Here are some minor transactions from the past week, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy…
- The Rangers signed two former first-round draft picks in left-hander Zach Jackson and utility infielder Omar Quintanilla. Jackson, picked 32nd overall by the Blue Jays in the 2004 draft, has a 5.81 ERA in 22 career major league games (17 of them starts) with the Brewers and Indians since 2006. Jackson spent 2010 pitching for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. Quintanilla was taken with the 33rd pick of the 2003 draft by Oakland, and then dealt to the Rockies in 2005 as part of the Eric Byrnes trade. Quintanilla posted a .567 OPS in 559 plate appearances with Colorado between 2005 and 2009.
- The Twins signed catchers Steve Holm and Rene Rivera to minor league contracts. A 17th-round pick of the Giants in the 2001 draft, Holm has spent his entire 10-year pro career with in the San Francisco system, racking up 107 major league plate appearances in 2008 and 2009. Rivera last played in the majors as a member of the Mariners in 2006, and has since played in the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees' systems.
- The Nationals signed right-hander Harvey Garcia and catcher Carlos Maldonado. Garcia had an eight-game cup of coffee with Florida in 2007 and has since pitched in the Pirates and Dodgers' systems. Eddy says Garcia may have earned a contract due to his solid work this year in the Venezuelan League. Maldonado, 31, was designated for assignment by Washington in September and then granted free agency after the season. Maldonado has been in pro ball since 1996 and has 4226 career minor league plate appearances (a .687 OPS) but only 62 PAs in the bigs.
