Minor Transactions: Sierra, Outman, Carpenter

Let’s round up a few notable transactions that won’t impact major league rosters:

• Cuban shortstop Anibal Sierra has agreed to a $3.5MM bonus with the Astros that will become official on July 2nd, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com reports. The total outlay will be closer to $7MM when accounting for the penalty on the amount that goes above and beyond Houston’s $2.197MM international pool, though of course that number could change if the club acquires additional spending slots. Adding the glove-first 22-year-old would appear to set the club up for yet more additions, as his signing alone would require the team to take on a two-year ban on international signings of over $300K.
• Former big league relievers Josh Outman, Josh Zeid, Eric Fornataro, and Nick Greenwood have signed deals with the Atlantic League’s New Britain Bees, according to team press release (h/t to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, on Twitter). Outman, 31, has had some productive years as a lefty specialist but never got a shot in the majors last year while dealing with shoulder troubles. Zeid, a 29-year-old righty who has seen sporadic MLB action with the Astros, posted a 4.46 ERA in 70 2/3 frames for the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015. Fornataro, a 28-year-old right-hander, has received only minimal major league time. He worked to a 5.37 ERA last year at Triple-A in the Nationals organization. As for Greenwood, 28, he did enough to earn 36 major league frames with the Cardinals in 2014, but ended with a 4.75 ERA and only managed a 5.79 earned run mark last season while functioning mostly as a Triple-A starter.
• Veteran righty David Carpenter has signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish, the club announced. He had shoulder issues in 2015 and only managed 24 1/3 innings with the Yankees and Naionals. The 30-year-old has some impressive MLB work under his belt, but his strikeout rate plummeted last year after sitting at better than one per inning. He was released by both the Rays and Braves this spring.