Giants add pair of relievers

The Giants announced that Right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim and left-hander Horacio Ramirez have signed Minor League deal. Kim owns a 54-60 record, a 4.42 ERA and 86 saves in nine Major League seasons with Arizona, Boston, Colorado and Florida. He has not pitched in the Majors since 2007. Kim retired from baseball after Pittsburgh released him in 2008 during Spring Training. He was a National League All-Star in 2002, when he compiled an 8-3 record with a 2.04 ERA and 36 saves for Arizona.

Ramirez is 39-35 in seven big league seasons with Atlanta, Seattle, Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox. He was at his best as a rookie with Atlanta in 2003, when he finished 12-4 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 starts. Hope both of them can play well in the giants jerseys.

Nationals add reliever Walker

According to two baseball sources, right-hander Tyler Walker agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Nationals. The club also signed outfielder Chris Duncan and left-hander Chuck James to Minor League deals with an invitation to Spring Training. Walker is expected to be part of the new relief corps which includes Brian Bruney, Matt Capps and Eddie Guardado. He is a seven-year veteran who has played with the Mets, Giants and Rays.

Duncan is coming off one of his poorest seasons in the big leagues, hitting .227 with five home runs and 32 RBIs all in the cardinals jersey. On July 22, St. Louis traded Duncan to the Red Sox for infielder Julio Lugo, but Duncan never saw Major League action with Boston.

As for James, he missed the entire 2009 season due to left shoulder surgery. He was signed by the Nationals on the recommendation of assistant general manager Roy Clark, who was impressed by James when they were with the Braves. James' best season was in 2006.

Rangers ink with Jorge Alfaro

According to industry sources, the Rangers have signed Jorge Alfaro, a highly regarded 16-year-old catcher from Colombia. He is a right-handed hitter known for his raw power and strong arm. He is currently batting .250 with two RBIs in six games for Los Montaneros Del Sur in the Dominican Prospect League. The Phillies, Mariners, Indians, Giants and Yankees also expressed interest in this outfielder.

The Rangers, under the guidance of A.J. Preller, have been among the most aggressive teams in Latin America over the past few years, concentrating much efforts on premium players. Among the organization's top prospects are Tomas Tellis, an 18-year-old catcher from Venezuela who hit .322 in the Arizona Rookie League last summer and catcher Leonel De Los Santos, who hit .272 in 65 games at Class A Hickory last season. Hope Alfaro will put on the rangers jersey and play for the club.

Harper will manage Giants' affiliate

It is reported that Harper will lead the Giants' Class A California League affiliate in San Jose named its 2010 field staff.
Harpe spent the previous two seasons as the Giants' roving Minor League catching instructor. Before that, he managed for seven seasons in the Angels' Minor League system, including two seasons at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2006-07. Harper has played 16 Major League seasons and was the No. 1 catcher for the 1991 world champion Minnesota Twins in the twins jersey.

Gary Davenport will return to San Jose as hitting coach while Jerry Cram will serve as pitching coach. Andy Skeels, who managed San Jose to a 93-47 regular-season record and the California League title last season, is expected to receive a promotion quite possibly to Double-A Richmond.

Dodgers has termed with Miller and Redman

The Dodgers agreed to terms with pitcher Justin Miller and outfielder Prentice Redman recently. The right-handed Miller, was 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 44 games with the Giants this year. He made his Major League debut in 2002 with Toronto and has been exclusively a reliever since 2005. He has also pitched for Florida and Chiba Lotte in Japan. According to the Los Angeles Times, Miller signed a contract that pays him $850,000 if he makes the Major League roster.

Being a brother of former Major Leaguer Tike Redman, Miller last played in the Major Leagues in 2003 with the Mets. He had been in Seattle's farm system for the past three years. Now he is going to put on dodgers jersey and pitch for the dodgers.