On this date ten years ago, the Marlins were making a surprising wild card push and traded for one of the best available relievers, Rangers closer Ugueth Urbina. Double-A first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was part of the package going to Texas. The first overall pick by the Marlins three years prior, Gonzalez began the year at Triple-A following offseason wrist surgery, but had been demoted to Double-A in May. Said Marlins GM Larry Beinfest at the time, "In Adrian, we thought we were dealing in an area of strength, but we wanted to do something now." Beinfest was referring to first basemen Derrek Lee and Jason Stokes. The Marlins installed Urbina in a setup role and went on to win the World Series. John Hart was the man behind the Urbina signing and trade as Rangers GM.
Two years later, Hart stepped down to make way for the youngest GM in MLB history, 28-year-old Jon Daniels. Daniels later admitted to WEEI's Alex Speier his new front office "tried to step on the gas before we were ready," and with Mark Teixeira entrenched at first base, Gonzalez, Terrmel Sledge, and Chris Young were traded to the Padres for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. Today's minor moves, as we ponder the status of Urbina's comeback attempt…
- Jeremy Bonderman has refused an outright assignment from the Mariners and elected free agency, the team announced. He was designated for assignment on Monday. In 38 1/3 innings for Seattle this season, the 30-year-old posted a 4.93 ERA with more walks (17) than strikeouts (16). It was his first MLB action since 2010 and the only time he has pitched for a team other than the Tigers.
- The Brewers signed lefty Aaron Laffey, announced the team's player development department on Twitter early today. The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Mets in December, was designated for assignment in April, claimed by the Blue Jays, designated days later, elected free agency, was signed by the Dodgers, and opted out of his deal with that club earlier this month. He made five big league appearances this year, and also tossed 61 Triple-A innings for the Dodgers, with much more success on the road than at Isotopes Park. There is no opt-out in the Brewers deal, MLBTR has learned.
- Five players currently reside in DFA limbo: Travis Ishikawa of the Yankees, Joe Gardner of the Rockies, Cole Gillespie of the Giants, Jeremy Bonderman of the Mariners, and Adam Rosales of the Athletics. The Mets asked for unconditional release waivers for Brandon Lyon on Tuesday.
