Good for Ricky Bennett

Ricky Bennett (and former Astros scout John Kosciak) got a job as a scout for the Pirates, according to Scott Miller.

For today, the new color scheme is all pink slips

First Bobby Heck, then Brad Mills. Now Brian McTaggart is reporting that Ricky Bennett and four scouts will not be returning to the Astros.

Luhnow:
“We’re looking top to bottom at the pro scouting department, and we’re going to be restructuring it, and part of the restructuring came with some personnel changes.”

These latest four join for other scouts to not be retained by the Astros for 2013, including the two scouts who signed George Springer and Carlos Correa, the last two 1st Round picks by the Astros.

The four scouts to be let go today are:
Bryan Lambe - hired in October 2011 after serving as a Special Assistant to the GM of the Mets.
Jack Lind
Bob Rossi - hired in 2009.
Scipio Spinks - drafted by the Astros in 1966, was just sent to Sugar Land to watch Clemens pitch

Ricky Bennett got to see a great game

And it wasn't in the Astros organization. Nope, Ricky Bennett was at the Lakewood BlueClaws - Single-A affiliate of the Phillies - game last night (along with scouts from the White Sox and Rangers), as pitcher Jesse Biddle threw 6IP, 3H/2ER, 8K:3BB and Lakewood got a walk-off win over Greenville.

Biddle, on the trade rumors, in what sounds like a prayer to God:
The truth is I want to play for the Phillies, everybody knows that. If the Phillies want to trade me at some point than they can do that but the fact is I want to play for the Phillies. That's the team I've always wanted to play for.”

(We ran this through the Baseball Translator, which turned up: "Please God, don't let them trade me to the Astros.". Interesting.)

Big changes for the front office, minors

The looming Triple-A battle was listed as a reason, but we're not exactly sure what prompted the following changes:

*Ricky Bennett is no longer an Assistant GM, and is now the Director of Professional Scouting.

*The former Director of Professional Scouting, Fred Nelson, is now Assistant GM/Director of Player Development.

Ed Wade downplayed the demotion angle:
"It's two good baseball guys being asked to fulfill different responsibilities. Ricky will coordinate the pro scouting and will have major league coverage himself but oversee the assignments of our guys out there...

..."Fred has been a farm director and brings a lot to the table with a different voice, and we wanted to have him come in and establish policies. There's a lot on the plate with the AAA situation. He has some hires to make and other things, so Fred has a full plate of responsibilities."

Hires, you ask? That's because the following personnel will not have their contracts renewed:

-Round Rock manager Marc Bombard
-Minor league pitching coordinator Britt Burns
-Corpus Christi manager Wes Clements
-Greeneville hitting coach Pete Rancont

Some quotes on the Astros/Corpus extension

Nice set of quotes from the Hooks on the news of the PDC extension through 2016 with the Astros.

CEO Reid Ryan:
This is a great day for Ryan-Sanders Baseball and the Corpus Christi Hooks. The extension further strengthens our great relationship with the Astros. Most importantly, it means that for the next six seasons our fans in the Coastal Bend will be able to continue following the progress of their Hooks as they ascend to the Major Leagues. We have been blessed with a terrific fan base in Corpus Christi and I'm extremely proud of Ken Schrom and the rest of our front-office staff at Whataburger Field. Corpus Christi was an Astros town for 40 years before it was a Hooks town and that dynamic has been an important factor in our success."

Ricky Bennett:
"Corpus Christi has been an integral part of our player development system since 2005, and the fan base that has grown in that area since then is just as important as the growth our players have had while at the Double-A level. We are excited about preserving our valued relationship with Ryan-Sanders Baseball and the City of Corpus Christi for the next six seasons."

With the Rangers' Double-A team in Frisco, it didn't make any sense for the Rangers to target the other Nolan Ryan (who is baseball's version of Uncle Pennybags) franchise.

Further words on the PED suspensions today

Zach Levine, conveniently in Corpus, filed a report with some quotes regarding the Meszaros, Fixler, Cabral, and Rodriguez suspensions for use of an undisclosed PED.

Wade, in a statement:
"The Houston Astros fully support the efforts of the Commissioner’s Office to rid our sport of any type of inappropriate drug use. Our players and staff have been briefed, counseled, educated and warned about what the ramifications and consequences are when they choose, either knowingly or not, to violate the MLB drug policy. And yet, despite the best efforts of MLB and the Astros, we still have individuals who abuse our game by ignoring reality. We are embarrassed by these types of suspensions. They are a smear on our game and our organization, and we will redouble our efforts to make sure the message gets through."

Ricky Bennett:
"I’m always disappointed when our guys make those kind of choices," said Bennett, who stressed that performance-enhancing drug dissuasion takes place at every level of the system. "Unfortunately it happens sometimes."

More on RHP Yordany Ramirez

Within Zach Levine's Minor League Notebook we see the logic behind moving 26-year old Yordany Ramirez to the mound.

Ricky Bennett:
"It came to fruition that now was the right time to take on that challenge. We're not sure where it's going to take us at this point but he's willing to do it and we're going to take the time to see what he can do on the mound."

Ramirez, in nine seasons, is a career .246/.277/.365 hitter, with 419K:87BB. He just isn't a viable prospect as an outfielder (as Levine notes), but I suppose it says something about what the Astros perceive as his athleticism that they're willing to give it a shot.

-JCJ

What are going to do with all these shortstops?

Apparently, the same thing the Astros will do with all these catchers. Let them fight it out.

Ricky Bennett:
"We're going to keep them at the position, let them go and develop all the way through the system. And then at some point, obviously, we'll have to make a decision. But you can never have too many middle infielders, too many shortstops."

J.R. Towles done for the season

Catcher J.R. Towles is likely done for the year following surgery in which a torn tendon near his thumb was repaired, though the surgery was initially scheduled to repair his UCL. Both have been fixed, but Towles is out 6-8 weeks. Meaning the season.

-

Ricky Bennett also had good things to say about 17-year old GCL Astros shortstop Jose Fernandez:

"He has soft hands, good aptitude and continues to make progress."

Further evidence Koby Clemens is moving on up

Here's a long article on Koby Clemens from Sports Illustrated. A lot of it is information of which we were already aware, but Ricky Bennett says:

"If he continues to work, he's going to play in the big leagues. And he's got a chance to be a real good major league player."

Clemens:
"It's just that sometimes I have been caught up in stuff like that, worrying about what can happen or expecting things to happen and then they don't and it put me in a tailspin. Last season was a perfect example of how I just worried about things I could control and took advantage of my opportunities. That's the same approach I'm taking now. Whatever happens up there, happens. When it's time for me to get called up and moved into the big leagues, it'll be the right time for me."

So the article says he could go into the Spring in pencil as 1B1. Depending on what the Astros get for Roy, that could change, but it's still an interesting time for Koby.

J.D. Martinez' new role

Nice info, and give and take, with the Crawfish Boxes and Zach Levine on the role of J.D. Martinez with Corpus:

Levine:
Astros confirm J.D. Martinez promoted to AA Corpus. OF with Shuck, Gaston while Steele is on DL.

In which TCB asked the valid question:
Does that mean Martinez may be demoted when Steele comes off the DL?

And Levine responded:
It's not viewed as temporary. There are ways to make room with rotating off-days and DH use.

Zach Levine has a blog post on the promotion, in which Ricky Bennett says out loud what we've been saying for weeks:

"He had nothing left to prove."

Martinez will play a corner outfield spot, and DH and fill scheduled days-off spots to get full-time action.

Lyles just biding his time

Jordan Lyles had himself a good time last night at the Futures Game, throwing a scoreless inning.

Lyles:
“I thought there might have been a little more butterflies. I was trying to take in the experience running onto the field. The big stadium, the big fans. It’s something I’ll never forget. It’s a privilege to be here. I feel honored that the Astros selected me to represent them. It’s a great experience."

Ricky Bennett:
“His aptitude and ability to make adjustments make him special. Jordan is a big leaguer. It is just a matter of time. Who knows, we might have to challenge him before the end of the year, whether that is at the Triple-A level or major-league level because of how well he has performed. Jordan is a big leaguer. It is just a matter of time.”

Keuchel credits the SEC with Lancaster success

In Zach Levine's Minor League Notebook, he catches up with 2009 7th-Round pick Dallas Keuchel.

Keuchel:
“In the SEC, you’re facing lineups that have three, four, five guys that could potentially go in the top five in each draft. Facing those guys in freshman all the way through junior year, you’ve got to make some great pitches with the aluminum bats.”

Manager Tom Lawless:
“To be pitching at this level and make the jump that he’s made and be able to hold his own and doing very well the last month, he’s more confident in his ability to throw his pitches over the plate."

Ricky Bennett:
“We talked about Dallas quite a bit in spring training, and we all felt he was a guy who could move through the system rather quickly."

Keuchel's 3.52 ERA is almost two runs better than the next pitcher with 15+ starts, and only David Burner and Pat Urckfitz have better ERAs than Keuchel. At home, Keuchel is 3-2 with a 4.86 ERA and a 2.84 GB/FB ratio. On the road, he's 1-4 with a 2.36 ERA and a 2.86 GB/FB ratio. After posting a 6.39 ERA/1.78 WHIP in April, he has since lowered those totals to 2.54 ERA/0.99 WHIP.

Here's hoping he's in Corpus by the end of the season.

Altuve is short. And good.

The Lexington Herald-Leader's Mark Maloney has a nice profile on Legends 2B Jose Altuve, who is wee.

Rodney Linares:
"One thing going for him is that people see him, and he looks short. He can swing the bat. His biggest thing is that he drives the ball to right-center. He can drive the ball out of the park ... and he's a good hitter."

Ricky Bennett:
"He makes up for his stature by the way he plays the game. He's a little energizer. He plays hard, runs the bases hard, hits in the leadoff spot, and he just goes about his business every day, willing to work hard to be a better player...

...I want him to cut down on his strikeouts because, like I said, sometimes his swing gets a little too big at times. But if he can shorten his swing, put the ball in play, continue to bunt a couple times a week to use his speed that way offensively. ... And just become more consistent defensively — making the routine play, turning the double play at second base. The smaller things we're looking for out of him the second half."

Altuve has already played in a career-high 70 games this season, after hitting .302/.387/.451 between Greeneville and Tri-City, though that was brought down by his 21 games in Tri-City where he hit .250/.337/.316 (and .324/.408/.508 in Greeneville.)

His K:BB ratio is currently 1.63 - the first time in his four professional seasons that it's been higher than 1.00, and his 27.9% extra-base hit rate has dipped a touch from 32.1% coming into this season.

Ahead of him in the organization at 2B (while fluid) is Albert Cartwright at Lancaster (.303/.370/.523, .952 Fld%) and Jose Vallejo and German Duran.

It'll be interesting to see how he fares from here out, as he extends his season past the 66 games he played in during 2009.

1B Koby Clemens is an interesting development

There's a Nocturnal Emissions-worthy story from Richard Justice this morning on the Ballad of Roger & Koby, but there are some glowing quotes out of The Apparatus that would indicate the Astros getting comfortable with the idea of Koby advancing as 1B, maybe after Lance?

Justice:
Now about Koby. It would be impossible to underestimate how much the Astros love this kid. They aren't convinced he'll have a long big league career, but they know it'd be a mistake to underestimate him.

Corpus manager Wes Clements:
"Koby just loves the game. No matter what facet of the game you're talking about, you only have to tell him once. He has worked his butt off."

What about his 1B ability?
"He's done great. Better than anyone thought he would. He's starting to learn the intricacies of the position."

Ricky Bennett:
"He's so solid,. He's one of the most mature players in our system."

Clemens will be 24 in December, and since 2009 is hitting .310 with 102 extra-base hits (38 homers) in 700 ABs.

For whatever reason, the Astros signed Tommy Everidge (who is fine, I suppose. I did see him hit a very long homerun Tuesday night against the Sounds.) But right now he's the only 1B between Clemens and Berkman (not counting Blum or Feliz). Could Clemens make that jump from Double-A? Presuming the Astros don't pick up Berkman's option - I'd rather see the Astros give Clemens a shot than running Blum out there in 2011.

Levine, on Mier

Nice profile by Zach Levine on 2009 1st-Round pick Jiovanni Mier, who's having a bit of a tough time in Lexington.

Mier:
"The year's not going as I want it to be, but it's still a blast to be out here every day, and it's definitely a blessing to be out here out here every day with the opportunity to play this game. (It's been a struggle) offensively, and a lot defensively, too. It's kind of an up-and-down year, but it's still real early, and I'll continue to work and try to turn it around."

Legends manager Rodney Linares:
"Jio's going to be all right. I said it last year and I say it with my word that he's going to play in the big leagues for a long time as a shortstop."

Ricky Bennett:
"The encouraging thing is that he's not striking out, he's taking his walks, he's making consistent contact, and I think as he goes through the next month or six weeks, we'll start to see his average increase."

Levine:
The near certainty that Mier remains at shortstop leads to a near certainty that he will control his own trajectory through the organization. The position in the Astros' minor league system is relatively thin, meaning he'll ascend as fast or as slowly as his readiness allows.

Bat speed? Check.

In the wake of yesterday's post in which Jason Grey blasts Jason Castro's bat speed and Stanford's baseball program in general, Zach Levine offers a rebuttal:

“I made a little adjustment in my swing, and it really helped me get real efficient with the fastball,” Castro said.

The change was in his back elbow, which aided his approach to the fastball on the inner half of the plate. “He was much quicker to the ball and is now able to drive the ball to all parts of the field,” assistant general manager for player development Ricky Bennett said in an e-mail.

Castro started out April hitting .226/.388/.245 (one extra base hit in 53 ABs), and then in May, jumped up to .293/.364/.391 (five XBHs in 99 ABs). He's cooled off a little bit, mainly by going 5x29 on a 7-game road trip in the last ten days, but still. Once Sean Berry gets his hooks into him...wait. Crap.

Anyhow, Castro's pitch recognition should help him. According to his MiLB page, when he's ahead in the count (68 ABs), his OPS is 1.075, and in the 63 ABs in which he falls behind, that plummets to a .492 OPS.

Levine's Minor League Notebook

Within Zach Levine's minor-league updates we learn a few things:

-Danny Meszaros threw a bullpen session on Sunday and is nearing a return.
-Fernando Abad has missed seven weeks and is heading to Florida to rehab his injured shoulder.
-Chia-Jen Lo won't be throwing for at least two more weeks after partially tearing his UCL.
-Tanner Bushue is nearing a return, and Farmstros says he'll pitch tonight.

Wondering why Dydalewicz was sent down to Lexington? Ask Ricky Bennett:
"He's had trouble repeating his delivery," assistant general manager and farm director Ricky Bennett said, adding that it's not a new issue with Dydalewicz. The lefthander tends to have difficulty shedding some side-to-side movement in favor of coming forward to the plate.

Bennett also had a note on Jack Shuck's success:
"The speed of the game has slowed down considerably for him. Strike zone discipline is much better for him, and pitch selection is much better."

Bennett, on Castro

Zach Levine talked to Ricky Bennett, who had some nice things to say about Jason Castro.

Levine:
Assistant general manager Ricky Bennett, who heads player development and is the highest-ranking member of the front office on the Astros' current trip, said he is likely at least a couple months away but is progressing well after a rough start at Class AAA Round Rock.

Castro, 22, has made an adjustment in his swing, and the results have paid off.

Bennett:
“If he continues at this pace, I think there's a chance we'll see him before too long. Offensively, he's getting accustomed to the AAA level. He's calling a better game; that still needs to improve.”
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Levine also notes that Hunter Pence has been more patient at the plate lately. Mills:
There's no doubt that he's definitely gone deeper in counts. He's giving himself a chance to get a better pitch to hit as he goes. We've seen that he's starting to hit a few home runs and drive the ball the other way.”

Bogusevic/Johnson making some real progress

Ricky Bennett and minor league field coordinator Dick Scott are in Round Rock and like what they see, particularly with Chris Johnson and Brian Bogusevic.

Bennett:
"Compared to where he was a month ago when Dick last saw him, he said Bogusevic is really, really making a lot of progress offensively. He's hitting the ball to all parts of the field and is really driving the ball. He's got better plate coverage and he's making a lot of progress. C.J. is swinging the bat well, too. Having that injury early in the season, it kind of slowed him down, but now he's got some at-bats under his belt and he's starting to put things together like he did in Spring Training."

Hey, so here's an idea. Why don't we release one of the guys hitting .200 and replace them with someone hitting .300 at Triple-A?
"That's something we've talked about here recently. I don't think we're at the point yet, but if they continue to make progress the next month to six weeks, we have to give them consideration to have an opportunity to play here."

Month to six weeks. If Pedro Feliz is still hitting .207 in six weeks, and Chris Johnson is not on the team, I'm going to get drunk on hand sanitizer, listen to Jerry Jeff, and weep.