transaction watch

Noticed on a perusal of the Baseball America minor league transactions chart that former Alcorn State star Corey Wimberly has signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. Wimberly, who can play second base or the outfield, is a .297 career hitter with 274 steals in seven minor league seasons. He spent 2011 at Triple-A in the Pittsburgh system, hitting .228 in an injury-shortened campaign. Now 28, he is still looking for that first big league shot. The Mets released former Mississippi State infielder Jet Butler, who bogged down in A-ball. A more noteworthy release: Atlanta cut loose outfielder/second baseman Willie Cabrera, who spent parts of four seasons with the Mississippi Braves and was something of a fan favorite. He hit .306 in 2010 but wound up back in Double-A again last summer after an all-too-brief trial in Triple-A. Two other ex-M-Braves have found new homes: Baltimore signed outfielder Antoan Richardson, who got a big-league cup of coffee with the Braves last season, and reliever Stephen Marek, who has a 3.44 minor league ERA but can’t seem to stay healthy, inked with Toronto.