The Rays have claimed 26-year old righty reliever Mike Ekstrom off waivers from the Padres. He pitched in 12 games (0 starts) for the Padres last season and he was 0-0 with a 6.38 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. Ekstrom also pitched in 42 games (1 start) in AAA-ball last season and he was 4-2 with a 1.73 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He has pitched in 20 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP. The Rays will likely stash Ekstrom at AAA and reward him with another call to the majors if he is solid again in the minors.

The Rays have signed 28-year old righty swinging catcher Alvin Colina to a minor league deal. Colina played in 67 games in AAA-ball last season and he was 59 for 225 (.262 avg, .766 OPS) with 31 runs scored, 8 homers and 42 RBIs. He has also played in 2 games in his major league career and he is 1 for 5 (.200 avg, .400 OPS) with 1 RBI. Colina will likely provide organizational depth for the Rays and little more.