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Minor Moves: Oeltjen, Laffey, Cassevah, Wolf, Hill

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We'll keep tabs on the day's minor moves here:

  • Outfielder Trent Oeltjen tweets (via Rotoworld) that he has signed with the Diamondbacks. Oeltjen, 31, has not appeared in the big leagues since 2011 with the Dodgers, but he has hit well at the Triple-A level, putting up a line of .255/.345/.483 for the Angels' Triple-A Salt Lake affiliate last season.
  • The Orioles have released lefty Aaron Laffey, MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski tweets. Laffey pitched just 12 2/3 innings in the big leagues in 2013, spending most of it struggling at Triple-A, but he pitched 100 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2012.
  • The Rockies have released pitcher Bobby Cassevah, MLB Daily Dish's Chris Cotillo tweets. Cassevah, who accumulated a 3.20 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 from 2010-2012 in the Angels bullpen, is currently rehabbing an injury.
  • Veteran lefty Randy Wolf has requested, and received, his release from the Mariners, MLB.com's Greg Johns tweets. Wolf was attempting a comeback after missing the entire 2013 season. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2012, when he pitched for the Brewers and Orioles. The Mariners told Wolf he had made the team, but he did not want to sign a 45-day advance consent release, Johns notes.
  • The Blue Jays have signed pitcher Shawn Hill from the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, MLive.com's Chris Iott tweets. Hill, 32, last appeared in the big leagues in 2012 with the Jays. He posted a 5.51 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 150 1/3 innings with the Tigers' Triple-A Toledo affiliate in 2013.
  • The Padres have acquired catcher Adam Moore from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, tweets Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. The 29-year-old has seen bit action at the MLB level in each of the last five years. In his longest stint, a 2010 run with the Mariners, Moore managed only a .513 OPS in 218 plate appearances.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Laird, Wells, Lerud, Maya, Sappelt

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We'll keep tabs on the day's minor moves here:

  • The Royals announced a series of minor league signings, including for third baseman Brandon Laird, outfielder Paulo Orlando and right-hander Wilking Rodriguez. Laird, 26, is the younger brother of Gerald Laird and joins the Royals from the Astros, where he received major league playing time in 2013. Orlando, 28, is re-upping with the Royals after six seasons in the organization. The 23-year-old Rodriguez will transition to the Royals after seven seasons in the Rays' farm system. He has a career 3.90 ERA, mostly as a starter, but has never reached Double-A.
  • Matt Eddy of Baseball America has updates on a number of clubs' minor league signings. Among those with MLB experience (with links to Twitter): The Rockies will return Bobby Cassevah and Matt McBride, and have added righty Greg Burke. Headed to the Tigers is righty Jhan Marinez, while Gorkys Hernandez and Edinson Rincon will stick with the Royals organization. The Phillies have brought back shortstop Andres Blanco. And the Dodgers inked utility infielder Brendan Harris. Other clubs with new signings include the Orioles, Reds, Marlins,  White Sox, and Athletics. 
  • The Cubs have signed outfielder Casper Wells, according to a tweet from Eddy. The team also added righties Paolo Espino and Carlos Pimentel, along with shortstop Jeudy Valdez. Wells got 102 plate appearances with three different clubs last year, posting a meager .126/.186/.147 line that is perhaps understandable given his constant movement and scant playing time. In 2012, over 316 plate appearances with the Mariners, Wells was good for a .228/.302/.396 slash. 
  • In addition to bringing back righty Benino Pruneda and catcher Jose Yepez on minor league deals, the Braves have added former Phillies backstop Steven Lerud, tweets Eddy. Lerud appeared in nine games for the Phils between 2012-13. At Triple-A last year, he had an interesting .217/.353/.311 line over 219 plate appearances, as he drew nearly as many walks (35) as he had hits (39).
  • Cutting ties with a major international acquisition, the Nationals have released righty Yunesky Maya, Eddy tweets. Washington saw little return on its $6MM investment in Maya, who had been outrighted off of the club's major league roster early in the 2013 season. After struggling in two brief call-ups in 2011-12, Maya's last stint with the Nats was even more regrettable. In his only MLB appearance of the 2013 season, Maya retired one batter in the bottom of the tenth before surrendering a walk-off home run to Pablo Sandoval. 
  • The Cubs have released outfielder Dave Sappelt, tweets Eddy. As Eddy notes, Sappelt was one of the pieces — along with lefty Travis Wood and second baseman Ronald Torreyes — picked up by Chicago in the deal that sent Sean Marshall to Cincinnati. The 26-year-old Sappelt has a .251/.301/.343 slash line in 274 plate appearances spread over the 2011-13 seasons. He has spent most of his time in Triple-A over that time frame, and posted a sub-.700 OPS in each of his two years at Iowa.

Rockies Sign Bobby Cassevah

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The Rockies signed righty Bobby Cassevah to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned.  The 27-year-old will report to Major League camp tomorrow.

Cassevah had been outrighted off the Angels' 40-man roster on Thursday, after which he elected free agency.  He spent most of 2012 at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.22 ERA, 5.4 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, and 0.58 HR/9 in 46 1/3 relief innings.  Prior to the 2011 season, Baseball America ranked Cassevah 24th among Angels prospects, noting that he "may be the most extreme groundball pitcher in the minors."  Indeed, he owns a 65.9% career groundball rate in the Majors to date.

Bobby Cassevah Elects Free Agency

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Bobby Cassevah has declined an assignment to Triple-A, choosing instead to become a free agent, MLBTR has learned. The Angels outrighted the right-hander off of their 40-man roster earlier this week.

Cassevah appeared in four games for the Angels in 2012, but spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.22 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 46 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old has a 3.20 ERA in 64 2/3 MLB innings. He had 72 hours to decide whether to accept a Triple-A assignment after clearing waivers.

Outrighted: Bobby Cassevah

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We'll keep track of the day's outright assignments here…

  • The Angels outrighted right-hander Bobby Cassevah off of their 40-man roster, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (Twitter links). Cassevah appeared in four games for the Angels in 2012, but spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.22 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 46 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old has cleared waivers and now has 72 hours to decide whether to accept a Triple-A assignment. He has a 3.20 ERA in 64 2/3 MLB innings.

Athletics Return Cassevah To Angels

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The Athletics returned Rule 5 pick Bobby Cassevah to the Angels, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The Halos will pay the standard $25K fee in the transaction.

Cassevah, 24, was one of 17 players taken in the Major League phase of December's Rule 5 draft.  He posted a 3.68 ERA, 5.5 K/9, and 4.5 BB/9 in 73.3 relief innings for the Angels' Double A club, allowing just two home runs.  Baseball America ranked Cassevah 26th among A's prospects, praising his heavy 92-94 mph sinker but suggesting he has middle reliever upside given the control problems.

Given the $21MM spent on one-year deals, the A's fancy themselves contenders in the AL West.  As such, it would've been difficult to keep Cassevah in the Majors all year.

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