Five players cut

Farmstros has a list of five minor-leaguers who were cut this week:

Wander Alvino
Jordan Comadena
Bryce Lane
Mike Ness
Jose Vargas
Bubby Williams

What the Heck, Bobby also says that former A&M catcher Kevin Gonzalez voluntarily retired.

Comadena was obviously an AC favorite, and Bubby Williams won the 2nd annual Adopt-A-Player poll.

Spring Training Qs, As with Jordan Comadena

As many of you know, Jordan Comadena has become an honorary citizen of Astros County thanks to his willingness to answer questions for us in the past. I know how excited I get about the approach of Spring Training, which made me wonder about how excited players get about Spring Training. Jordan was kind enough to fill us in on the emotions of someone who participates.
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AC: What are the weeks leading up to ST like for you?

JC: The weeks leading up to leaving for spring training are filled with a number of different emotions. I am very excited to get going again with another season, and it is always great to get back into some warmer weather when you are coming from a northern state. The days leading up to departure are also stressful because there is always so much to do in terms of organizing, packing, and making sure nothing is left behind. As a minor league player, you need to get your life for 6 months into a suitcase. I have a lot of clothes and shoes, so I always struggle with trying to condense down what all I actually take. Another difficult part of leaving for camp is
leaving behind loved ones. I am engaged to be married next fall, and we do not have the money for my fiancé to come with me during the season so she stays home and has to work. It is always very emotional having to leave her behind when I go to spring training. I hope down the line that she will be able to come with me during the season.

AC: Let's say that it's the night before you leave for ST. Can you sleep? What's running through your mind?

JC: The night before I leave I am actually very relaxed; I treat it like any other night. I will want to spend as much time with my fiancé as I can and get a good night sleep. I will put the finishing touches on my packing and double check to make sure that I have everything that I will need. I really have never had any nerves when it comes to sleeping the night before a big game or a big trip. It’s just another day.

AC: What are the essential items you pack as you head off?

JC: The thing that I stress out about the most would have to be what clothes I am going to take. Like I stated earlier I have a lot of clothes, shoes, watches and deciding what to take is always tough. Once I get all that squared away, the other essentials are my iPod, my laptop and my headphones. I love listening to music so those are all items that I have to have during the season.

AC: What are the types of items the Astros provide while in Kissimmee?

JC: The Astros will provide me with some new catchers gear, workout gear, and all the uniform stuff that I will need. They also provide some additional bats if needed.

AC: How are you getting there? Driving? What's your itinerary?

JC: I am driving to spring training. I am leaving Illinois on Tuesday February 21. I will arrive in Florida on Wednesday. I will drive to Stockbridge, Georgia the first day and spend the night there. Wednesday morning I will get an early start and drive to Port Saint Lucie, Florida where I will be staying with Robert Donovan. I will stay there with him for a few days and he will throw a couple bullpens to me. On Saturday the 25th I am going to Kissimmee. I will be staying with Brandon Barnes until I am able to get into the team hotel on March 3.

AC: What kind of communication do you get from the Astros about ST during the off-season?

JC: Throughout the off-season I would get some emails regarding some different workouts and some dietary information. I got my packet with all my report information in January.

AC: What's the first day like? Meetings? Workouts?

JC: As a catcher there are two separate first days. We have the first day of pitchers and catchers and we have the first day with the whole squad. Both days are very similar. We have some introductory meetings with a number of front office personnel as well as some meetings with our different rovers and coordinators. Once that is all done we will go through our normal workouts. As a catcher, a day consists of taking some batting practice and catching a number of bullpens. There are always a lot of pitchers in camp which means the catchers are always busy. Once the position players join us, the morning routine stays the same and we will play a game in the
afternoon.
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Big thanks to Jordan for the time he took to answer these. Be sure to follow him on Twitter for tweets on Steelers love and Tebow hate.

Qs, As with Jordan Comadena

Catcher Jordan Comadena, signed as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2009 season, took some time to reflect on his 2011 season with us over the weekend. Please do enjoy:

AC: After bouncing back and forth in between Lancaster and Lexington in 2009 and 2010, you spent the whole year at Lancaster in 2011. Did that help you in getting comfortable in 2011?

JC: Yeah, it certainly is nice to be in one spot for the entire season and not have to move around and disrupt the routine that you have set. Obviously this past season being my third in Lancaster I had a pretty solid routine that I would follow to get myself ready to go. It's also nice to be in one spot so you can really gel with your team mates and develop a nice bond.

AC: Despite a strong slash line (.295/.389/.432) for Lancaster, the coaching staff only got you 115 plate appearances in 2011. Did you get any sort of reasoning for why that was the case?

JC: Well actually coming into the season I don't think I was even going to be allotted that many. I started the year inactive and had to wait for an injury of some sort to even be on the active roster. I started playing outfield early in the season due to injuries on the club and that was what got me on the field initially. Despite my very hot start at the plate I was still deactivated a couple more times. I'm never really given any reason, I just know that its out of my control and I need to be ready when my name is called. I have a lot of pride and high expectations for myself, I expect to do well whenever I play, regardless of the time between my at bats. I keep myself ready. It is frustrating because I've shown that I can preform at a high level, I just need to continue to do what I've been doing and eventually I'll get a break.

AC: Were there any differences from Lancaster 2010, compared to the 2011 team?

JC: Every team is a little different from year to year...I've found that the quicker a team can establish an identity and its players know their roles the better and the more success they will have. The 2010 Lancaster squad was alot of fun in the second half as we made a playoff run. The 2011 team was similar in that we finally put it all together more consistently in the second half.

AC: Who do you look at from Lancaster and think, "That guy's going to be a star?"

JC: When I look back at this year, two guys stand out to me (besides Altuve who is already there, what he was doing in Lancaster was unbelievable). The first person is Jonathan Singleton - at 19 years old he is a physical specimen. He's very strong and moves very well. He's got a nice lefty stroke with power to all fields. If he continues to progress with the talent that he has now he will be a force. The other person that stood out to me was Johnny Meyer. He is the best defensive third baseman that I have ever played with or against. I would routinely be amazed at some of the plays he made look so easy. Offensively he's getting better, he drives the ball to all fields and he handles off-speed well. On top of his God-given ability, Johnny is one of the hardest workers that I've played with. He refuses to let himself fail and he will always find a way to get better each day.

AC: What are your plans for this off-season, and has there been any communication from the Astros about you moving up to Corpus?

JC: I'm living in Champaign, Illinois this year...I'm working a little and working out alot getting ready for next season. I have not had any communication with the Astros up to this point. I do hope however that another good spring by me will give me the opportunity to move up and play in Corpus next season. That is my goal to start the year.

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Big thanks to Jordan for taking the time this off-season to answer our prying questions.

More Tranzactionz!

May 25

Sent Down:
David Berner, from Corpus to Lancaster.
Luis Cruz, from Lancaster to Lexington.
Jordan Comadena, from Lancaster to Tri-City.

Brought Up:
Bryce Lane, from Lexington to Lancaster

Activated:
Chris Hicks, by Lancaster, from 7-Day DL.

Tranzactionz

Missed this from last week, but there have been some releasings:

In addition to Cesar Carrillo and Fernando Nieve, the Astros released pitcher Emmanuel Cedeno and catcher John Curtis.

Cedeno posted a rather high walk rate in 2010, and didn't make it past the GCL at 22 years old.

Curtis hit .264/.333/.342 spread out among Lancaster, Corpus, and Round Rock in 2010 (but with the vast majority of his games at Lancaster).

We also see:

May 8: Jason Bourgeois placed on DL, Joe Inglett called up from OKC.
May 8: J.D. Martinez placed on DL (hamstring), Andrew Robinson promoted to Corpus from Lancaster
May 7: Lexington pitcher Gabe Garcia placed on 7-Day DL with left elbow tendinitis. OF Emilio King assigned to Lexington from Greeneville.
May 6: Jordan Comadena promoted to Lancaster from Tri-City

Good Lord, Jordan Comadena has a nasty blister

And you can see it!

Q&A with Jordan Comadena

Catcher Jordan Comadena signed as an undrafted free agent before the 2009 season (a story which will be addressed directly) and has split time between Lexington and Lancaster over the past two seasons. He was good enough to answer a few questions for us.

AC: You had a solid career at Purdue, hitting .340/.455/.620 as a junior before breaking your hand. What was your mindset going into your senior season, the following off-season, and the draft?

JC: My mindset going into my senior season was to try and duplicate what I had going during my junior year. Following my junior year, where surgery ended my season, I came back and played my third summer in Madison in the (Northwoods League), I got healthy and got back to hitting leadoff up there. I had my best summer of the three that year hitting .294 with an OBP around .460. I felt like I had shown that my hand was healthy that I hadn't lost anything in my swing. My senior year came around and I did put pressure on myself to perform, but that was no different than any other time. I got off to a decent start that season but was never able to get over the hump and really get hot. I hit a countless number of balls hard right at people and I was moved from hitting leadoff to hitting fourth. I was never really able to make that adjustment and I struggled. It was a very frustrating season. Despite the down year I still felt that my total body of work, including summer ball, would warrant me getting drafted by someone. When the draft came and went I was extremely upset and frustrated. Getting drafted had been my life long dream and I was not able to fulfill it. With the draft gone I turned my attention to trying to get signed with someone. I called everyone that I knew in baseball trying to get an opportunity and no one wanted to sign me. I worked out for a few independent teams and still could not find a job. I eventually decided to shut it down for that summer, finish my degree at Purdue and try again next year.

AC: One of the best stories we've heard in a while is about how former Astros great Jimmy Wynn discovered you playing in a Northwoods League alumni game. From your perspective, how did that all take place?

JC: This is a crazy story. After my long and frustrating summer with no baseball, I was invited up to Madison to play in their alumni game at the end of the summer. The game featured former Mallards players as well former MLB greats like Vida Blue, Fergie Jenkins, Blue Moon Odom, and others. Madison would draw roughly 7,000 a night so this alumni game even drew about 4,000 people. I was hesitant to go up and play in the game because I was embarassed of not getting drafted. I had been a big part of the organization's success during my three summers and I had even gotten my number 14 retired earlier in that summer. I was certainly a fan favorite. So I went to the game because I felt like I owed it to the GM and the owner because they had done so much for me. I played in the game, and I played hard as I always do. I also played shortstop, which ironically, was the only position that I did not play during my time in Madison (and I also never pitched). In the game I went 2-3 with two doubles and four RBI. I also turned a double play at short and made a couple other plays.

After the game Mr. Wynn approached me and asked me why I wasn't playing anywhere? I explained to him my situation and how I very much wanted to continue playing. He said that he would talk to the Astros about me. I said thank you and didn't think anything of it. As time passed into the fall I got an email from him that said he had talked to the Astros and that he would keep me posted. At this point I began to feel as if something may happen. Winter had now come and in the mean time I had signed to play for the Gary Railcats of the Northern League. I finally got an email in December from Mr. Wynn that said the Astros wanted to sign me, that was the last I heard from him. I had a million questions and was very excited so I had to wait for a phone call. Finally on January 8, 2009, (Director of Research and Analysis) Charlie Norton called me in the evening and asked me how I felt about signing with the Houston Astros? I was happier than I can even explain. Finally I would get an opportunity with an affiliated club.

AC: You've been back and forth between Lancaster and Lexington. What's the hardest part of that transition?

JC: Honestly the biggest transition for me comes off the field. For me, moving all my stuff creates stress for me. I'm a very organized person and I have a lot of stuff, so moving is no small task. Getting everything from point A to point B is the hardest thing for me. Also, I like to get into a nice daily routine and stick with it. A change in scenery and setting changes my routine. From a baseball standpoint I don't feel there is much difference at all between Low- and High-A. I felt much more comfortable in Lancaster than I did in Lexington.

AC: Looking at your 2010 stats, it seems as though you were pretty unlucky, with a .208 BABIP in 2010. How do you handle that, from a mental aspect?

JC: Well, when you don't play everyday it's important to get your extra work in and try and stay sharp and ready for when you are called upon. From my standpoint I just tried to get a good pitch to hit and hit the ball hard. I had a lot of good at bats, especially in the second half of the season. I hit a lot of balls hard right at people. I just didn't have enough at bats for things to even out. It's frustrating when you hit a couple balls hard and go 0-4 because you know you won't play tomorrow and it'll be a few days before you get another chance. Also a 1-4 or 2-4 would raise your average significantly. It's hard to get into a groove at the plate when the ABs don't come frequently. Another mental tip is to try and pull anything you can out of the game that was positive, like moving a runner, executing a hit and run, getting a sac bunt down, driving in a run from third with less than two outs. Even if you go 0-4, and you can do a couple of those things you have to make yourself feel like it was still a good day bc you did your job in those situations. Its a brutal game when you play everyday, it's even tougher when you don't.

AC: What are your plans for this off-season?

JC: This offseason I'll be doing some traveling. I'm actually writing these answers from the airport terminal in Tampa, FL. I'm also going to Toronto Canada next week to see some friends of mine. I might try and attend a couple more Steelers games as well. Also, I'll be working in Lafayette, IN where I live with my girlfriend, doing some hitting lessons. I'm able to workout at Purdue and mix in with the team when I want. It's very nice to be able to use the facilities here.
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Big thanks to Jordan, and we'll try to check in with him later in the off-season.

Comadena on his way up

So it seems as though Jordan Comadena is on his way up to Lancaster, following Fixler's suspension yesterday. There will be a slew of transactions today as roster spots get filled and replaced. Check back early, check back often. AC has your back.

Butera and Wabick promoted

Barry Butera and Brian Wabick have been called up to Corpus from Lancaster today. Butera was the Astros' 21st Round draft pick last year. Wabick was drafted in 34th Round in 2007.

We also learn that Jordan Comadena was sent down from Lancaster to Lexington, and that Kyle Greenwalt has been activated off the 7-Day DL.

Tranzactionz!

May 17

-Lexington activates P David Duncan from 7-Day DL
-Places Brandt Walker on 7-Day DL with right bicep strain.

May 16

-Lancaster places catcher Jordan Comadena on temporarily inactive list
-Assigns catcher John Curtis to Lancaster from Tri-City

Is this the first time you've heard of John Curtis? Me, too. So I did some digging, and Curtis was a catcher at Cal-State Fullerton from '03-'06. Other than that...

Lancaster JetHawks: Jordan Comadena

Jordan Comadena
How did he get here?: Signed as free agent, February 2009
Stats: 5'10", 210 lbs, Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Age as of April 1, 2010: 24




2009 Overview

AB	Avg/OBP/SLG	K:BB	XBH-RBI	XBH/H%	K/PA%
72	.208/.288/.236	16:6	2-2	13.3%	20%

Jimmy Wynn discovered Comadena, who had a decent career at Purdue, and played independent ball before being signed by the Astros. 2009 was his first year in affiliated baseball, and he didn't see much playing time.

What happened?

He was behind Castro and Clemens at Lancaster, so understandably he didn't see much time behind the plate or at bat.

What went right?

Comadena didn't show much pop, getting just two doubles in 15 hits, and it's hard to evaluate a guy who got 80 plate appearances.

What went wrong?

Being assigned to Lancaster. Stuck behind the Astros' #1 prospect for part of the season, and then being behind the guy who was busy hitting .800 really hurt him. Statistically, he threw out just two out of 32 baserunners, for a 6% success rate.

Transactions of note

A couple of things to note:

J.R. Towles was placed on bereavement leave, which led to Brian Esposito's assignment to Round Rock from Corpus, and Jordan Comadena's assignment to Corpus from Lancaster.

And there's an odd note for today:
Eli Iorg assigned to Round Rock Express from Tri-City ValleyCats.

This is on the heels of Saturday's note that Iorg was released. We'll see if he has been resigned, or what the heck happened.

Minor League Transaction Time

In an effort to catch up on the Minor League news, here are some transactions.

Corpus Christi
June 20: P Erick Abreu assigned to Corpus from Lancaster

Lancaster
June 20: Activated C Jordan Comadena from the Temporarily Inactive List

Minor League transactions

Corpus Christi
June 3: Andy Van Hekken was placed on the inactive list
June 3: Chia-Jen Lo was activated from the DL

Lancaster
June 3: Jordan Comadena placed on temporary inactive list
June 3: Signed free agent 1B Matthew Weston

Weston is a lefty first-baseman who was with the Sussex Skyhawks of the Can-Am League. In five games for the Skyhawks this season, Weston was batting .391 9H, 4R, 3RBI. Last season he hit .299 with 22HR/60RBI. Weston was a 12th round pick by the Giants in the 2006 draft.

Jordan Comadena hearts Jimmy Wynn

In a nice little article, we get to meet Jordan Comadena, 23 year old outfielder from Purdue who the Astros signed to a minor league contract in most likely a utility role, and who will probably start 2009 in Lexington.

Comadena played in an alumni game with the Madison Mallards, played well, and was approached by the Toy Cannon himself:

“He got my information and I e-mailed him a bunch of stuff. I didn’t hear from him for a couple of months after that,” Comadena said. “In November, I got an e-mail back from him and it was encouraging. He said the Astros were working on something.”

Eventually, Comadena was contacted by Houston assistant general manager/director of player development Ricky Bennett and offered a minor league contract.

Playing well at Purdue, he was having a career year during his junior season when he broke a bone in his hand.

"My junior year I was really hitting the ball well. But a quarter way through the year, I broke a bone in my hand and had to have surgery,” he said. “I missed over half the year and that scared all the scouts away.

“My senior year I was healthy, but I didn’t have the kind of year I was hoping for. I was pretty confident somebody would take a chance on me. When it didn’t happen, I was very disappointed. But I always tried to stay positive. I felt like something was going to happen.”

The Toy Cannon lives!

Thanks to some notes from Baseball America, we find out a little more about new signing Jordan Comadena:

Comadena signed as a nondrafted free agent after a four-year career at Purdue, during which he batted .340/.455/.620 as a junior. But a broken hand late that season quashed his hopes of being drafted that summer, and he then struggled to a .276/.379/.359 season as a senior. Interestingly, Camadena was discovered at a Northwoods League alumni game by Astros scout (and former standout outfielder) Jimmy Wynn.