Cardinals purchased the contracts of OF Allen Craig, OF Jon Jay, OF Daryl Jones, C Bryan Anderson, 1B Mark Hamilton, RHP Adam Ottavino, RHP Francisco Samuel and LHP Tyler Norrick.
The promotions keep the eight from being selected in December's Rule 5 Draft. Craig, 25, was named the organization's player of the year, batting .322/.374/.547 with 26 home runs and 83 RBI for Triple-A Memphis. Jay, 24, has a .298/.363/.425 slash-line over parts of four minor league seasons. Jones and Anderson, both highly-touted prospects, are currently playing in the Arizona Fall League. Hamilton, 25, managed a .927 OPS between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in 2009. Ottavino, Samuel and Norrick have all shown potential, but have struggled with poor command.
Brewers claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from Red Sox.
Kottaras, 26, batted .237/.308/.387 with one homer and 10 RBI in 45 games with the Red Sox last season, while mostly serving as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. The move gives the Brewers some extra catching depth as they contemplate bringing prospect Jonathan Lucroy to the majors.
Orioles purchased the contracts of 3B Josh Bell, RHP Brandon Erbe, 1B Brandon Snyder, SS Pedro Florimon Jr., 1B Rhyne Hughes and RHP Luis Lebron.
Barring any unforeseen tinkering, Baltimore's 40-man roster is likely set for December's Rule 5 Draft. Bell, 22, was acquired from the Dodgers in the George Sherrill trade and is considered the Orioles' third baseman of the future. Erbe, 21, enjoyed his best professional season in 2009, going 5-4 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.09 WHIP between Class A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie. Snyder, 23, is another promising young hitter, batting .289/.362/.460 with 12 homers and 88 RBI between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. Florimon, 22, made some real strides in 2009, batting .259/.327/.412 with nine homers, 69 RBI, 26 stolen bases and 76 runs scored. He'll likely start 2010 at Double-A Bowie. Hughes, 26, was acquired from the Rays in the Gregg Zaun trade. He slugged 25 homers in 512 at-bats last season. Lebron, a 24-year-old, put up eye-popping numbers in 2009, posting a 2.54 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and an astounding 13.6 K/9. He could see the majors at some point next season.
Brewers purchased the contracts of OF Lorenzo Cain and RHP Amaury Rivas.
The moves protect Cain and Rivas from December's Rule 5 draft. Cain, 23, was limited to just 60 games in 2009 due a left knee injury, batting .218/.294/.330 between three levels in the Milwaukee organization, but he showed real promise in 2009. Rivas, who turns 24 in December, was 13-7 with a 2.98 ERA at Class A Brevard County in 2009, earning the organization's pitcher of the year award.
Red Sox released catcher George Kottaras.
Kottaras, 26, hit .237/.308/.387 this season in 93 major league at-bats. He's no longer needed in Boston now that the club has Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek locked up through 2010.
Fernando Cabrera has opted for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket.
The 28-year-old righty posted a 1.71 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 52 2/3 innings this season as Triple-A Pawtucket's closer. He has a 5.12 career ERA on the major league level, but is likely to draw some interest on the open market.
Phillies purchased the contracts of OF Quintin Berry, LHP Yohan Flande and RHP Jesus Sanchez.
The moves ensure that Berry, Flande and Sanchez will be protected from December's Rule 5 Draft. Berry, who turns 25 on Saturday, has a .275/.363/.340 line in parts of four seasons in the minors, but Philadelphia is most intrigued by his supreme speed -- Berry has 173 stolen bases in 457 games as a pro. Flande, 23, split the 2009 season between Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading, going 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Sanchez, who was acquired in the Bobby Abreu trade, impressed after making the switch from catcher to starting pitcher this season, posting a 2.41 ERA over his final 15 starts with Class A Lakewood.
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