Orioles Sign Clay Rapada
The Orioles signed Clay Rapada to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
The 29-year-old appeared in 13 games for the Rangers last year, but hasn't spent considerable time on a big leaugue mound since 2008. The left-hander posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 5.9 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings for the Tigers that year.
The Rangers released Rapada earlier in the month after designating him and Max Ramirez for assignment.
Waiver Rumors: Brown, Igarashi, Rapada
The latest on three players who were recently designated for assignment…
- The Indians announced that Jordan Brown has cleared waivers. The Indians had designated the 2006 Carolina League MVP for assignment last week, but he will remain in the Cleveland organization and arrive in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
- Ryota Igarashi cleared waivers as expected and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets DFA'd Igarashi last week.
- The Rangers put left-hander Clay Rapada on release waivers and intend to release him, according to ESPNDallas.com. The Rangers designated Rapada and Max Ramirez for assignment last week.
Rangers Designate Ramirez & Rapada For Assignment
The Rangers designated Max Ramirez and Clay Rapada for assignment to create roster space for Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).
Ramirez appeared in 28 games for the Rangers last year, batting .217/.341/.348 in 85 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has spent most of his seven-year pro career in the minors, where he has a .298/.396/.476 career line. The Rangers already have three backstops on their 40-man roster: Taylor Teagarden, Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor.
Rapada, 30 in March, appeared in 13 games for the Rangers last year. He pitched just nine innings, walking seven and striking out five. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 1.82 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings. Those numbers, which are similar to the ones he posted for the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate in 2009, have yet to translate into big league success for the left-hander.
Rangers Sign Geary, Olmedo
Texas has signed reliever Geoff Geary and infielder Ray Olmedo to minor league contracts and invited both players to spring training, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Geary, a right-hander, spent the last two seasons in Houston, posting an 8.10 ERA in 16 appearances last year and spending most of 2009 pitching with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Geary played with the Phillies for the first five years of his career, with his best season coming in 2006 (2.96 ERA, 3.00 K:BB ratio, 81 appearances).
Olmedo last played in the majors with Toronto in 2007, and spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay and Washington's Triple-A teams, respectively. He has a career slash line of .228/.276/.293 in 442 major league plate appearances and has experience playing at second, third and shortstop.
Sullivan also notes that the Rangers assigned Esteban German and Clay Rapada to Triple-A Oklahoma City after the two players cleared outright waivers.