Minor Moves: Buente, Hendrickson, Ward
As I showed earlier today in my 10 Best Minor League Deals Of The Year post, minor moves sometimes have a major impact. Today's latest:
- The Rays released right-handed reliever Jay Buente, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. The move created a 40-man roster spot for Dan Johnson, whose contract was purchased. Buente, who'd been claimed off waivers from the Marlins in May, found himself literally twice as hittable for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate as compared to his work in the Marlins' organization this year. Topkin adds that recently designated pitchers Rob Delaney and Mike Ekstrom cleared waivers and the Rays are waiting to hear if they'll accept outright assignments.
- The Orioles released lefty reliever Mark Hendrickson on Monday, according to the team's transactions page. He'd been designated for assignment last Tuesday.
- The Diamondbacks released first baseman Daryle Ward, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. The 36-year-old hit .318/.445/.471 in 110 plate appearances. He last played in the Majors in '08 with the Cubs.
Rays Claim Jay Buente; Designate Rob Delaney
The Rays claimed righty Jay Buente off waivers from the Marlins and created a 40-man roster spot by designating pitcher Rob Delaney for assignment, tweets The Tampa Tribune. The Rays then optioned Buente to Triple-A.
Buente was designated for assignment yesterday by the Marlins to clear a spot on the active roster for Steve Cishek. The 27-year-old posted a 1.94 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 0.2 HR/9 in 41 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, including five starts. He spent most of 2010 in relief, posting a 10.0 K/9 across three levels. Buente was a fifth-round pick of the Marlins in 2007.
The Rays claimed Delaney off waivers from the Twins in late January. The 26-year-old right-handed reliever had been optioned to Triple-A on Friday to open a spot for J.P. Howell. In recent years he's posted big strikeout rates at Triple-A, though he allowed ten home runs in 80 frames last year. Baseball America ranked him 24th among Twins prospects prior to the 2009 season, noting that Delaney does not throw particularly hard but his fastball has excellent sink and he has above-average command.
Marlins Designate Jay Buente For Assignment
The Marlins designated righty Jay Buente for assignment to open a spot on the 25-man roster for Steve Cishek, tweets Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. The move leaves the Marlins with 39 players on the 40-man roster.
Buente, 27, posted a 1.94 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 0.2 HR/9 in 41 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, including five starts. He spent most of 2010 in relief, posting a 10.0 K/9 across three levels. Buente was a fifth-round pick of the Marlins in 2007.