Dodgers double down with Saints, DiFazio

The American Association's player of the year has been picked up the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Vinny DiFazio, who slugged an impressive .361 with 17 homers and 82 RBI in 2015, is the second Saint to have their contract bought up by L.A. following Angelo Songco's purchase last week. DiFazio's had a hard road to get back to another shot with the majors, here's hoping he gets a long look from the Dodgers. See the Saints' official release here.

Casio Watch continues in 2016!

Good news for Fish fans with the announcement of Casio Grider's signing for the 2016 season. Grider hit .303 with seven homers and 38 RBIs in 2015. He also swiped 23 bases, which tied for 11th in the league last year. I know myself and the other photographers in the Goldeyes camp count Grider as a favourite subject to snap--and with good reason: the guy's a human highlight reel and always seems to make for an interesting photo.

MLB buys a few more AA contracts

A few more MLB signings to tell you about this week. The St. Paul Saints have sold the contract of 1B and All-Star Angelo Songco to the L.A. Dodgers. Meanwhile Kevin Hooper, who has skipped the Wichita Wingnuts for seven seasons, will be the minor league infield coordinator for the San Diego Padres this upcoming season. Both signings are a surprise at this stage of the game, and will certainly be felt in the Saints and Wingnuts' camps.

Goldeyes swap Pope for Dando

Continuing on from last week's pitching shake-up, the Goldeyes sent RHP/middle reliever Mark Pope to Texas in exchange for Zach Dando on Jan. 12. Dando's also a righty. It's also come to light that the releases of Hernandez, Jackson and Mincey last week were all due to retirements--something that makes the move a little easier to understand for the fans.

Major mound moves for the Goldeyes

What a week! The Winnipeg Goldeyes said goodbye to two veteran pitchers today with the release of LHP Nick Hernandez and RHP Matt Jackson; also released was RHP Brad Mincey, who joined the team midway through the 2015 campaign. Not sure what the future holds for these two aces, but they'll be missed by fans here in Winnipeg. Also this week, the Fish sold the contract of newly-acquired RHP Nestor Molina to the San Francisco Giants, while closer RHP Jailen Peguero signed with Veracruz (Mexico League). This flurry follows the signings of RHPs Brandon Shimo and Kevin Becker-Menditto on Dec. 17. Shimo split time between the Can-Am and Frontier Leagues last year, while Becker-Menditto spent his rookie season with the Can-Am's Garden State Greys. Expect more moves as the Goldeyes look to mix-up their bullpen.

Heisler a key 2016 signing for The Fish

Amidst the various Fish signings and player moves in the off-season, one of the obvious "must-sign" players was American Association all-star Adam Heisler, who had an outstanding rookie year with the Goldeyes. The Fish signed their leadoff hitter on Jan. 5, offering some relief for fans in a week that saw several veteran players get their release (see related story above).

Majors come calling for more American Association talent

Major league baseball has picked up several more American Association talents in recent weeks, the most recent being the Toronto Blue Jays acquisition of Kansas City T-Bones RHP Bobby Doran. This comes in the same week that the Goldeyes sold the contract of recently acquired RHP Nestor Molina to the San Francisco Giants. While the focus is usually on pitchers, it should be noted that the Lincoln AirHogs sold the contract of OF Dexter Kjerstad to the Miami Marlins last month. Pictured: Bobby Doran on the mound at Shaw Park, Aug. 2, 2015; Kjerstad at the plate, July 31, 2015.