Saunders officially signs, Rapada released

The Orioles signed left-hander Joe Saunders to a Triple-A contract after he passed his physical. The transaction is official. Clay Rapada was released to make room for Saunders, who agreed to terms over the weekend. Saunders is being transitioned into a relief role to take advantage of his splits. Left-handers have a career .242 career against him. Right-handers are batting .295. The Tides didn't need two lefty specialists, which contributed to Rapada's release. So did his stats. Rapada was 2-0 with a 7.23 ERA in 18 appearances. He allowed 28 hits and walked seven batters in 18 2/3 innings. Saunders has never pitched in relief in 229 major league games. The Royals released Saunders, 33, after he went 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Omaha. He was 0-5 with a 6.13 ERA in eight starts with the Rangers, who released him on July 4. Saunders went 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA in seven starts with the Orioles in 2012 and won the Wild Card game in Texas. Norfolk's roster continues to undergo changes. Outfielder Xavier Paul was released on Sunday after batting .254 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs in 81 games. A spot was needed for reliever Ryan Webb, optioned by the Orioles over the weekend. Also, knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa has been reinstated from the restricted list and transferred to Double-A Bowie. Gamboa was suspended 50 games for testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.