Tonight's minor moves..

• The Rockies signed former Cardinals left-hander Tyler Johnson to a minor league deal, according to the CBSSports.com transactions page.  Johnson, who won a ring with the Cards in 2006, has been out of affiliated baseball since 2009.
• The Reds released left-hander Ron Mahay, according to the International League transactions page.  The 40-year-old signed a minor league deal with the club in January and appeared in 14 games for their Triple-A affiliate this season.  The veteran last pitched in the majors for the Twins in 2010 and was signed and released by the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Cardinals in 2011.
• The Twins have released infielder Joe Thurston and first baseman Aaron Bates, according to Dustin Morse of the Twins (via Twitter).  Thurston, 32, hooked on with Minnesota in late April after being cut by the Phillies.  Once considered a top asset in the Dodgers' farm system, Thurston has yet to see significant time in the majors outside of his 124 game 2009 campaign with the Cardinals.
• The Rays signed former major-leaguer Ryan Garko to a minor league deal, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).  The first baseman spent time in Korea last year.
• Orioles infielder Zelous Wheeler has cleared waivers and been assigned to Double-A Bowie.  Wheeler was DFA'd by Baltimore on Friday.

Links as the weekend comes to a close..

• A's reliever Grant Balfour is less than thrilled about losing his job as closer, writes Jeff Fletcher for MLB.com.  Balfour has drawn considerable interest from teams around baseball this season and Ben Nicholson-Smith recently looked at what Balfour could net Oakland in a trade.
• Twins utility man Trevor Plouffe has been struggling as of late and could wind up as a roster casualty if things do not pick up, writes Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com.  Chris Parmelee is also struggling at the plate but has minor league options remaining, unlike Plouffe.
• Alyson Footer of the Astros (via Twitter) felt that the Cardinals dodged a financial bullet when Albert Pujols signed with the Angels.

Today's outright assignments..

• The Twins announced via Twitter that left-hander Matt Maloney has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester.  The 27-year-old was designated for assignment on Wednesday to make room for right-hander P.J. Walters.

Expanded instant replay was included in the new collective bargaining agreement, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that the league is no rush to implement a new system. MLB executive vice president Joe Torre told Morosi they want to "make the game better without dragging it on."

Here's the latest from the around the league as Thursday turns into Friday...

• "I have no idea," said Kevin Youkilis to ESPN's Gordon Edes when asked what the arrival of Will Middlebrooks means for his future with the Red Sox. Youkilis can become a free agent after this season and is in the middle of a make or break year.
• The Nationals may have a better chance of trading Chien-Ming Wang than John Lannan, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Wang is currently on the DL with a hamstring issue, but Lannan has a 6.10 ERA in Triple-A.
• "This is just something that we've got to do right now," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire to LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune following last night's roster shakeup. "We need to make some changes. We need some hits. We need some new life in here, the whole package."
• Dan Wheeler declined to comment when asked if he though about accepting the Red Sox's offer of arbitration last offseason, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. Wheeler would have received a guaranteed big league contract had he accepted arbitration, but he instead settled for a minor league deal with the Indians.

The Twins announced via Twitter that they have designated left-hander Matt Maloney for assignment.  The move, along with their demotion of Danny Valencia to Triple-A, will allow the club to promote Darin Mastroianni and select the contract of right-hander P.J. Walters.

Minnesota first acquired the 27-year-old off of waivers from the Reds last Halloween.  Maloney didn't impress in his limited opportunities this year as he allowed ten runs with five strikeouts and a walk in eleven innings.

Twins owner Jim Pohlad expressed his support for GM Terry Ryan and manager Ron Gardenhire today, reports Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities radio.  Pohlad made a rare appearance on the field today, talking to Gardenhire during batting practice before Monday's game with the Angels.  Pohlad said that he is "pleased" with how Ryan has performed his job since returning to the team as the interim general manager last November, and Pohlad added that both he and Ryan have "100 percent confidence" in Gardenhire.

Pohlad admitted it has been difficult watching his team's poor start to the season and while he described the season as "technically salvagable," he sees why Minnesota fans could want a change in management.  "But I suppose (calling for someone's job) would be the natural (reaction) for somebody who's not really part of the organization might say. A frustrated fan might say that," Pohlad said.

Ryan was the Twins' GM from 1994-2007, becoming a consultant to the team once Bill Smith took over the job but returning when Smith was fired last November.  I don't see the Twins outright firing Ryan given that his tenure with the organization and the fact that he's working on an interim basis already, though it's possible he could step down after 2012 if the club settles on a permanent GM.

Gardenhire's own history with the team is also a point in his favor.  This is Gardenhire's 11th season as the Twins' manager, a stint that has seen him lead the team to six AL Central titles and an overall 873-775 record.  Gardenhire could take the fall since the Twins are on pace for their second consecutive last-place season but it's hard to blame him for the team's injuries and lackluster roster.

We'll keep track of Sunday's minor transactions here...

• Clete Thomas has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester by the Twins, the team announced (on Twitter). Thomas homered in his second plate appearance for Minnesota, but hit just .143/.172/.286 overall while striking out in 14 of his final 19 plate appearances.
• The Cubs released right-hander Dan Berlind, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Berlind, a seventh round selection of the Twins in 2007, had walked 10 through 8 1/3 innings, leading to 16 earned runs.

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that Mariano Rivera is arguably the most important player in the American League East.  The Yankees will look to in-house solutions in the back of their bullpen for now, but other teams in need of relievers will start combing the market for answers.  The Cubs would obviously part with Carlos Marmol.  The Pirates could move Joel Hanrahan, but the price would be steep. The White Sox might trade left-hander Matt Thornton and the Astros could be willing to deal Brett Myers. 

Teams are looking to see whether the Mets would deal Bobby Parnell and whether the Royals move Jonathan Broxton.  Kansas City, however, would need to receive his permission since he was signed as a free agent and otherwise couldn’t be moved until after June 15th.  Here's more from Cafardo..

• Phillies people insist that they are not on the lookout for a third baseman/left fielder with Placido Polanco struggling.  "We’re just trying to hold our heads above water until we get our guys back," a Phillies official told Cafardo.
• Twins center fielder Denard Span remains on the Nationals' radar, but with closer Drew Storen sidelined, a deal is on hold for a while.
• According to an Orioles source, they have received calls on Kevin Gregg and Matt Lindstrom.  The O's would love to move part of Gregg's $5.8MM deal for 2012.  Lindstrom, meanwhile, will earn $3.6MM with a $4MM option for 2013.
• The Astros will hang on to Wandy Rodriguez until late July when they can get the best possible deal for him.
• Even though White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is reaching the end of his contract and is 35, don’t be surprised if the club talks about keeping him for another year or two.  Many in Chicago feel the mantle will be passed to Tyler Flowers, but Jerry Reinsdorf is very loyal to his veteran players.
• First baseman Derrek Lee is definitely on the Brewers’ radar with Mat Gamel out for the season.  They’re thinking about moving Corey Hart from right field to first, but there may be outside options.  The Red Sox’s Lars Anderson and the Orioles’ Mark Reynolds could be two names to consider.
• The Red Sox expect to have Andrew Bailey, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis, and Daisuke Matsuzaka back at some point this summer.  General Manager Ben Cherington believes, "that would be better than anything we could do in a trade deadline deal."

Last offseason's Hot Stove was notable for the hefty contracts signed by the likes of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, but the abundance of closers in free agency was an interesting secondary arc. A few stoppers signed for big bucks, and if there were any takeaway, it was that many teams have not necessarily adopted a frugal philosophy with respect to bullpen spending.

The upcoming offseason's class of free-agent closers is pretty interesting, too, and several of its potential members have options for 2013. Here's a list of those pitchers and a very preliminary look at whether their options figure to be picked up:

• Matt Capps (2013 age: 29), $6MM club option with a $250K buyout: Capps' signing this offseason was maligned after he pitched poorly in 2011, but the Twins' bullpen was pretty barren, so it may have been a devil-you-know situation. He's pitching roughly the same so far this year, but the guess here is that if they were willing to bring him back after last year, they'll be willing to do so again. He could be a trade candidate, but I'm not sure there will be takers.
• Ryan Madson (32), $11MM mutual option with a $2.5MM buyout: The Reds will be on the hook for at least $2.5MM, so will they want to gamble an extra $8.5MM on a guy coming off Tommy John surgery? With Aroldis Chapman and Sean Marshall in the back of the Reds' bullpen, I think they'll pass.
• J.J. Putz (36), $6.5MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout: Putz is getting on in years, and his health is always a concern (including a DL stint during his brilliant 2011), but the right-hander is really good when he's on the mound. If he can get through this year relatively unscathed in terms of injury, which is no sure thing, I think the Diamondbacks will roll the dice, seeing as the penalty for snake eyes is relatively low.
• Joakim Soria (29), $8MM club option with a $750K buyout: Similar to the Reds and Madson, the Royals will have a tough decision to make with Soria coming off (a second) Tommy John surgery. They've been very reluctant to part with him via trade previously, so I'm thinking they'll pick up the option just to save face and see what he can yield -- either in terms of on-field contributions or perhaps a trade later in the season if he comes back healthy.
• Huston Street (29), $9MM mutual option with a $500K buyout if club declines: The Padres will likely look to trade Street before this year's deadline, so his recent injury development must make them a little nervous. He has plenty of time to get healthy before the deadline, though, and I'd expect the Friars to move hard to flip him. If they can't, they could always pick up the option and then look to trade him again next summer.
• Grant Balfour (35), $4.5MM club option with a $350K buyout: The A's will be shopping Balfour hard before the deadline, as he'll draw plenty of interest, as MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently noted. Wherever he is, his option will look pretty attractive, with his durability and effectiveness probably trumping any concerns over his age.
• Rafael Soriano (33), $14MM player option or a $1.5MM buyout: Soriano is very likely to exercise this option, meaning the Yankees will almost certainly be paying this hefty tab in 2013. The temptation may be there for Soriano to decline and rake in another two- or three-year deal elsewhere on the market, but he can get one of those after 2013, assuming for health.

In today's column, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com put together his "All-Most-Immovable team" with help from front office executives from around the league.  Predictable names such as Carl Crawford, Alfonso Soriano, and Barry Zito are on the list, but Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder also made the cut.  Pujols wouldn't be a tough sell because of his slow start, according to one AL exec, but rather because of the money due to the slugger on the back end of the deal.  Here's more from Stark..

• If the Rays and Giants shop for third basemen to replace Evan Longoria and Pablo Sandoval, they might not find many viable options. The only potentially available names Stark has heard are the Orioles' Mark Reynolds and the Twins' Danny Valencia.  One exec said that the Rays are more likely to go after someone with versatility that they can slide into a different spot upon Longoria's return.
• The Phillies are also looking for a young third baseman and the club is working to put together a list of potential replacements for impending free agent Placido Polanco.
• While some execs say that they would be wary of giving Andre Ethier a sizable deal for fear that he is in salary-drive mode, others think that the Dodgers have no other choice.  The cost of finding another right field, middle of the order bat will likely be just as high and alternatives such as Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher or Torii Hunter don't appear to be more trustworthy.
• A number of clubs are bearing down on the Astros, but reviews are mixed on Wandy Rodriguez thanks in large part to his contract.  The pitcher will earn $10MM this year, $13MM in 2013, and can be bought out of his $13MM club option for 2014 with a $2.5MM payment.
• If Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore continue to look sharp, the Nationals might not be in the market for a center fielder.
• Stark asked a few executives if they'd roll the dice on Delmon Young as a relative free agent bargain next winter and the typical response was that they would not.  Young avoided arbitration with the Tigers this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $6.75MM deal.