Happy Birthday - 2/23

No future Astros with birthdays today, but several former Astros are celebrating ~

RHP Edgar Gonzalez (32)
Gonzalez signed with Houston as a free agent in August 2012 and pitched in 11 games (six starts) for Houston over two seasons. He went 3-2 with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.457 WHIP. Gonzalez played in the Reds organization in 2014.

LHP Juan Agosto (57)
Agosto signed with Houston as a free agent in May 1993 and pitched in 261 games for the Astros from 1987 to 1990 and in 1993. His best season was in 1988 when he appeared in 75 games and went 10-2 with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.135 WHIP. In 1990, he led the National League in appearances with 82.

RHP Scott Elarton (39)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1994, Elarton pitched for Houston from 1998 to 2001, going 32-21 in 120 appearances (67 starts) with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.388 WHIP before being traded to the Rockies at the trade deadline in 2001 for Pedro Astacio. In 2000, he was 17-7 in 30 starts for Houston. Elarton started his coaching career in 2014, acting as Pitching Coach for the Pirates Gulf Coast League team.

2B/3B Ken Boswell (69)
A native of Austin, Boswell came to Houston in an October 1974 trade with the Mets and played in 275 games for the Astros from 1975 to 1977 after spending eight seasons with New York. His best season offensively was with the Mets in 1969 when he hit .279/.347/.381 and got his World Series ring. In 1970, he led the National League in fielding percentage as a second baseman with a .996 percentage.

C Frank Charles ( 46)
I love this story.  Charles toiled in the minor leagues and independent ball for 10 years. At the end of the 10th year, after having been picked up by Houston in the off-season, he got a September call-up, a rookie at 31.  In seven plate appearances over four games, Charles got three hits with a double and two RBI. His cup of coffee netted him a .429/.429/.571 career batting line. He spent four more seasons in the minors and independent league ball before hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2004 season when he was 35 years old.

Happy Birthday - 2/23

No future Astros with birthdays today, but several former Astros are celebrating ~

RHP Edgar Gonzalez (31)
Gonzalez signed with Houston as a free agent in August 2012 and pitched in 11 games (six starts) for Houston over two seasons. He went 3-2 with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.457 WHIP. Gonzalez signed as a free agent with the Reds in January.

LHP Juan Agosto (56)
Agosto signed with Houston as a free agent in May 1993 and pitched in 261 games for the Astros from 1987 to 1990 and in 1993. His best season was in 1988 when he appeared in 75 games and went 10-2 with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.135 WHIP. In 1990, he led the National League in appearances with 82.

RHP Scott Elarton (38)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1994, Elarton pitched for Houston from 1998 to 2001, going 32-21 in 120 appearances (67 starts) with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.388 WHIP before being traded to the Rockies at the trade deadline in 2001 for Pedro Astacio. In 2000, he was 17-7 in 30 starts for Houston. Elarton has played Independent League baseball for the last two seasons, including a stint with the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2013.

2B/3B Ken Boswell (68)
A native of Austin, Boswell came to Houston in an October 1974 trade with the Mets and played in 275 games for the Astros from 1975 to 1977 after spending eight seasons with New York. His best season offensively was with the Mets in 1969 when he hit .279/.347/.381 and got his World Series ring. In 1970, he led the National League in fielding percentage as a second baseman with a .996 percentage.

C Frank Charles ( 45)
I love this story.  Charles toiled in the minor leagues and independent ball for 10 years. At the end of the 10th year, after having been picked up by Houston in the off-season, he got a September call-up, a rookie at 31.  In seven plate appearances over four games, Charles got three hits with a double and two RBI. His cup of coffee netted him a .429/.429/.571 career batting line. He spent four more seasons in the minors and independent league ball before hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2004 season when he was 35 years old.

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

I've gotten behind again on reporting the latest roster moves. Here's what I have for the last few days.

Oklahoma City
OF Eric Thames claimed off waivers from the Orioles and assigned to Oklahoma City
RHP Hector Ambriz designated for assignment

Corpus Christi
C Carlos Corporan to Corpus Christi for rehab assignment
C Ryan McCurdy activated from the DL
C Brett Clements placed on the 7-day DL

Lnacaster
RHP Vincent Velasquez placed on the 7-day DL
OF Chris Epps assigned from Oklahoma City to Lancaster
Also of note, OF Tanner Mathis was sent from Greeneville to Lancaster but has not officially been activated according to MiLB.

Tri-City
RHP Edgar Gonzalez sent to Tri-City for rehab assignment
RHP Tanner Bushue retired (see this Astros County post for more info)

Roster Moves

In addition to the news that OF Fernando Martinez cleared waivers and has been assigned to Oklahoma City, RHP Philip Humber has been DFA'd and RHP Edgar Gonzalez has been resigned, there are a couple of additional moves at Quad Cities.

QUAD CITIES
RHP Mike Hauschild assigned from Quad Cities to Extended Spring Training.
RHP Cameron Lamb assigned from Quad Cities to Extended Spring Training.
RHP Richard Rodriguez assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities.

There have been a lot temporary re-assignments back and forth to/from Extended Spring Training so don't read too much into these except for the assignment of Richard Rodriguez to Quad Cities since that is a new assignment. I'm assuming that Lamb is a temporary move to make room for Josh Fields on his rehab assignment.

Roster Moves

I missed this Baseball America transaction post from over the weekend. Apparently, Kyle Weiland is NOT a figment of our imagination:

Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Murilo Gouvea, RHP Chia-Jen Lo, RHP Kyle Weiland, LHP Sergio Escalona, LHP Kenny Long, C Max Stassi, 3B Andy Simunic, 3B Brandon Wikoff, OF Grant Hogue, OF Telvin Nash

In addition, RHP Edgar Gonzalez was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and 2B/LF Ruben Sosa was assigned to Oklahoma City.

Rumors have been floating about Paul Clemens coming to Houston, but nothing official has been announced by the team.

UPDATES:

• RHP Paul Clemens is indeed headed to Seattle to join the team as RHP Josh Fields goes on the DL with forearm tightness.
• RHP Ross Seaton is being sent to Oklahoma City from Corpus Christi.
• RHP Carlos Quevedo is being sent to Corpus Christi from Lancaster.
• RHP Michael Dimock is headed from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities.
• According to Daniel Makarewicz (who covers the Quad Cities team), RHP Jordan Jankowski is being sent from Quad Cities back to Extended Spring Training.
• LHP Tommy Shirley activated from the temporary inactive list for Lancaster.

The Mysterious Case of Kyle Hallock and Other Roster Moves

Barely more than a week ago, I outlined why I thought that it could be a BIG YEAR for Astros LHP Kyle Hallock. I felt that if he could get back to his pre-2012 injury form, he could move quickly up through the ranks. However, I did not foresee that he would pitch one inning at Low A Quad Cities and be promoted up three levels to AAA Oklahoma City the next day. Color me confused. That's a huge leap which makes me think that the promotion may be a temporary fill-in measure. It is my fervent hope, though, that Hallock makes the most of the opportunity even if it's simply a case of being in the right place at the right time (and being a lefty). I'll admit that there is a special place in my heart for Hallock who gave me my first interview ever.

In conjunction with this move, Cameron Lamb was assigned to Quad Cities from extended Spring Training. That was not unexpected since Lamb was already listed on the provisional roster released by the Astros on Monday.

Also, I am delinquent in posting the info on the trade with Oakland that netted the Astros LHP Travis Blackley for AAA OF Jake Goebbert. I think that the move will ultimately be a good one for Goebbert and I wish him nothing but the best. I got to know him a little bit in this interview from last summer. But it is our friend Astros County who tells us the ultimate story about the type of player Goebbert is. Edgar Gonzalez was removed from the 40-man roster and designated for assignment to make room for Blackley.

And finally, LHP Tommy Shirley and OF Chris Epps were placed on the temporary inactive list for Lancaster.

UPDATE: At the precise moment I posted this, it was reported that the aforesaid Travis Blackley strained his shoulder in his very first bullpen at Minute Maid Park and will be placed on the 15-day DL. Dallas Keuchel is being called up to replace him.

Happy Birthday - 2/23

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Edgar Gonzalez (30)
Gonzalez signed with Houston as a free agent in August 2012 and had two very good starts for Oklahoma City before being called up to the Astros. In six starts in Houston, he was 3-1 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.240 WHIP. He played in the Arizona, Oakland, LA Dodgers, Tampa Bay and Colorado organizations prior to coming to Houston and played winter ball this season in the Mexican Pacific League.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

LHP Juan Agosto (55)
Agosto signed with Houston as a free agent in May 1993 and pitched in 261 games for the Astros from 1987 to 1990 and in 1993. His best season was in 1988 when he appeared in 75 games and went 10-2 with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.135 WHIP. In 1990, he led the National League in appearances with 82.

RHP Scott Elarton (37)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1994, Elarton pitched for Houston from 1998 to 2001, going 32-21 in 120 appearances (67 starts) with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.388 WHIP before being traded to the Rockies at the trade deadline in 2001 for Pedro Astacio. In 2000, he was 17-7 in 30 starts for Houston.

2B/3B Ken Boswell (67)
A native of Austin, Boswell came to Houston in an October 1974 trade with the Mets and played in 275 games for the Astros from 1975 to 1977 after spending eight seasons with New York. His best season offensively was with the Mets in 1969 when he hit .279/.347/.381 and got his World Series ring. In 1970, he led the National League in fielding percentage as a second baseman with a .996 percentage.

C Frank Charles ( 44)
I love this story.  Charles toiled in the minor leagues and independent ball for 10 years. At the end of the 10th year, after having been picked up by Houston in the off-season, he got a September call-up, a rookie at 31.  In seven plate appearances over four games, Charles got three hits with a double and two RBI. His cup of coffee netted him a .429/.429/.571 career batting line. He spent four more seasons in the minors and independent league ball before hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2004 season when he was 35 years old.

Roster Moves

According to Brian McTaggart, the Astros have re-signed RHP Edgar Gonzalez and RHP Jose Valdez to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training. I have updated my master off-season transaction list to reflect these changes.

I really don't have any strong feelings about Gonzalez one way or the other, but I am glad to see Jose Valdez re-signed. His numbers at Oklahoma City really aren't indicative of the season that he had, as a mid-season injury and struggles related to that injury inflated his numbers significantly. Before and after, he had a solid season out of the bullpen in Oklahoma City, and that translated into an effective stint in Houston following a September call-up.

Roster Moves

In addition to yesterday afternoon's news that Jordan Schafer has been claimed off waivers by Atlanta, the Astros announced several other moves last night.

RHP Kyle Weiland was outrighted to Oklahoma City. LHP Fernando Abad, LHP Sergio Escalona, RHP Edgar Gonzalez and RHP Jose Valdez were also outrighted to Oklahoma City but are unrestricted free agents. (It was also noted that IF Matt Downs, who had been removed from the 40-man roster a couple days ago, is an unrestricted free agent as well.) Only two of these players were on the 40-man roster since Weiland and Escalona were on the 60-day DL so this effectively brought the running total down to 34 on the 40-man roster.

Two players, however, were added to the 40-man roster bring it back up to 36. RHP Sam Demel and 2B/SS Jake Elmore were claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks. The 25-year old Demel, a third round draft pick by Oakland in 2007 and a native of Channelview, Texas, had significant major league experience with the Diamondbacks in 2010 and 2011, but made only one appearance at the major league level in 2012. In 72 major league appearances, he has a 4.95 ERA and a 1.586 WHIP out of the bullpen. In 56 appearances for AAA Reno this season, he had a 4.07 ERA and a 1.236 WHIP. Elmore, also 25, was a 34th round pick by Arizona in 2008. He spent the majority of his season at Reno as well, hitting .344/.422/.465 with 30 doubles, nine triples, one home run and 32 stolen bases in 108 games. He walked 74 times to 54 strikeouts. Elmore got his first call-up to the bigs on August 11th and hit .191/.247/.250 in 30 games.

I will update my ongoing list of off-season transactions (that I have linked on the front page) later today.

Oklahoma City Redhawks Season Recap

So far we have looked at the DSL Astros season, the GCL Astros season, the Greeneville Astros season and the Lexington Legends season. Now let's take a look at the AAA Oklahoma City affiliate. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.


2011 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 68-75/.476
2012 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 78-65/.545

2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 619 - 717 = (98)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 764 - 758 = 6

2011 Team ERA & WHIP: 4.63 & 1.516
2012 Team ERA & WHIP: 4.91 & 1.508

2011 Team Batting Line: .260/.341/.381
2012 Team Batting Line: .282/.349/.434

It's hard to truly judge a AAA affiliate because those teams are generally a mix of lifetime minor leaguers who may get an occasional MLB callup to fill a hole, struggling major leaguers who have been sent down to work on things and a few true prospects. With that said, it's difficult to read too much into the results and season comparisons at this level.

So which players had standout seasons in Oklahoma City?

There were several position players whose 2012 seasons resulted in a call-up to the Astros, such as OF Brandon Barnes (.321/.381/.514 39-2B 1-3B 12HR between Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City), 3B Matt Dominguez (.298/.347/.398), IF Scott Moore (.318/.410/.555 26-2B 1-3B 10HR), OF Fernando Martinez (.314/.367/.507 23-2B 2-3B 13HR) and C Carlos Corporan (.286/.349/.447 15-2B 6HR).

But probably the most noteworthy of those getting call-ups was OF Jimmy Paredes. In 124 games, the 23-year old hit .318/.348/.477 with 28 doubles, seven triples, 13 home runs and 37 stolen bases (tied for second in the league). He was third in the league in hits with 161 and fifth in runs scored with 92.

Of the position players left behind, the best seasons belonged to SS Angel Sanchez (.320/.390/.407 13-2B 1-3B 5HR), OF Brad Snyder (.304/.375/.550 23-2B 3-3B 20HR) and the ever dependable albeit not flashy OF J.B. Shuck (.298/.374/.352 with 11-2B 3-3B). Sanchez ranked in the top 20 in the league in batting average and on-base percentage. Snyder was seventh in slugging, eighth in OPS and was tied for 11th in home runs.

The 34-year old journeyman IF Mike Hessman deserves his own paragraph. Although he only hit .231 with a .301 OBP, he was 13th in the league with a .515 slugging percentage, first in home runs with 35 (and third in strikeouts with 136), and was tied for 11th in the league in RBI.

Several relief pitchers shuttled back and forth from Oklahoma City to Houston and back again, such as Fernando Abad (now starting), Xavier Cedeno and Enerio del Rosario. But it was RHP Mickey Storey that opened some eyes with his performance at Oklahoma City and merited an August 3rd call-up. In 38 appearances, including two spot starts, Storey was 7-4 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.169 WHIP. Another standout was RHP Jose Valdez who ranked third in the league in saves with 21. His season numbers do not impress at first glance, but if you throw out his June numbers when he was nursing an injury that would eventually land him on the DL, his ERA drops to 2.84 with a 1.237 WHIP for the remainder of the season.

LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-4 in 16 starts, 3.90 ERA, 1.213 WHIP) had a good season with OKC before his call-up and RHP Edgar Gonzalez (1-0 in 2 starts, 0.69 ERA, 0.615 WHIP) barely saw the inside of the clubhouse at OKC before his call-up.

Of the pitchers left behind, three in particular made that crucial step from AA to AAA during the season and showed good progress in their development. LHP Brett Oberholtzer (10-10 in 38 starts, 4.37 ERA, 1.356 WHIP combined) actually got stronger as the season progressed and ended the season at Oklahoma City with a 2.02 ERA and a 1.121 WHIP over his final five starts. RHP Jarred Cosart only made six appearances (five starts) with Oklahoma City, but had a very impressive 2.60 ERA and 1.410 WHIP. His combined numbers for the season were 6-7 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.395 WHIP. RHP Jose Cisnero was 4-1 at Oklahoma City and ended the season with a 3.70 ERA and 1.409 WHIP (combined), and a 4.54 ERA and 1.764 WHIP at Oklahoma City -- not the most impressive of numbers but a decent first step.

I will continue with my look at the final three teams' seasons when they finish post-season play. I hope I have to wait a good long while!

Roster Moves

Houston/Oklahoma City
RHP Edgar Gonzalez was called up from Oklahoma City to Houston.
RHP Adalberto Flores was assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City.

Minor League Recaps

Wednesday's Games

Tri-City over Connecticut 8-4
Brian Holmes went to 7-2 on the season as he allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings. Jeremiah Meiners allowed another two runs (one earned) in his inning of work before giving way to John Neely for a three-inning save in which he allowed no hits, walked one and struck out six. For Jean Batista, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times as he went four-for-four with a double, stolen base and two runs scored at the plate, but committed three errors in the field. In all, Tri-City banged out 16 hits with Joe Sclafani, Tyler Heineman, M.P. Cokinos and Jesse Wierzbicki each getting two, including doubles from Sclafani, Heineman, Cokinos and Batista, a home run and two RBIs from Emilio King and two RBIs and a stolen base from Jarrod McKinney. The win tied the team record for wins at 50 with several games left to play in the regular season.

Hickory over Lexinton 5-3
Luis Cruz got the loss going to 9-8 as he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and six walks over six innings with six strikeouts. Evan Grills allowed another two runs in his two innings. Gabriel Garcia pitched one scoreless frame. The Legends fell behind in the third inning and never caught up to Hickory. Chan Moon and Chris Epps each hit a solo home run; Ruben Sosa was three-for-four; Jobduan Morales was two-for-four; and Justin Gominsky was two-for-three with a walk, two stolen bases and a run scored.

Inland Empire over Lancaster 7-1
Blair Walters struggled early, allowing six runs on seven hits in only three innings pitched. Brad Dydalewicz allowed an additional run in his three and a third innings of work. Jose Trinidad brought up the rear allowing only one hit over one and two-thirds. Domingo Santana had a big night, going three-for-four with an RBI. Jio Mier and Carlos Perez were each two-for-four. Delino DeShields stole his 98th bag of the season.

Frisco over Corpus Christi 3-0
Rob Rasmussen gave up three runs on five hits over five and a third and was charged with his fourth loss for the Hooks. Arcenio Leon and Josh Zeid combined for two and two-thirds frames of scoreless relief. Corpus Christi was held to four hits and no walks with Robbie Grossman getting two of them, including a double.

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 11-0
Edgar Gonzalez got the start and pitched a very strong seven innings with four hits, no walks and six strikeouts to earn the win. Enerio del Rosario and Garrett Mock each pitched a scoreless frame to keep the shutout in place. The Redhawks also banged out 16 hits. Angel Sanchez, three-for-four with a three-run home run, and Matt Dominguez, three-for-five with a double and two runs scored, had particularly strong nights. Mike Hessman was two-for-four with a double and his 33rd home run of the season; and J.D. Martinez was two-for-five with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Jordan Schafer was two-for-four and stole a base in his latest rehab start.

Player of the Day: I've got to go with Angel Sanchez and his three-for-four night, including a three-run home run.

Pitcher of the Day: This one is easy. Seven shutout innings from Edgar Gonzalez earns him the honors.

Roster Moves

Oklahoma City
I missed one. The Astros signed RHP Edgar Gonzalez who played most recently for Monterrey in the Mexican League. He got the start for the Redhawks on Friday.

Corpus Christi
RF Adam Bailey was placed on the 7-day DL.
RHP Josh Zeid was activated from the DL.

Greeneville
RHP Erick Gonzalez was assigned from the GCL to Greeneville.

GCL
CF Jordan Schafer was assigned to the GCL for rehab.