 2B Brallan Perez (Athletics)

By taking three major league Rule 5 picks, the Orioles followed the Padres’ template from last season, when San Diego selected and then kept a trio of Rule 5 picks for the entire 2017 season: righthander Miguel Diaz, catcher Luis Torrens and shortstop Allen Cordoba.

Boston Red Sox
Signed: C Dan Butler (re-signed) | 1B Conrad Gregor (re-signed)
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Andy Ferguson (Royals) | OF Luke Tendler (Rangers)

Chicago Cubs
Signed: LHP Alberto Baldonado | C Taylor Davis (non-tendered and re-signed)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Pedro Araujo* (Orioles) | LHP Chris Nunn (Astros) | C Alberto Mineo (Blue Jays) | 2B Andrew Ely (Mets)

Chicago White Sox
Released: LHP Leonardo de la Cruz
Rule 5 draft pickups: C Yermin Mercedes (White Sox) | OF Carlos Tocci* (White Sox)

The White Sox selected 22-year-old outfielder Carlos Tocci in the major league Rule 5 draft, then sold him to the Rangers.

Cincinnati Reds
Rule 5 draft selection: RHP Brad Keller* (D-backs) | 3B Mitch Nay (Blue Jays)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Sandy Lugo (Twins) | RHP Eduardo Rivera (Giants)

The Reds selected 22-year-old righthander Brad Keller in the major league Rule 5 draft, then sold him to the Royals.

Cleveland Indians
Released: RHP Leonel Campos
Rule 5 draft pickup: LHP R.C. Orlan (Indians)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Jordan Milbrath* (Pirates) | SS Ivan Castillo (Blue Jays) | OF Junior Soto (Yankees)

The Indians released righthander Leonel Campos, whom they had recently signed as a minor league free agent, so he could sign with Hiroshima in Japan.

Colorado Rockies
Released: RHP Troy Neiman
Rule 5 draft pickup: LHP Mitch Horacek (Orioles)
Rule 5 draft loss: RHP Julian Fernandez* (Giants)

Detroit Tigers
Signed: LHP Will Lamb | C Derek Norris | 2B Ronny Rodriguez | OF Jason Krizan (re-signed) | OF Kenny Wilson
Released: RHP Tommy Collier
Traded: 2B Ian Kinsler to Angels for RHP Wilkel Hernandez and OF Troy Montgomery
Assigned to Mexican Pacific League: SS Isaac Paredes
Rule 5 draft pickup: OF Victor Reyes* (D-backs)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Francisco German (Rays) | LHP Locke St. John (Rangers) | C Will Allen (Marlins)

Kansas City Royals
Released: LHP Onelki Garcia
Rule 5 draft pickup: RHP Daniel Duarte (Rangers)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Andy Ferguson (Red Sox) | 3B Wander Franco (Giants)

The Royals released lefthander Onelki Garcia so that he could sign with Chunichi in Japan.

The Royals didn’t make a selection in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, yet they left with Winter Meetings with two Rule 5 picks on their 40-man roster. That’s because they purchased the rights to Rule 5 righthanders Brad Keller and Burch Smith after the Reds and Mets selected the players.

Los Angeles Angels
Signed: SS Kevin Maitan (granted free agency from Braves) | SS Livan Soto (granted free agency from Braves)
Released: OF Jared Hoying
Traded: RHP Wilkel Hernandez and OF Troy Montgomery to Tigers for 2B Ian Kinsler
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Matt Ball (Rangers) | RHP Luke Bard* (Twins) | 2B Riley Unroe (Rays)
Rule 5 draft loss: RHP Damien Magnifico (Pirates)

The Angels released outfielder Jared Hoying, whom they recently signed as a minor league free agent, so that he could sign with Hanwha in Korea.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Released: RHP Conor Costello | RHP Zach Hartman | C Brant Whiting | SS Cristian Gomez | OF Darien Tubbs
Rule 5 draft pickup: 2B Angelo Mora (Orioles)

Miami Marlins
Released: RHP Henry McAree
Traded: OF Marcell Ozuna to Cardinals for RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Zac Gallen, LHP Daniel Castano and OF Magneuris Sierra
Removed from 40-man: LHP Hunter Cervenka (outrighted to Triple-A)
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Brandon Barker (Orioles) | RHP Brett Graves* (Athletics) | RHP Elieser Hernandez* (Astros) | C B.J. Lopez (D-backs) | C Sharif Othman (Yankees) | C Will Allen (Tigers)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Tyler Kinley* (Twins) | LHP Carlos Diaz (Athletics)

Minnesota Twins
Signed: 1B Brock Stassi
Released: 1B Byung-Ho Park
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Yancarlos Baez (Yankees) | RHP Tyler Kinley* (Marlins) | RHP Sandy Lugo (Reds)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Luke Bard* (Angels) | RHP Nick Burdi* (Phillies)

The Twins negotiated a release agreement with 31-year-old Korean first baseman Byung-Ho Park so that he could sign with Nexen in him home country. Park had signed for four years and $12 million prior to 2016, but after hitting .191/.275/.409 in his rookie season, Minnesota removed him from the 40-man roster and he spent 2017 exclusively at Triple-A Rochester.

New York Mets
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Burch Smith* (Rays) | 2B Andrew Ely (Cubs)
Rule 5 draft loss: LHP Jose Medina (Padres)

The Mets selected 27-year-old righthander Burch Smith in the major league Rule 5 draft, then sold him to the Royals.

Oakland Athletics
Released: RHP Marc Berube
Acquired: RHP Jake Bray from Orioles as player to be named for OF Jaycob Brugman
Acquired: C Jonah Heim from Rays as player to be named for 2B Joey Wendle
Traded: 2B Max Schrock and SS Yairo Munoz to Cardinals for OF Stephen Piscotty
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Jaimito Lebron (Padres) | LHP Carlos Diaz (Marlins) | 2B Brallan Perez (Orioles)
Rule 5 draft loss: RHP Brett Graves* (Marlins)

Philadelphia Phillies
Signed: RHP Ryan Etsell (Evansville (Frontier)) | C Abraham Gutierrez (granted free agency from Braves)
Traded: SS Freddy Galvis to Padres for RHP Enyel de los Santos
Rule 5 draft pickup: RHP Nick Burdi* (Twins)
Rule 5 draft loss: OF Carlos Tocci* (White Sox)

The Phillies selected righthander Nick Burdi in the major league Rule 5 draft, then traded him to the Pirates for $500,000 in international bonus pool money. Subscribers can read more about Burdi in our recent Pirates Organizatoin

Pittsburgh Pirates
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Damien Magnifico (Angels) | RHP Jordan Milbrath* (Indians) | C Rafelin Lorenzo (Rays)

Subscribers can read more about 25-year-old Rule 5 reliever Nick Burdi, whom the Pirates acquired from the Phillies for international bonus pool money, in our recent Pirates Organization Report.

St. Louis Cardinals
Traded: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Zac Gallen, LHP Daniel Castano and OF Magneuris Sierra to Marlins for OF Marcell Ozuna
Traded: OF Stephen Piscotty to Athletics for 2B Max Schrock and SS Yairo Munoz
Rule 5 draft pickups: OF Angel Moreno (Rays) | OF Jean Selmo (D-backs)
Rule 5 draft loss: 3B Jacob Wilson (Nationals)

San Diego Padres
Released: RHP Chasen Ford | RHP Jake Smith | OF Jose Urena
Traded: RHP Enyel de los Santos to Phillies for SS Freddy Galvis
Traded: 2B Ryan Schimpf to Rays for SS Deion Tansel
Rule 5 draft pickup: LHP Jose Medina (Mets)
Rule 5 draft loss: RHP Jaimito Lebron (Athletics)

San Francisco Giants
Signed: RHP Albert Suarez (re-signed) | 3B Trevor Abrams (NDFA—Sonoma State (Calif.))
Released: RHP Randy Ortiz
Traded: RHP Stephen Woods, LHP Matt Krook, SS Christian Arroyo and OF Denard Span to Rays for 3B Evan Longoria
Traded: LHP Matt Moore and international bonus pool money ($750,000) to Rangers for RHP Israel Cruz and RHP Sam Wolff
Rule 5 draft pickups: RHP Julian Fernandez* (Rockies) | RHP Eduardo Rivera (Reds) 3B Wander Franco (Royals)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Drew Muren (Blue Jays) | RHP Albert Suarez* (D-backs) | C Martin Cervenka (Orioles) | 1B Skyler Ewing (Braves)

Seattle Mariners
Acquired: LHP Anthony Misiewicz from Rays for international bonus pool money ($1 million)
Rule 5 draft pickups: C Tyler Baker (D-backs) | C Joe Odom (Braves) | 1B Mike Ford* (Yankees)
Rule 5 draft loss: LHP Lane Ratliff (D-backs)

Tampa Bay Rays
Released: OF Angel Perez
Traded: LHP Anthony Misiewicz to Mariners for international bonus pool money ($1 million)
Traded: C Jonah Heim to Athletics as player to be named for 2B Joey Wendle
Traded: 3B Evan Longoria to Giants for RHP Stephen Woods, LHP Matt Krook, SS Christian Arroyo and OF Denard Span
Traded: SS Deion Tansel to Padres for 2B Ryan Schimpf
Rule 5 draft pickup: RHP Francisco German (Tigers)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Burch Smith* (Mets) | C Rafelin Lorenzo (Pirates) | 2B Riley Unroe (Angels) | OF Angel Moreno (Cardinals)

Texas Rangers
Signed: RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (non-tendered and re-signed)
Released: RHP Henrry Civil
Traded: RHP Israel Cruz and RHP Sam Wolff to Giants for LHP Matt Moore and international bonus pool money ($750,000)
Rule 5 draft selection: LHP Locke St. John (Tigers)
Rule 5 draft losses: RHP Matt Ball (Angels) | RHP Daniel Duarte (Royals) | SS Tyler Smith (Braves) | LHP Anthony Gose* (Astros) | OF Luke Tendler (Red Sox)