Thursday, December 31, 2015

18 Years, 2 Months and 8 Days

18 years, 2 months and 8 days.

That is longer than the following Astros minor leaguers have been on this Earth:

Ozziel Sanchez-Galan
Juan Robles
Miguelangel Sierra
Franklin Perez
Jose Carillo
Juan Pineda
Javier Navas
Felipe Tejada
Carlos Machado
Nestor Muriel
Hector Martinez
Jacques Sambo

Not to mention the July 2nd signings who haven't even played yet.

On October 22, 1997 ...

Carlos Correa was three years old.

Joe Musgrove had just turned five years old.

Dallas Keuchel would soon turn 10.

The Marlins were about to win the World Series.

Leonardo DiCaprio was set to become King of the World.

Princess Diana had recently died.

Seinfield was still on top.

There was no Google.

Bill Clinton was President.

Roger Clemens was about to win his 4th Cy Young Award.

That is a long time, particularly a long time to work in the same job, in the same office. For most of that 18 years, 2 months and 8 days, this was my view.


Heck, if I looked to the right I could even see the Astrodome peeking out from behind NRG Stadium. But I loved it best when the reflection of the sun setting in the west reflected off the Transco Tower (you can't make me call it the Williams Tower!).


I love that building.


Another advantage of my office was being able to watch the family of falcons that live on top of our building. It wasn't unusual to see them soaring around the area.


It was a lovely view. I very much appreciated it every day and I will miss it as I start the next chapter of my life today.

But, honestly, I will miss this view even more.


It's hard to leave behind people that you have come to love and care for. But it is time.

Earlier this week, I saw the family of falcons flying in circles, swooping and reeling and enjoying the sunshine. The sight somehow helped to reinforce in me the knowledge that I had gotten too comfortable with what I had been doing the last few years, that being kicked out of the nest by circumstances beyond my control was the best thing that could happen to me. It's time to re-invent myself. It's time to soar to new heights. It's time to find new views. It's time.

I will continue to re-invent the blog as well. I don't know what I'll be writing or when I'll be writing, but whatever direction it goes will probably be one that will keep things (and me) from getting too stale. Dustin has told me that he'll be back in the coming season with his amazing recaps. For that I am truly thankful. Hopefully, I can con a few other people into contributing from time to time. But there will always be interviews and profiles. I will continue to bring you the stories of these young men who are really just starting their journeys at the same time as my long lifetime journey has taken a little detour. I 'm not sure where it will all lead, but the road just got more interesting.

Happy New Year!

Jayne

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 12/27

A couple of new Astros, the Dominican Republic falls in love with an Astros minor leaguer and Baseball America honors the Minor League Manager of the Year, but first things first ...

TWEET OF THE WEEK
WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

12-27: RHP Tyson Perez (26)
12-31: LHP Maikel Sepulveda (19)
1-1: LHP Dallas Keuchel (28)

FALL/WINTER LEAGUE STATS

Here is how the Astros players participating in fall and winter leagues have fared to date (through Saturday, the 26th, 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, 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 - REGULAR SEASON ENDED 12/21
OF Andrew Aplin - .278/.325/.444 in 10 games
C Tyler Heineman - .190/.288/.224 in 19 games
OF Teoscar Hernandez - .275/.295/.375 in 17 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .297/.421/.494 in 44 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.01 ERA/0.830 WHIP in 7 games (31.1IP)
LHP Reymin Guduan - 4.22 ERA/1.875 WHIP in 13 games (10.2IP)
RHP Jandel Gustave - 2.87 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 14 games (15.2IP)
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP)
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 16.20 ERA and 2.400 WHIP in 2 games (1.2IP) - moved to LBPRC
RHP Juan Minaya - 12.79 ERA/2.842 WHIP in 6 games (6.1IP)

The Dominican Winter League regular season is over and Tyler White earned an MVP for a league he was only intending to play in for the first month of the season. Teoscar Hernandez ended the regular season on a (very) high note, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, RBI and two runs scored in the finale on Monday. The post season round robin playoffs will start today.

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 - .281/.335/.401 in 52 games
RHP Chris Devenski - 5.21 ERA/1.579 in 5 games (19.0IP) - no longer playing
RHP James Hoyt - 1.86 ERA/1.035 WHIP in 19 games (19.1IP) - no longer playing

The Venezuelan Winter League regular season ends on Tuesday. Danry Vasquez had a good week, going 4-for-12 with a double, three walks (to only one strikeout), four RBI and three runs scored in four games.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
OF Leo Heras - .297/.409/.493 in 41 games
RHP Octavio Acosta - 1.98 ERA and 1.463 WHIP in 8 games (13.2IP) - last played 12/11
RHP Enrique Chavez - 9.00 ERA/3.000 WHIP in 1 game (1.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jose Hernandez - 1.39 ERA/1.021 WHIP in 8 games (32.1IP) - last played 11/29
RHP Juan Robles - 4.02 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 10 games (15.2IP) - last played 11/25
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 3.60 ERA/1.200 WHIP in 17 games (15.0IP)

The Mexican Pacific regular season ends on Tuesday as well. Leo Heras was 8-for-16 with three doubles, four walks, one RBI and four runs scored last week. The only other active Astro for the week was Gonzalo Sanudo who allowed one hit (a solo home run) and one walk in his three appearances.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (thru Sunday)
C Jake Bowey - .103/.186./.103 in 12 games
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .156/.264/.267 in 19 games - last played 11/29
IF/OF Marc Wik - .322/.466/.400 in 35 games
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - not currently playing

Unlike the Latin American and Mexican teams, the ABL still has almost a month to go in their regular season. And unlike many of the other American players playing in the winter leagues, Wik stayed down under to celebrate Christmas. Personally, I can think of worse places to spend it. In two games since last weekend, Wik went 2-for-6 with two RBI, three walks and two stolen bases.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Edwin Medina - .273/.370/.318 in 23 games (22AB)
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 5 games (2AB) - not currently playing
C Roberto Pena - .167/.219/.217 in 21 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games - no longer playing
RHP Travis Ballew - 2.38 ERA/1.368 WHIP in 19 games (22.2IP)
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 0.00 ERA and 0.923 WHIP in 5 games (4.1IP)

The LBPRC will end its regular season next week on January 4th. Ballew allowed two walks and struck out three in his one appearance last week while Jankowski walked two and struck out two in his sole outing of the week. Pena was 1-for-10 for the week (3 games) and Medina got a rare start on Saturday and made the most of it, going 1-for-3 with a walk, stolen base and run scored.

NEWS AND LINKS

Even before being named MVP for LIDOM, Tyler White was getting some attention from MLB.com. Afterwards, there was more attention forthcoming:
And here. And here as well. It appears that the Dominican Republic has fallen in love with White.

Someone else getting recognition recently was Fresno Manager Tony DeFrancesco. Baseball America posted his Minor League Manager of the Year acceptance speech from their Gala in Nashville.

And finally, one new Astros was inked and another was rumored over the last week. The Astros claimed RHP Danny Reynolds off waivers from the Dodgers. Baseball Reference has him as Dan Reynolds. The other rumored signing (pending a physical) is 21-year old Cuban RHP Carlos Sierra who features a 4-pitch mix.

The Off-Season Transaction List has been updated here.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 12/20

I don't know about you, but I am relishing the fact that there is blessedly little news coming on the Astros front this week. Hopefully, everyone is using this time to enjoy the holiday season and time with family and friends.

One minor (league) piece of news that came out this week is that the Astros signed Rachel Balkovec to be their Latin America Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. According to her twitter bio, she is the first female Strength and Conditioning Coach in professional baseball. To see how she got there, check out this great MLB.com article.

Also, in case you missed it, I had a chance to talk with Fresno Grizzles Closer James Hoyt about the long and circuitous journey that has him on the cusp of a major league call-up.

The only recent transaction I've seen is that OF Alex Presley signed a minor league deal with the Brewers with an invitation to Spring Training. The ongoing transaction list is here.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

12-21: RHP Asher Wojciechowski (27)
12-23: RHP Scott Weathersby (24)

TWEET 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 19th, 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, 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
OF Andrew Aplin - .300/.313/.467 in 8 games
C Tyler Heineman - .190/.288/.224 in 19 games - no longer playing
OF Teoscar Hernandez - .250/.275/.250 in 16 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .294/.421/.497 in 43 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.01 ERA/0.830 WHIP in 7 games (31.1IP) - no longer playing
LHP Reymin Guduan - 4.22 ERA/1.875 WHIP in 13 games (10.2IP) - last played 12/3
RHP Jandel Gustave - 2.87 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 14 games (15.2IP) - last played 11/28
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 16.20 ERA and 2.400 WHIP in 2 games (1.2IP) - moved to Puerto Rican Winter League
RHP Juan Minaya - 12.79 ERA/2.842 WHIP in 6 games (6.1IP) - not currently playing

Last night's game isn't included in the cumulative stats, but Andrew Aplin capped off his excellent week, going 7-for-15 with three doubles and two walks. White had a slow week, going 2-for-11 with a walk, but he drove in three. Teoscar Hernandez got virtually no playing time last week.

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 - .278/.325/.400 in 48 games
RHP Chris Devenski - 5.21 ERA/1.579 in 5 games (19.0IP) - no longer playing
RHP James Hoyt - 1.86 ERA/1.035 WHIP in 19 games (19.1IP) - no longer playing

Danry Vasquez is the only Astros player currently playing in Venezuela (other than the Liga Paralela). He went 1-for-9 with a walk in three games last week.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
OF Leo Heras - .266/.377/.460 in 37 games
RHP Octavio Acosta - 1.98 ERA and 1.463 WHIP in 8 games (13.2IP) - last played 12/11
RHP Enrique Chavez - 9.00 ERA/3.000 WHIP in 1 game (1.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jose Hernandez - 1.39 ERA/1.021 WHIP in 8 games (32.1IP) - last played 11/29
RHP Juan Robles - 4.02 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 10 games (15.2IP) - last played 11/25
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 3.55 ERA/1.263 WHIP in 14 games (12.2IP)

Leo Heras was 4-for-22 with three walks and a solo home run for the week. The only other active Astro for the week was Gonzalo Sanudo who allowed no hits and one walk in his two appearances.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (thru Sunday)
C Jake Bowey - .103/.186./.103 in 12 games
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .156/.264/.267 in 19 games - last played 11/29
IF/OF Marc Wik - .321/.460/.394 in 34 games
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - not currently playing

Bowey went 1-for-3 with a walk in his first game action in a while. Wik was 5-for-11 with five walks in his last four games. He did not, however, get a hit in his All-Star game appearance on Wednesday.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Edwin Medina - .278/.364/.333 in 20 games (18AB)
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 5 games (2AB) - not currently playing
C Roberto Pena - .180/.241/.240 in 18 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games - no longer playing
RHP Travis Ballew - 2.57 ERA/1.381 WHIP in 18 games (21.0IP)
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 0.00 ERA and 0.545 WHIP in 4 games (3.2IP)

Ballew allowed no hits, no runs and two walks in his two appearances last week while Jankowski allowed one hit, no runs and no walks in his two outings. Pena has changed teams and apparently changed his luck as well. Since moving to Santurce, he has hit 3-for-8 with a double in two games.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Getting to Know Astros/Grizzlies RHP James Hoyt

For those who don't know James Hoyt's story, Evan Drellich gave us the longer version of the story shortly after Hoyt came to the Astros, along with Evan Gattis in the trade that sent Mike Foltynewicz, Rio Ruiz and Andrew Thurman to the Braves in January of this year. When I talked with Hoyt recently, I hesitated to ask him about his back story, assuming that he has told it so many times that he's probably grown weary of telling it, but according to Hoyt, "I enjoy telling it because it's a part of me."

James Hoyt - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

When Hoyt tells his story, the picture that emerges is of a player whose high school life in Idaho never really revolved around baseball. He played but it was more of an afterthought. When he graduated from high school and decided to move to San Diego, a place he had fallen in love with over the years when visiting family, his high school coach Bill Buckner (yes, that Bill Buckner) put him in touch with a coach at Palomar College, a junior college near the San Diego area. It was at Palomar that Hoyt reveals he first started to learn the game and to really enjoy it.

Following his time at Palomar, Hoyt had the opportunity to pitch at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana and was excited to get the chance to play against some D1 schools, but he admits, "I was not advanced at all in baseball. I had a decent arm, nothing special." But he was getting more and more interested in playing. Unfortunately, Hoyt experienced a couple of setbacks at Centenary, including a knee problem, and his final college season was a disappointment. Although he talked to a few scouts, he wasn't drafted and no further opportunities in baseball presented themselves at the time.

Of this time, Hoyt said, "I had knee surgery so I just kind of shut it down, moved back to San Diego which was a place I enjoy and love and always want to call my home." Hoyt fell into a job working on sailboats in Mission Beach, but kept involved in baseball through a friend who coached high school baseball. After a year or so, he realized that he still had the baseball bug, and decided to give the independent route a try.

Jose Canseco's Yuma Scorpions were holding tryouts in Los Angeles and Hoyt decided to go. Long story short, he got the job and played on a team with Jose Canseco managing and batting cleanup, Ozzie Canseco at first and 18-year major league veteran Tony Phillips playing at third. "There was some real history on this team," said Hoyt. He didn't know what to expect, but it was interesting and after one season he decided to give it just one more year.

Unfortunately, about a week before Hoyt was set to report to the Scorpions for his second season, the team went belly up and Hoyt found himself playing for another team in the same league in Edinburg, Texas. He then moved on to an American Association team in Wichita. At some point he got the attention of a Mexican League scout who gave Hoyt about 24 hours to decide if he wanted to join the Tabasco team for their playoff run. According to Hoyt, "It was a lot more than I was making in independent ball so I ended up taking that door. Doors just kept opening."

Hoyt played well in the Mexican League and drew the attention of an Atlanta scout who signed him to his first affiliated minor league contract at age 27. He decided to give it one more year. And it was a good year. After playing for the High A Lynchburg (VA) Hillcats and the AA Mississippi Braves (Jackson, Mississippi) in 2013, Hoyt broke Baseball America's Braves top prospect list at number 30. "Things just kind of kept rolling and I started to figure out who I was as a pitcher and as a person," said Hoyt. He decided to give it one more year.

2014 saw Hoyt splitting his time between the Mississippi Braves and the AAA Gwinnett Braves in Lawrenceville, Georgia before heading to San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic for winter ball that year. And that is where Hoyt was in January 2015 when he got the call from Astros GM Jeff Luhnow that he was now an Astro, having been acquired in a trade with the Braves. But Hoyt couldn't come home quite yet. He and the rest of the Gigantes del Cibao were busy winning a National Championship that month. And with the new opportunity with the Astros, he was staring in the face of one more year.

Believe it or not, that is a somewhat abbreviated version of how James Hoyt got to where he is now. Hoyt spent the 2015 season playing for the Astros AAA Fresno Grizzlies affiliate, a team that won both the Pacific Coast League Championship and the AAA National Championship. Hoyt had a very good season, compiling a 3.48 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP with 9 saves in 47 appearances. However, after spending almost a month on the disabled list from mid-May to mid-June, Hoyt really kicked it into gear. Following that DL stint, he had a 1.56 ERA and a 0.837 WHIP in his final 33 regular season games.

But rambling man Hoyt wasn't finished yet. He just recently returned from spending a half-season in Venezuela playing winter ball where he put up a 1.86 ERA and a 0.983 WHIP in 19 appearances, converting 9 of 10 save opportunities. One of the reasons for that excellent winter ball campaign came out when I asked Hoyt about his pitch repertoire.

According to Hoyt, "For the majority of my career, I've just been a fastball/slider guy. And with the Braves, that's all I had was fastball/slider and I messed around with a splitter here and there. It's a comfortable grip. I threw it in college, but this summer toward the end of the season in Fresno, I really started trying to get a little more feel with the split finger. That was my main reason to go to Venezuela was to master that pitch because I think it can be a plus pitch for me."

Hoyt sees the splitter as a new weapon to complement his mid-90's fastball and hard slider. "I owe most of the success I had down in Venezuela thanks to that pitch, just to be able to fine-tune it. I'm excited for Spring Training to come and show these guys that I've got a third pitch and it worked for me down there. Obviously, my fastball is what sets the table so I've got to use that to locate and then go from there," said Hoyt.

Aside from that splitter, the biggest jump for Hoyt in 2015 was a mental one as he found the right mindset necessary to close games. Hoyt explained, "When I got to Fresno, we really didn't have a closer and we were just kind of rotating. (After the injury), I really got comfortable into the late innings and Tony De (Fresno Manager Tony DeFrancesco) ended up giving me the ball in the ninth inning later in the season and going into the playoffs." For Hoyt that was big because he had never been used consistently for late inning work and needed to make the mental leap and find the confidence to get those three late outs.

Hoyt sees having thrown consistently in the ninth inning toward the end of his AAA season and having been used exclusively as a closer in Venezuela as something that will help him going forward, "I think now if I'm placed in the sixth to ninth innings, it's going to be beneficial for me that I got that experience to be a closer and to get those outs."

Hoyt is now relaxing in San Diego, getting his work in and getting mentally prepared for the new season. He told me more about his time in Venezuela. "I just really enjoy winter ball. I think it makes me a better pitcher and gets me prepared. It's a completely different atmosphere. You're kind of in an uncomfortable position and I feel good with those scenarios. That was my first time in Venezuela. Last winter I was in the Dominican Republic and then (in 2012), I pitched in Mexico. That was the trio I kind of wanted to conquer and I was able to do that. It was a great experience. I would go back in a heartbeat."

Of his experience playing for the AAA National Championship Grizzlies team, Hoyt told me, "We had so much talent on that team, it was crazy. We just needed to go out there and play. All I really needed to do was throw strikes and we were going to put up runs and guys were going to make plays behind me. So that's all I tried to do from July to September, the last game in El Paso when we won the National Championship. That's all I really focused on was just being consistent and staying healthy and throwing strikes, and next thing you know, we won it all so it was good."

Of course, I had to rag Hoyt a little about one of the Championship finals games I had attended when Fresno played at Round Rock in September. It was a crazy come-frombehind game. Fresno was down 7-1 after three, but came roaring back and took the lead 8-7 in the top of the eighth inning. Hoyt came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth. One pitch from Hoyt and the game was tied.

Hoyt remembered it well, "I don't care if it's a tie game or we're down 10 runs. I had to tip my cap to that guy, [Nomar] Mezara ... he got me first pitch. The next day everybody was saying, 'Was that the right pitch there?' Should I have gone slider? No, I'm not going to go slider first pitch. I'm going to challenge these hitters. Sometimes they're going to get you. I said, 'That's not the end. I'm going to see that guy again.' And I ended up getting him for the last out to win the (PCL) Championship. I knew I would face him again."

It took a while to get there, going from Idaho to California to Louisiana to Arizona to Texas to Kansas to Mexico to Virginia to Mississippi to Georgia to the Dominican Republic back to California and on to Venezuela, but by plodding along, Hoyt has a couple of Championship Rings, a brand new pitch and is on the cusp of making it to the Bigs. Hoyt has never been in a hurry, but when each door opened, he entered and made the most of it. I think he's ready to give it one more year.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Thanks for your time, James, and best of luck in the coming season.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 12/13

One last weigh-in on the Giles acquisition but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

12-13: LHP Austin Nicely (21)
12-14: OF/SS Wilson Amador (19)
12-14: C Carlos Canelon (21)
12-14: 1B/3B Connor Goedert (22)
12-16: OF Jose Benjamin (20)
12-16: LHP Zach Davis (24)
12-16: OF Bryan de la Cruz (19)
12-18: RHP Edison Frias (25)
12-19: C Jorge Martinez (19)

TWEET 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 12th, 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, 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
OF Andrew Aplin - .167/.167/.333 in 5 games
C Tyler Heineman - .190/.288/.224 in 19 games - no longer playing
OF Teoscar Hernandez - .250/.282/.250 in 15 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .303/.435/.521 in 40 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.01 ERA/0.830 WHIP in 7 games (31.1IP) - no longer playing
LHP Reymin Guduan - 4.22 ERA/1.875 WHIP in 13 games (10.2IP) - last played 12/3
RHP Jandel Gustave - 2.87 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 14 games (15.2IP) - last played 11/28
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 16.20 ERA and 2.400 WHIP in 2 games (1.2IP) - moved to Puerto Rican Winter League
RHP Juan Minaya - 12.79 ERA/2.842 WHIP in 6 games (6.1IP) - not currently playing

Teoscar Hernandez has picked up the pace quite a bit, hitting .318/.360/.318 over his last 10 games. White has continued to excel and has batted .375/.488/.625 in his last 10. Andrew Aplin, who just joined the league this week, started out well, collecting a 3-run home run in his first game before falling off somewhat at the plate.

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 - .287/.333/.419 in 44 games
RHP Chris Devenski - 5.21 ERA/1.579 in 5 games (19.0IP) - no longer playing
RHP James Hoyt - 1.86 ERA/1.035 WHIP in 19 games (19.1IP) - no longer playing

Danry Vasquez is the only Astros player currently playing in Venezuela. He went 3-for-11 with a double and a walk in three games last week.

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
OF Leo Heras - .284/.392/.490 in 31 games
RHP Octavio Acosta - 1.98 ERA and 1.463 WHIP in 8 games (13.2IP)
RHP Enrique Chavez - 9.00 ERA/3.000 WHIP in 1 game (1.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jose Hernandez - 1.39 ERA/1.021 WHIP in 8 games (32.1IP) - last played 11/29
RHP Juan Robles - 4.02 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 10 games (15.2IP) - last played 11/25
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 4.09 ERA/1.364 WHIP in 11 games (11.0IP)

Leo Heras re-appeared this week playing for a different team in the Mexican Pacific League and had quite a week, hitting .350/.381/.600 with a triple, home run and three RBI in his first five games for the new team.

Acosta, just obtained in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft from the Mets, had a less than optimal week, allowing two hits, one run and three walks in 0.2 innings of work. Sanudo allowed only one run in three appearances last week (2.1IP), but had a lot of baserunners (5H & 2BB).

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
C Jake Bowey - .083/.154/.083 in 11 games
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .156/.264/.267 in 19 games - last played 11/29
IF/OF Marc Wik - .306/.433/.388 in 30 games
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - not currently playing

Wik cooled off this week, going 1-for-7 with two walks in his last three games. Wik is scheduled to participate in the All-Star game on Wednesday the 16th.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Edwin Medina - .235/.333/.294 in 18 games (17AB)
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 5 games (2AB) - did not play last week
C Roberto Pena - .143/.217/.190 in 16 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games - no longer playing
RHP Travis Ballew - 2.75 ERA/1.373 WHIP in 16 games (19.2IP)
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 0.00 ERA and 0.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP)

Ballew had four scoreless outings last week and has recorded a 0.79 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP over his last 10 appearances. Jordan Jankowski moved from the Dominican Winter League to the Puerto Rican Winter League this week and got off to a much better start in his first two appearances for Caguas last week.

NEWS AND LINKS

Of course, the big news of the week is the re-signing of LHP Tony Sipp and the 7-player trade between the Astros and the Phillies. My final word on the trade is that I do like the acquisition of Ken Giles very much, but I feel that the price was too rich. I think that Velasquez, in particular, was undervalued in the deal. That is my opinion based on my observations of him and my conversations with Velasquez, his coaches, managers and fellow players. It is not, as some have alluded, an emotional attachment to the player. To assume that I have no insight into this issue, but am instead basing my opinion on emotions, is demeaning, insulting and disrespectful. I am not asking for anyone to agree with my opinion. I may be proven to be wrong about Velasquez; I have been wrong before and I will readily admit when I am. But I don't need anyone to explain to me how I am misguided in my thought process. I am a big girl, both literally and figuratively, and have made it (harumph) number of years without having to be told what to think and what my opinions should be. But thanks for your concern. Mini-rant over. The updated off-season transaction list can be found here.

Astros Director of International Oz Ocampo weighs in on the add-in in the Giles trade ...

Saturday, December 12, 2015

A Five-for-Two Trade for RHP Ken Giles

I already weighed in earlier this week on the then-rumored 4-for-1 trade for Giles which today turned into a 5-for-2 trade. The Phillies are sending RHP Ken Giles and 17-year old SS Jonathan Arauz to Houston in exchange for RHP Vince Velasquez, RHP Mark Appel, RHP Thomas Eshelman, RHP Harold Arauz and LHP Brett Oberholtzer. OF Derek Fisher was pulled from the rumored deal and Appel and Arauz were substituted.

I've already said that I think it was a steep price to pay and I still feel that way. I like the addition of Giles, but giving away Velasquez gives me heartburn. Beyond that, I don't have the time or energy to post anything further right now. Talk amongst yourselves.



Thursday, December 10, 2015

Astros Rule 5 Draft Results

The Astros didn't lose any players in either the major league phase or the minor league phases of the Rule 5 draft on Thursday nor did they draft anyone in the major league phase of the draft. They did, however, pick up right-hander Octavio Acosta from the Mets in the AAA phase of the draft. Acosta has a 3.21 ERA and a 1.200 WHIP in four minor league seasons. He spent 2015 on loan to the Mexican League where he had a 8.68 ERA and a 1.463 WHIP in 28 innings. He is currently playing the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

Former Astros on the move in the minor league phase of the draft were LHP Mitch Lambson who was drafted by the Brewers from the Braves; RHP Ariel Ovando, a converted OF who was picked up from the Cubs by the Angels; and RHP Enderson Franco who was picked up from the Marlins by the Braves.

As a reminder, these are the players who were in danger of being taken. They all remain Astros for the time being.

AAA Position Players
#C Tyler Heineman
#IF Joe Sclafani

AAA Pitchers
#RHP Travis Ballew
RHP Chris Devenski
#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 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 Christian Powell
#LHP Edwin Villarroel
RHP Andrew Walter

DL
RHP Kyle Smith

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

A Four-for-One Trade for RHP Ken Giles

UPDATE: Reports now indicate that the fourth player being traded is RHP Thomas Eshelman, the 2015 second round draft pick who signed for $1.1 million. I had already written Eshelman's chapter for my upcoming 2016 Astros Farm System Handbook:
The second round pick didn’t get much playing time after signing, appearing in only four games in August before being shut down for the season. The Astros were likely playing it safe with Eshelman, a workhorse who had pitched 137 innings in his third season at Cal State Fullerton.
Thankfully, one need not rely on his 2015 pro output in order to determine what type of pitcher Eshelman is as there are numerous scouting reports on him. The one thing you will take away from every one of those reports is that Eshelman has command far beyond his age and experience. In his 137 college innings in 2015, he allowed seven walks to 139 strikeouts, a strikeout to walk rate just below 20:1. (How much of his fantastic control/command is attributable to his older brother Sam’s experiments with him as a child is debatable, but having been subjected to a dog shock collar by Sam, Eshelman likely learned quickly what not to do!)
Eshelman doesn’t throw heat, relying on a upper 80’s to low 90’s fastball with movement which sometimes touches 93, but rather on his impeccable ability to control his location, the ability to hide the ball well and a repeatable delivery and arm slot. In addition to the fastball, Eshelman features a solid changeup and a developing curveball which flashes plus.
Eshleman’s advanced control and command make him a good candidate to fast track through the system. He will likely start his 2016 season with the Low A full season Quad Cities team, but he will probably not linger at that level long and could very well earn a couple of promotions, landing him at AA Corpus Christi to end the season.
You can see what I wrote about the others below, but with the addition of Eshelman, that seems a very high price to pay for Giles. Naturally, one can't really judge a trade for years (at least not normally), but suffice it to say that Giles had better be channeling his inner Mariano Rivera for that haul. Luhnow traded from depth, though. There is a lot of pitching and outfield depth in the system. That depth may get a little bit shallower after the Rule 5 draft today, but nonetheless I understand where he was coming from. We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. In the meantime, I wish only the best for Vince, Brett, Derek and Thomas in their life after Astros.

Here is the updated off-season transaction list with these changes.

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The Astros are working on finalizing a trade with the Phillies that will bring 25-year old RHP Ken Giles, a hard-throwing closer (think 100-mph regularly but with better command ... and hopefully less baggage ... than Aroldis Chapman) to the team in exchange for four players, only three of whom have been identified at this point: RHP Vince Velasquez, LHP Brett Oberholtzer and OF Derek Fisher.

It's hard for me to weigh in at this point without knowing the fourth piece to the puzzle, but my initial reaction is that it will be a good move for Brett Oberholtzer who will benefit from a fresh start after becoming persona non grata for not hitting A-Rod with a pitch but coming close (which has always mystified me, but I digress). Oberholtzer grew up a Phillies fan and will now be closer to his family in Delaware. Pennsylvania-born Derek Fisher will also be closer to home, but more importantly, he will likely get a better chance in the Phillies organization than in his current situation with so many outfielders surrounding him on the depth charts.

Velasquez is another story. I see so much potential in him that his being traded is tough for me. But that's the problem. Luhnow is betting Velazquez's potential against the more demonstrable track record of Giles. Velasquez could, conceivably, be that special arm out of the 'pen for the Astros, but frankly, he should be given every opportunity to start first. In any event, if the Astros are going to lose him, which seems certain to be the case, I am very happy that he is going to the National League so the Astros won't have to face him often once he realizes his potential.

With the pieces that we know, I would lean toward saying that this is a fair trade, but I won't go quite that far without knowing the final piece of the puzzle.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Astros Farm Report: 12-6

The Baseball Winter Meetings are upon us, but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

12-6: RHP Franklin Perez (18)
12-7: OF/2B Frankeny Fernandez (19)
12-8: C Oscar Campos (19)

TWEET 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 5th, 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 - .222/.250/.222 in 9 games
1B/DH Tyler White - .306/.434/.524 in 34 games
RHP Jake Buchanan - 2.01 ERA/0.830 WHIP in 7 games (31.1IP) - no longer playing
LHP Reymin Guduan - 4.22 ERA/1.875 WHIP in 13 games (10.2IP)
RHP Jandel Gustave - 2.87 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 14 games (15.2IP)
RHP Angel Heredia - 13.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP in 2 games (2.0IP) - not currently playing
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 16.20 ERA and 2.400 WHIP in 2 games (1.2IP)
RHP Juan Minaya - 12.79 ERA/2.842 WHIP in 6 games (6.1IP) - not currently playing

White has cranked it up a notch this week, going 9-for-20 with five runs, a double, home run, four RBI and five walks; last night's 2-for-4 game gives him a .313 batting average. Hernandez is heating up a little more slowly; his 1-for-2 night last night has his average up to .250. The only pitcher who saw action since last Saturday was Reymin Guduan and his one outing was mostly forgettable.

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 - .288/.333/.423 in 41 games
*RHP Ruben "R.J." Alaniz - 2.49 ERA/1.303 WHIP in 9 games (25.1IP)
RHP Chris Devenski - 5.21 ERA/1.579 in 5 games (19.0IP) - no longer playing
RHP James Hoyt - 1.86 ERA/1.035 WHIP in 19 games (19.1IP) - no longer playing

*Free agent

Danry Vasquez didn't have the best week, but he ended it on a high note, going 3-for-3 with a double, RBI, walk and run scored in last night's game. Hoyt is back home after conducting a very successful winter campaign and it appears that Devenski may be done as well since he hasn't pitched since November 23rd.

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 - 1.39 ERA/1.021 WHIP in 8 games (32.1IP)
RHP Juan Robles - 4.02 ERA/1.277 WHIP in 10 games (15.2IP) - did not play last week
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 4.15 ERA/0.923 WHIP in 9 games (8.2IP)

Sanudo only gave up one hit in his two appearances during the week; unfortunately, that one hit was a solo home run. Hernandez had a great start last Sunday, allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out five in a scoreless five innings, earning the win.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (thru Sunday)
C Jake Bowey - .094/.171/.094 in 10 games - did not play last week
IF Jared Cruz - .091/.091/.091 in 7 games - not currently playing
1B Connor MacDonald - .156/.264/.267 in 19 games - did not play last week
IF/OF Marc Wik - .319/.441/.407 in 27 games
RHP Kevin Comer - 16.88 ERA/4.499 WHIP in 4 games (2.2IP) - not currently playing

Wik had an absolute monster week, going 8-for-14 with a double, six walks, a stolen base, three RBI and six runs scored over the last five games. He is in the top 10 in the ABL in average and on-base percentage and is tied for first place in walks.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Edwin Medina - .235/.333/.294 in 15 games (17AB)
OF Alexander Melendez - .000/.000/.000 in 5 games (2AB)
C Roberto Pena - .132/.214/.184 in 14 games
C Max Stassi - .280/.333/.520 in 8 games - no longer playing
RHP Travis Ballew - 3.60 ERA/1.333 WHIP in 12 games (15.0IP)

Ballew made three appearances last week, allowing one hit, one run and three walks in 2.1 innings of work.

NEWS AND LINKS

The biggest news, of course, is the upcoming Rule 5 Draft taking place at this week's Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville. The draft will take place on Thursday the 10th starting at 9:00 CST. The full schedule and other information about the meetings can be found here.

There is always a lot of wheeling and dealing that goes on during the meetings and the Astros cleared out a couple of additional roster spots last week by trading Hank Conger to Tampa Bay for cash and by non-tendering Chris Carter. The ongoing off-season transaction list can be found here.

As a reminder, here are the players who are at risk of being taken in the Rule 5 Draft this year (as they were not protected on the 40-man roster). Those in bold are on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 prospect list for the Astros.

AAA Position Players
#C Tyler Heineman
#IF Joe Sclafani

AAA Pitchers
#RHP Travis Ballew
RHP Chris Devenski
#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 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 Christian Powell
#LHP Edwin Villarroel
RHP Andrew Walter

A reminder of how the Rule 5 draft works can be found here.

In minor league staff news, the Astros are losing 2015 Fresno Pitching Coach Ace Adams to the Detroit organization where he will be joining recently retired MiLB home run king Mike Hessman in coaching the New York-Penn League Connecticut Tigers. Adams had earlier been announced to be moving to the Astros New York-Penn League affiliate Tri-City ValleyCats in 2016 as the Astros minor league Pitching Coordinator Dyar Miller was slated to take over in Fresno. With the loss of Adams and the prior loss of Doug Brocail to the Rangers, the Astros are now down two minor league pitching coaches.

Also, on the minor league staff front, Fresno skipper Tony DeFrancesco was named 2015 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America. The Grizzlies reported the news here.