Meet the GCL Astros

The Gulf Coast League Astros had its roster updated on the MiLB website. Their season will kick off tomorrow in Lakeland as they'll be traveling to take on the Tigers.

The GCL Astros play their games at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, although the games actually take place on the back fields. They are in the GCL Northeast division, with the Braves, the Tigers, and the Yankees 2. Most GCL games will take place at noon Eastern, although there will be several early start times at 10 A.M.

The bulk of the roster is mainly DSL players making their U.S. debuts this season. This is the roster as it appears (as of this moment) on MiLB.com. What's after the hyphen is how the Astros acquired the player, and where he played in 2014.

Italics - player bats/throws left-handed
Asterisk - player is a switch-hitter

Coaching Staff

Manager - Marty Malloy
Hitting Coach - Vinny Lopez
Pitching Coach - Hector Mercado

Pitchers

Gerald Benzant - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Junior Garcia - Signing date unknown, making professional debut; not to be confused with another Junior Garcia, who played in the GCL and Tri-City in 2014
Carlos Hiraldo - International free agent, 2013; DSL Blue
Dylan James - undrafted free agent (West Texas A&M), 2014; making professional debut
Lachlan Madden - International free agent, 2014; DSL Blue
Adonis Peña - Signing date unknown; DSL Orange
Carlos Pizzolato - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange
Moreno Polanco - Signing date unknown; DSL Blue
Luis Ramirez - International free agent, 2014; DSL Blue
Abdiel Saldaña - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Carlos Sanabria - Signing date unknown; DSL Orange/Blue
Edgardo Sandoval - Signing date unknown; DSL Orange
Starlyn Taveras - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange

Catchers

Ihan Bernal -  International free agent, 2014; DSL Orange/Blue
Jake Bowey - International free agent, 2013; GCL/DSL Blue
Christian Correa - undrafted free agent, Nicholls State, 2015; making professional debut
Jorge Martinez - 25th round, 2015 draft, Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy; making professional debut

Infielders

Jared Cruz - acquired as PTBNL on 9/5/14 from Braves to complete trade for Andrew Robinson, which occurred 7/3/14; GCL Braves
Wander Franco - International free agent, 2013; DSL Blue
Connor MacDonald - International free agent, 2012; however, he did not debut until 2014.
Jonathan Matute - International free agent, 2013; DSL Blue
Joan Mauricio - International free agent, 2013; GCL/DSL Blue

Outfielders

Bryan De La Cruz - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Frankeny Fernandez - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Edgar Lorenzo - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Nestor Muriel - 6th round, 2015 draft, Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy; making professional debut
Vicente Sanchez - International free agent, 2014; DSL Orange
Nestor Tejada - International free agent, 2013; GCL/DSL Blue
Kyle Tucker - 1st round (5th overall), 2015 draft, Plant High School (Tampa); making professional debut