Happy Birthday - 12/17

No future Astros with birthdays today, but one former Astro celebrates ~

LHP Fernando Abad (29)
Abad was signed by the Astros as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2002. In 88 games for Houston from 2010 to 2012, he compiled a 1-11 record with a 5.10 ERA and a 1.559 WHIP. Abad signed as a free agent with the Nationals in November 2012 and was subsequently traded to Oakland in November 2013. In 69 appearances for Oakland in 2014, he had a 1.57 ERA and a 0.855 WHIP.

Happy Birthday - 12/17

No future Astros, but one former Astro celebrates a birthday today ~

LHP Fernando Abad (28)
Abad was signed by the Astros as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2002. In 88 games for Houston from 2010 to 2012, he compiled a 1-11 record with a 5.10 ERA and a 1.559 WHIP. Abad signed as a free agent with the Nationals in November 2012 where he played until his recent trade to Oakland.

Happy Birthday - 12/17

No future Astros, but one former Astros with a birthday today ~

LHP Fernando Abad (27)
Abad was signed by the Astros as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2002. In 2012, he spent most of his season at Houston, but also pitched in 13 games with Oklahoma City. With the Redhawks, he was 2-0 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.446 WHIP in 13 appearances (two starts). As a reliever at Houston, he had a 3.80 ERA and a 1.437 WHIP in 31 games. Abad was in the process of being converted to a starter late in the season and in six starts, he was 0-6 with a 6.45 ERA and a 1.881 WHIP. Abad became a free agent after the season and signed with the Washington Nationals in November.

Roster Moves

In addition to the news yesterday that Brian Bogusevic signed with the Cubs, Baseball America also shows that Fernando Abad signed with the Nationals. My comprehensive off-season transaction list has been updated for any other of the off-season moves that you may have missed.

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.

Roster Moves

Houston/Oklahoma City
LHP Fernando Abad was recalled to Houston.
RHP Chuckie Fick was optioned to Oklahoma City.
RHP Armando Galarraga opted for free agency.

Lexington
OF Teoscar Hernandez was assigned from the GCL to Lexington.
OF Jordan Scott was placed on the temporary inactive list.

Roster Moves

Houston/Oklahoma City
The Astros claimed utility player Steve Pearce off waivers from Baltimore. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Pearce and for RHP Armando Galarraga, RHP Aneury Rodriguez and RHP Enerio del Rosario were outrighted (removed from the 40-man roster) to Oklahoma City. In order to make room on the active 25-man roster for Galarraga, LHP Fernando Abad was optioned to Oklahoma City. A corresponding move to the 25-man roster will have to be made before today's game in order to activate Pearce. Got all that? Phew.

Oklahoma City
RHP Jarred Cosart has been placed on the 7-day DL (blister problems again).

Corpus Christi
C Ryan McCurdy was assigned from Lexington to Corpus Christi (made official)

Lancaster
RHP Jose Trinidad was placed on the 7-day DL.
OF Drew Muren was assigned from Corpus Christi to Lancaster (made official).

Lexington
C Cristian Moronto was assigned from Greeneville to Lexington.

GCL
LHP Chris Lee was assigned from Greeneville to the GCL.

Roster Moves - 6/15

Oklahoma City
LHP Fernando Abad was recalled to Houston to replace RHP Wilton Lopez who went on the DL.

Lexington
C Luis Alvarez was assigned from Greeneville to Lexington.
SS Jose Fernandez was assigned from GCL to Lexington.

Greeneville
Jimmy Howick was assigned from Lexington to Greeneville.

Roster Moves - 6/10

Oklahoma City
LHP Fernando Abad was sent to OKC for a rehab assignment.

Lancaster
*OF Emilio King was assigned to Lancaster from Extended Spring Training.
OF Grant Hogue was placed on the 7-day DL.
OF Domingo Santana was activated from the DL.
RHP Ruben Alaniz was placed on the temporary inactive list.

*Note: I think that King is most likely temporary at Lancaster as Springer has been day-to-day with a hip flexor injury.

Greeneville
D'Andre Toney was acquired as the PTBNL in the Quintero/Bourgeois trade with Kansas City and assigned to Greeneville.

We should find out much more about where players are being assigned over the next couple of days as Tri-City and GCL players report on Tuesday and Greeneville players report on Wednesday.

Roster Moves - 5/27

Oklahoma City
LHP Xavier Cedeno was called up to Houston to fill in for Fernando Abad who went on the DL with a strained right intercoastal.
The move of CF Brandon Barnes from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City was made official.

Corpus Christi
According to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller Times, OF T.J. Steele was released and IF Brandon Wikoff, who started the season on the disabled list, was activated from extended spring training and will be assigned to Corpus Christi.

Roster Moves - 4/27

HOU
RHP Kyle Weiland was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
SS Marwin Gonzalez was placed on the 3-day paternity list.

OKC/HOU
IF Brian Bixler was recalled to the Astros.
LHP Fernando Abad was recalled to the Astros.

Jordan Lyles will be called up to start the game on Sunday in place of Weiland. An additional roster move will have to be made then to make room for Lyles on the 25-Man Roster.

Roster Moves - 4/9

OF Justin Maxwell was picked up off waivers from the Yankees and immediately made his mark by clubbing an Astros home run in his first at-bat in his first game.  In order to make room for Maxwell, Fernando Abad was optioned to Oklahoma City.

Happy Birthday - 12/17

LHP Fernando Abad (26)
Abad was signed by the Astros as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2002.  He made his major league debut in 2010 in Houston and pitched 22 games, putting up a 2.84 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP.  Unfortunately, he struggled in 2011.  In 29 games in Houston, he had a 7.32 ERA and 1.881 WHIP before being sent down to OKC (4.80 ERA and 1.218 WHIP in 29 games).  He pitched for the Toros del Este team in the Dominican Republic this winter and was 1-1 in four starts with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.813 WHIP (last pitched 11/22).

WTH 25-Man Roster

The seventh player selected for the What the Heck 25-Man Roster was Lefty Relief Pitcher Fernando Abad, who squeaked ahead of Pat Urkfitz and Colton Pitkin.  Also receiving votes were Travis Blankenship, Garrett Bullock, Kristian Bueno and Paris Shewey.  (For more information on the WTH 25-Man Roster, go here.)

Coming Monday - Let's pick our second baseman.