Transaction Update

Of course, the big news this week in transactions were the signing of Dan Haren, pending a physical (best guess: announcement made tonight during the five o’clock hour for the benefit of talk-radio chatter) and the selection of four Nationals in yesterday’s Rule 5 draft.

A couple of, well, minor signs have also been made in the past couple weeks, which I’ve neglected to report in the hopes that this week’s transactions post from Baseball America would have more (it did not).

• LHP Bobby Bramhall — A former Miami Marlin (2012) and Milwaukee Brewers farmhand (2007-2010), who, of course, has had Tommy John surgery, which is why he did not pitch in 2011. According to this scouting report, he’s a soft tosser that’s best suited to becoming a LOOGY.

• LHP Bill Bray was brought back into the organization after he elected free agency in early November, refusing to report to the minors after injuries (groin, back) limited him to 14 appearances for the Cincinnati Reds in 2012. Bray was a first-round pick in the 2004 draft for Montreal and was traded away in July 2006 as part of an eight-player deal that brought journeyman Austin Kearns and the immortal Felipe Lopez to Washington.

As mentioned in the comments, the Nationals are very likely to sign more MLFA pitchers over the next few weeks, in part to replace those “lost” yesterday as well as what appears to be the modus operandi of the Nats this time of year.