Rays Sign Cory Wade

The Rays have signed Cory Wade to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Durham, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter). Wade is represented by Casey Close of Excel Sports Management.

Wade, who turns 30 at the end of the month, spent the 2011-12 seasons pitching out of the Yankees' bullpen. He posted a 4.23 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in that time, but the two seasons were wildly different. In 39 2/3 innings for the Bombers in 2011, Wade posted a pristine 2.04 ERA. That number rose by more than four runs in 2012 as he finished with a 6.46 ERA in an even 39 innings.

Originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2004, Wade has a 3.65 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 39.5 percent ground-ball rate in 177 2/3 innings between Los Angeles and New York.

Minor Moves: Astros, Gonzalez, Wade, Wheeler

We'll keep an eye on today's minor moves right here:

• Astros outfielder Fernando Martinez has been outrighted to Triple-A, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports (Twitter link).  Martinez was designated for assignment by the club earlier this week.
• Edgar Gonzalez has elected to become a free agent after clearing waivers, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reports (via Twitter).  Gonzalez was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays two days ago and he chose free agency rather than report to Triple-A Buffalo.  The right-hander posted a 7.88 ERA in eight innings pitched with Toronto this season.
• The Cubs released right-hander Cory Wade, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.  Wade, who struggled in ten games for the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate, owns a 3.65 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 across four big league seasons.
• The Royals have released right-handed relief pitcher Dan Wheeler, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Wheeler, 35, had been pitching for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate, where he struggled to a 9.00 ERA over 15 innings with a substandard 2.200 WHIP. Last year, Wheeler made just twelve appearances for the Indians and was similarly ineffective, pitching to an 8.76 ERA. Between 2003-2011, Wheeler made no fewer than 35 big league appearances per season. His best seasons came with the Astros in 2005-06, when he logged over 70 innings a year and posted consecutive 2.21 and 2.52 ERA marks.

Minor Moves: Figueroa, McPherson, Bocock, Bush

Tonight's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy (all links go to Twitter)..

• The Diamondbacks signed right-handers Nelson Figueroa, Alexis Lara, and Warner Madrigal, Eddy tweets.  Figueroa, 38, spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox's Triple-A affiliates.  The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances.
• The Dodgers signed journeyman third baseman Dallas McPherson, according to Eddy.  The 32-year-old infielder has hit 144 HR at the Triple-A level for Pirates, White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, and Angels with a .276/.349/.572 batting line.
• The Nationals signed defensive-minded shortstop Brian Bocock to a minor league deal, Eddy tweets.  Bocock spent last year with the Blue Jays in the minors.
• Right-hander Dave Bush will return from pitching in Korea to sign with the Blue Jays, Eddy reports.  Toronto originally drafted him in the second-round in 2002.
• The Reds inked 7'1" right-hander Loek Van Mil, whose is better than his numbers would indicate, in Eddy's opinion.
• The White Sox signed utility man Andy Gonzalez, and right-hander Jeff Gray while re-signing catcher Damaso Espino and right-hander Matt Zaleski.
• The Cubs signed right-handers Andrew Carpenter and Cory Wade plus first baseman Brad Nelson to minor league deals.  Wade elected free agency from the Blue Jays in late November.
• The Giants signed outfielder Cole Gillespie, a 28-year-old right-handed hitter with a career .390 OBP in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.

Minor Moves: Cory Wade, Fernando Nieve

We'll keep track of the latest minor moves here...

• Cory Wade elected free agency, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (on Twitter). Wade, 29, appeared in 39 games for the Yankees in 2012, posting a 6.46 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. The Blue Jays had claimed him off of waivers last month.
• The Indians signed right-hander Fernando Nieve and invited him to big league Spring Training, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The 30-year-old spent the 2012 season with the Dodgers' Triple-A team, posting a 5.96 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 119 1/3 innings. He has MLB experience with the Mets and Astros, most recently in 2010.

Blue Jays Designate McDade, McCoy, Wade

The Blue Jays announced that they designated first baseman Mike McDade, infielder Mike McCoy and right-hander Cory Wade for assignment. The move creates roster space for shortstop Ryan Goins and catcher A.J. Jimenez, who were added to the 40-man roster.

McDade, 23, posted a .285/.360/.445 with 17 home runs in the upper minors of Toronto's system this past season. McCoy appeared in 32 games for the Blue Jays, playing every outfield position and every infield position but first base. However, he posted a .482 OPS in 56 plate appearances. Wade, who was claimed from New York last month, had been a non-tender candidate. He had a projected salary of $700K after posting a 6.46 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 39 innings with the Yankees.

Blue Jays Claim Cory Wade Off Waivers

The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Cory Wade off waivers from the Yankees, the team announced. New York designated him for assignment last week.

Wade, 29, appeared in 79 games for the Yankees across the last two years, posting a 4.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 during that stretch. The reliever spent his first two big league seasons with the Dodgers and had a brief minor league stint with the Rays before joining the Bombers in June of 2011. He will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason.

Yankees Designate Cory Wade For Assignment

The Yankees have designated right-hander Cory Wade for assignment, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).  In a related move, Dellin Betances was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list to play in the Arizona Fall League.

Wade, 29, appeared in 79 games for the Yankees across the last two years, posting a 4.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 during that stretch.  The reliever spent his first two big league seasons with the Dodgers and had a brief minor league stint with the Rays before joining the Bombers in June of 2011.

Wade would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason had he not been designated for assignment.

New York Notes: Reyes, Wade, Posada, Pelfrey

The Mets have placed Jose Reyes on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain after examining the results of an MRI, the team announced.  This break in Reyes' season won't be filled by contract talks, however, as Newsday's David Lennon tweets that Reyes and his agents still plan to wait until after the season to begin negotiations.  Reyes' latest health issue isn't helping his reputation as an injury-prone player; as one unnamed Mets player tells Lennon (Twitter link), Reyes "is probably losing $100K a day on the DL," in regards to his next contract.

Here's the latest on the Mets and Yankees...

• Right-hander Cory Wade has been the Yankees' "secret weapon" since joining the club on a minor league deal in June, writes Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog.
• Another low-profile Yankee acquisition, Eric Chavez, has also paid off for the Bombers, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
• Rival executives say the Yankees lead the league in waiver claims, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
• As ESPN.com’s Buster Olney points out (on Twitter), the Yankees could use a second left-hander out of the bullpen in October. It won’t be surprising if they consider Arthur Rhodes, who will officially hit free agency later this week.
• Jorge Posada will have to choose between a bench role and asking for his release, according to Olney, who says the Yankees won’t cut him (Twitter link).
• The Mets intend to tender Mike Pelfrey a contract this winter, according to Newsday’s David Lennon. The right-hander earns $3.925MM now and could earn over $6MM in 2012.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

New York Notes: Jimenez, Nova, Collins, Wade

The Yankees enter today's action tied for the American League's best record, while the Mets sit at just .500. But it was the team from Queens that enjoyed the better Saturday, slugging four home runs en route to an 11-7 win against the Braves, while C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees were beat up by the Red Sox. As the Mets and Yanks prepare for the rubber matches of their respective series, let's round up the latest links on the two clubs:

• Speaking to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Gordon Blakeley, a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman, defended the Yankees' inactivity at the trade deadline: "We were ready to do something if there was someone who could make a big impact. If the kid in Seattle (Felix Hernandez) is available, that is different. But we didn’t see huge impact, and now we think we may get huge impact from kids we didn’t trade in August and September."
• Within the same piece, Blakeley goes on to discuss the Yankees' July pursuit of Ubaldo Jimenez, saying that the organization feels Ivan Nova "is as good as this version of Jimenez."
• The starting rotation won't be a priority for the Mets this offseason, as GM Sandy Alderson will focus instead on re-signing Jose Reyes and bolstering the bullpen, writes Newsday's David Lennon.
• While Alderson praised the performance of Terry Collins, the GM said the club wouldn't even think about extending the skipper's contract until after the season, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. Collins is currently signed through 2012.
• Cory Wade, who has recorded a 1.86 ERA in 17 relief appearances for the Yankees this year, told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Rangers were also interested in signing him after he was released by the Rays, but the Yankees "made a stronger push."

Minor Moves: Wade, Thomas, Diamond

Minor moves for Wednesday...

• The Yankees have signed right-hander Cory Wade to a Major League contract and called him up to the Major League roster, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  Wade signed a minor league deal with New York on Monday.  To make room, Hoch reports that Rafael Soriano was moved to the 60-day DL and Kevin Whelan was optioned to Triple-A.
• The Rangers have released catcher Michael Thomas, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America.  Thomas was the player to be named later in the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade last July.  Eddy notes the Rangers considered converting Thomas to pitching.
• The Cubs released righty Thomas Diamond from their Triple-A club, tweets Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald.  He'd been outrighted in May to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Doug Davis.
• The Diamondbacks purchased the contract of righty reliever Jeff Bennett from the Lancaster Barnstormers.  It appears that Bennett will join Arizona's Triple-A club.  The 31-year-old last pitched in the Majors with the Rays in '09.