Minor MLB Transactions: 12/24/16

The latest minor league signings from around the sport, courtesy of Matt Eddy of Baseball America:

• The Braves have inked swingman Andrew Albers, a 31-year-old left-hander who will head to his fifth organization since the Padres selected him in the 10th round of the 2008 draft. The majority of Albers’ work last year came with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, where he recorded a 3.69 ERA, 6.08 K/9 and 2.17 BB/9 in 21 starts and 124 1/3 innings. Albers also amassed six appearances and two starts with the Twins in 2016 and has a combined 79 big league frames to his credit between Minnesota and Toronto. The lion’s share of that action came with the Twins in 2013, when Albers started 10 games and registered a 4.05 ERA, 3.75 K/9, 1.05 BB/9 and 43.5 percent ground-ball rate across 60 innings.
• The Diamondbacks have added outfielder Reymond Fuentes, whom the Royals released in September. Kansas City’s decision to move on from Fuentes came after he hit just .254/.325/.317 in 272 plate appearances with Triple-A Omaha in 2016. The 25-year-old was more successful last season with the Royals, albeit over just 44 PAs, with a .317/.364/.341 line.
• The White Sox have re-signed right-hander Chris Volstad, who spent all of 2016 with their Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. Volstad ate 176 2/3 innings last season, though he didn’t produce inspiring results (4.79 ERA, 4.28 K/9, 1.73 BB/9). The 30-year-old former Marlin and Cub was once a mainstay in the majors, having exceeded the 100-inning plateau in each season from 2009-12, but has only tossed big league 10 1/3 frames dating back to 2013.
• Just over three months after outrighting Rafael Ynoa in September, the Rockies have brought back the utilityman. The 29-year-old Ynoa totaled 202 PAs with the Rockies from 2014-15, but he took only five trips to the plate with Colorado last season. All told, he has batted .281/.306/.372 in 207 plate appearances with the Rockies and .270/.344/.364 in nearly 4,000 minor league PAs. Along with Ynoa, Colorado picked up righty C.C. Lee. The Taiwan native pitched in Japan last season after garnering minimal major league experience from 2013-15 with the Indians. Once among Cleveland’s top prospects (BA ranked him fourth in the organization after the 2011 season), the 30-year-old owns a 4.50 ERA, 8.74 K/9, 4.24 BB/9 and 34 innings in the majors.
• Righty Collin Balester is joining the Tigers, which represents a return to the States after a year in Korea. It’ll also be the 30-year-old Balester’s second stint in the Detroit organization, with which he accrued 18 major league innings in 2012. In 200 2/3 big league frames, including 15 2/3 with the Reds in 2015, Balester has struggled with a 5.47 ERA, 7.04 K/9, 4.08 BB/9 and 39.1 ground-ball mark.