WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
Chuckie Robinson - July 2016
Photo by Jayne Hansen
12-13: RHP Luis Garcia (21)
12-14: OF Wilson Amador (21)
12-14: C Carlos Canelon (23)
12-14: RHP Hunter Martin (23)
12-14: OF/IF Kendy Moya (19)
12-14: C Chuckie Robinson (23)
12-15: DH/C Freddy Chirino (18)
12-15: RHP Nathanael Ventura (22)
12-16: 1B/OF Jose Benjamin (22)
12-16: OF Bryan de la Cruz (21)
ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS
The Astros started the winter meeting off quietly by signing two players to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training.
C Tim Federowicz was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 7th round in 2008 out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was later traded to the Dodgers in 2011 and then to the Padres in 2014 and spent the last two seasons in the Cubs and Giants organizations, signing with those two teams as a free agent. Federowicz turned 30 in August and has played in 119 major league games scattered over six seasons, hitting a combined .196/.245/.313 and catching 34% of would be base stealers. In 77 games for the AAA Sacramento River Cats in 2017, he hit .300/.366/.463 with a 30% caught stealing rate.
RHP Matt Ramsey, who turned 28 in September, was drafted by the Rays in the 19th round in 2011 out of the University of Tennessee, was traded to the Marlins in 2014 and then was picked up by the Brewers in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft last December. He has no major league service time. Ramsey spent the vast majority of his 2017 season with AA Biloxi, compiling a 3-3 record with 27 saves, a 3.65 ERA, a 1.353 WHIP and 18 walks to 58 strikeouts in 44.1 innings of work. He appeared in five games with the AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox in July with mostly forgettable results.
The cumulative Astros offseason transaction list can be found here.
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE (AFL) - SEASON OVER
The Mesa Solar Sox ended their fall campaign with a 16-13-1 record to lead the East, but ultimately fell 8-2 to the West in the Arizona Fall League Championship game on 11/18.
RHP Dean Deetz - 8G 4.91 ERA/1.182 WHIP 11.0IP 4BB:23SO
RHP Riley Ferrell - 9G 4.66 ERA/1.552 WHIP 9.2IP 9BB:7SO
RHP Brendan McCurry - 5G 4.05 ERA/1.350 WHIP 6.2IP 3BB:5SO (last played 10/30)
LHP Framber Valdez - 6G/6ST 3.20 ERA/1.627 WHIP 19.2IP 8BB:14SO
1B Yordan Alvarez - 4G .313/.353/.438 3B 1BB:6SO (last played 10/14)
3B/2B Nick Tanielu - 2G .000/.000/.000 (last played 10/16)
OF Kyle Tucker - 22G .214/.305/.310 6-2B 3B 9RBI 9BB:22SO 2SB:0CS
VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)
Other Astros minor leaguers may be and likely are still with the teams and working out with them even if they aren't getting any playing time. In years past, the Liga Paralela (the Venezuelan version of the minor league) featured many Astros minor leaguers, but due to the current economic issues in Venezuela, the league was roughly cut in half and very few Astros players are participating this year.
Aguilas de Zulia
SS Kristian Trompiz - 10G .227/.320/.227 3BB:4SO (last played 10/28)
RHP Elieser Hernandez - 5G/5ST 2.11 ERA/0.844 WHIP 21.1IP 6BB:22SO (last played 11/6)
Bravos de Margarita
2B Alfredo Angarita - 29G .304/.396/.337 2B 3B 8RBI 13BB:27SO 4SB:3CS (last played 11/26)
Leones del Caracas
RHP Diosward Gonzalez - 2G 6.75 ERA/2.251 WHIP 1.1IP 2BB:0SO (last played 10/19)
RHP Yoanys Quiala - 4G/2ST 7.45 ERA/1.448 WHIP 9.2IP 5BB:8SO (last played 10/31)
C Gabriel Bracamonte - 3G .125/.125/.125 0BB:2O (last played 10/28)
MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LMP)
Akeem Bostick - April 2017
Photo by Jayne Hansen
Jacob Dorris only appeared once since my last post, on last Thursday. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, but still gave up two walks. Walks have definitely been an issue for Dorris this winter. In this particular game, he threw 16 pitches, only six of which were strikes.
But it's not all bad news in the LMP. After a dreadful start to his fall campaign and after sitting out for about two and a half weeks, Drew Ferguson got the start in right field last night and went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. And he didn't strike out! Baby steps!
Caneros de la Mochis (20-34 8th place)
RHP Akeem Bostick - 10G/10ST 2.85 ERA/1.244 WHIP 41IP 17BB:45SO
OF Drew Ferguson - 5G .095/.136/.143 1BB:8SO
Naranjeros de Hermosillo (28-26 5th place)
RHP Jacob Dorris - 8G 8.64 ERA/2.280 WHIP 8.1IP 10BB:2SO
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL)
Rodrigo Ayarza - July 2016
Photo by Jayne Hansen
Utility switch-hitter Rodrigo Ayarza has definitely tailed off since his great start for Adelaide, but he's still contributing. In his last four games, he was 4-for-17 with a double, RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base. He struck out twice to zero walks.
Adelaide Bite (3-13 6th place)
Rodrigo Ayarza - 16G .266/.309/.453 6-2B 2HR 5RBI 4BB:17SO
DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)
Reymin Guduan has made three appearances since my last post, allowing only one hit (a double) and stranding all three of the runners he inherited. His first outing of the season wasn't pretty, but he's managed to lower his ERA by nine points this week. Again, baby steps!
Reymin Guduan - June 2016
Photo by Jayne Hansen
Gigantes del Cibao (23-20 2nd place)
LHP Reymin Guduan - 5G 4.50 ERA/2.500 WHIP 2.0IP 2BB:1SO
PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)
The LBPRC has set January 6 as their target date to begin play.
NEWS AND LINKSPuerto Rico! 🇵🇷⚾ A todos los boricuas les recordamos que todas las entradas generales de la Temporada Regular de la LBPRC serán libre de costo. Invita a tu gente y apoyen a sus equipos desde el 6 de enero del 2018. pic.twitter.com/gqZb3EUR6c— LBPRC (@LBPRC) December 3, 2017
The Rule 5 Draft will be tomorrow at 8:00 CST and will be audio streamed live on MLB. With Jeff Luhnow indicating recently that he may be looking for a Christmas (or Hanukkah) bargain, here are the top available Rule 5 prospects (from Jonathan Mayo) he may be considering. Baseball America also has a list of their top five Rule 5 prospects here. Happy Shopping! And here is the info on the Astros that could be taken in the draft.
I supported the Justin Verlander trade wholeheartedly at the time and I still do, but do yourself a favor and bottle up that World Series feeling. You may need it in the future when these three players make their marks in the MLB.
BP came out with their Top 10 Astros prospect list (plus 11 more to watch) last week.
FORMER ASTROS UPDATE
Abraham Toro-Hernandez and Jorge Guzman - August 2016
Photo by Jayne Hansen
As you may or may not remember, flamethrowing RHP Jorge Guzman was traded to the Yankees as a part of the November 2016 deal bringing C Brian McCann to Houston. Guzman pitched for Short Season A Staten Island in 2017, compiling a 5-3 record with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.035 WHIP in 13 starts. He walked 18 while striking out 88 in 66.2 innings. Guzman is on the move again, this time included in this week's Marlins-Yankees trade for OF Giancarlo Stanton. Guzman has been assigned (initially) to the Batavia Muckdogs, but I expect to see him make his full season debut in 2018. He will be 22 in January. Watch this space.
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