The Twins announced that they have claimed right-hander Esmerling Vasquez off of waivers from the Diamondbacks. Minnesota transferred Alexi Casilla to the 60-day disabled list in a corresponding move that creates 40-man roster space for the club's new acquisition.
The D'Backs designated Vasquez for assignment on Friday, when they obtained Mike Zagurski from the Phillies for a player to be named. Vasquez, 27, appeared in 31 games for Arizona this year, posting a 4.15 ERA with 5.9 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 35.5% ground ball rate in 30 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old Dominican appeared in 50-plus games for the D'Backs in 2009 and 2010, when he posted higher strikeout rates, walk rates and ERAs than he did in 2011.
