*Good morning. Pitchers and Catchers officially report tomorrow. Kyler Murray went to my (grad school) alma mater, won a Heisman there, and then screwed the A's. God bless Kyler Murray.
*Brian McTaggart predicts your 2019 25-Man Opening Day roster. I am extremely skeptical of his assertion that Tommy Manzella makes the team out of Spring Training.
*Gerrit Cole and the Astros had their arbitration hearing yesterday. Cole asked for $13.5m while the Astros offered $11.425m.
*Justin Verlander says the free agency system is broken.
*FanGraphs' Dan Szymborski has your 2019 Astros ZiPS projections. ZiPS looooooves Kyle Tucker.
*The Masked Marvel took a look at ZiPS projections from 2013-2019.
*OddsShark's 2019 odds to win the World Series:
Yankees: +700
Red Sox: +750
Astros: +800
Dodgers: +900
It is now time to start the No One Believed In Us chants.
*Nick Francona believes that exposing Gabe Kapler is worth getting blacklisted from baseball.
*Here's Tyler Kepner on Baseball's big Kyler Murray problem.
*The owner of the criminal organization known as the Miami Marlins has "zero patience" with the rebuild of the team he actually owns. Perhaps not trading Stanton and Yelich would have been more patient.
*The Ringer: On Alex Chilton.
*A Musical Selection:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Roster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roster. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Monday, January 22, 2018
Monday Morning Hot Links
*Kind of slow as players wrap up vacations (or honeymoons) and get ready to report for Spring Training.
How the 40-Man Roster was assembled:
International Signing
Jose Altuve (May 2007)
Reymin Guduan (Sept. 2009)
Yuli Gurriel (July 2016)
Jandel Gustave (May 2010)
Cionel Perez (Sept. 2016)
Draft
Alex Bregman (1st Round, 2015)
Carlos Correa (1st Round, 2012)
J.D. Davis (3rd Round, 2014)
Dean Deetz (11th Round, 2014)
Derek Fisher (1st Round, 2014)
Tony Kemp (5th Round, 2013)
Dallas Keuchel (7th Round, 2009)
Lance McCullers (1st Round, 2012)
A.J. Reed (2nd Round, 2014)
Brady Rodgers (3rd Round, 2012)
George Springer (1st Round, 2011)
Tyler White (33rd Round, 2013)
Trade
Gerrit Cole (Jan. 2018)
Chris Devenski (Aug. 2013)
Evan Gattis (Jan. 2015)
Ken Giles (Dec. 2015)
James Hoyt (Jan. 2015)
Jake Marisnick (July 2014)
Francis Martes (July 2014)
Brian McCann (Nov. 2016)
David Paulino (Sept. 2013)
Brad Peacock (Feb. 2013)
Max Stassi (Feb. 2013)
Justin Verlander (Aug. 2017)
Free Agent
Charlie Morton (Nov. 2016)
Josh Reddick (Nov. 2016)
Hector Rondon (Dec. 2017)
Joe Smith (Dec. 2017)
Tony Sipp (May 2014; Dec. 2015)
Waivers
Will Harris (Nov. 2014)
Collin McHugh (Dec. 2013
Rule 5 Pick
Marwin Gonzalez (Dec. 2011)
Anthony Gose (Dec. 2017)
*FanGraphs' David Laurilia talked to Alex Cora about Jose Altuve's strike zone:
When Jose is really, really, really good - because he's good, always - his strike zone shrinks. He doesn't chase his hits.
*NJ.com beat writers had a little roundtable in which the following line is used:
...And the Astros' lineup, although having no Giancarlo Stantons or Aaron Judges...
*As of right this minute (5:33am) it looks like Jim Thome, Edgar Martinez, Chipper Jones, and Vladimir Guerrero will be your 2018 Hall of Fame induction class. Mike Mussina is at 72.4%.
How the 40-Man Roster was assembled:
International Signing
Jose Altuve (May 2007)
Reymin Guduan (Sept. 2009)
Yuli Gurriel (July 2016)
Jandel Gustave (May 2010)
Cionel Perez (Sept. 2016)
Draft
Alex Bregman (1st Round, 2015)
Carlos Correa (1st Round, 2012)
J.D. Davis (3rd Round, 2014)
Dean Deetz (11th Round, 2014)
Derek Fisher (1st Round, 2014)
Tony Kemp (5th Round, 2013)
Dallas Keuchel (7th Round, 2009)
Lance McCullers (1st Round, 2012)
A.J. Reed (2nd Round, 2014)
Brady Rodgers (3rd Round, 2012)
George Springer (1st Round, 2011)
Tyler White (33rd Round, 2013)
Trade
Gerrit Cole (Jan. 2018)
Chris Devenski (Aug. 2013)
Evan Gattis (Jan. 2015)
Ken Giles (Dec. 2015)
James Hoyt (Jan. 2015)
Jake Marisnick (July 2014)
Francis Martes (July 2014)
Brian McCann (Nov. 2016)
David Paulino (Sept. 2013)
Brad Peacock (Feb. 2013)
Max Stassi (Feb. 2013)
Justin Verlander (Aug. 2017)
Free Agent
Charlie Morton (Nov. 2016)
Josh Reddick (Nov. 2016)
Hector Rondon (Dec. 2017)
Joe Smith (Dec. 2017)
Tony Sipp (May 2014; Dec. 2015)
Waivers
Will Harris (Nov. 2014)
Collin McHugh (Dec. 2013
Rule 5 Pick
Marwin Gonzalez (Dec. 2011)
Anthony Gose (Dec. 2017)
*FanGraphs' David Laurilia talked to Alex Cora about Jose Altuve's strike zone:
When Jose is really, really, really good - because he's good, always - his strike zone shrinks. He doesn't chase his hits.
*NJ.com beat writers had a little roundtable in which the following line is used:
...And the Astros' lineup, although having no Giancarlo Stantons or Aaron Judges...
*As of right this minute (5:33am) it looks like Jim Thome, Edgar Martinez, Chipper Jones, and Vladimir Guerrero will be your 2018 Hall of Fame induction class. Mike Mussina is at 72.4%.
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Saturday Morning Hot Links
*Random 2017 Astros fact:
Cameron Maybin only had 13 hits - including the postseason - for the Astros in 2017. Four of them were home runs.
*The Astros did not tender Mike Fiers a contract. Fiers, who was acquired in the Carlos Gomez trade, made 67 starts plus three appearances in relief for the Astros. Those 67 starts, by IP (Keep in mind I'm not counting the 8+ IP appearance in the 7+ IP appearances):
8+: 1 (the no-hitter against the Dodgers)
7+: 12
6+: 20
5+: 17
4+: 12
3+: 4
2+: 1
Fiers was a fine back-of-the-rotation guy and let's not forget that Fiers stepped up mid-2017 when Keuchel, McCullers, Morton, and McHugh were all on the DL. In ten starts between May 30-July 21 Fiers threw 61IP, 43H/16ER, 69K:21BB, a 2.36 ERA/1.05 WHIP. Despite that 10-game stretch of brilliance, Fiers ended 2017 with a career-worst 5.22 ERA (I'm not counting his eleven games with Milwaukee in 2013). Fiers was inconsistent, at best.
Ultimately, Fiers' final game was ugly: 3.2IP, 10H/8ER, 5K:1BB on September 13 at Anaheim. Luis Valbuena took him deep for a 2-run 1st inning home run, which Valbuena predictably bat-flipped. Next Valbuena plate appearance saw Fiers throw over Valbuena's head (Valbuena would get a double later in the AB), which resulted in a 5-game suspension that Fiers did not appeal. He didn't pitch for the Astros again. On a related note, remember that Brett Oberholtzer threw at A-Rod in June 2015, got ejected, and got sent to Fresno after the game. He made one more start for the Astros and then was traded to Philly for Ken Giles later in the offseason. This has sort of been a theme, albeit with some exceptions - Lance McCullers comes to mind - in which a pitcher who intentionally throws at/near a batter gets (wait for it...hold...HOOOOLLLD) fired.
Fiers with the Astros:
2015: 3.32 ERA / 4.39 FIP; 1.06 WHIP; 110 ERA+
2016: 4.48 ERA / 4.43 FIP; 1.36 WHIP; 88 ERA+
2017: 5.22 ERA / 5.43 FIP; 1.43 WHIP, 76 ERA+
Fiers was projected to make $5.7m in arbitration this season, $800,000 less than Jose Altuve. Fare thee well, Mike Fiers, you held it down when the Astros really needed it.
*40-Man Roster subtractions since the Astros WON THE WORLD SERIES:
Carlos Beltran ($16m)
Juan Centeno ($500K)
Tyler Clippard ($3m-ish)
Mike Fiers ($4m)
Luke Gregerson ($6.25m)
Cameron Maybin ($2m-ish)
So that's about $32m coming off the books for 2018.
*The Astros are planning a "full-court press" for Shohei Ohtani. Jim Crane:
We'd certainly be interested. Based on everything our guys have seen, he's got really good stuff and he could be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, and he's got a bat. We need a left-handed DH, so there you have it.
Take a moment to breathe into a paper bag. Reports are that Ohtani is in Los Angeles and could begin interviewing teams next week. The deadline to sign him is December 22.
Jon Paul Morosi reports that Ohtani will be looking for opportunities to pitch and hit. Eno Sarris notes that keeping Ohtani healthy will be a key recruiting point and, even after the Rotation Wreck of 2017, the Astros rank 2nd overall in a composite DL study.
I swear, if Yuli Gurriel's actions in the World Series cost the Astros...
*MLB.com is celebrating "Statcast Star Gary Sanchez." This is how I celebrate Gary Sanchez, and will launch a GoFundMe later today to raise funds erecting a statue outside Minute Maid Park of his greatest Astros moment:
*Jon Heyman's "Inside Baseball" notes consist of hard-hitting insider information regarding Dallas Keuchel switching agents, and organization-wide disappointment after the Not Events of July 31.
*Former Astros Great Aaron Boone is the new manager of the Yankees.
*Former Astros Great Asher Wojciechowski signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore.
*YEAH JEETS: The Marlins fired a hospital-bound scout days after he had surgery for colon cancer and who is also awaiting a kidney transplant.
Cameron Maybin only had 13 hits - including the postseason - for the Astros in 2017. Four of them were home runs.
*The Astros did not tender Mike Fiers a contract. Fiers, who was acquired in the Carlos Gomez trade, made 67 starts plus three appearances in relief for the Astros. Those 67 starts, by IP (Keep in mind I'm not counting the 8+ IP appearance in the 7+ IP appearances):
8+: 1 (the no-hitter against the Dodgers)
7+: 12
6+: 20
5+: 17
4+: 12
3+: 4
2+: 1
Fiers was a fine back-of-the-rotation guy and let's not forget that Fiers stepped up mid-2017 when Keuchel, McCullers, Morton, and McHugh were all on the DL. In ten starts between May 30-July 21 Fiers threw 61IP, 43H/16ER, 69K:21BB, a 2.36 ERA/1.05 WHIP. Despite that 10-game stretch of brilliance, Fiers ended 2017 with a career-worst 5.22 ERA (I'm not counting his eleven games with Milwaukee in 2013). Fiers was inconsistent, at best.
Ultimately, Fiers' final game was ugly: 3.2IP, 10H/8ER, 5K:1BB on September 13 at Anaheim. Luis Valbuena took him deep for a 2-run 1st inning home run, which Valbuena predictably bat-flipped. Next Valbuena plate appearance saw Fiers throw over Valbuena's head (Valbuena would get a double later in the AB), which resulted in a 5-game suspension that Fiers did not appeal. He didn't pitch for the Astros again. On a related note, remember that Brett Oberholtzer threw at A-Rod in June 2015, got ejected, and got sent to Fresno after the game. He made one more start for the Astros and then was traded to Philly for Ken Giles later in the offseason. This has sort of been a theme, albeit with some exceptions - Lance McCullers comes to mind - in which a pitcher who intentionally throws at/near a batter gets (wait for it...hold...HOOOOLLLD) fired.
Fiers with the Astros:
2015: 3.32 ERA / 4.39 FIP; 1.06 WHIP; 110 ERA+
2016: 4.48 ERA / 4.43 FIP; 1.36 WHIP; 88 ERA+
2017: 5.22 ERA / 5.43 FIP; 1.43 WHIP, 76 ERA+
Fiers was projected to make $5.7m in arbitration this season, $800,000 less than Jose Altuve. Fare thee well, Mike Fiers, you held it down when the Astros really needed it.
*40-Man Roster subtractions since the Astros WON THE WORLD SERIES:
Carlos Beltran ($16m)
Juan Centeno ($500K)
Tyler Clippard ($3m-ish)
Mike Fiers ($4m)
Luke Gregerson ($6.25m)
Cameron Maybin ($2m-ish)
So that's about $32m coming off the books for 2018.
*The Astros are planning a "full-court press" for Shohei Ohtani. Jim Crane:
We'd certainly be interested. Based on everything our guys have seen, he's got really good stuff and he could be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, and he's got a bat. We need a left-handed DH, so there you have it.
Take a moment to breathe into a paper bag. Reports are that Ohtani is in Los Angeles and could begin interviewing teams next week. The deadline to sign him is December 22.
Jon Paul Morosi reports that Ohtani will be looking for opportunities to pitch and hit. Eno Sarris notes that keeping Ohtani healthy will be a key recruiting point and, even after the Rotation Wreck of 2017, the Astros rank 2nd overall in a composite DL study.
I swear, if Yuli Gurriel's actions in the World Series cost the Astros...
*MLB.com is celebrating "Statcast Star Gary Sanchez." This is how I celebrate Gary Sanchez, and will launch a GoFundMe later today to raise funds erecting a statue outside Minute Maid Park of his greatest Astros moment:
*Jon Heyman's "Inside Baseball" notes consist of hard-hitting insider information regarding Dallas Keuchel switching agents, and organization-wide disappointment after the Not Events of July 31.
*Former Astros Great Aaron Boone is the new manager of the Yankees.
*Former Astros Great Asher Wojciechowski signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore.
*YEAH JEETS: The Marlins fired a hospital-bound scout days after he had surgery for colon cancer and who is also awaiting a kidney transplant.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
*I drove for 10 hours yesterday and hit 75 South in McKinney at 5:05pm. 0/10 would not advise.
*Random Astros fact:
AL West guaranteed contracts for 2019, not including arbitration or options (all numbers via Baseball-Reference):
Angels: 5 ($104.1m)
Mariners: 4 ($69.3m)
Rangers: 3 ($68.7m)
Astros: 3 ($43.9m)
Oakland: 0 ($0)
*The Astros will each receive about $438,000 for winning the World Series - an MLB record.
*SportsTalk 790 will re-broadcast Games 5 and 7 starting at 6am tomorrow.
*Just catching up, because this actually happened on Monday afternoon (and I forgot to take my computer on our quick trip): the Astros traded outfielder Ramon Laureano to the A's for RHP Brandon Bailey. Laureano put up impressive numbers between Lancaster and Corpus in 2016:
-Lancaster (357 PAs): .317/.426/.519
-Corpus (148 PAs): .323/.432/.538
But in his 2017 follow-up in Corpus, Laureano struggled, hitting .227/.298/.369 in his Age-22 season. The Astros had to either trade him, put him on the 40-Man roster, or expose him to the Rule 5 draft, so the Astros went with the option that guaranteed a return.
Brandon Bailey, a 5'10" 175lb RHP, was the A's 6th Round pick in the 2016 draft out of Gonzaga. Between the Midwest League (57IP) and the hitter-friendly California League (34IP) Bailey threw 91IP, 68H/33ER, 120K:31BB.
OaklandClubhouse says of Bailey:
Bailey has swing-and-miss stuff dating back to college and he has a starter's repertoire. He has a four-seam fastball, a four-seam changeup, a spike curveball and a slider. Bailey was also working on a cut-fastball late last season.
The Astros added Cionel Perez and Dean Deetz to the 40-Man roster, which is now full.
*Late last night I wrote up some thoughts on Joe Morgan and the Baseball Hall of Fame
*Y'all know I pimped the mess out of some t-shirts that I had a hand in helping design. Starting tomorrow (Thursday) through Monday, BreakingT is offering a Black Friday sale in which you get:
-25% off the entire store
-Free shipping at $50
So click this link and check out the Houston collection. Get your friends and family some *actually affordable* shirts you can't get at Academy.
*MLB debuted the 2017 Astros documentary last night to a packed house that included Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch.
*ESPN will show the Astros' season opener at Arlington at 2:30pm on Thursday, March 29 as well as the Astros' home opener against Baltimore on Monday, April 2.
*Mark Appel was designated for assignment by the Phillies.
*Jonah Keri wrote up the 2017 Offseason Power Rankings, and here's how it shakes out for the AL West:
Houston: 1
Anaheim: 13
Seattle: 16
Arlington: 17
Oakland: 22
*You can watch the 5-minute SportsCenter piece on George Springer overcoming his stutter. And you can watch the 45-minute Jose Altuve documentary "Big Dreams."
*Rosenthal: Prominent Asian-Americans are troubled by Gurriel's delayed suspension.
*So I guess Kevin Comer was signed by the Tigers.
*The Braves got absolutely hammered.
*SportsNet's Jeff Blair might *only* vote for Bonds and Clemens this year.
*Meet the guy who built a homemade rocket. To launch himself into space. To prove that Earth is flat. The big yellow "RESEARCH" tag below the cockpit lets you know he's for real.
*Random Astros fact:
AL West guaranteed contracts for 2019, not including arbitration or options (all numbers via Baseball-Reference):
Angels: 5 ($104.1m)
Mariners: 4 ($69.3m)
Rangers: 3 ($68.7m)
Astros: 3 ($43.9m)
Oakland: 0 ($0)
*The Astros will each receive about $438,000 for winning the World Series - an MLB record.
*SportsTalk 790 will re-broadcast Games 5 and 7 starting at 6am tomorrow.
*Just catching up, because this actually happened on Monday afternoon (and I forgot to take my computer on our quick trip): the Astros traded outfielder Ramon Laureano to the A's for RHP Brandon Bailey. Laureano put up impressive numbers between Lancaster and Corpus in 2016:
-Lancaster (357 PAs): .317/.426/.519
-Corpus (148 PAs): .323/.432/.538
But in his 2017 follow-up in Corpus, Laureano struggled, hitting .227/.298/.369 in his Age-22 season. The Astros had to either trade him, put him on the 40-Man roster, or expose him to the Rule 5 draft, so the Astros went with the option that guaranteed a return.
Brandon Bailey, a 5'10" 175lb RHP, was the A's 6th Round pick in the 2016 draft out of Gonzaga. Between the Midwest League (57IP) and the hitter-friendly California League (34IP) Bailey threw 91IP, 68H/33ER, 120K:31BB.
OaklandClubhouse says of Bailey:
Bailey has swing-and-miss stuff dating back to college and he has a starter's repertoire. He has a four-seam fastball, a four-seam changeup, a spike curveball and a slider. Bailey was also working on a cut-fastball late last season.
The Astros added Cionel Perez and Dean Deetz to the 40-Man roster, which is now full.
*Late last night I wrote up some thoughts on Joe Morgan and the Baseball Hall of Fame
*Y'all know I pimped the mess out of some t-shirts that I had a hand in helping design. Starting tomorrow (Thursday) through Monday, BreakingT is offering a Black Friday sale in which you get:
-25% off the entire store
-Free shipping at $50
So click this link and check out the Houston collection. Get your friends and family some *actually affordable* shirts you can't get at Academy.
*MLB debuted the 2017 Astros documentary last night to a packed house that included Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch.
*ESPN will show the Astros' season opener at Arlington at 2:30pm on Thursday, March 29 as well as the Astros' home opener against Baltimore on Monday, April 2.
*Mark Appel was designated for assignment by the Phillies.
*Jonah Keri wrote up the 2017 Offseason Power Rankings, and here's how it shakes out for the AL West:
Houston: 1
Anaheim: 13
Seattle: 16
Arlington: 17
Oakland: 22
*You can watch the 5-minute SportsCenter piece on George Springer overcoming his stutter. And you can watch the 45-minute Jose Altuve documentary "Big Dreams."
*Rosenthal: Prominent Asian-Americans are troubled by Gurriel's delayed suspension.
*So I guess Kevin Comer was signed by the Tigers.
*The Braves got absolutely hammered.
*SportsNet's Jeff Blair might *only* vote for Bonds and Clemens this year.
*Meet the guy who built a homemade rocket. To launch himself into space. To prove that Earth is flat. The big yellow "RESEARCH" tag below the cockpit lets you know he's for real.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
*That was it. That was the last off-day of the regular season. Six games at home (Chicago, Anaheim) followed by seven on the road (Arlington, Boston) and then it's playoffs time.
*Here's how rotation schedule looks to shake out:
* = confirmed
White Sox
Tuesday: McHugh*
Wednesday: Peacock*
Thursday: Keuchel*
Anaheim
Friday: Verlander*
Saturday: Morton*
Sunday: McHugh
Arlington
Monday: Peacock/McCullers
Tuesday: Keuchel
Wednesday: Verlander
Boston
Thursday: Morton
Friday: McHugh
Saturday: Peacock/McCullers
Sunday: Keuchel
Now let's project the ALDS schedule based on this, which has probably already changed since I started looking at it:
ALDS G1 (Thursday): Verlander can pitch on seven days' rest
ALDS G2 (Friday): Keuchel pitches on regular rest
ALDS G3 (Sunday): Could go in a number of directions here, since it will have been at least a week since any of the G3 options have pitched.
ALDS G4 (Monday): Same
ALDS G5 (Wednesday): Verlander
*Video: How the Astros got to the postseason
*Jexas wrote about the fiasco surrounding the ALDS ticket pre-sale yesterday.
*Jake Kaplan tried to predict the postseason roster.
*The "man who saved the world" died at 77.
*Here's how rotation schedule looks to shake out:
* = confirmed
White Sox
Tuesday: McHugh*
Wednesday: Peacock*
Thursday: Keuchel*
Anaheim
Friday: Verlander*
Saturday: Morton*
Sunday: McHugh
Arlington
Monday: Peacock/McCullers
Tuesday: Keuchel
Wednesday: Verlander
Boston
Thursday: Morton
Friday: McHugh
Saturday: Peacock/McCullers
Sunday: Keuchel
Now let's project the ALDS schedule based on this, which has probably already changed since I started looking at it:
ALDS G1 (Thursday): Verlander can pitch on seven days' rest
ALDS G2 (Friday): Keuchel pitches on regular rest
ALDS G3 (Sunday): Could go in a number of directions here, since it will have been at least a week since any of the G3 options have pitched.
ALDS G4 (Monday): Same
ALDS G5 (Wednesday): Verlander
*Video: How the Astros got to the postseason
*Jexas wrote about the fiasco surrounding the ALDS ticket pre-sale yesterday.
*Jake Kaplan tried to predict the postseason roster.
Verlander yesterday secured his seventh career 200-strikeout season. That’s the most among active pitchers (via @baseball_ref). pic.twitter.com/ryC3nTbs8d— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) September 18, 2017
*The "man who saved the world" died at 77.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Friday Morning Hot Links
The Astros were off yesterday.
*There aren't many spots open on the 25-Man roster.
*The Chronicle's Hunter Atkins has a nice piece on how players choose their bats.
*Jon Heyman's newest column has absolutely nothing of value for Astros fans, unless you care what Ken Giles is making in 2017.
*FanGraphs released their Top 100 Prospects list. Francis Martes led the way for Houston at #18, Kyle Tucker at #63, and that was it. Nice write-ups on both, though.
*Former Astros manager Bill Virdon will have a life-size statue unveiled at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in May.
*Bob Bruce - the first starting pitcher at the Astrodome - died.
*The tools of baseball's fly-ball revolution.
*There aren't many spots open on the 25-Man roster.
*The Chronicle's Hunter Atkins has a nice piece on how players choose their bats.
*Jon Heyman's newest column has absolutely nothing of value for Astros fans, unless you care what Ken Giles is making in 2017.
*FanGraphs released their Top 100 Prospects list. Francis Martes led the way for Houston at #18, Kyle Tucker at #63, and that was it. Nice write-ups on both, though.
*Former Astros manager Bill Virdon will have a life-size statue unveiled at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in May.
*Bob Bruce - the first starting pitcher at the Astrodome - died.
*The tools of baseball's fly-ball revolution.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Updated 40-Man roster
So here's something we'll trot out every time it's necessary: the updated 40-Man roster.
Updated: December 10
*Added In Advance of Rule 5 Draft
Total: 37
Pitchers (18)
Kevin Chapman
Luis Cruz
Michael Feliz
Josh Fields
Mike F. Fiers
Ken Giles
Luke Gregerson
Jandel Gustave*
Will Harris
Scott Kazmir
Dallas Keuchel
Lance McCullers
Collin McHugh
Juan Minaya*
Joe Musgrove*
Pat Neshek
Brett Oberholtzer
David Paulino*
Oliver Perez
Chad Qualls
Tony Sipp
Dan Straily
Joe Thatcher
Vince Velasquez
Asher Wojciechoswki
Catchers (3)
Jason Castro
Hank Conger
Alfredo Gonzalez*
Max Stassi
Infielders (8)
Jose Altuve
Chris Carter
Carlos Correa
Matt Duffy
Nolan Fontana*
Evan Gattis
Marwin Gonzalez
Jed Lowrie
Jon Singleton
Luis Valbuena
Jonathan Villar
Outfielders (6)
Andrew Aplin*
Carlos Gomez
Robbie Grossman
L.J. Hoes
Jake Marisnick
Colby Rasmus
George Springer
Preston Tucker
60-Day DL (2)
Sam Deduno
Scott Feldman
Brad Peacock
Updated: December 10
*Added In Advance of Rule 5 Draft
Total: 37
Pitchers (18)
Kevin Chapman
Michael Feliz
Josh Fields
Mike F. Fiers
Ken Giles
Luke Gregerson
Jandel Gustave*
Will Harris
Dallas Keuchel
Lance McCullers
Collin McHugh
Juan Minaya*
Joe Musgrove*
Pat Neshek
David Paulino*
Tony Sipp
Dan Straily
Asher Wojciechoswki
Catchers (3)
Jason Castro
Alfredo Gonzalez*
Max Stassi
Infielders (8)
Jose Altuve
Carlos Correa
Matt Duffy
Nolan Fontana*
Evan Gattis
Marwin Gonzalez
Jon Singleton
Luis Valbuena
Outfielders (6)
Andrew Aplin*
Carlos Gomez
Jake Marisnick
Colby Rasmus
George Springer
Preston Tucker
60-Day DL (2)
Scott Feldman
Brad Peacock
Thursday, October 15, 2015
2016 Roster Snapshot
We'll dive into the details of this later in the offseason, after the sting of Game 4 (and, oh yeah, Game 5) subsides - but for those of you/us interested in seeing what the current roster looks like heading into 2016.
Impending Free Agents
Scott Kazmir:
Oliver Perez
Colby Rasmus
Tony Sipp
Joe Thatcher
Players with Team Option
Chad Qualls: $3.5m for 2016 or a $250,000 buyout
Players Under Contract
Jose Altuve: $3.5m
Scott Feldman: $8m
Carlos Gomez: $9m
Luke Gregerson: $6.25
Jed Lowrie: $7.5m
Pat Neshek: $6.5m
Jon Singleton: $2m
Arbitration-Eligible Players:
Chris Carter
Jason Castro
Hank Conger
Sam Deduno
Josh Fields
Evan Gattis
Marwin Gonzalez
Dallas Keuchel
Luis Valbuena
Pre-Arbitration Players
Kevin Chapman
Carlos Correa
Matt Duffy
Michael Feliz
Mike Fiers
Robbie Grossman
Will Harris
L.J. Hoes
Jake Marisnick
Lance McCullers
Collin McHugh
Brett Oberholtzer
Brad Peacock
George Springer
Max Stassi
Dan Straily
Preston Tucker
Vince Velasquez
Jonathan Villar
Asher Wojciechowski
Impending Free Agents
Scott Kazmir:
Oliver Perez
Colby Rasmus
Tony Sipp
Joe Thatcher
Players with Team Option
Chad Qualls: $3.5m for 2016 or a $250,000 buyout
Jose Altuve: $3.5m
Scott Feldman: $8m
Carlos Gomez: $9m
Luke Gregerson: $6.25
Jed Lowrie: $7.5m
Pat Neshek: $6.5m
Jon Singleton: $2m
Arbitration-Eligible Players:
Chris Carter
Jason Castro
Hank Conger
Sam Deduno
Josh Fields
Evan Gattis
Marwin Gonzalez
Dallas Keuchel
Luis Valbuena
Pre-Arbitration Players
Kevin Chapman
Carlos Correa
Matt Duffy
Michael Feliz
Mike Fiers
Robbie Grossman
Will Harris
L.J. Hoes
Jake Marisnick
Lance McCullers
Collin McHugh
Brett Oberholtzer
Brad Peacock
George Springer
Max Stassi
Dan Straily
Preston Tucker
Vince Velasquez
Jonathan Villar
Asher Wojciechowski
Thursday, July 23, 2015
What to do with the 25-Man roster?
The 25-Man roster is full. The 40-Man roster is at 39, with Thatcher's DFA. The Astros have Kazmir on the way, and Lowrie rehabbing in Corpus for a return sometime next week (personal speculation only). So that's two spots on the active roster that will need to be filled...what will the Astros do with them?
The Astros will need to clear one spot on the 25-Man in the next 24 hours. Here are the possibilities I can think of:
a) Send Singleton back to Fresno. Lowrie will be getting time at the corners when he returns, and there's always Gattis and Carter getting time there, as well.
b) Send Hoes back to Fresno. Gattis will just have to play LF every now and then, and with Tucker, Marisnick, and Rasmus situated in the outfield, Gattis can act as a 4th OF if needed.
c) DFAFausto Carmona Roberto Hernandez. This clears a spot on the 25-Man and the 40-Man, allowing both Kazmir to join and Lowrie to rejoin. Not Fausto has only appeared in four games in July - two since July 4 - so it's not as though the Astros need him to mop up innings. If the Astros *really* wanted to keep Velasquez's innings down, they could move him out of the rotation and into the bullpen for the stretch run and let him own that fastball through the push.
You probably want something done with Tony Sipp, but that's not going to happen as he's the only lefty reliever now that Thatcher's gone.
There are other possibilities, but these are the three - and two of them are going to have to happen - that stand out to me. Remember, the Astros need one 40-Man spot, but two 25-Man spots. We're also not mentioning the possibility that spots open up with trades over the next eight days.
Thoughts?
The Astros will need to clear one spot on the 25-Man in the next 24 hours. Here are the possibilities I can think of:
a) Send Singleton back to Fresno. Lowrie will be getting time at the corners when he returns, and there's always Gattis and Carter getting time there, as well.
b) Send Hoes back to Fresno. Gattis will just have to play LF every now and then, and with Tucker, Marisnick, and Rasmus situated in the outfield, Gattis can act as a 4th OF if needed.
c) DFA
You probably want something done with Tony Sipp, but that's not going to happen as he's the only lefty reliever now that Thatcher's gone.
There are other possibilities, but these are the three - and two of them are going to have to happen - that stand out to me. Remember, the Astros need one 40-Man spot, but two 25-Man spots. We're also not mentioning the possibility that spots open up with trades over the next eight days.
Thoughts?
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Where Did These Guys Come From: Houston
This is one of my favorite series of the season. Where Did These Guys Come From will be updated as the minor-league assignments for the full-season affiliates are released (sometime this week), but let's begin with the Opening Day roster of the Big League Club...
Pitchers
Matt Albers - Signed as a free agent on December 17, 2013.
Anthony Bass - Acquired via trade from San Diego for Houston's 1st Rule 5 pick on December 11, 2013.
Kevin Chapman - Acquired via trade from Kansas City with D'Andre Toney for Jason Bourgeois and Humberto Quintero on March 20, 2012.
Jarred Cosart - Acquired via trade from Philadelphia with Jon Singleton, Josh Zeid, and Domingo Santana for Hunter Pence on July 29, 2011.
Jesse Crain - Signed as a free agent on December 31, 2013. (Note: Will begin the season on the DL)
Scott Feldman - Signed as a free agent on December 6, 2013.
Josh Fields - Selected in the Rule 5 draft on December 6, 2012.
Lucas Harrell - Selected off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on July 8, 2011.
Dallas Keuchel - Drafted, 7th Round of the 2009 draft.
Brett Oberholtzer - Acquired via trade from Atlanta with Juan Abreu, Paul Clemens, and Jordan Schafer for Michael Bourn on July 31, 2011.
Brad Peacock - Acquired via trade from Oakland with Chris Carter and Max Stassi for Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez on February 4, 2013.
Chad Qualls - Signed as a free agent on December 7, 2013.
Jerome Williams - Signed as a free agent on February 6, 2014.
Catchers
Jason Castro - Drafted, 1st Round of the 2008 draft.
Carlos Corporan - Signed as a free agent on November 11, 2010.
Infielders
Jose Altuve - Signed as an amateur free agent on March 6, 2007.
Chris Carter - Acquired via trade from Oakland with Brad Peacock and Max Stassi for Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez on February 4, 2013.
Matt Dominguez - Acquired via trade from Miami with Rob Rasmussen for Carlos Lee on July 4, 2012.
Marwin Gonzalez - Acquired via trade from Boston for Marco Duarte in the Rule 5 draft on December 8, 2011.
Jesus Guzman - Acquired via trade from San Diego for Ryan Jackson on December 18, 2013.
Jonathan Villar - Acquired via trade from Philadelphia with Anthony Gose and J.A. Happ for Roy Oswalt on July 29, 2010.
Outfielders
Dexter Fowler - Acquired via trade from Colorado with a PTBNL for Brandon Barnes and Jordan Lyles on December 3, 2013.
Robbie Grossman - Acquired via trade from Pittsburgh with Colton Cain and Rudy Owens for Wandy Wandy Rodriguez on July 24, 2012.
L.J. Hoes - Acquired via trade from Baltimore with Josh Hader and a 2014 Round A Competitive Balance pick for Bud Norris on July 31, 2013.
Marc Krauss - Acquired via trade with Bobby Borchering from Arizona for Chris Johnson on July 29, 2012.
Alex Presley - Claimed off waivers from Minnesota on March 27, 2014.
Summary
Acquired via trade: 14 (Bass, Chapman, Cosart, Oberholtzer, Peacock, Carter, Dominguez, Gonzalez, Guzman, Villar, Fowler, Grossman, Hoes, Krauss)
Free agent signings: 6 (Albers, Crain, Feldman, Qualls, Williams, Corporan)
Developed through organization: 3 (Castro, Keuchel, Altuve)
Claimed off waivers: 2 (Harrell, Presley)
Rule 5 picks: 1 (Fields)
Pitchers
Matt Albers - Signed as a free agent on December 17, 2013.
Anthony Bass - Acquired via trade from San Diego for Houston's 1st Rule 5 pick on December 11, 2013.
Kevin Chapman - Acquired via trade from Kansas City with D'Andre Toney for Jason Bourgeois and Humberto Quintero on March 20, 2012.
Jarred Cosart - Acquired via trade from Philadelphia with Jon Singleton, Josh Zeid, and Domingo Santana for Hunter Pence on July 29, 2011.
Jesse Crain - Signed as a free agent on December 31, 2013. (Note: Will begin the season on the DL)
Scott Feldman - Signed as a free agent on December 6, 2013.
Josh Fields - Selected in the Rule 5 draft on December 6, 2012.
Lucas Harrell - Selected off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on July 8, 2011.
Dallas Keuchel - Drafted, 7th Round of the 2009 draft.
Brett Oberholtzer - Acquired via trade from Atlanta with Juan Abreu, Paul Clemens, and Jordan Schafer for Michael Bourn on July 31, 2011.
Brad Peacock - Acquired via trade from Oakland with Chris Carter and Max Stassi for Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez on February 4, 2013.
Chad Qualls - Signed as a free agent on December 7, 2013.
Jerome Williams - Signed as a free agent on February 6, 2014.
Catchers
Jason Castro - Drafted, 1st Round of the 2008 draft.
Carlos Corporan - Signed as a free agent on November 11, 2010.
Infielders
Jose Altuve - Signed as an amateur free agent on March 6, 2007.
Chris Carter - Acquired via trade from Oakland with Brad Peacock and Max Stassi for Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez on February 4, 2013.
Matt Dominguez - Acquired via trade from Miami with Rob Rasmussen for Carlos Lee on July 4, 2012.
Marwin Gonzalez - Acquired via trade from Boston for Marco Duarte in the Rule 5 draft on December 8, 2011.
Jesus Guzman - Acquired via trade from San Diego for Ryan Jackson on December 18, 2013.
Jonathan Villar - Acquired via trade from Philadelphia with Anthony Gose and J.A. Happ for Roy Oswalt on July 29, 2010.
Outfielders
Dexter Fowler - Acquired via trade from Colorado with a PTBNL for Brandon Barnes and Jordan Lyles on December 3, 2013.
Robbie Grossman - Acquired via trade from Pittsburgh with Colton Cain and Rudy Owens for Wandy Wandy Rodriguez on July 24, 2012.
L.J. Hoes - Acquired via trade from Baltimore with Josh Hader and a 2014 Round A Competitive Balance pick for Bud Norris on July 31, 2013.
Marc Krauss - Acquired via trade with Bobby Borchering from Arizona for Chris Johnson on July 29, 2012.
Alex Presley - Claimed off waivers from Minnesota on March 27, 2014.
Summary
Acquired via trade: 14 (Bass, Chapman, Cosart, Oberholtzer, Peacock, Carter, Dominguez, Gonzalez, Guzman, Villar, Fowler, Grossman, Hoes, Krauss)
Free agent signings: 6 (Albers, Crain, Feldman, Qualls, Williams, Corporan)
Developed through organization: 3 (Castro, Keuchel, Altuve)
Claimed off waivers: 2 (Harrell, Presley)
Rule 5 picks: 1 (Fields)
Monday, March 24, 2014
Roster pretty much set
Evan Drellich (and others) noted on Twitter this afternoon that Bo Porter said the roster - as it stands - is basically set. The Astros will be platooning right field, and carry eight relievers. So here's what it looks like to me:
Pitchers
Matt Albers, Anthony Bass, Kevin Chapman, Jarred Cosart, Scott Feldman, Josh Fields, Lucas Harrell, Dallas Keuchel, Brett Oberholtzer, Brad Peacock, Chad Qualls, Raul Valdes, Jerome Williams.
Injured: Jesse Crain, Peter Moylan, Alex White, Asher Wojciechowski
We already know that Feldman, Cosart, and Oberholtzer have made the rotation, for now. SP4/5 will come down to Harrell, Keuchel, and Peacock, and I think Jerome Williams is the long reliever/spot starter. I'd prefer to see the spots go to Peacock and 2012 Harrell. If 2013 Harrell is back, I'd prefer to see him somewhere else. An analyst for CSN Houston, maybe. I haven't seen anything about Keuchel's velocity since he was sitting in the mid-80s last week.
Catchers
Jason Castro, Carlos Corporan
Infielders
1B: Jesus Guzman
2B: Jose Altuve
3B: Matt Dominguez
SS: Jonathan Villar
UT: Marwin Gonzalez
There's still time to move Castro to 1B, and let Stassi catch...
Outfielders
LF: Robbie Grossman
CF: Dexter Fowler
RF: L.J. Hoes/Marc Krauss
So lefty-hitting Marc Krauss, of the .209/.267/.366 debut in 2013, will make the team as a platoon player. Against RHP, Krauss hit .218/.282/.387, but did hit .257/.362/.462 against RHPs at Triple-A in 2013, so maybe they're hoping he replicates that line. L.J. Hoes posted a virtually identical OPS against both LHP and RHP (.774 and .773) combined at Triple-A and Houston in 2013. His OPS was 41 points higher versus RHP in Houston (.710) than LHP (.669). So...
Designated Hitter
Chris Carter
You'll probably see the DH spot rotate around a little bit, though I do think Carter will really only play DH or 1B.
These are your Astros.
Pitchers
Matt Albers, Anthony Bass, Kevin Chapman, Jarred Cosart, Scott Feldman, Josh Fields, Lucas Harrell, Dallas Keuchel, Brett Oberholtzer, Brad Peacock, Chad Qualls, Raul Valdes, Jerome Williams.
Injured: Jesse Crain, Peter Moylan, Alex White, Asher Wojciechowski
We already know that Feldman, Cosart, and Oberholtzer have made the rotation, for now. SP4/5 will come down to Harrell, Keuchel, and Peacock, and I think Jerome Williams is the long reliever/spot starter. I'd prefer to see the spots go to Peacock and 2012 Harrell. If 2013 Harrell is back, I'd prefer to see him somewhere else. An analyst for CSN Houston, maybe. I haven't seen anything about Keuchel's velocity since he was sitting in the mid-80s last week.
Catchers
Jason Castro, Carlos Corporan
Infielders
1B: Jesus Guzman
2B: Jose Altuve
3B: Matt Dominguez
SS: Jonathan Villar
UT: Marwin Gonzalez
There's still time to move Castro to 1B, and let Stassi catch...
Outfielders
LF: Robbie Grossman
CF: Dexter Fowler
RF: L.J. Hoes/Marc Krauss
So lefty-hitting Marc Krauss, of the .209/.267/.366 debut in 2013, will make the team as a platoon player. Against RHP, Krauss hit .218/.282/.387, but did hit .257/.362/.462 against RHPs at Triple-A in 2013, so maybe they're hoping he replicates that line. L.J. Hoes posted a virtually identical OPS against both LHP and RHP (.774 and .773) combined at Triple-A and Houston in 2013. His OPS was 41 points higher versus RHP in Houston (.710) than LHP (.669). So...
Designated Hitter
Chris Carter
You'll probably see the DH spot rotate around a little bit, though I do think Carter will really only play DH or 1B.
These are your Astros.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Your 40-Man Roster
Updated 40-Man Roster
Current Number: 41
Note: The 40-Man Roster is full. Someone will have to be optioned/outrighted off the 40-Man roster in order to add Jerome Williams. His physical is to take place Wednesday.
Pitchers (25)
Matt Albers, Anthony Bass,Erik Bedard, Kevin Chapman, Jose Cisnero, Paul Clemens, Jarred Cosart, Jesse Crain, Luis Cruz, Rhiner Cruz, Jorge De Leon, Darin Downs, John Ely, Scott Feldman, Josh Fields, Lucas Harrell, Dallas Keuchel, Chia-Jen Lo, Jordan Lyles, David Martinez, Collin McHugh, Brett Oberholtzer, Rudy Owens, Brad Peacock, Chad Qualls, Raul Valdes, Alex White, Jerome Williams, Asher Wojciechowski, Josh Zeid
Catchers (3)
Jason Castro, Carlos Corporan, Max Stassi
Infielders (8)
Jose Altuve, Chris Carter, Matt Dominguez,Jake Elmore, Marwin Gonzalez, Ryan Jackson, Jon Singleton, Jonathan Villar, Brett Wallace, Jesus Guzman
Outfielders (5)
Brandon Barnes, Trevor Crowe, Dexter Fowler, Robbie Grossman, L.J. Hoes, Marc Krauss, J.D. Martinez, Jimmy Paredes, Domingo Santana, Eric Thames
Current Number: 41
Note: The 40-Man Roster is full. Someone will have to be optioned/outrighted off the 40-Man roster in order to add Jerome Williams. His physical is to take place Wednesday.
Pitchers (25)
Matt Albers, Anthony Bass,
Catchers (3)
Jason Castro, Carlos Corporan, Max Stassi
Infielders (8)
Jose Altuve, Chris Carter, Matt Dominguez,
Outfielders (5)
Thursday, November 21, 2013
40-Man Update!
Via Baseball America's JJ Cooper, the Astros added a few names to the 40-Man roster:
Domingo Santana
Asher Wojciechowski
Luis Cruz
So two pitchers and outfielder Domingo Santana. As TCB pointed out, I too am surprised Jake Buchanan and Carlos Perez weren't on the list. More on this later.
Domingo Santana
Asher Wojciechowski
Luis Cruz
So two pitchers and outfielder Domingo Santana. As TCB pointed out, I too am surprised Jake Buchanan and Carlos Perez weren't on the list. More on this later.
Friday, October 11, 2013
That's...young
Here, from ESPN/FanGraphs' Dan Szymborski
In the end, the Houston Astros offense was younger, on average, than all but 4 AAA teams.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) October 11, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
40-Man Roster changes
Aha! Now we have some tranzactionz of which we can speak, so let's see where we are now:
Outrighted off the 40-Man Roster:
Cody Clark, Phil Humber, Brandon Laird, Matt Pagnozzi
Added to the 40-Man Roster:
Jon Singleton, Raul Valdes
Declining Phil Humber's 2014 option will be probably the easiest move The Law Offices of Jeff Luhnow will make all off-season. The choice was, (a) Buy Humber out for $500,000 or (b) give him $3m to pitch in 2014. Seeing as how Humber posted a 7.90 ERA/1.74 WHIP in 54.2IP, allowing batters to hit .322/.375/.575. Humber made 17 appearances (seven starts) for the 2013 Astros, and had just two in which he didn't allow a run. The Astros were 1-16 in games Humber pitched.
It will be interesting to see if the Astros bring him back as a potential bullpen arm wait wait wait let me try to explain. Righties hit .189/.289/.349 (albeit with an insanely low .205 BABIP) against Humber, and his 7.90 ERA is a little misleading, since his FIP is 5.02 and xFIP is 4.61. Those aren't great numbers by any means, but if Humber can come in as a righty specialist, maybe there's some value there. I doubt other teams are lining up to inquire about Humber's services.
Raul Valdes, though, was picked up yesterday as a waiver claim from Philadelphia, Valdes, a 35-year old lefty reliever had the worst season of his four-year career in 2013 (while coming off the best season of his career). In 35IP for the Phillies, Valdes allowed 42H/29ER, 37K:8BB for a 7.46 ERA/1.43 WHIP. But Valdes really only had three bad outings:
April 5 vs. KC: 2IP, 7H/4ER
April 17 @ CIN: 3.1IP, 6H/5ER
And his lone start of the season on July 27 at Detroit in which he threw 3.2IP, giving up 12H/9ER, 3K:0BB.
Valdes is one of those pitchers whose secondary numbers are far better than his traditional stats. While, yes, his ERA was 7.46, his FIP was 4.39 while his xFIP was 3.74. He's probably not as good as his 2012 indicated - the 2.90 ERA (which is close to his 3.03 xFIP) was benefited by a .214 BABIP which regressed so hard in 2013 (.357 BABIP).
Outrighted off the 40-Man Roster:
Cody Clark, Phil Humber, Brandon Laird, Matt Pagnozzi
Added to the 40-Man Roster:
Jon Singleton, Raul Valdes
Declining Phil Humber's 2014 option will be probably the easiest move The Law Offices of Jeff Luhnow will make all off-season. The choice was, (a) Buy Humber out for $500,000 or (b) give him $3m to pitch in 2014. Seeing as how Humber posted a 7.90 ERA/1.74 WHIP in 54.2IP, allowing batters to hit .322/.375/.575. Humber made 17 appearances (seven starts) for the 2013 Astros, and had just two in which he didn't allow a run. The Astros were 1-16 in games Humber pitched.
It will be interesting to see if the Astros bring him back as a potential bullpen arm wait wait wait let me try to explain. Righties hit .189/.289/.349 (albeit with an insanely low .205 BABIP) against Humber, and his 7.90 ERA is a little misleading, since his FIP is 5.02 and xFIP is 4.61. Those aren't great numbers by any means, but if Humber can come in as a righty specialist, maybe there's some value there. I doubt other teams are lining up to inquire about Humber's services.
Raul Valdes, though, was picked up yesterday as a waiver claim from Philadelphia, Valdes, a 35-year old lefty reliever had the worst season of his four-year career in 2013 (while coming off the best season of his career). In 35IP for the Phillies, Valdes allowed 42H/29ER, 37K:8BB for a 7.46 ERA/1.43 WHIP. But Valdes really only had three bad outings:
April 5 vs. KC: 2IP, 7H/4ER
April 17 @ CIN: 3.1IP, 6H/5ER
And his lone start of the season on July 27 at Detroit in which he threw 3.2IP, giving up 12H/9ER, 3K:0BB.
Valdes is one of those pitchers whose secondary numbers are far better than his traditional stats. While, yes, his ERA was 7.46, his FIP was 4.39 while his xFIP was 3.74. He's probably not as good as his 2012 indicated - the 2.90 ERA (which is close to his 3.03 xFIP) was benefited by a .214 BABIP which regressed so hard in 2013 (.357 BABIP).
Monday, September 9, 2013
BA says the Astros 40-Man roster isn't really all that full
Back in August the Crawfish Boxes posted a recap of a meeting between season ticket holders and Astros president Reid Ryan which, in part, addressed George Springer's Leave-Down (as opposed to "Call-Up"):
The FO expects the team to be a big Rule 5 target this year and so they need to protect as many guys as possible. Since Springer isn't Rule 5 eligible yet there's no need to protect him and therefore, no 40 man spot until next year.
Farmstros' Mike Tauser got a question in to Baseball America about this very topic: Do the Astros really have to worry about getting Rule 5 picked to death?
In reality, the Astros are not facing a 40-man roster crunch. They have the deepest farm system in the minors, but most of the players worth protecting won’t become Rule 5 eligible until 2014 and beyond.
Basically BA is saying that the players the Astros "need to protect" won't really appeal to other teams...not enough for them to stick on a 25-Man roster for the entire 2014 season. Next year, though...
The FO expects the team to be a big Rule 5 target this year and so they need to protect as many guys as possible. Since Springer isn't Rule 5 eligible yet there's no need to protect him and therefore, no 40 man spot until next year.
Farmstros' Mike Tauser got a question in to Baseball America about this very topic: Do the Astros really have to worry about getting Rule 5 picked to death?
In reality, the Astros are not facing a 40-man roster crunch. They have the deepest farm system in the minors, but most of the players worth protecting won’t become Rule 5 eligible until 2014 and beyond.
Basically BA is saying that the players the Astros "need to protect" won't really appeal to other teams...not enough for them to stick on a 25-Man roster for the entire 2014 season. Next year, though...
Monday, July 22, 2013
March 31 to July 22
Because I can't write any opinions this morning that don't involve swearing, I thought we could take a look at the turnover in the 25-Man Roster from Opening Day to today, and see just what kind of turnover the Astros have faced:
25-Man Roster, March 31
Jose Altuve
Hector Ambriz
Rick Ankiel: Designated for assignment on May 6
Brandon Barnes
Erik Bedard
Chris Carter
Jason Castro
Ronny Cedeno: Designated for assignment, July 21
Xavier Cedeno: Claimed off waivers by the Nationals, April 23
Carlos Corporan
Rhiner Cruz: Optioned to Oklahoma City, May 2
Matt Dominguez
Josh Fields
Edgar Gonzalez: Designated for assignment, April 5; Re-signed by team on May 12, currently on DL.
Marwin Gonzalez: Optioned to Oklahoma City, June 24
Lucas Harrell: Sent to bullpen, July 7
Phil Humber: Placed on waivers, cleared, sent to OKC on May 17
Fernando Martinez: Designated for assignment on May 6
J.D. Martinez
Bud Norris
Brad Peacock: Optioned to Oklahoma City, May 2
Carlos Pena: Designated for assignment, July 21
Jose Veras
Brett Wallace
Alex White: Placed on the 60-Day DL
Wesley Wright
So that's 11 members of the Opening Day roster who are not on the July 22 25-Man roster. Seven of those 25 men were designated for assignment or placed on waivers. Three were sent back to the minors, and Alex White had Tommy John surgery.
25-Man Roster, March 31
Jose Altuve
Hector Ambriz
Rick Ankiel: Designated for assignment on May 6
Brandon Barnes
Erik Bedard
Chris Carter
Jason Castro
Ronny Cedeno: Designated for assignment, July 21
Xavier Cedeno: Claimed off waivers by the Nationals, April 23
Carlos Corporan
Rhiner Cruz: Optioned to Oklahoma City, May 2
Matt Dominguez
Josh Fields
Edgar Gonzalez: Designated for assignment, April 5; Re-signed by team on May 12, currently on DL.
Marwin Gonzalez: Optioned to Oklahoma City, June 24
Lucas Harrell: Sent to bullpen, July 7
Phil Humber: Placed on waivers, cleared, sent to OKC on May 17
Fernando Martinez: Designated for assignment on May 6
J.D. Martinez
Bud Norris
Brad Peacock: Optioned to Oklahoma City, May 2
Carlos Pena: Designated for assignment, July 21
Jose Veras
Brett Wallace
Alex White: Placed on the 60-Day DL
Wesley Wright
So that's 11 members of the Opening Day roster who are not on the July 22 25-Man roster. Seven of those 25 men were designated for assignment or placed on waivers. Three were sent back to the minors, and Alex White had Tommy John surgery.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Where Did These Guys Come From: Tri-City
Courtesy of the Albany Times-Union, we get the full ValleyCats roster for 2013 (for now). Let's do it up right:
Pitchers
Tanner Bushue: Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2009 draft
Pat Christensen: Selected in the 27th Round of the 2013 draft
Kevin Comer: Acquired in the Toronto Blue Jays' 10-player trade in July 2012.
Randall Fant: Selected in the 29th Round of the 2013 draft
Michael Feliz: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2010 season
Edison Frias: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2011 season
Christian Garcia: Selected in the 29th Round of the 2012 draft
Evan Grills: Selected in the 10th Round of the 2010 draft
Adrian Houser: Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2011 draft
Albert Minnis: Selected in the 25th Round of the 2013 draft
Zach Morton: Selected in the 32nd Round of the 2013 draft
Andrew Walter: Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2011
Kyle Westwood: Selected in the 13th Round of the 2013 draft
Catchers
Ernesto Genoves: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2008 season
Luis Alvarez: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2007 season
Infielders
Conrad Gregor: Selected in the 4th Round of the 2013 draft
Tony Kemp: Selected in the 5th Round of the 2013 draft
Thomas Lindauer: Selected in the 23rd Round of the 2013 draft
Jose Fernandez: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2010 season
Adam Nelubowich: Selected in the 18th Round of the 2013 draft
Ryan Dineen: Selected in the 25th Round of the 2012 draft
Chan-Jong Moon: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2010 seaosn
Michael Martinez: Selected in the 36th Round of the 2012 draft
Outfielders
Dan Gulbransen: Selected in the 16th Round of the 2012 draft
Jon Kemmer: Selected in the 21st Round of the 2013 draft
Ronnie Mitchell: Selected in the 38th Round of the 2013 draft
James Ramsay: Selected in the 7th Round of the 2013 draft
D'Andre Toney: Acquired in the Kansas City Royals' trade for Jason Bourgeois and Humberto Quintero in June 2012.
Pitchers
Tanner Bushue: Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2009 draft
Pat Christensen: Selected in the 27th Round of the 2013 draft
Kevin Comer: Acquired in the Toronto Blue Jays' 10-player trade in July 2012.
Randall Fant: Selected in the 29th Round of the 2013 draft
Michael Feliz: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2010 season
Edison Frias: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2011 season
Christian Garcia: Selected in the 29th Round of the 2012 draft
Evan Grills: Selected in the 10th Round of the 2010 draft
Adrian Houser: Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2011 draft
Albert Minnis: Selected in the 25th Round of the 2013 draft
Zach Morton: Selected in the 32nd Round of the 2013 draft
Andrew Walter: Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2011
Kyle Westwood: Selected in the 13th Round of the 2013 draft
Catchers
Ernesto Genoves: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2008 season
Luis Alvarez: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2007 season
Infielders
Conrad Gregor: Selected in the 4th Round of the 2013 draft
Tony Kemp: Selected in the 5th Round of the 2013 draft
Thomas Lindauer: Selected in the 23rd Round of the 2013 draft
Jose Fernandez: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2010 season
Adam Nelubowich: Selected in the 18th Round of the 2013 draft
Ryan Dineen: Selected in the 25th Round of the 2012 draft
Chan-Jong Moon: Signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2010 seaosn
Michael Martinez: Selected in the 36th Round of the 2012 draft
Outfielders
Dan Gulbransen: Selected in the 16th Round of the 2012 draft
Jon Kemmer: Selected in the 21st Round of the 2013 draft
Ronnie Mitchell: Selected in the 38th Round of the 2013 draft
James Ramsay: Selected in the 7th Round of the 2013 draft
D'Andre Toney: Acquired in the Kansas City Royals' trade for Jason Bourgeois and Humberto Quintero in June 2012.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Where Did These Guys Come From: Houston Astros
One of my favorite annual series is the Where Did These Guys Come From, in which we tell you how every player on the full-season minor-league teams (Quad Cities to Oklahoma City) came to be a part of the Astros' organization. While we wait for those rosters to be released, we can at least start with the Astros' 40-Man roster (which is at 39, with the release of Tyler Greene)
Pitchers
Hector Ambriz - signed as a free agent on June 21, 2012
Xavier Cedeno - signed as a free agent on December 23, 2010
Jose Cisnero - signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2008 season
Paul Clemens - acquired in Michael Bourn trade from Atlanta on July 31, 2011
Jarred Cosart - acquired in Hunter Pence trade from Philadelphia on July 30, 2011
Rhiner Cruz - acquired in Rule 5 draft from New York Mets on December 8, 2011
Sam Demel - selected off waivers from Arizona on November 1, 2012
John Ely - acquired in Rob Rasmussen trade from Los Angeles Dodgers on December 19, 2012
Josh Fields - acquired in Rule 5 draft from Boston Red Sox on December 6, 2012
Lucas Harrell - selected off waivers from Chicago White Sox on July 8, 2011
Philip Humber - selected off waivers from Chicago White Sox on November 30, 2012
Dallas Keuchel - drafted in 7th Round of 2009 amateur draft
Chia-Jen Lo - signed out of Taiwan in November 2008
Jordan Lyles - drafted in 1st Round of 2008 amateur draft
Bud Norris - drafted in 6th Round of 2006 amateur draft
Brett Oberholtzer - acquired in Michael Bourn trade from Atlanta on July 31, 2011
Rudy Owens - acquired in Wandy Rodriguez trade from Pittsburgh on July 24, 2012
Brad Peacock - acquired in Jed Lowrie trade from Oakland on February 4, 2013
Ross Seaton - drafted in 3rd Round of 2008 amateur draft
Jose Veras - signed as free agent on December 21, 2012
Alex White - acquired in Wilton Lopez trade from Colorado on December 4, 2012
Wesley Wright - acquired in Rule 5 draft from Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 2007
Catchers
Jason Castro - drafted in 1st Round of 2008 amateur draft
Carlos Corporan - signed as free agent on November 11, 2010
Infielders
Jose Altuve - signed as an amateur free agent on March 6, 2007
Chris Carter - acquired in Jed Lowrie trade from Oakland on February 4, 2013
Ronny Cedeno - signed as free agent on March 24, 2013
Matt Dominguez - acquired in Carlos Lee trade from Miami on July 4, 2012
Jake Elmore - selected off waivers from Arizona on November 1, 2012
Marwin Gonzalez - acquired in Marco Duarte trade from Boston on December 8, 2011
Carlos Pena - signed as free agent on December 17, 2012
Jonathan Villar - acquired in Roy Oswalt trade from Philadelphia on July 29, 2010
Brett Wallace - acquired in Anthony Gose trade from Toronto on July 29, 2010
Outfielders
Brandon Barnes - drafted in 6th Round of 2005 amateur draft
Robbie Grossman - acquired in Wandy Rodriguez trade from Pittsburgh on July 24, 2012
Fernando Martinez - selected off waivers from New York Mets on January 11, 2012
J.D. Martinez - drafted in 20th Round of 2009 amateur draft
Justin Maxwell - selected off waivers from New York Yankees on April 8, 2012
Jimmy Paredes - acquired in Lance Berkman trade from New York Yankees on July 31, 2010
---
Let's break this down, shall we? How about players...
Who signed as free agents: 9
Acquired in trades: 14
Acquired in Rule 5 drafts: 3
Selected off waivers: 6
Drafted by Houston: 7
Players acquired in...
2005: 1
2006: 1
2007: 2
2008: 5
2009: 2
2010: 5
2011: 6
2012: 14
2013: 3
Pitchers
Hector Ambriz - signed as a free agent on June 21, 2012
Xavier Cedeno - signed as a free agent on December 23, 2010
Jose Cisnero - signed as an amateur free agent prior to 2008 season
Paul Clemens - acquired in Michael Bourn trade from Atlanta on July 31, 2011
Jarred Cosart - acquired in Hunter Pence trade from Philadelphia on July 30, 2011
Rhiner Cruz - acquired in Rule 5 draft from New York Mets on December 8, 2011
Sam Demel - selected off waivers from Arizona on November 1, 2012
John Ely - acquired in Rob Rasmussen trade from Los Angeles Dodgers on December 19, 2012
Josh Fields - acquired in Rule 5 draft from Boston Red Sox on December 6, 2012
Lucas Harrell - selected off waivers from Chicago White Sox on July 8, 2011
Philip Humber - selected off waivers from Chicago White Sox on November 30, 2012
Dallas Keuchel - drafted in 7th Round of 2009 amateur draft
Chia-Jen Lo - signed out of Taiwan in November 2008
Jordan Lyles - drafted in 1st Round of 2008 amateur draft
Bud Norris - drafted in 6th Round of 2006 amateur draft
Brett Oberholtzer - acquired in Michael Bourn trade from Atlanta on July 31, 2011
Rudy Owens - acquired in Wandy Rodriguez trade from Pittsburgh on July 24, 2012
Brad Peacock - acquired in Jed Lowrie trade from Oakland on February 4, 2013
Ross Seaton - drafted in 3rd Round of 2008 amateur draft
Jose Veras - signed as free agent on December 21, 2012
Alex White - acquired in Wilton Lopez trade from Colorado on December 4, 2012
Wesley Wright - acquired in Rule 5 draft from Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 2007
Catchers
Jason Castro - drafted in 1st Round of 2008 amateur draft
Carlos Corporan - signed as free agent on November 11, 2010
Infielders
Jose Altuve - signed as an amateur free agent on March 6, 2007
Chris Carter - acquired in Jed Lowrie trade from Oakland on February 4, 2013
Ronny Cedeno - signed as free agent on March 24, 2013
Matt Dominguez - acquired in Carlos Lee trade from Miami on July 4, 2012
Jake Elmore - selected off waivers from Arizona on November 1, 2012
Marwin Gonzalez - acquired in Marco Duarte trade from Boston on December 8, 2011
Carlos Pena - signed as free agent on December 17, 2012
Jonathan Villar - acquired in Roy Oswalt trade from Philadelphia on July 29, 2010
Brett Wallace - acquired in Anthony Gose trade from Toronto on July 29, 2010
Outfielders
Brandon Barnes - drafted in 6th Round of 2005 amateur draft
Robbie Grossman - acquired in Wandy Rodriguez trade from Pittsburgh on July 24, 2012
Fernando Martinez - selected off waivers from New York Mets on January 11, 2012
J.D. Martinez - drafted in 20th Round of 2009 amateur draft
Justin Maxwell - selected off waivers from New York Yankees on April 8, 2012
Jimmy Paredes - acquired in Lance Berkman trade from New York Yankees on July 31, 2010
---
Let's break this down, shall we? How about players...
Who signed as free agents: 9
Acquired in trades: 14
Acquired in Rule 5 drafts: 3
Selected off waivers: 6
Drafted by Houston: 7
Players acquired in...
2005: 1
2006: 1
2007: 2
2008: 5
2009: 2
2010: 5
2011: 6
2012: 14
2013: 3
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Roster finalized
So Alyson Footer tweeted that:
*Henry Sosa has been outrighted to OKC, where he'll join the rotation.
*Travis Buck's contract has been purchased.
So here is your 2012 Opening Day roster:
Rotation
J.A. Happ
Lucas Harrell
Bud Norris
Wandy Rodriguez
Kyle Weiland
Bullpen
Fernando Abad
David Carpenter
Rhiner Cruz
Wilton Lopez
Brandon Lyon
Brett Myers
Fernando Rodriguez
Wesley Wright
Catchers
Jason Castro
Chris Snyder
Infielders
Jose Altuve
Matt Downs
Marwin Gonzalez
Chris Johnson
Carlos Lee
Jed Lowrie*
Outfielders
Brian Bogusevic
Travis Buck
J.D. Martinez
Jordan Schafer
*Should Jed Lowrie hit the DL with that jacked-up thumb, Brian Bixler will take his place.
*Henry Sosa has been outrighted to OKC, where he'll join the rotation.
*Travis Buck's contract has been purchased.
So here is your 2012 Opening Day roster:
Rotation
J.A. Happ
Lucas Harrell
Bud Norris
Wandy Rodriguez
Kyle Weiland
Bullpen
Fernando Abad
David Carpenter
Rhiner Cruz
Wilton Lopez
Brandon Lyon
Brett Myers
Fernando Rodriguez
Wesley Wright
Catchers
Jason Castro
Chris Snyder
Infielders
Jose Altuve
Matt Downs
Marwin Gonzalez
Chris Johnson
Carlos Lee
Jed Lowrie*
Outfielders
Brian Bogusevic
Travis Buck
J.D. Martinez
Jordan Schafer
*Should Jed Lowrie hit the DL with that jacked-up thumb, Brian Bixler will take his place.
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