MLB roundup: Mariners sign Humberto Quintero, Pirates sign Chris Dickerson and Cardinals claim Rafael Ortega off waivers

Just a bit of baseball hot stove action to keep you warm on this cold day.

The Mariners have signed catcher Humberto Quintero to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, according to Chris Cotillo. Quintero began last season with the Phillies but was released in July. He signed on with the Mariners and found his way into 22 games. For his career, the 34-year-old has hit .234/.267/.327 in parts of 11 seasons, mostly with the Astros.

The Pirates have inked outfielder Chris Dickerson to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, according to Rob Biertempfel. Dickerson, who will be 32 in April, has never really been able to find a home. He came up as a mildly interesting prospect in the Reds' system, blending impressive athleticism with the ability to get on base and play good defense at all three outfield positions. He has bounced around among the Reds, Brewers, Yankees and Orioles, but he has yet to match the early success he had with the Reds in 2008-09, mostly because of an unfortunate blend of missed opportunities and injury woes. Last year with the Orioles, he hit just .238/.266/.400 in 109 plate appearances.

The Cardinals have claimed Rafael Ortega off waivers from the Rangers, according to Jennifer Langosch. The Rangers just claimed him from the Rockies back in November and were hoping to sneak him through to stash him in the minors. Teams are almost always willing to spend their final roster spots on guys like Ortega though and the Cardinals were happy to oblige.

Ortega, just 22, made his major league debut with the Rockies back in 2012, finding his way into two games as a September call-up. He spent 2013 in double-A, but only played in 42 games due to a staph infection and a broken leg. The speedy outfielder has a career batting average of .298 in his six minor league seasons and has stolen 156 bases.