The Los Angeles Dodgers added a pair of relievers on Monday, signing veterans Chris Perez and Jamey Wright to one-year deals.
MLB roundup: Dodgers sign pair of relievers, Rangers claim Alex Castellanos
The Dodgers bolstered their bullpen with a pair of low-key acquisitions while one of the more high-profile relievers left on the market is garnering interest from multiple clubs after his deal with Baltimore fell through.
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For more on Wright, Perez and the Dodgers, head over to True Blue LA
Perez served as the closer for the Cleveland Indians for most of the last four seasons, notching 123 saves in 140 opportunities during that stretch. He has struck out nearly a batter per inning over the course of his six-year career but ran into off-the-field issues last season which may or may not have contributed to the poor performance that resulted Cleveland's decision to release him following the completion of the World Series.
Wright returns to the Dodgers, where he pitched in 2012, following what was arguably the best season of his career. The 39-year-old right-hander posted career-bests in ERA (3.09), walks per nine (3.0) and strikeouts per nine (8.4) with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. Wright will enter spring training with a guaranteed spot on the roster for the first time in nine years, notes True Blue LA's Eric Stephen.
The Texas Rangers claimed Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Castellanos off of waivers on Monday, the team announced. Castellanos has been added to the club's 40-man roster.
Castellanos, 27, is a career .171/.186/.390 hitter in 24 big-league games, all with the Dodgers. He joined Boston in a trade on Oct. 23 that sent minor-leaguer Jeremy Hazelbaker to Los Angeles. In 2,529 minor-league plate apperances, Castellanos owns a .288/.362/.502 line.
Free-agent reliever Grant Balfour has talked with the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, among other teams, and is apparently mulling an offer from one club, according to MLB.com's Jim Duquette.
Balfour's two-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles was nixed earlier this week because of concerns the team had regarding his physical. That hasn't stopped other clubs from pursuing the 35-year-old closer, who posted a 2.59 ERA with 38 saves for the A's in 2013.
The Giants previously denied interest in adding a closer but are participating in discussions with Balfour, according to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Yankees are also in the mix, reports Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, and could look to Balfour as insurance for David Robertson, who is currently slated to fill the massive shoes of the departed Mariano Rivera.
Other minor notes
- Former Baltimore Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo was hired by the Minnesota Twins as a minor league infield and baserunning coordinator, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Perlozzo had a very brief playing career, appearing in only 12 games as an infielder in the late 1970s. As a coach, his career highlights include serving as the third-base coach for the World Champion 1990 Cincinnati Reds as well as a three-year stint as the manager of the Orioles, whom he guided to a 122-164 record (.427 winning percentage) in 286 games.
- The Milwaukee Brewers removed pitcher Michael Olmstead from their 40-man roster, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The 26-year-old right-hander reached Triple-A for the first time last season, but did not fare well there; he posted a 5.88 ERA and issued 43 walks in 59⅔ innings.
- The Cleveland Indians outrighted pitcher Trey Haley to Triple-A, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer. Haley had been designated for assignment to make room for the newly-signed John Axford, reports Hoynes. Haley is a 23-year-old right-hander who has pitched to a 5.07 ERA in 323 minor league innings, thanks in large part to an absurd walk rate of 6.7 free passes per nine innings. On the bright side, he has proven adept at limiting hits and home runs and has demonstrated a decent ability to rack up strikeouts. Haley, a former second-round draft pick, has not yet pitched above Double-A.
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