Speedy outfielder Peter Bourjos and infielder Scooter Gennett were among the players on the go Tuesday as big league teams tweaked their rosters less than a week before opening day.
The Tampa Bay Rays added some depth by get Bourjos from the Chicago White Sox for cash or a player to be named.
The 29-year-old Bourjos hit .251 with five homers and 23 RBI in 123 games with Philadelphia last season. He signed a minor league contract Jan. 30 with the White Sox and batted .313 in 19 spring training games.
Cincinnati claimed Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers, giving the Reds another option at second base and a utility player off the bench.
Gennett grew up in Cincinnati and will make $2,525,000 this season. The 26-year-old hit .263 with a career-high 14 homers and 56 RBI last season, but the Brewers decided to go with Jonathan Villar at second base.
In another move, the Baltimore Orioles added another starting pitcher, acquiring right-hander Alec Asher from the Phillies for a player to be named or cash.
The 26-year-old Asher was 2-7 with a 5.88 ERA in 12 big league starts for the Phillies in 2015 and 2016. He served an 80-game suspension for steroid use last season, when he went 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in five starts.
"Good, young arm with options," manager Buck Showalter said.
There was a deadline Tuesday for teams to make decisions on players who became free agents and agreed to minor league contracts, and several were given formal notice they will be added to 25-man rosters by opening day. Among them were White Sox catcher Geovany Soto, Angels right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, San Diego shortstop Erick Aybar, San Francisco third baseman Aaron Hill and Toronto catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
In addition, teams paid $100,000 retention bonuses to six players with minor league contracts so they could keep them: Baltimore power hitter Pedro Alvarez; Kansas City right-hander Peter Moylan, Dodgers righty Brandon Morrow and Toronto right-hander Mat Latos.
The Rays agreed to pay the $100,000 for getting Bourjos. Tampa Bay also paid the bonus earlier this month to right-hander Tommy Hunter, whose contract had a March 15 deadline for the decision.
Several familiar names were released, including Atlanta right-handers Kris Medlen, Baltimore outfielder Michael Bourn, Minnesota right-hander Ryan Vogelsong and Phillies catcher Ryan Hanigan.