Minor League Transactions

Eddy:

Signed: RHP Scott Elarton, 3B Javier Castillo

Released: RHP Kevin Asselin, RHP Ben Fritz, RHP Brett Graffy, RHP Jacob Marceaux, RHP Orber Moreno, LHP Matt Jernstad, C John Curtis, C Zach Larson, 1B Todd Gossage, 2B Jesus Avila, 3B Jose Fulgencio, OF T.J. Bohn, OF Kent Gerst, OF Sergio Morales, OF Joe Persichina

Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Carlos Torres, C Tyler Flowers

Baseball America on Orber Moreno

Eddy:

Moreno cracked a couple of our Top 100 Prospects lists back when he appeared to be the Royals’ closer of the future. But his capsule in our ’01 Prospect Handbook seems ominous in retrospect: “The Royals might not have had to turn to Ricky Bottalico and Jerry Spradlin as closers if Moreno hadn’t been hurt.” Moreno missed all of the ’00 season and never would get a chance to pitch for the Royals from that point forward. He saw any amount of big league time only once, with the Mets in ’04, when he appeared in 33 games, struck out 7.5 per nine innings and didn’t allow a home run. He pitched in 14 games for Triple-A Memphis in ’06 and in 34 games in the Mexican League last season, but that’s the whole of his pro experience in the past five years. Well, that’s not entirely true. Moreno, 32, has pitched for his local Caracas club in the Venezuelan League in each of the past four winters, pitching very well each time.

Moreno was signed on February 11.

Sox sign reliever Orber Moreno

MLBTR:

The White Sox signed 32-year-old righty reliever Orber Moreno to a minor league deal, reports Billy Russo of El Universal.  Said Moreno: “Oswaldo Guillen told me that he believes in me and that he will give me the opportunity.”  Thanks to Nick Collias for translating.

From the Google translation it seems like Moreno will be given a chance to make to the Sox during Spring Training.

Stats: FG.

Rotoworld says “Moreno, 32, once looked like a nice find for the Mets, but hasn’t been able to make it back to the major leagues after undergoing shoulder surgery in 2004. He spent last season in Mexico, finishing 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 37 innings for Mexico City and Quintana Roo.”