Sunday, November 29, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 11/29

A couple of new Astros minor league pitchers and the Astros spring training schedule has been released, but first things first.

TWEET OF THE WEEK
WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

11-29: RHP Dean Deetz (22)
11-30: RHP Agapito Barrios (22)
11-30: 3B Luis Valbuena (30)
12-1: RHP Dan Straily (27)
12-2: Miguelangel Sierra (18)
12-2: IF Kristian Trompiz (20)
12-4: OF Carlos Gomez (30)
12-4: RHP Joe Musgrove (23)
12-4: DH/OF/1B Jose Hernandez (20)

FALL/WINTER LEAGUE STATS

Here is how the Astros players participating in fall and winter leagues have fared to date (through Saturday, the 28th, unless otherwise noted):

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE - FALL LEAGUE ENDED 11/21
3B J.D. Davis - .279/.329/.456 in 17 games
OF Derek Fisher - .254/.397/.424 in 17 games
IF Chan-Jong Moon - .093/.241/.116 in 13 games
1B A.J. Reed - .231/.326/.385 in 11 games
LHP Chris Cotton - 1.17 ERA/0.783 WHIP in 8 games (7.2IP)
LHP Brian Holmes - 1.13 ERA/1.250 WHIP in 6 games (16.0IP)
LHP Albert Minnis - 2.31 ERA/1.200 WHIP in 9 games (11.2IP)
RHP Keegan Yuhl - 7.88 ERA/1.625 WHIP in 8 games (8.0IP)

New Astro Brendan McCurry, obtained in the Jed Lowrie trade last week, went 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.125 WHIP in 11 games (13.1 IP) in the Arizona Fall League.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (stats thru Friday only)
C Tyler Heineman - .190/.288/.224 in 19 games - no longer playing
OF Teoscar Hernandez - .100/.100/.100 in 3 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .287/.417/.500 in 29 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.01 ERA/0.830 WHIP in 7 games (31.1IP) - not currently playing
LHP Reymin Guduan - 2.89 ERA/1.714 WHIP in 11 games (9.1IP)
RHP Jandel Gustave - 2.35 ERA/1.239 WHIP in 13 games (15.1IP)
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 40.50 ERA and 4.498 WHIP in 1 game (0.2IP)
RHP Juan Minaya - 12.79 ERA/2.842 WHIP in 6 games (6.1IP) - not currently playing

Heineman headed home as Teoscar Hernandez just got going. White's bat started heating up again; he went 5-for-13 with a home run in his last three games. I don't know if Buchanan is back home now as well, but he didn't play last week. Guduan and Gustave both had very good relief outings, but newcomer Jordan Jankowski most decidedly did not.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE
IF Arturo Michelena - .083/.083/.083 in 8 games (only 12 at-bats; has been playing in the Liga Paralela)
IF Kristian Trompiz - 2 games as pinch runner; no at-bats (has been playing in the Liga Paralela)
OF Danry Vasquez - .292/.338/.431 in 36 games
*RHP Ruben "R.J." Alaniz - 2.70 ERA/1.200 WHIP in 6 games (23.1IP)
RHP Chris Devenski - 5.21 ERA/1.579 in 5 games (19.0IP)
RHP James Hoyt - 1.86 ERA/1.035 WHIP in 19 games (19.1IP)

*Free agent

Danry Vasquez had a nice couple of games on Friday and Saturday, going 6-for-10 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored. Devenski had a very nice start on Monday getting his first win of his winter league campaign (5.0IP 4H 1R 0BB 7SO). Alaniz also had a good start on Tuesday, going 5.2 innings and allowing four hits, no runs and one walk while striking out seven, but allowed two runs in two innings of relief last night. Hoyt made his first appearance in a week last night, allowing two hits and a walk over one and a third innings, but keeping it scoreless (and earning the save) due to a couple of well timed strikeouts.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
OF Leo Heras - .268/.394/.463 in 26 games - not currently playing
RHP Enrique Chavez - 9.00 ERA/3.000 WHIP in 1 game (1.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jose Hernandez - 1.65 ERA/1.061 WHIP in 7 games (27.1IP)
RHP Juan Robles - 4.02 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 10 games (15.2IP)
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 3.68 ERA/0.818 WHIP in 7 games (7.1IP)

Hernandez got a tough luck 1-0 loss as he allowed only one run on three hits and no walks in his five innings on Tuesday. Sanudo was perfect in two innings of relief last night but got beaten up a little earlier in the week.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (thru Sunday)
C Jake Bowey - .094/.171/.094 in 10 games
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .156/.264/.267 in 19 games
IF/OF Marc Wik - .273/.385/.364 in 22 games
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - not currently playing

Wik had another nice week, going 5-for-15 with two runs, two walks and two stolen bases.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Edwin Medina - .267/.368/.333 in 11 games (15AB)
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 4 games (1AB)
C Roberto Pena - .111/.200/.139 in 12 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games - hasn't played since 11/14
RHP Travis Ballew - 3.52 ERA/1.263 WHIP in 9 games (12.2IP)

Ballew continued to whittle away on that ERA with three more scoreless outings this past week.

NEWS AND LINKS

For those headed to Spring Training, the Astros schedule has now been released.

Astros scout Jim Stevenson talks about scouting Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel "just checked all the boxes." It was a "no-brainer" for him.

RHP Brendan McCurry came to the Astros in a trade with Oakland for Jed Lowrie and RHP Cy Sneed came from the Brewers for Jonathan Villar. You can find more about McCurry, a right-handed relief pitcher with good command and an enviable strikeout-to-walk ratio here and more about Sneed, a starting pitcher who has made it as far as High A in his second season here. McCurry made it to AA in his second season and was placed at #30 on the Astros MLB Pipeline prospect list after the trade, replacing Kyle Smith who sat out 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Keep up with all the Astros offseason action here.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 11/22

A few thoughts on which players were protected and which were left exposed to December's Rule 5 Draft, but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

11-24: RHP Francis Martes (20)
11-25: RHP Erasmo Pinales (21)
11-27: LHP Luis Ramirez (20)
11-28: RHP Derick Velazquez (22)

TWEETS OF THE WEEK
FALL/WINTER LEAGUE STATS

Here is how the Astros players participating in fall and winter leagues have fared to date (through Saturday, the 21st, unless otherwise noted):

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE - FALL LEAGUE ENDED 11/21
3B J.D. Davis - .279/.329/.456 in 17 games
OF Derek Fisher - .254/.397/.424 in 17 games
IF Chan-Jong Moon - .093/.241/.116 in 13 games
1B A.J. Reed - .231/.326/.385 in 11 games
LHP Chris Cotton - 1.17 ERA/0.783 WHIP in 8 games (7.2IP)
LHP Brian Holmes - 1.13 ERA/1.250 WHIP in 6 games (16.0IP)
LHP Albert Minnis - 2.31 ERA/1.200 WHIP in 9 games (11.2IP)
RHP Keegan Yuhl - 7.88 ERA/1.625 WHIP in 8 games (8.0IP)

Derek Fisher ended the season nicely, going 4-for-8 with a double and two RBI in his final two games. Holmes and Minnis also did well in their final appearances and all are now really able to start their offseasons at long last.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (stats thru Friday only)
C Tyler Heineman - .190/.288/.224 in 19 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .274/.410/.484 in 26 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.01 ERA/0.830 WHIP in 7 games (31.1IP)
LHP Reymin Guduan - 3.12 ERA/1.731 WHIP in 10 games (8.2IP)
RHP Jandel Gustave - 2.77 ERA/1.385 WHIP in 11 games (13.0IP)
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP) - Not playing at this time
RHP Juan Minaya - 12.79 ERA/2.842 WHIP in 6 games (6.1IP)

Jake Buchanan continues to impress, getting his third win on Wednesday in only seven outings. He has walked four batters while striking out 28. Guduan, Gustave and Minaya were all roughed up a bit in relief outings over the week while White's bat cooled off.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE
IF Arturo Michelena - .100/.100/.100 in 7 games (only 10 at-bats)
IF Kristian Trompiz - 2 games as pinch runner; no at-bats (has been playing in the Liga Paralela)
OF Danry Vasquez - .283/.331/.425 in 32 games
*RHP Ruben "R.J." Alaniz - 2.89 ERA/1.149 WHIP in 4 games (15.2IP)
RHP Chris Devenski - 6.43 ERA/1.857 in 4 games (14.0IP)
RHP James Hoyt - 2.12 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 17 games (17.0IP)

*Free agent

Vasquez had a mixed week, starting strong and then going cold. Alaniz had a great five-inning two-hit appearance on Tuesday. Hoyt had one tough outing, but otherwise has continued to impress, and Devenski has yet to really get in a groove.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
OF Leo Heras - .268/.394/.463 in 26 games
RHP Enrique Chavez - 9.00 ERA/3.000 WHIP in 1 game (1.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jose Hernandez - 1.61 ERA/1.164 WHIP in 6 games (22.1IP)
RHP Juan Robles - 4.40 ERA/1.186 WHIP in 9 games (14.1IP)
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 2.08 ERA/0.923 WHIP in 4 games (4.1IP)

Heras had a very nice week, hitting .313 and driving in three runs. Hernandez had one start and allowed five hits and two unearned runs over four innings while Robles barely got any work and Sanudo provided three very strong outings in relief.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
C Jake Bowey - .067/.152/.067 in 9 games
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .184/.304/.316 in 15 games
IF/OF Marc Wik - .276/.400/.379 in 17 games
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - not currently playing

No one stood out as Wik's bat went cold for the week.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Edwin Medina - .286/.333/.429 in 5 games
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 2 games (1AB) - DNP last week
C Roberto Pena - .129/.229/.161 in 11 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games - DNP last week
RHP Travis Ballew - 5.40 ERA/1.440 WHIP in 6 games (8.1IP)

Ballew had a nice week, particularly his two perfect outings on Friday and Saturday.

NEWS AND LINKS

Obviously the biggest news of the week was Friday's deadline to protect players in advance of December's Rule 5 draft. The Astros made a few additional moves in order to free up seven roster spots and ultimately decided to protect the following players:

OF Andrew Aplin
IF Nolan Fontana
C Alfredo Gonzalez
RHP Jandel Gustave
RHP Juan Minaya
RHP Joe Musgrove
RHP David Paulino

I would have put money on the Astros protecting Joe Musgrove and Jandel Gustave, and I felt reasonably certain that Paulino would be protected as well. Beyond that, I honestly had no clue how the Astros would proceed, but I will say that I was most surprised by their choice to protect Gonzalez and Minaya. Neither player is on any top prospect list and I question whether either would have been chosen in the Rule 5 draft if they had been left protected.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Gonzalez, but I'm not sure that he's ready for the majors and I'm somewhat doubtful that he would have been drafted this year, much less stuck. Minaya had a very good year and may be ready for the majors, but I see him as an MLB average middle relief guy and don't really see him as having more long-term value for the Astros than a number of starting pitchers who I also see as MLB ready, such as Brady Rodgers, Mike Hauschild and Chris Devenski. I may very well be wrong and Minaya may end up being the second coming of Mariano Rivera, but I somehow doubt it. And even if there isn't room on your roster for some of the starting pitchers mentioned, they do still have trade value and I hate to see getting nothing in return in the event they are lost.

With that said, there are quite a few Astros players who will be receiving consideration from other teams as they approach the Rule 5 Draft on December 10th. As already mentioned, Rodgers, Hauschild and Devenski will be attractive starting pitching targets; Brian Holmes and Edison Frias will likely get some attention as well. Jordan Jankowski, Travis Ballew, Aaron West and Gonzalo Sanudo will likely garner some interest as relievers. Reymin Guduan is almost 100% certain to be drafted, but has a low likelihood of sticking due to his control/command issues. Tommy Shirley and Tyson Perez are not likely to be taken because of injury concerns; I believe that Perez recently had Tommy John surgery and Shirley missed the bulk of the season due to injury. However, Astros top 30 prospect Kyle Smith who will be coming back from TJ surgery this year could be a Rule 5 target.

Teoscar Hernandez and Danry Vasquez didn't exactly wow at AA Corpus Christi last season, but then neither did Delino DeShields the previous year. I will not be surprised if another team takes a chance on either of those players. Roberto Pena is a top notch defensive catcher, but his bat has held him back. Pena and switch-hitter Tyler Heineman are both exposed to the Rule 5, but it is worth considering that only seven catchers have been drafted from 2006 forward and only three of those stuck. Of the exposed players at AA and AAA, that leaves only Joe Sclafani, a switch-hitting utility player. The only player below AA that I can see garnering serious interest would be Kevin Comer who has had mixed results in his career, but who still has good upside potential.

All of this depends, of course, on need and roster availability. In the end, there will be only so many roster spots available. 2014 was an unusual year in that 11 of the 14 Rule 5 picks were able to stick. In 2013, only three of the nine drafted players stuck. Everything will play out soon enough on December 10th, but I think the Astros will have a similar outcome to 2014, losing two players to the Rule 5 draft and having one returned.

Here is detailed information from Baseball America on all the players who were protected.

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You might enjoy this blog post from Hannah Sneed, the wife of newest Astro Cy Sneed, about life as a Baseball Bride.

And, in case you missed it, here is the updated off-season transaction list with all of the Astros major and minor transactions to date and my look back at the Astros 2010 draft class.


Thursday, November 19, 2015

Looking Back at the Astros 2010 Draft Class

Over the last few weeks, we've been looking back at some of the Astros draft classes to see where things stand. Today we'll look at 2010, the third class from the Ed Wade/Bobby Heck era. Let's look at the numbers:

52 players drafted
35 players signed
5 players still in the Astros system (plus one re-drafted in 2013)
21 players still active in either affiliated or independent baseball in 2015*

26 position players drafted/16 signed/1 still in the system
13 from high school/5 signed/1 still in the system
1 from junior college/1 signed/0 still in the system
12 from college/10 signed/0 still in the system

26 pitchers drafted/19 signed/4 still in the system
11 from high school/4 signed/2 still in the system
2 from junior college/2 signed/0 still in the system
13 from college/13 signed/2 still in the system

*Of the 21 players who were still active in either affiliated or independent baseball in 2015, five are players who did not sign with Houston, but later signed with other teams, two were released by the Astros but are still playing in independent ball, seven were traded (three are still in affiliated ball and four are in independent ball), one was lost in the Rule 5 draft, and five are left in the system from the original draft (Velasquez, Pena, Buchanan, Shirley and Grills), plus one was re-drafted by the Astros and is still in the system (Chrismon). Four have made their major league debuts (DeShields, Foltynewicz, Velasquez and Buchanan).

Vince Velasquez - September 2014
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Here is a little on each of them. Players signed by the Astros are in bold. The position shown is the position at which the player was drafted, and I have also indicated in parentheses whether they were drafted out of high school (HS), junior college (JC) or college (C).

1. 2B Delino DeShields (HS) - Lost in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2014

DeShields was left unprotected for the 2014 Rule 5 Draft and the Rangers plunked him up and deposited him in their outfield with positive results. In 121 games for Texas in 2015, DeShields hit .261/.344/.374 with 22 doubles, 10 triples, two home runs and 25 stolen bases to eight caught stealing. In his five seasons in the Astros system, DeShields hit .267/.362/.396 with 86 doubles, 27 triples, 37 home runs and 241 stolen bases.

1. RHP Mike Foltynewicz (HS) - Traded in January 2015

Foltynewicz was drafted with the Tigers first round pick as compensation for losing free agent RHP Jose Valverde. He was traded, along with 3B Rio Ruiz and RHP Andrew Thurman, to the Braves for DH Evan Gattis and RHP James Hoyt. Folty was 4-6 with a 5.71 ERA and a 1.627 WHIP in 18 games (15 starts) for Atlanta in 2015 before being shut down for surgery to address a blood clot that was affecting his pitching arm.

1s. C Mike Kvasnicka (C) - Traded in 2013

Kvasnicka was a supplemental pick, also received for losing Valverde. He was traded to the Twins for RHP Gonzalo Sanudo in March 2013. He played outfield for the Twins AA affiliate in 2014, but was released by that organization in March 2015 and played independent league ball in 2015. He has a career .253/.311/.392 batting line. He was used primarily as an outfielder in the last couple of years.

2. RHP Vince Velasquez (HS)

Velasquez made his major league debut for the Astros on June 10, 2015 and went 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.275 WHIP in 19 games (seven starts). In nine games (five starts) for Corpus Christi in 2015, he was 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP.

3. 2B Austin Wates (C) - Traded in 2014

Wates (who never played second base in the organization and was an outfielder from day one) was included in the July 2014 trade to Miami, along with RHP Jarred Cosart and utility player Kiké Hernandez, in exchange for OF Jake Marisnick, RHP Francis Martes and 3B Colin Moran. Wates has a .288/.362/.391 career batting line.

4. RHP Bobby Doran (JC) - Traded in 2014

Doran was traded in July 2014 to the White Sox for SS Jeffry Santos and was subsequently released by that team in March 2015. Including Doran's 2015 season playing in independent ball, he has a career 4.81 ERA and 1.423 WHIP. Santos was released by the Astros in June 2015.

5. C Ben Heath (C) - Released in 2013

Prior to his release in March 2013, Ben Heath played in the system for three seasons, hitting .269/.340/.433 in 211 games. He had a 24% caught stealing rate.

6. RHP Adam Plutko (HS) - Did not sign

Plutko was drafted by Cleveland in the 11th round in 2013 out of the University of California at Los Angeles. After spending 2013 on the DL, Plutko has compiled a 3.16 ERA and a 1.052 WHIP in 55 starts over the last two seasons. He ended his season with the Indians AA affiliate.

7. C Roberto Peña (HS)

Peña spent his 2015 season with AA Corpus Christi, hitting .237/.284/.288. In his 72 games behind the plate, he caught 49% of would-be base stealers (45% over his career). Pena turned 23 in June.

8. RHP Jake Buchanan (C)

Buchanan was the first out of this draft class to make his major league debut on June 21, 2014, but spent the vast majority of his 2015 season with the AAA Fresno Grizzlies where he compiled a 4.76 ERA and a 1.512 WHIP in 30 games (seven starts). In his five relief outings for Houston, he had a 2.00 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP.

9. LHP Tommy Shirley (C)

Shirley was having a strong season for AAA Fresno when he ended up on the DL in late May (where he remained for the rest of the season). Prior to that, in 11 games (seven starts), he was 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.049 WHIP.

10. LHP Evan Grills (HS)

Grills also spent a large chunk of his season on the DL. In 13 games (nine starts) for High A Lancaster, Grills had 7.20 ERA and a 1.667 WHIP before being shut down after his July 3rd appearance.

11. 3B Kyle Redinger (HS) - Released in 2012

Redinger played in only 101 games over three seasons, hitting .186/.268/.234. Redinger re-invented himself as a pitcher and is currently playing for the Brisbane Bandits in the Australian baseball league.

12. RHP Andrew Robinson (C) - Traded in 2014

Robinson was traded to the Braves in July 2014 for a PTBNL (Australian 1B Jared Cruz). In late July 2015, Robinson was released by the Braves and was subsequently signed by the Orioles. In 48 bullpen appearances between those two organizations in 2015, Robinson compiled a 3.18 ERA and a 1.027 WHIP.

13. 2B Davis Duren (C) - Did not sign

Duren went back to Oklahoma State for his senior year. It appears that he never played professionally.

14. OF Jordan Scott (HS) - Released March 2015

Scott had a career .273/.349/.349 batting line in 418 games in the Astros system.

15. RHP Jamaine Cotton (JC) - Released March 2015

After being released in March, Cotton went on to play independent ball in 2015. He has a career 4.75 ERA and a 1.564 WHIP.

16. C Chris Wallace (C) - Traded in 2013

Wallace was traded to Cleveland in April 2013 for LHP Eric Berger (who was subsequently traded to Oakland in early 2014 for cash). Wallace only appeared in 18 games for the AAA Indians affiliate in 2014, spending a large chunk of the season on the DL, and was subsequently released by them in April 2015. Wallace then joined the independent Atlantic League Sugar Land Skeeters in 2015, hitting .257/.317/.429 in 129 games.

17. 3B Tyler Burnett (C) - Released in 2012

Burnett actually played primarily at first base and was released 12 games in to his third season in 2012. In 186 games, he hit .244/.338/.359.

18. OF Josh Magee (C) - Released in 2012

Magee was released in July 2012, reportedly due to off-field issues. In 111 games, he hit .254/.314/.326. After his release, he went on to play football for the University of Alabama at Birmingham and for the University of South Alabama.

19. SS JaCoby Jones (HS) - Did not sign

Jones was drafted by the Pirates in the 3rd round in 2013 out of LSU and was traded by that organization to the Tigers in July 2015. In three minor league, he has hit .274/.335/.456. He was recently suspended 50 games for having a positive test for a drug of abuse.

20. OF Daniel Adamson (C) - Released in 2012

Adamson was released four games into the 2012 minor league season. In 146 games, he hit .259/.336/.424.

21. RHP Aaron Blair (HS) - Did not sign

Blair was a first round supplemental pick by the Diamondbacks in 2013 (out of Marshall University). In three seasons, he has a 3.22 ERA and a 1.168 WHIP, and finished his 2015 at the D'Backs AAA affiliate.

22. C Zach Dygert (C) - Did not sign

It appears that Dygert never played professionally.

23. OF Adam Bailey (C) - Released in 2013

Bailey was released in March 2013 and went on to play in independent ball from 2013 through 2015. His career batting line is .279/.326/.453.

24. LHP Adam Champion (C) - Released in 2012

Champion pitched two seasons in the Astros system prior to his March 2012 release and then pitched three seasons in independent ball through 2013 to finish with a lifetime 4.87 ERA and 1.524 WHIP.

25. RHP Rodney Quintero (JC) - Released in 2012

Quintero pitched for three seasons in the organization, ending with a career 5.67 ERA and 1.761 WHIP.

26. LHP Alex Sogard (C) - Traded in 2014

Sogard was traded to the Diamondbacks in July 2014 for 3B Cesar Carrasco and was subsequently released by that organization in December 2014. Sogard went on to pitch in independent league ball in 2015 and has a career 4.44 ERA and 1.476 WHIP.

27. SS Jacke Healey (C) - Released in 2011

Healey played in the Astros system for two seasons, hitting .163/.228/.302 in 93 games.

28. RHP Jason Chowning (C) - Released in 2012

Chowning pitched three seasons in the organization prior to his release in July 2012. He had a lifetime 3.08 ERA and 1.274 WHIP. He struck out 136 in 117 innings pitched.

29. OF Broughan Jantz (HS) - Did not sign

Jantz pursued football instead of baseball, playing at City College of San Francisco and the University of Sioux Falls.

30. OF Kellen Kiilsgaard (C) - Released in 2012

Kiilsgaard sat out the 2010 season due to injury and only played one season in 2011, hitting .161/.213/.246 before his release in January 2012.

31. LHP Travis Blankenship (C) - Released in 2012

Blankenship played in the system for two seasons, compiling a 3.12 ERA and a 1.220 WHIP in 45 bullpen appearances before being released in January 2012.

32. RHP Austin Chrismon (HS) - Did not sign

The Astros drafted Chrismon again in 2013, this time in the 26th round out of East Carolina University. He finished the 2015 season with the High A Lancaster team.

33. RHP Michael Ness (C) - Released in 2012

Ness pitched in the Astros organization for two seasons. After his release in March 2012, he went on to play two more seasons in independent ball, ending his career with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.341 WHIP.

34. RHP Ryan Cole (C) - Released in 2012

Cole pitched in the system for two seasons and ended his career with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.194 WHIP in 48 outings.

35. 1B Esteban Gomez (HS) - Did not sign

Gomez went on to play for San Jacinto Community College in 2011 and 2012, but it does not appear that he ever played professionally.

36. RHP Ryan Halstead (HS) - Did not sign

Halstead went on to play for Indiana University from 2011 through 2015. He was drafted by the Twins in 2013 and didn't sign, but finally signed with the Giants after being drafted in the 21st round in 2015. In his first pro season, he appeared in 23 games for the Giants Low A affiliate and compiled a 2.33 ERA and a 0.815 WHIP with eight saves.

37. RHP Brian Streilein (C) - Released in 2012

Streilein pitched in the system from 2010 through his release in July 2012. He had a lifetime 5.29 ERA and 1.424 WHIP.

38. 1B Ryan Ford (HS) - Did not sign

Ford played for the University of Texas in 2011, Navarro Junior College in 2012 and Florida Gulf Coast University in 2013. It appears that he is no longer playing and never played professionally.

39. RHP Krishawn Holley (HS) - Released May 2015

Holley played in the Astros system for five seasons, compiling a 2.92 ERA and a 1.354 WHIP in 59 games prior to his release in May of this year.

40. LHP Jeremiah Meiners (C) - Released in 2013

Meiners was released in March 2013 after pitching in the organization for three seasons. In 58 games, he had a 3.51 ERA and a 1.217 WHIP.

41. OF Bryce Lane (JC) - Released in 2012

Lane played in the Astros system for two seasons and then one additional season in independent ball in 2012 after his March release, ending his career with a .254/.331/.357 batting line.

42. RHP Paul Gerrish (C) - Released/retired after the 2010 season

The date that Gerrish was released/retired is not available, but he only pitched in the organization for one season in 2010. In 14 games, he had a 4.56 ERA and a 1.521 WHIP.

43. SS DeMarcus Henderson (HS) - Did not sign

Henderson played for Mississippi State from 2011 through 2014 and has not played professionally.

44. RHP Alexis Garza (HS) - Did not sign

Garza last played for the University of the Incarnate Word in 2014 and has not played professionally.

45. SS Ian Vazquez (HS) - Did not sign

Vazquez played for Wagner College in New York in 2011 and Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina from 2012 through 2014 and has not played professionally.

46. LHP Lawrence Pardo (HS) - Did not sign

Pardo was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 38th round in 2014. In his first two professional seasons, he has a 4.73 ERA and a 1.392 WHIP.

47. SS Joe Carcone (HS) - Did not sign

Carcone played for Bryant University in Rhode Island for two years and then transferred to the College of Saint Rose in Albany where he played in 2013, sat out the 2014 season and played again in 2015. He has not played professionally.

48. RHP T.J. Pecoraro (HS) - Did not sign

Pecoraro played for Vanderbilt from 2011 through 2014 and has not played professionally.

49. C Kenny Diaz (HS) - Released in 2012

Diaz was released after playing three seasons in the system, hitting .212/.307/.257.

50. OF David Donald (HS) - Did not sign

Donald played one season for Tallahassee Community College in 2011, one season for Spartanburg Methodist College (see this article for the unusual way that came about) in 2012 and two years for Tennessee Weslayan in 2013 and 2014. He has not played professionally.

Previous draft reviews:

2007 Draft
2008 Draft
2009 Draft

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 11/15

It's been a mostly quiet week in Astros land, but this "awesome" interview with Matt Duffy may entertain you (someone get the man a thesaurus!). And in case you missed it, the Astros are going to have a few really tough choices to make in advance of the Rule 5 Draft. And finally, the 2015-2016 Off-Season Transaction List has been updated with the Colby Rasmus signing and the free agency election by Samuel Deduno.

TWEET OF THE WEEK
WISHING A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO 

11-16: RHP Joselo Pinales (21)
11-17: OF Jon Kemmer (25)
11-18: C Richard Gonzalez (22)
11-18: C Anthony Hermelyn (22)
11-18: RHP Yonathan Quintin (19)
11-19: LHP Framber Valdez (22)
11-21: LHP Chris Cotton (25)
11-21: RHP Luis Vasquez (22)

FALL/WINTER LEAGUE STATS

Here is how the Astros players participating in fall and winter leagues have fared to date (through Saturday, the 14th, unless otherwise noted):

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
3B J.D. Davis - .288/.344/.475 in 15 games
OF Derek Fisher - .216/.375/.392 in 15 games
IF Chan-Jong Moon - .111/.261/.139 in 11 games
1B A.J. Reed - .231/.326/.385 in 11 games - DNP last week
LHP Chris Cotton - 1.17 ERA/0.783 WHIP in 8 games (7.2IP)
LHP Brian Holmes - 0.69 ERA/1.308 WHIP in 5 games (13.0IP) - DNP last week
LHP Albert Minnis - 2.53 ERA/1.219 WHIP in 8 games (10.2IP)
RHP Keegan Yuhl - 7.88 ERA/1.625 WHIP in 8 games (8.0IP)

The Arizona Fall League enters the final week with the last regular season games scheduled for Thursday and the Championship game scheduled on Saturday. The Astros Glendale team has been eliminated from contention so they will be winding things up on Thursday.

Davis (6-for-18 HR 4RBI) and Fisher (5-for-14 3B HR 4BB) both had good weeks as did Albert Minnis with two scoreless outings and Chris Cotton with one perfect frame.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (stats thru Friday only)
C Tyler Heineman - .216/.322/.255 in 17 games
IF Jonathan Villar - .194/.293/.222 in 10 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .307/.441/.520 in 21 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.13 ERA/0.750 WHIP in 6 games (25.1IP)
LHP Reymin Guduan - 1.17 ERA/1.174 WHIP in 8 games (7.2IP)
RHP Jandel Gustave - 0.82 ERA/1.182 WHIP in 9 games (11.0IP)
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP) - Not playing at this time
*RHP Juan Minaya - 14.40 ERA/2.800 WHIP in 5 games (5.0IP)

*Free Agent

Tyler White had another strong week, hitting .350 (7-for-14) for the week. Jake Buchanan had a 7-inning outing, allowing only 4 hits and one run; he has walked three batters while striking out 25. Guduan and Gustave continued with their strong work.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE
IF Arturo Michelena - .167/.167/.167 in 4 games (2 pinch running appearances last week)
IF Kristian Trompiz - 2 games as pinch runner; no at-bats (has been playing in the Liga Paralela)
OF Danry Vasquez - .300/.349/.460 in 27 games
*RHP Ruben "R.J." Alaniz - 4.22 ERA/1.312 WHIP in 3 games (10.2IP)
RHP Chris Devenski - 7.71 ERA/1.312 in 3 games (9.1IP)
RHP James Hoyt - 1.20 ERA/0.933 WHIP in 15 games (15.0IP)

*Free agent

Vasquez has cooled off a little over the last week, but is still putting up some decent numbers, and Devenski has fared much, much, much better in his last two outings than he did in his first one. But the real standout is Hoyt who continues to dominate. In three appearances over the last week, he allowed no hits, no runs and only one walk.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
OF Leo Heras - .258/.395/.455 in 22 games
RHP Enrique Chavez - 9.00 ERA/3.000 WHIP in 1 game (1.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jose Hernandez - 1.96 ERA/1.091 WHIP in 5 games (18.1IP)
RHP Juan Robles - 4.50 ERA/1.143 WHIP in 8 games (14.0IP)
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 3.86 ERA/0.857 WHIP in 2 games (2.1IP)

Robles showed he was human this past week after having a couple of rough outings and old friend Gonzalo Sanudo showed up on the Culiacan roster.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
C Jake Bowey - .083/.154/.083 in 7 games
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .206/.333/.353 in 13 games
IF/OF Marc Wik - .306/.424/.429 in 14 games (including today's game)
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - DNP last week

Wik hasn't gotten much playing time this week, but he has contributed six doubles and nine walks in his 14 games and his OBP is among the top 10 in the league.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Robbie Grossman - .118/.250/.147 in 9 games
OF Edwin Medina - .286/.333/.429 in 4 games
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 2 games (1AB)
C Roberto Pena - .143/.250/.179 in 9 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games
RHP Travis Ballew - 9.00 ERA/1.600 WHIP in 3 games (5.0IP)
LHP Luis Cruz - 4.50 ERA/1.500 WHIP in 3 games (10.0IP)

Medina made the most of his limited time, going 2-for-6 with a double, RBI and a walk in three games last week. Stassi cooled off a bit, but still has solid numbers overall. And Ballew had his first struggles while Cruz pitched an excellent five innings on Saturday, allowing only two hits, one unearned run and one walk while striking out five.

Friday, November 13, 2015

2015 Lancaster Offensive Efficiency

2015 Lancaster Offensive Efficiency
By Jeremy Schmidt ( @Jeremy_IP_TTM and @TXLScouting )

When you think about the Cal League, Lancaster in particular, a launching pad offensive environment comes to mind. The 2015 Lancaster JetHawks took full advantage of their extreme hitter friendly ballpark to lead the league with 6.34 runs per game and 174 homeruns. When looking at the offensive efficiency numbers in a league with such polar extreme hitting conditions as the Cal League the averages relative to the league average will usually have a wide spread. The 2015 edition of the JetHawks had a team OE of 48.43 which was nearly 19% better than the league average of 40.72. As talented as the team was the park effects of The Hangar further inflated the offensive numbers. Below are the OE numbers for the JetHawk players that had at least 100 plate appearances. [Click here for the Offensive Efficiency formula.]
  1. A.J. Reed - 62.03
  2. Sean McMullen - 58.85
  3. Derek Fisher - 53.00
  4. J.D. Davis - 50.86
  5. Jamie Ritchie - 48.25
  6. James Ramsay - 47.54
  7. Mott Hyde - 46.64
  8. Jack Mayfield - 46.55
  9. Danry Vasquez - 45.85
  10. Marc Wik - 43.88
  11. Alex Bregman - 43.06
A.J. Reed really took off to start the season and played his way to AA where he continued to mash. Sean McMullen took full advantage of the positive run scoring environment in his short stint with the team; he should start next season back in Lancaster. Chase McDonald finished second in the league in homeruns with 30; aside from his power numbers, McDonald’s stats are nearly identical to last season at Quad Cities. Brett Phillips was spectacular, although he was hurt on the base paths getting caught stealing 43% of the time. Derek Fisher was very good after joining the team; he showed a great power and speed combination in spite of a lower than expected batting average. J.D. Davis matched his numbers from 2014 at a higher level which is a very good sign going forward. Ronnie Mitchell finished with double digit totals in doubles, triples, and homeruns. Jamie Ritchie after his late season call up racked up 25 walks against just 27 strikeouts in only 164 plate appearances; he is another in a very deep catching position for the Astros’ farm system. James Ramsay led the team in hits with 160 but his efficiency number was hurt by being caught stealing 12 times. Mott Hyde in half a season at Lancaster played very well, improving his stock as a 26th round pick. Danry Vasquez played his way to a AA promotion even though his traditional stats didn’t line up with his OE number. Vasquez struggled with the Hooks. Marc Wik is a solid on base player, but it looks like he will end up being squeezed out by other outfielders with louder tools. [Note from Jayne: Wik is being used as a super utility player. As long as he continues to do a lot of things reasonably well, I think he has the opportunity to fill that niche role for some team at some point.] Alex Bregman, the Astros’ first pick in the 2015 draft, played very well in Lancaster. His OE number was hurt by 4 caught stealing and grounding into 5 double plays in limited plate appearances in Lancaster. Alfredo Gonzalez didn’t hit for much power in limited time. Brian Holberton walked at a good rate but did not do much else at the plate. Jose Fernandez did not have a very good year at the plate and was subsequently demoted to Quad Cities.

Traditional statistics for the above players can be found here http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/cYote

Stay tuned for more covering the other Astros farm clubs.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

An Updated 2015 Astros Rule 5 Draft Primer

[UPDATE: With today's moves (11/19) and the re-signing of Colby Rasmus, the roster now stands at 34.]

The deadline for protecting players from the Rule 5 draft is next Friday, November 20th, so it's time to update my post from August as to which players in the Astros system are at risk of being drafted if they aren't placed on the 40-man roster by next Friday. The only real substantive change from my August list is that corner infielder Matt Duffy was placed on the 40-man roster during the season and is no longer at risk of being drafted. As of today, there are 36 players on the 40-man roster, but that doesn't mean that there are four available spots since Astros GM Jeff Luhnow will be actively pursuing a free agent signing or two, including the potential re-signing of OF Colby Rasmus.

If you want to know the most likely targets, look no further than the pitchers who finished their seasons at AA and AAA. Joe Musgrove just came off a phenomenal season and is currently the Astros number nine prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings, the highest ranking of any of the eligible players. Chris Devenski had a fabulous start and end to his season (MVP of the National AAA championship) with a few mixed results in between. Jandel Gustave turned the corner in 2015 and turned into a dominant closer for the Hooks. He was drafted last year and the Astros were lucky to get him back; if they leave him unprotected this year, they will not be that lucky again.

But a strong case could be made that another team will draft from among several other Astros pitchers as well. Mike Hauschild, Brady Rodgers and Jordan Jankowski spent all or a large part of the season at AAA and are probably as close to major league ready as they're going to get. At the other end of the spectrum, Reymin Guduan isn't as polished and David Paulino hasn't progressed beyond High A, but they will be attractive targets nonetheless. Honestly, I fully expect that the Astros will lose a couple of pitchers in the draft. And that doesn't even consider the position players! Andrew Aplin, Nolan Fontana, Teoscar Hernandez and Danry Vasquez are all on the MLB Pipeline Top 30 Astros prospect list as well. I'm really glad that I don't have to make this decision. Whomever the Astros decide to protect, they will be second-guessed. At the end of the day, one just hopes that a Johan Santana doesn't get away.

With all that said, here is a primer based on my understanding of how the Rule 5 draft works, as well as my list of this year's draft eligible players. The draft will be held in December at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.

Joe Musgrove - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

RULE 5 ELIGIBILITY

The Rule 5 draft (don't call it the Rule V draft or baseball purists will jump down your throat) has both a major league phase and minor league phases which I'll cover later, but first things first ... eligibility. Those players who are eligible in a given year fall under these guidelines:


[That is directly from the 2008 Major League Rules which can be found here. If it has changed since then, I haven't seen that information.]

What that means in English is that this year's eligible players basically include: 1) any player who signed prior to the end of the 2011 season; and 2) players who signed after the end of the 2011 season and prior to the end of the 2012 season who were 19 years old or older when they signed. That means most 2012 drafted college players are eligible, but high school players (and some community college players) drafted in 2012 are not eligible until next year. For the international free agents, one needs to know when the player signed their first professional agreement and their age at signing to make the determination. There are exceptions, but that is the basic gist of it.

MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF THE RULE 5 DRAFT

The first phase of the Rule 5 draft is the major league phase. In order to protect an eligible player from being drafted in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, they must be on the major league club's 40-man roster prior to November 20th (if that falls on a business day). Players on the 40-man roster at that deadline are considered "protected."

Obviously not all of a team's best players can be protected on the 40-man roster. That is where the 38-man AAA Reserve List helps. If a player from the AAA Reserve List is drafted in the Rule 5 draft, that player must remain on the drafting team's 25-man major league roster for the full season or he will have to be put through waivers. If claimed, the new team will be subject to the same conditions regarding that player. If not claimed, the player will be offered back to the team from which they were drafted.

The cost of drafting a player in the major league phase of the draft is $50,000. If the player is offered back to the team from which he was drafted, the original team must pay $25,000 back to the drafting team. If the original team declines, the player will be put on waivers.

Last season RHP Vince Velasquez, RHP Michael Feliz and IF Ronald Torreyes were all added to the 40-man roster in advance of the deadline. The front office made the determination that these three players were the most likely players to be taken in the Rule 5 draft. Presumably, the front office took a calculated risk by not adding players such as OF Delino DeShields, RHP Jandel Gustave, LHP David Rollins and others to the 40-man roster, but only included them on the AAA Reserve List. They made a determination as to which players, if drafted, were more likely to "stick" on a major league roster for a full season. All three of those players were claimed in the Rule 5 draft, but Gustave was subsequently returned.

Since players taken in the Rule 5 draft have to remain on the drafting team's 25-man roster for the full season, pitchers are taken much more frequently than position players simply because it's fairly easy to use a pitcher sparingly out of the bullpen. Position players can't be tucked away quite so neatly if they struggle. It all comes down to another team's ability to find room on their 25-man roster for a full season. It's simply not that easy to do and that's why so very few players are drafted in the Rule 5 draft and stick with a team.

It's also the case that often minor league fans overvalue prospects. We may think much more highly of a player than the other teams' front offices do. When all is said and done, the Astros front office will take some risks in leaving players unprotected, but it will be a highly educated guess based on many factors, including future needs.

MINOR LEAGUE PHASES OF THE RULE 5 DRAFT

There are two minor league phases of the Rule 5 draft as well. The players on the 40-man roster and the 38 players on the AAA reserve list aren't eligible to be taken in the minor league phases of the draft. So, in essence, you are protecting your top 78 players from the minor league phases. (As far as I know, AAA Reserve Lists are not made public so we are left to guess who the Astros will be shielding from the minor league phases of the draft.)

In the AAA Phase of the draft, a player who is on the AA Reserve List or lower can be drafted for inclusion on the drafting team's AAA Reserve list for a cost of $12,000. In the AA Phase of the draft, players at all of the levels lower than AA can be drafted for inclusion on the drafting team's AA Reserve List for a cost of $4,000.

The kicker on the minor league phase of the draft is that the drafted player basically becomes that team's property. There is no requirement to offer the player back if he doesn't work out. He can be traded, released, etc. at a team's discretion. In the minor league phase of the 2014 Rule 5 draft, the Astros lost OF Ariel Ovando to the Cubs, for whom he became a pitcher, pitching in the Rookie level Arizona League in 2015.

ASTROS 2015 RULE 5 ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

The following are those players who will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December if they are left unprotected. I have organized them by the level at which they finished the season. Players who are first year eligible have been #'d and those who are on MLB Pipeline's current Top 30 list are in bold. Obviously, there will be some tough choices ahead.

AAA Position Players
#OF Andrew Aplin
#IF Nolan Fontana
#C Tyler Heineman
#IF Joe Sclafani

AAA Pitchers
#RHP Travis Ballew
RHP Chris Devenski
RHP Jandel Gustave
#RHP Mike Hauschild
#RHP Jordan Jankowski
RHP Tyson Perez
#RHP Brady Rodgers
LHP Tommy Shirley

AA Position Players
#OF Teoscar Hernandez
SS Chan Moon
C Roberto Pena
OF Danry Vasquez

AA Pitchers
RHP Edison Frias
LHP Reymin Guduan
#LHP Brian Holmes
#RHP Joe Musgrove
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo
#RHP Aaron West

Position Players at High A or lower
#C Marlon Avea
#OF Rodrigo Ayarza
#3B Randy Cesar
2B Jose Fernandez
#IF Arturo Michelena
#IF Luis Reynoso
#IF/OF Marc Wik

Pitchers at High A or lower
#RHP Harold Arauz
RHP Agapito Barrios
#RHP Kevin Comer
#RHP Samil de los Santos
#RHP Yeyfry del Rosario
LHP Evan Grills
RHP Angel Heredia
RHP Jose Montero
#RHP David Paulino
#RHP Christian Powell
#LHP Edwin Villarroel
RHP Andrew Walter

Disabled List
#RHP Kyle Smith

#First year eligibility for Rule 5 Draft

In addition to the above, the following players became minor league free agents at the conclusion of this season; they are free to explore free agency if they are not re-signed by the Astros.

Minor League Free Agents
RHP R.J. Alaniz
C Alfredo Gonzalez
IF Jio Mier
RHP Juan Minaya

Here is some basic information from MLB about the Rule 5 draft.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Astros 2015-2016 Off-Season Transaction Master List

Here are the Astros 2015-2016 off-season transactions through 4:00 p.m. on April 3rd. March 27th. The Astros 40-man roster currently stands at 40. This will be the final update of the off-season.

ADDED TO THE 40-MAN ROSTER
OF Andrew Aplin - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
RHP Doug Fister - FA signing
IF Nolan Fontana - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
RHP Ken Giles - Trade with the Phillies
C Alfredo Gonzalez - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
RHP Jandel Gustave - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
C Erik Kratz - Trade with the Padres
RHP Juan Minaya - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
RHP Joe Musgrove - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
RHP David Paulino - Added to the 40-man prior to the Rule 5 Draft
OF Colby Rasmus - FA signing
RHP Danny Reynolds - Claimed off waivers from the Dodgers and added to the 40-man
LHP Tony Sipp - FA signing
1B/3B Tyler White - Added to the 40-man roster out of ST

NEW TO THE ASTROS SYSTEM
RHP Octavio Acosta - Drafted in the AAA phase of the Rule 5 draft (MiLB) - Loaned to the Mexican League
2B Alfredo Angarita - International FA signing (MiLB)
SS Jonathan Arauz - Trade with the Phillies (MiLB)
P Jesus Bernaez - 18-year old Venezuelan (MiLB)
SS Samir Caraballo - 17-year old Colombian (MiLB)
LHP Edwar Cabrera - MiLB contract with ST invite
P Juan Corniel - International FA signing (MiLB)
LHP Neal Cotts - Signed to a minor league deal - released 3/25
RHP Doug Fister - FA signing
RHP Ken Giles - Trade with the Phillies (MLB)
SS Eduardo Guzman - 21-year old Venezuelan (MiLB)
P Juan Infante - 19-year old Venezuelan (MiLB)
RHP Brendan McCurry - Trade acquisition (MiLB)
P Kilvio Peralta - 19-year old Dominican (MiLB)
LHP Carlos Perdomo - International FA signing (MiLB)
OF Eury Perez - FA signing (MiLB)
OF Ramiro Ramirez - International FA signing (MiLB)
RHP Danny Reynolds - Waiver claim (Dodgers)
LHP Wandy Rodriguez - Signed to MiLB contract with invite to ST - didn't make club out of ST
RHP Carlos Sierra - International FA signing (MiLB)
RHP Cy Sneed - Trade acquisition (MiLB)
RHP Cesar Valdez - FA signing (MiLB)
2B Danny Worth - MiLB contract with ST invite

MAJOR LEAGUE FREE AGENTS
1B Chris Carter - Non-tendered - Signed with the Brewers
LHP Scott Kazmir  - Signed with the Dodgers
LHP Oliver Perez - Signed with the Nationals
RHP Chad Qualls - Signed with the Rockies
OF Colby Rasmus - Qualifying offer made; re-signed with Astros
LHP Tony Sipp - Re-signed with Astros
LHP Joe Thatcher - Signed an MiLB deal with Cleveland

MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENTS
RHP Ruben "R.J." Alaniz - Signed a minor league deal with the Tigers
RHP Samuel Deduno - Signed with the Orioles
SS Jio Mier - Signed with the Blue Jays
OF Alex Presley - Signed with the Brewers

OUTRIGHTED TO FRESNO
RHP Samuel Deduno - Elected free agency

DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT
OF L.J. Hoes - Traded to Baltimore

NO LONGER IN THE ASTROS SYSTEM
(All free agents unless re-signed plus the following players)
RHP Mark Appel - Traded with 4 others to the Phillies for RHP Ken Giles and SS Jonathan Arauz
RHP Harold Arauz - Traded with 4 others to the Phillies for RHP Ken Giles and SS Jonathan Arauz
RHP Travis Ballew - Released 3/31
OF Ryan Bottger - Released 3/28
RHP Tyler Brunnemann - Released 3/28
RHP Jake Buchanan - Released 3/31
RHP Austin Chrismon - Released 3/28
C Hank Conger - Traded to Tampa Bay for cash
LHP Neal Cotts - Released 3/25
1B Jared Cruz - Released
LHP Luis Cruz - Released (Signed to MiLB deal with Chicago Cubs)
LHP Zach Davis - Released 1-16
RHP Samil de los Santos - Released 3/21
RHP Thomas Eshelman - Traded with 4 others to the Phillies for RHP Ken Giles and SS Jonathan Arauz
OF Robbie Grossman - Released (Signed to MiLB deal with Cleveland)
RHP Zac Grotz - Released 4/2
OF L.J. Hoes - Traded to Baltimore for cash
C Brian Holberton - Released 3/28
SS Jed Lowrie - Traded to Oakland for RHP Brendan McCurry (MiLB)
RHP Lachlan Madden - Released 1-16
RHP Michel Martinez - Released 4/2
OF Sean McMullen - Released 3/28
LHP Jordan Mills - Released 3/28
RHP Jose Montero - Released 3/28
LHP Steve Naemark - Released 3-28
LHP Brett Oberholtzer - Traded with 4 others to the Phillies for RHP Ken Giles and SS Jonathan Arauz
RHP Adonis Peña - Released
RHP Jorge Perez - Released 1-16
RHP Joselo Pinales - Released 1-16
RHP Jose Rosario - Deceased
LHP Starlyng Sanchez - Released 1-16
IF Joe Sclafani - Released 3/31
RHP Troy Scribner - Traded to Angels for cash considerations
LHP Alejandro Solarte - Released 1-16
RHP Dan Straily - Traded to San Diego for C Erik Kratz 3/28
RHP Vince Velasquez - Traded with 4 others to the Phillies for RHP Ken Giles and SS Jonathan Arauz
SS Jonathan Villar - Traded to the Brewers for RHP Cy Sneed (MiLB)
LHP Edwin Villarroel - Released
RHP Kyle Westwood - Released 3/28

Monday, November 9, 2015

2015 Fresno Grizzlies Offensive Efficiency

WTHB contributor Jeremy Schmidt has started a new blog in which he will be Scouting the Texas League. His first post focused on the 2015 Corpus Christi Hooks Offensive Efficiency. He has offered to look at the other Astros affiliates to see how the players performed offensively. First up, he'll be looking at the Fresno Grizzlies.

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2015 Fresno Grizzlies Offensive Efficiency
By Jeremy Schmidt ( @Jeremy_IP_TTM )

The 2015 Fresno Grizzlies were an offensive juggernaut for good stretches of the season on their way to the AAA National Championship. This is a look at how efficient the individual Astros farmhands were over the course of their time with Fresno. Essentially I boiled down the basic offensive and base running statistics readily available for minor league players and created a formula that shows how well each player controlled what they could control. I choose to leave Runs and Runs Batted In out of the formula because those stats are largely based on team performance. For the formula see this post on the Hooks.
  1. Matt Duffy 46.76
  2. L.J. Hoes 45.56
  3. Max Stassi 40.06
  4. Tony Kemp 38.91
For reference the Grizzlies as a whole had an OE score of 44.16. The PCL average was 42.91, so the Grizzlies were roughly 3% more efficient than the league. Four players were better than 20% more efficient than the league average player. Domingo Santana and Tyler White both had incredible seasons each posting an OPS over 1.000. Singleton continues to show his game is power and patience. Preston Tucker gave a preview to his rookie season. League MVP Matt Duffy was only the 6th most efficient player on his team. Carlos Correa’s power did not present in his short AAA stint. Aplin and Fontana both walk a ton but don’t hit for much power, Fontana was hurt by a terrible base stealing year going only 6 for 17. Presley and Grossman underperformed what you would expect from guys with big league experience. Tony Kemp struggled to adjust to AAA, this could be an example of getting BABIP’d as his walk and strikeout numbers aren’t out of line with his track record, but I don’t have those numbers.

Ivy Leaguer Joe Sclafani’s OE number reflects his extreme lack of power this season. Matt Dominguez is the Brewers problem now. Tyler Heineman is around for his work behind the plate not at it. [Note from Jayne: I disagree with Jeremy on this point. Heineman had a slow start at AAA, but I think his offense will ultimately prove to be more than enough to make him above average offensively for the position.]

Stay tuned for more covering the other Astros farm clubs.