Astros Minor League Opening Day: 4/5

Everything you wanted to know about Astros MiLB Opening Day, but were afraid to ask!!! The season officially starts on Thursday, April 5th for all of the Astros full season teams.

OPENING DAY ROSTERS

Here's the breakdown of the Astros Full Season Opening Day rosters, including how/when the players were signed, where they were last season (and how they did) and a few notable players who are missing (and, in most cases, presumably on the DL to start the season).

For a bit more of a breakdown. On MiLB Opening Day, I show 233 players in the system who are NOT on the 40-man roster. This is how they break down:

140 international free agents
71 from the June Draft
8 non-drafted free agents
8 acquired in trades
5 minor league free agents
1 Rule 5 draft pick (minor league phase)

The international players are from (there are more than 140 because of trades and MiLB FA):

65 from the Dominican Republic
48 from Venezuela
12 from Cuba
9 from Panama
8 from Mexico
2 from Brazil
1 from Costa Rica

COACHING STAFF

And here is the info on the Astros 2018 minor league coaching staff.

PLAYER PROFILES

I have compiled all of the recent Beyond the Top 30 prospect profile links (over 140 Astros minor league player profiles or mini-profiles!) into one post and have pinned it to the front page for easy reference. As a reminder, I did not include profile write-ups of any players that had already made their MLB debut in those posts.

TOP PROSPECT LISTS

Also, the Consensus Top 32 Astros Prospect List is pinned to the front page. This includes rankings from Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline.

ASTROS ON TWITTER/INSTAGRAM

I've updated my twitter list of Astros players. If you have any that I'm missing, let me know! I've also updated my Instagram account to follow as many of the Astros minor leaguers as I could find. Feel free to wade through all of my follows to find some of your favorites (I do have a number of former Astros in there as well.) It's a really good way to get a feel for some of the Latin players who may not be on twitter!

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

And here is the final edition of the 2017-2018 Offseason Transactions post. I plan to keep an ongoing transaction list on signings, releases and trades throughout the season and I will keep that pinned on the front page of the blog as well.

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

And, before I bring you the game info for Opening Day, I have one very important announcement. The one and only Dustin Nguyen will be back this season, bringing you THE BEST minor league recaps in the biz. Honestly, I don't know how he does it day in and day out, but he always adds little interesting tidbits here and there in addition to giving us full-blown recaps every day ... even when the short season teams start up and he has double the workload! Seriously, Dustin is the best and I am beyond happy that he will be back.

Now, without further ado ...

OPENING DAY INFORMATION

All games are on Thursday, April 5th.

FRESNO
The Grizzlies will start their season on the road in Reno at 8:35 central time with RHP Mike Hauschild on the mound for Fresno. The game will be available on MiLB.tv. Their home opener will be next Tuesday the 10th as they host Tacoma. The temperature at game time is forecast to be in the upper 50's.

CORPUS CHRISTI
The Hooks will also start their season with a long road trip to Springdale, Arkansas to face the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Game time will be at 6:25 central with LHP Framber Valdez getting the start for the Hooks. The game will be available on MiLB.tv. The home opener for the Hooks will be one week later (Thursday the 12th) and they will once again face Northwest Arkansas. Game time temperature is forecast to be in the mid to high 50's.

BUIES CREEK
The BC Astros will be traveling to Salem, Virginia to start their season with RHP Jorge Alcala the scheduled starter for the Astros. The game starts at 6:05 central and will be available on MiLB.tv. The BC Astros home opener will be on Thursday, April 12th, and will also be against the Salem Red Sox. Game time temperature is forecast to be in the mid 50's.

QUAD CITIES
The River Bandits will be the only Astros team to start the season at home as they host the Cedar Rapid Kernels. The announced starter will be LHP Patrick Sandoval. The game will start at 6:35 central and will be available on MiLB.tv. The current forecast has game time temperature around 40 degrees.

If you wish to subscribe to MiLB.tv, the information is here. Audio of all games is free by clicking on the link to the game on the team page.

2018 Astros MiLB Opening Day Roster Breakdown

Offering a little insight on the Astros opening day rosters, including where the players came from, where they were in 2017 (and how they did) and those who are considered to be top prospects going into the 2018 season ...

* = Left-handed
# = Switch-hitter

Rankings Noted per the following sources:
BA = Baseball America
BP = Baseball Prospectus
FG = FanGraphs
MLB = MLB Pipeline

FRESNO - AAA

This should be a really strong team. Except for Chris Nunn, Antonio Nunez and Kyle Tucker, all of the players on this team have had at least some experience at AAA and nine of them have had MLB experience.

PITCHERS

Rogelio Armenteros - BP #5, FG #11, BP #12, MLB #12

• Astros 9/14 Cuban signing
• 2017: 14 games in AA; 10 games in AAA (2.04 ERA/1.043 WHIP/123.2 IP combined)

*Buddy Boshers

• 1/18 waiver claim from the Twins; originally Angels 4th round 2008 (Calhoun Community College - AL)
• 2017: 38 games in MLB (4.89 ERA/1.343 WHIP/35 IP); 18G in AAA (3.68 ERA/16.36 WHIP/14.2 IP)

Jacob Dorris

• Astros 6/15 NDFA (Texas A&M Corpus Christi)
• 2017: 23 games in AA; 20 games in AAA (3.00 ERA/1.222 WHIP/72 IP combined)

*Kent Emanuel

• Astros 3rd round 2013 (UNC - Chapel Hill)
• 2017: 16 games in AA; 9 games in AAA (5.72 ERA/1.745 WHIP/116.1 IP combined)

*Reymin Guduan - FG #20

• Astros 9/09 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 22 games in MLB (7.88 ERA/2.250 WHIP/16 IP); 39 games in AAA (5.87 ERA/1.630 WHIP/46 IP)

Mike Hauschild

• Astros 33rd round 2012 (University of Dayton)
• 2017: 4 games in MLB for Rangers as Rule 5 pick (11.25 ERA/2.000 WHIP/8 IP); 18 games in AAA (4.58 ERA/1.528 WHIP/90.1 IP)

Francis Martes

• 7/14 trade with Marlins; originally signed by Marlins 12/12 (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 8 games in AAA (5.29 ERA/2.103 WHIP/32.1 IP); 32 games in MLB (5.80 ERA/1.509 WHIP/54.1 IP)

Brendan McCurry

• 11/15 trade with A's; originally A's 22nd round 2014 (Oklahoma State University)
• 2017: 35 games in AAA (4.43 ERA/1.410 WHIP/44.2 IP)

*Chris Nunn

• Astros 2017 Rule 5 Draft (minor league phase); originally Padres 24th round 2012 (Lipscomb University - TN)
• 2017: 1 game in Independent League (1.80 ERA/1.000 WHIP/5 IP); 4 games in AA (4.76 ERA/1.353 WHIP/17 IP)

David Paulino - MLB #8, BP #8, BA #10

• 9/13 PTBNL in 7/13 trade with Tigers; originally signed 9/10 by Tigers (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 6 games in MLB (6.52 ERA/1.483/29 IP) followed by suspension and DL stint

Matt Ramsey

• 12/17 Astros Free Agent signing; originally Rays 19th round 2011 (University of Tennessee)
• 2017: 48 games in AA; 5 games in AAA (5.26 ERA/1.530 WHIP/49.2 IP combined)

Cy Sneed

• 11/15 Trade with Brewers; originally Brewers 3rd round 2014 (Dallas Baptist University)
• 2017: 22 games in AA; 4 games in AAA (5.97 ERA/1.587 WHIP/114.2 IP combined)

Andrew Thome

• Astros 6/15 NDFA (University of North Dakota)
• 2017: 4 games in High A; 28 games in AA; 8 games in AAA (4.10 ERA/1.399 WHIP/59.1 IP combined)

Trent Thornton

• Astros 3rd round 2015 (UNC - Chapel Hill)
• 2017: 4 games in AA; 21 games in AAA (5.21 ERA/1.409 WHIP/131.1 IP combined)

CATCHERS

Tim Federowicz

• 12/17 Astros Free Agent signing; originally Red Sox 7th round 2008 (UNC - Chapel Hill)
• 2017: 77 games in AAA (.300/.366/.463); 13 games in MLB (.231/.286/.692)

*Garrett Stubbs - FG #15, BP #16, BA #18, MLB #24

• Astros 8th round 2015 (University of Southern California)
• 2017: 75 games in AA; 23 games in AAA (.232/.328/.321 combined)

INFIELDERS

*Tony Kemp

• Astros 5th round 2013 (Vanderbilt University)
• 2017: 118 games in AAA (.329/.375/.470); 17 games in MLB (.216/.256/.243)

Jack Mayfield

• Astros 6/13 NDFA (University of Oklahoma)
• 2017: 70 games in AA; 42 games in AAA (.283/.327/.500 combined)

Antonio Nunez

• Astros 18th round 2014 (Western Oklahoma State College)
• 2017: 114 games in AA (.223/.316/.270)

*A.J. Reed - BA #24

• Astros 2nd round draft 2014 (University of Kentucky)
• 2017: 127 games in AAA (.261/.358/.525); 2 games in MLB (.000/.000/.000)

Tyler White

• Astros 33rd round 2014 (Western Carolina University - NC)
• 2017: 111 games in AAA (.300/.371/.528); 22 games in MLB (.279/.328/.525)

OUTFIELDERS

Drew Ferguson - MLB #17

• Astros 19th round 2015 (Belmont University)
• 2017: 84 games in AA; 29 games in AAA (.275/.369/.400 combined)

Alejandro Garcia

• Astros 7/15 Cuban signing
• 2017: 42 games in AA; 50 games in AAA (.235/.278/.341 combined)

*Jon Kemmer

• Astros 21st round 2013 (Brewton-Parker College - GA)
• 2017: 87 games in AAA (.299/.399/.533)

*Kyle Tucker - BA #2, BP #2, FG #2, MLB #2

• Astros 1st round 2015 (H.B. Plant H.S. - Tampa, FL)
• 2017: 48 games in High A; 72 games in AA (.274/.346/.528)

CORPUS CHRISTI - AA

There are no real surprises to me on this team (except I did think Riley Ferrell might start his season at AAA). Lorenzo Quintana bears watching as one of the recent Cuban signings; 2018 will be his first taste of affiliated ball. Also worth watching is how Nick Tanielu bounces back in his first full season following ACL surgery. Honestly, the combination of talent and experience on this team will make it fun to watch, but don't expect all of these players to linger at AA.

PITCHERS

Akeem Bostick

• Astros 1/15 trade with Rangers; originally Rangers 2nd round 2013 (West Florence H.S. - Florence, SC)
• 2017: 4 games in High A; 18 games in AA (4.06 ERA/1.334 WHIP/99.2 IP combined)

Brock Dykxhoorn

• Astros 6th round 2014 (Central Arizona College)
• 2017: 25 games in AA (4.62 ERA/1.500 WHIP/99.1 IP)

Riley Ferrell - FG #17, MLB #20, BA #27

• Astros 3rd round 2015 (Texas Christian University)
• 2017: 2 games in High A; 36 games in AA (3.67 ERA/1.204 WHIP/54 IP combined)

Ralph Garza

• Astros 26th round 2015 (University of Oklahoma)
• 2017: 20 games in High A; 15 games in AA; 1 game in AAA (4.22 ERA/1.500 WHIP/64 IP combined)

*Ryan Hartman

• Astros 9th round 2016 (Tennessee Weslayan College)
• 2017: 9 games in Low A; 16 games in High A (3.64 ERA/1.215 WHIP/108.2 IP combined)

Kevin Hill

• Astros 25th round 2016 (University of South Alabama)
• 2017: 14 games in Low A; 10 games in High A; 2 games in AA (1.95 ERA/0.990 WHIP/64.2 IP combined)

Josh James

• Astros 34th round 2014 (Western Oklahoma State College)
• 2017: 21 games in AA (4.38 ERA/1.461 WHIP/76 IP)

*Cionel Pérez - FG #6, MLB #6, BA #13, BP #16

• Astros 12/16 Cuban signing
• 2017: 12 games in Low A; 5 games in High A; 4 games in AA (4.13 ERA/1.292 WHIP/93.2 IP combined)

Erasmo Pinales

• Astros 5/13 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 21 games in Low A; 12 games in High A (3.39 ERA/1.131 WHIP/61 IP combined)

Yoanys Quiala

• Astros 6/15 Cuban signing
• 2017: 12 games in High A; 12 games in AA (2.57 ERA/1.187 WHIP/108.2 IP combined)

*Sean Stuzman

• Astros 6/16 NDFA (Dallas Baptist University)
• 2017: 16 games in Low A; 13 games in High A; 4 games in AA (2.28 ERA/1.075 WHIP/67 IP)

*Framber Valdez - BA #14, MLB #16, FG #25

• Astros 3/15 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 13 games in High A; 12 games in AA (4.16 ERA/1.387 WHIP/110.1 IP combined)

*Alex Winkelman

• Astros 21st round 2015 (Southeast Missouri State University)
• 2017: 8 games in High A; 18 games in AA (3.21 ERA/1.370 WHIP/103.2 IP combined)

CATCHERS

Lorenzo Quintana

• Astros 10/17 Cuban signing
• 2017: Did not play

Jamie Ritchie

• Astros 13th round 2014 (Belmont University)
• 2017: 76 games in AA (.256/.382/.335)

INFIELDERS

*Ryne Birk

• Astros 13th round 2016 (Texas A&M)
• 2017: 81 games in High A; 37 games in AA (.266/.325/.430 combined)

Randy César

• Astros 7/11 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 27 games in Low A; 83 games in High A (.297/.350/.403 combined)

Alex DeGoti

• Astros 15th round 2016 (Barry University - FL)
• 2017: 34 games in Low A; 70 games in High A; 5 games in AAA (.236/.341/.356 combined)

Taylor Jones

• Astros 19th round 2016 (Gonzaga University)
• 2017: 50 games in Low A; 55 games in High A (.222/.314/.321 combined)

Arturo Michelena

• Astros 7/11 international signing (Venezuela)
• 2017: 32 games in High A; 52 games in AA (.218/.278/.262 combined)

Nick Tanielu

• Astros 14th round 2014 (Washington State University)
• 2017: DL for most of year; 2 rehab games in Rookie League (.400/.500/.600)

OUTFIELDERS

*Yordan Alvarez - BA #3, FG #3, BP #4, MLB #4

• Astros 8/16 trade with the Dodgers; originally Dodgers Cuban signing 6/16
• 2017: 32 games in Low A; 58 games in High A (.304/.379/.481)

*Carmen Benedetti

• Astros 12th round 2016 (University of Michigan)
• 2017: 69 games in Low A; 23 games in High A (.316/.421/.452 combined)

Myles Straw - BP #16, BA #17, MLB #21

• Astros 12th round 2015 (St. Johns River Community College - FL)
• 2017: 114 games in High A; 13 games in AA (.290/.405/.360 combined)

Stephen Wrenn

• Astros 6th round 2016 (University of Georgia)
• 2017: 42 games in Low A; 83 games in High A (.258/.332/.365 combined)

BUIES CREEK - HIGH A

Of particular note on this team are the three 2017 draft picks (Brandon Bielak, Corbin Martin and Patrick Mathis) who are bypassing Low A Quad Cities completely; it will be interesting to see if they are all up to the challenge. One thing that stands out is how few of these players have significant experience above Low A. There is a lot of talent on this team, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them start off a bit slowly and pick up as the season continues. On the flip side, Jorge Alcala and Hector Pérez will likely hit the ground running; if they can fine-tune their control/command, they will be promoted quickly.

PITCHERS

*Brett Adcock - MLB #28

• Astros 4th round 2016 (University of Michigan)
• 2017: 5 games in Low A; 20 games in High A (3.93 ERA/1.226 WHIP/107.2 IP combined)

Jorge Alcala - MLB #7, BA #8, FG #14

• Astros 12/14 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 6 games in Low A; 16 games in High A (3.05 ERA/1.061 WHIP/109.1 IP combined)

Brandon Bailey - FG #18, MLB #30

• Astros 11/17 trade with A's; originally A's 6th round 2016 (Gonzaga University)
• 2017: 15 games in Low A; 9 games in High A (3.26 ERA/1.088 WHIP/91 IP combined)

Jesús Balaguer

• Astros 4/17 Cuban signing
• 2017: 3 games in Rookie League; 5 games in Short Season A; 10 games in Low A (2.73 ERA/1.061 WHIP/33 IP combined)

Brandon Bielak

• Astros 11th round 2017 (University of Notre Dame)
• 2017: 2 games in Rookie League; 8 games in Short Season A (0.80 ERA/0.772 WHIP/33.2 IP combined)

Ronel Blanco

• Astros 4/16 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 22 games in Low A; 1 game in High A (3.38 ERA/1.466/88 IP combined)

Justin Ferrell

• Astros 36th round 2014 (Connors State College - OK)
• 2017: 28 games in High A (4.26 ERA/1.372 WHIP/82.1 IP)

Carson LaRue

• Astros 14th round 2016 (Cowley County Community College - KS)
• 2017: 20 games in Low A; 4 games in High A (3.60 ERA/1.133 WHIP/120 IP)

Corbin Martin - FG #8, BP #10, MLB #10, BA #16

• Astros 2nd round 2017 (Texas A&M)
• 2017: 2 games in Rookie League; 8 games in Short Season A (2.20 ERA/0.888 WHIP/32.2 IP combined)

Hector Pérez - FG #5, BA #7, MLB #11, BP #16

• Astros 7/14 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 4 games in Low A; 21 games in High A (3.44 ERA/1.453 WHIP/107.1 IP)

Abdiel Saldaña

• Astros 10/13 international signing (Panama)
• 2017: 25 games in Low A; 4 games in High A (3.39 ERA/1.362 WHIP/90.1 IP combined)

*Kit Scheetz

• Astros 6/17 NDFA signing (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
• 2017: 2 games in Rookie League; 6 games in Short Season A; 4 games in Low A (1.72 ERA/1.021 WHIP/47 IP combined)

Carlos Sierra

• Astros 1/16 Cuban signing
• 2017: 4 games in Low A; 25 games in High A (2.83 ERA/1.099 WHIP/57.1 IP combined)

CATCHERS

#Carlos Canelon

• Astros 4/14 international signing (Venezuela)
• 2017: 16 games in Short Season A; 8 games in AA (.162/.259/.203 combined)

Chuckie Robinson - MLB #27

• Astros 21st round 2016 (University of Southern Mississippi)
• 2017: 108 games in Low A (.274/.330/.463)

INFIELDERS

Osvaldo Duarte

• Astros 7/13 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 47 games in Low A; 28 games in High A (.192/.282/.308 combined)

*Josh Rojas

• Astros 26th round 2017 (University of Hawaii at Manoa)
• 2017: 52 games in Low A; 4 games in AAA (.261/.319/.478 combined)

*Troy Sieber

• Astros 24th round 2016 (St. Leo College - FL)
• 2017: 2 games at Short Season A; 55 games in Low A (.289/.403/.457 combined)

Anibal Sierra

• Astros 7/16 Cuban signing
• 2017: 9 games in Low A; 104 games in High A (.201/.271/.290 combined)

#Abraham Toro-Hernandez - FG #22, MLB #29

• Astros 5th round 2016 (Seminole State College - OK)
• 2017: 32 games in Short Season A; 37 games in Low A (.246/.364/.496 combined)

Kristian Trompiz

• Astros 7/12 international signing (Venezuela)
• 2017: 25 games in Short Season A; 40 games in Low A; 17 games in AA (.275/.340/.322 combined)

OUTFIELDERS

*Ronnie Dawson - MLB #15, BA #21, FG #23

• Astros 2nd round 2016 (The Ohio State University)
• 2017: 116 games in Low A; 13 games in High A (.278/.363/.437 combined)

*Patrick Mathis

• Astros 22nd round 2017 (University of Texas at Austin)
• 2017: 46 games in Rookie League; 3 games in Short Season A (.231/.311/.324 combined)

Chas McCormick

• Astros 21st round 2017 (Millersville University of Pennsylvania)
• 2017: 8 games in Rookie League; 39 games in Low A; 4 games in High A (.298/.355/.399 combined)

Luis Payano

• Astros 7/12 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 20 games in Short Season A; 24 games in Low A (.250/.308/.444 combined)

QUAD CITIES - LOW A

HOO-BOY! The River Bandits may be in for a tough start to their season. Between the inexperience of many of these players, the wildness of some of these pitchers and an opening day game time temperature that will be flirting with freezing, it could get ugly. The good news is that there is a ton on talent on the team ... it's just a little raw so the team should improve continuously. I don't see a lot of fast promotions on the pitching staff (by mid-May), other than maybe Cristian Javier (who I thought might start the season with Buies Creek), the more polished J.B. Bukauskas and perhaps Patrick Sandoval if he continues with last season's improvements. As far as position players, it is likely that some of the college drafted players will move more quickly than others, but it's just going to depend on who steps up.

PITCHERS

*Adam Bleday

• Astros 27th round 2017 (University of Pennsylvania)
• 2017: 9 games in Rookie League; 4 games in Short Season A (3.40 ERA/1.267 WHIP/45 IP combined)

J.B. Bukauskas - BP #3, MLB #3, BA #4, FG #4

• Astros 1st round 2017 (UNC - Chapel Hill)
• 2017: 1 game in Rookie League; 2 games in Short Season A (2.70 ERA/1.200 WHIP/10 IP combined)

Robert Corniel

• Astros 7/12 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 3 games in Short Season A; 15 games in Low A (4.15 ERA/1.471 WHIP/34.2 IP combined)

Tyler Ivey - FG #27

• Astros 3rd round 2017 (Grayson County College - TX)
• 2017: 1 game in Rookie League; 11 games in Short Season A (5.63 ERA/1.461 WHIP/38.1 IP combined)

Cristian Javier - MLB #19, BA #25

• Astros 3/15 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 4 games in Short Season A; 8 games in Low A; 2 games in High A (2.25 ERA/1.083 WHIP/60 IP combined)

Colin McKee

• Astros 18th round 2016 (Mercyhurst College - PA)
• 2017: 17 games in Short Season A (3.51 ERA/1.268 WHIP/41 IP)

*Parker Mushinski

• Astros 7th round 2017 (Texas Tech University)
• 2017: 13 games in Short Season A (3.60 ERA/1.367 WHIP/30 IP)

Yohan Ramírez

• Astros 6/16 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 17 games in Low A; 2 games in High A; 1 game in AA (4.66 ERA/1.500 WHIP/75.1 IP combined)

César Rosado

• Astros 12/14 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 2 games in Short Season A; 7 games in Low A (4.03 ERA/1.138 WHIP/29 IP)

Carlos Sanabria

• Astros 3/14 international signing (Venezuela)
• 2017: 19 games in Low A (4.46 ERA/1.512 WHIP/80.2 IP)

*Patrick Sandoval - BP #16

• Astros 11th round 2015 (Mission Viejo H.S. - Mission Viejo, CA)
• 2017: 4 games in Short Season A; 9 games in Low A; 1 game in High A (4.09 ERA/1.362 WHIP/61.2 IP combined)

Peter Solomon

• Astros 4th round 2017 (University of Notre Dame)
• 2017: 1 game in Rookie League (0.00 ERA/0.000 WHIP/1 IP) 

*Cole Watts

• Astros 31st round 2017 (Skyline Junior College - CA)
• 2017: 12 games in Rookie League (6.68 ERA/1.742 WHIP/31 IP)

CATCHERS

Gabriel Bracamonte

• Astros 3/14 international signing (Venezuela)
• 2017: 28 games in Short Season A; 12 games in Low A (.239/.301/.348 combined)

#Michael Papierski

• Astros 9th round 2017 (Louisiana State University)
• 2017: 37 games in Short Season A (.198/.377/.380)

INFIELDERS

Jake Adams

• Astros 6th round 2017 (University of Iowa)
• 2017: 48 games in Short Season A (.170/.280/.388)

Marcos Almonte

• Astros 2/14 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 84 games in Low A (.248/.276/.382)

#Jonathan Arauz - BP #6, FG #16, MLB #22, BA #23

• Astros 12/15 trade with the Phillies; originally Phillies international signing in 8/14 (Panama)
• 2017: 33 games in Short Season A; 36 games in Low A (.242/.336/.319 combined)

Cody Bohanek

• Astros 30th round 2017 (University of Illinois at Chicago)
• 2017: 47 games in Rookie League; 10 games in Low A (.246/.353/.332 combined)

Roman Garcia

• Astros 19th round 2017 (University of San Diego)
• 2017: 48 games in Rookie League (.277/.342/.457)

Adrian Tovalin

• Astros 16th round 2017 (Azusa Pacific University - CA)
• 2017: 18 in Rookie League; 36 in Short Season A (.218/.294/.396 combined)

OUTFIELDERS

Bryan de la Cruz

• Astros 9/13 international signing (Dominican Republic)
• 2017: 40 games in Short Season A; 10 games in Low A; 10 games in AA (.244/.290/.333 combined)

Corey Julks

• Astros 8th round 2017 (University of Houston)
• 2017: 32 games in Short Season A (.176/.311/.235)

*J.J. Matijevic - BP #16, FG #24, MLB #25, BA #26

• Astros 2nd round 2017 (University of Arizona)
• 2017: 53 games in Short Season A; 6 games in Low A (.228/.290/.384 combined)

Jake Meyers

• Astros 13th round 2017 (University of Nebraska at Lincoln)
• 2017: 42 games at Short Season A (.207/.289/.304)

THE MISSING

The following players didn't make the opening day rosters for the full season teams. There are others, but these are the most noteworthy.

RHP Dean Deetz (MLB #18, FG #21, BA #22) - restricted list
Ended the 2017 season in AAA

RHP Jose Luis Hernandez
On DL for all of 2017

RHP Nick Hernandez - DL?
Ended the 2017 season in AA

RHP Enoli Paredes
Went on the DL in June 2017

1B Jon Singleton - restricted list
Ended the 2017 season in AA

RHP Ryan Thompson - DL?
Ended the 2017 in AA

RHP Forrest Whitley (BA #1, BP #1, FG #1, MLB #1)  - restricted list
Ended the 2017 season in AA

Dominican Summer League Astros: A Primer

The Dominican Summer League kicks off later this morning. With the closure of the Venezuelan Summer League, this is the only foreign Rookie league in Minor League Baseball.

As the name implies, the league is located in the Dominican Republic, and all 30 Major League teams have bases set up throughout the country. The rosters of these teams primarily consist of international signings from Latin America and the Caribbean, and for many of these players, it is their first foray into professional baseball. They have spent countless hours preparing for this day, and today, they finally have an opportunity to showcase their skills. Although this is the lowest rung on the Minor League ladder, these kids are just like the guys in Corpus or Quad Cities: They're chasing their dreams of becoming Major League Baseball players.

For many of us, this is the first time that we have heard of guys like Renaigel Martis, or Jose Orta, or Samir Caraballo. It may not be the last time, either. From here, Minute Maid Park seems like it's a universe away, and many of these players may never advance past this league. On the other hand, some of these kids may emerge to become top prospects, and we will be able to talk about them in the same vein as Carlos Correa, A.J. Reed, Joe Musgrove, and Lance McCullers. Some may even become stars in the majors, whether it is with the Astros or another organization. You just never know who might emerge to become an impact player.

Plug time: Some of these players have already been mentioned in the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook, and to celebrate DSL Opening Day, the book is now available on Amazon for the scant price of $6.04.

We at What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish the Domincan Summer League Astros best of luck on the upcoming season. We hope to see some of you guys in Houston down the road, as well.

For the third year running, the Astros will field two teams in the DSL; they will be one of 11 teams that will have 2 DSL squads. Let's start off with the Blue team.

Asterisk: Player bats or pitches left-handed.
Bold italics: Player is making professional debut.
Hashtag: Player is a switch hitter.

All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted. If there is signing information available for the player, it will be listed as well. These are the rosters listed on MiLB.com.

DSL Astros Blue

The Blue team will play in the DSL Northwest division. The 8-team division will also include the Marlins, A's, Phillies, Royals, Rays 1, Red Sox 1, and Dodgers 2. They are the team that usually has the more advanced players.

Last year, the Blue team finished 43-29 and won the Boca Chica Northwest division. They fell to the Rangers 1 in the playoffs. They'll start their campaign against the Dodgers 2 at 10:30 A.M. Eastern.

Coaching Staff

Manager: Russ Steinhorn
Pitching Coach: Rick Aponte
Hitting Coaches: Omar Rosario and Danny Ortega
Coaches: Erik Acevedo and Melvi Ortega

Russ Steinhorn is now embarking on a new chapter of his baseball career, as this is his first opportunity to manage a team, and he's doing it in the Dominican Republic. He was previously the hitting coach at Tri-City (2013-15). Before joining the Astros organization, Steinhorn was an assistant coach at Delaware State and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Rick Aponte has been a member of the Houston Astros organization for nearly 40 years as a player, manager, and coach. He played in the Astros system from 1976-81, reaching Triple-A on three separate occations.

Pitchers

Johsson Arias (4/3/94); signed December 2015
Jesus Bernaez (Venezuela, 5/6/97); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he most likely signed before March 1.
Ronel Blanco (8/31/93); oldest player on either DSL roster, signed April 2016
Jheyson Caraballo (Venezuela, 10/16/95); signed November 2015
Juan Corniel (1/2/96); signed October 2015
Robert Corniel (6/23/95); signed July 2012
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94); signed April 2014
Edwin Fidel (12/14/94); signed in September 2015
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95); signed in December 2014
Yulian Frontado (Venezuela, 12/29/97); signed March 2016
Jose Antonio Hernandez (Venezuela, 6/18/1999); youngest player on either DSL roster
Adoni Kery (2/18/96); signed April 2016
Juan Lopez (Mexico, 6/25/97); signed in March 2015
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96); signed November 2013
Javier Navas* (Venezuela, 2/3/98); signed July 2014 for $175,000
Jose Orta* (Venezuela, 5/22/99); signed April 2016
Carlos Perdomo (4/25/98); signed November 2015
Leovanny Rodriguez (6/13/96); signed June 2015
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96); signed February 2015
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); signed sometime before 2015 season
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96); signed February 2015

Catchers

Carlos Canelon (Venezuela, 12/14/94); signed April 2014
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela, 1/24/98); signed sometime before 2015 season
#Gerry Castillo (10/3/97); signed May 2016
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela, 3/12/96); signed July 2014

Infielders

#Alfredo Angarita (Venezuela, 11/16/96); signed November 2015
#Samir Caraballo (Colombia, 9/12/98); signed November 2015
Eduardo Guzman (Venezuela, 12/6/94); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he most likely signed before March 1.
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94); signed sometime before 2015 season
Felix Lucas (3/27/97); signed July 2013 for $225,000
Nicolas Miranda (Panama, 6/12/96); signed February 2015
#Anardo Peralta (5/11/96); signed June 2014
Juan Piñeda (Panama, 1/31/98); signed July 2014 for $100,000
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama, 10/30/97); signed July 2014

Outfielders

Jose Benjamin (12/16/95); singed July 2014
Cesar Cortez (Panama, 4/1/99); signed July 2015 for $100,000
Angel De Leon (5/26/96); signed July 2014
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97); signed July 2014 for $1.5 million
Nestor Tejada* (Venezuela, 4/17/97); signed July 2013 for $300,000
Angel Tejeda* (1/22/97); signed sometime before 2015 season

DSL Astros Orange

The Orange team is the Astros' 2nd Dominican Summer League team and mostly consists of the rawer players. In 2015, they finished 28-44, which put them in 9th place in the 11-team Boca Chica North division. They will now be in the Northeast division, a 6-team division that also includes the Phillies 2, Rays 2, Mets 2, Rangers 2, and Red Sox 2.

Gilberto Celestino, who signed for $2.5 million last July, is the name to watch on this team. In addition, Yeuris Ramirez and Enmanuel Valdez are a couple of other kids who received sizeable bonuses on July 2.

The Orange team will open the 2016 season against the Rangers 2 at 10:30 A.M. Eastern.

Coaching Staff

Manager: Carlos Lugo
Pitching Coach: Gerardo Olivares
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Coaches: Alejandro Martinez and Selin Aquino

Carlos Lugo is also a first-time manager. A catcher during his playing days, Lugo was signed by the Angels in 2007 and played in their minor league system until 2012, mostly in the lower levels. He played in one game at Inland Empire in the California League in 2012.

Gerardo Olivares was originally signed as a catcher by the Devil Rays in 2007. He played in the Rays system until 2011, reaching Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League. The Red Sox signed him in 2012 and converted him into a pitcher. Olivares played two seasons in the Red Sox system; in 2013, his final season as a player, he pitched at both of Boston's Class A affiliates, Greenville and Salem.

Alejandro Martinez played for the DSL Angels from 2006-08. He played all four infield positions, but was primarily a third baseman.

Pitchers

Gerardo Bojorquez (Mexico, 10/23/97); signed December 2015
Humberto Castellanos (Mexico, 4/3/98); signed July 2015
Luis Castro (5/11/95); signed February 2015
Carlos Espinoza* (Mexico, 8/16/94); signed May 2015
Diosward Gonzalez (7/7/95); signed sometime in 2015
Miguel Matos (9/29/96); signed December 2015
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97); signed July 2014
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96); signed January 2014
Kilvio Peralta (3/6/97); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he may have signed before March 1.
Gabriel Pirela (Venezuela, 5/1/94); signed December 2013
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96); signed sometime before 2015 season
Jose Ramos (Panama, 8/4/96); signed December 2013
Michael Richez (5/15/97); signed March 2014
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96); signed December 2014
Jacques Sambo (Curaçao, 7/27/98); signed May 2015
Cosme Zapata (Venezuela, 10/23/96); signed July 2015

Catchers

Alvaro Alvarez (Venezuela, 11/23/97); signed January 2016
Bernardo Heras (Mexico,11/3/95); signed September 2015, played 27 games in the Mexican League in 2015
Vicente Mota (6/8/94); signed July 2015 for $7500

Infielders

Fredy Medina (9/26/97); signed July 2015
Kendy Moya (12/14/98); Astros' transaction page says he signed on Wednesday. He probably actually signed earlier.
Yeuris Ramirez (11/28/98); signed July 2015 for $500,000
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96); signed February 2015
#Ronaldo Urdaneta (Venezuela, 11/18/98); signed July 2015 for $60,000
Enmanuel Valdez* (12/28/98); signed July 2015 for $450,000

Outfielders

Gilberto Celestino (2/13/99); signed July 2015 for $2.5 million
Darlin Figueroa (9/9/95); signed July 2015
Jose Miguel Hernandez (3/12/96); signed February 2015
Juan Infante (Venezuela, 11/9/96); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he may have signed before March 1.
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); signed July 2014 for $300,000
Renaigel Martis* (Curaçao, 11/26/97); signed November 2015
Ramiro Rodriguez* (Panama, 2/2/98); signed October 2015

Astros 2016 Full Season Team Rosters

I'll weigh in on the rosters as time allows, but wanted to post them and also note a few players who finished the season at a given level, but do not appear on any of these rosters. Some of these are likely a numbers issue as players cannot be activated yet due to roster limits. These rosters are, of course, subject to change before opening day

AAA FRESNO GRIZZLIES

LHP Edwar Cabrera
LHP Kevin Chapman
RHP Chris Devenski
RHP Jandel Gustave
RHP Mike Hauschild
RHP James Hoyt
RHP Jordan Jankowski
RHP Juan Minaya
RHP Brad Peacock
RHP Brady Rodgers
LHP Tommy Shirley
RHP Cesar Valdez
RHP Asher Wojciechowski

#C Tyler Heineman
C Roberto Pena

*IF Nolan Fontana
*IF/OF Tony Kemp
*3B Colin Moran
*1B A.J. Reed
*1B Jon Singleton
IF Danny Worth

*OF Andrew Aplin
*OF Leo Heras
*OF Jon Kemmer
OF Eury Perez

Who's missing?

LHP Chris Cotton

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

LHP Michael Freeman
RHP Edison Frias
LHP Reymin Guduan
LHP Brian Holmes
RHP Francis Martes
RHP Brendan McCurry
LHP Albert Minnis
RHP Joe Musgrove
RHP David Paulino
RHP Danny Reynolds
RHP Kyle Smith
RHP Cy Sneed
RHP Aaron West
RHP Keegan Yuhl

C Alfredo Gonzalez
#C Trent Woodward

SS Alex Bregman
3B J.D. Davis
*1B Conrad Gregor
2B/SS Mott Hyde
IF Jack Mayfield
1B Chase McDonald
#IF Chan Moon

*OF Derek Fisher
OF Teoscar Hernandez
*OF Ronnie Mitchell
*OF Danry Vasquez

Who's missing?

RHP Gonzalo Sanudo

LANCASTER JETHAWKS

RHP Akeem Bostick
RHP Kevin Comer
RHP Deen Deetz
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn
RHP Riley Ferrell
LHP Evan Grills
RHP Angel Heredia
RHP Elieser Hernandez
RHP Josh James
RHP Eric Peterson
RHP Ryan Thompson
RHP Trent Thornton
RHP Andrew Walter
RHP Scott Weathersby

C Richard Gonzalez
C Jamie Ritchie
*C Garrett Stubbs

IF Jose Fernandez
1B Bryan Muniz
3B Nick Tanielu
SS Kristian Trompiz
*IF/OF Marc Wik

*OF Bobby Boyd
OF Drew Ferguson
OF Alejandro Garcia
OF Ramon Laureano
*OF Jason Martin

Who's missing?

RHP Christian Powell
OF James Ramsay

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

RHP Albert Abreu
RHP Rogelio Armenteros
LHP Matt Bower
RHP Ryan Deemes
RHP Jacob Dorris
RHP Ralph Garza
RHP Jose Hernandez
LHP Sebastian Kessay
RHP Kevin McCanna
RHP Chris Murphy
RHP Andrew Thome
RHP Adam Whitt
LHP Alex Winkelman

C Marlon Avea
C Christian Correa
C Anthony Hermelyn

SS Osvaldo Duarte
*2B Brooks Marlow
1B Dex McCall
SS Antonio Nunez
3B Bobby Wernes

OF Daz Cameron
*OF Aaron Mizell
*OF Pat Porter
*OF Johnny Sewald
*Kyle Tucker

Who's missing?

RHP Agapito Barrios
RHP Justin Ferrell
IF Luis Reynoso

DISABLED LIST (THOSE THAT I KNOW OF)

LHP Kent Emanuel
RHP Robert Kahana
RHP Tyson Perez
LHP Bryan Radziewski
LHP Ben Smith
RHP Derick Velazquez

*Left-handed hitter
#Switch-hitter

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

For more info on all of these players, the best resource available is the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook. If you haven't already purchased this invaluable book, you are in luck. It is ON SALE for another couple of days for ONLY $6.99. Get yours today!

Dominican Summer League Rosters Announced

The Dominican Summer League kicks off play later this morning. For the kids on the roster of a Dominican Summer League team, this is their first stop as they chase their dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.

All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted, and their dates of birth are also listed.

Asterisk = player bats or pitches left-handed
Bold Italics = player is making professional debut
Hashtag = player is a switch-hitter

BLUE

The Blue team will play in the 6-team Santo Domingo North division against the Indians, A's, Dodgers, Royals, and Rays. Their first game will take place at the Athletics' complex. The Blue team finished 35-34 in 2014, putting them in 4th place in the division. This year, they'll feature a couple of interesting infielders in Cristopher Luciano and the toolsy Wilson Amador, both returning players; Amador spent all of 2014 with the Orange team.

Coaching Staff

Manager: Charlie Romero
Hitting Coach: Luis Mateo
Pitching Coach: Erick Abreu

All three coaches were former Minor League players.

Romero is the new skipper, replacing Johan Maya. He played in the Blue Jays and the Angels organizations from 1985-90 as an outfielder. He was the longtime manager of the DSL Angels, a position that he first took in 1999.

Mateo, another former outfielder, played in the then-Devil Rays organization from 1999-2005.

Abreu last pitched in the Dominican Winter League for Gigantes in 2014. He was originally signed by the Yankees in 2003, but joined the Astros in 2008, spending the majority of his time at Corpus Christi.

Pitchers

Jorge Alcala (7/28/95)
Diogenes Almengo (6/2/95)
Dariel Aquino (1/30/96)
Joel Belboder (10/5/95)
Luis Castro (5/11/95)
Enrique Chavez (Mexico; 4/13/96)
Robert Corniel (6/23/95)
Yan De La Cruz (8/5/93); oldest player on either DSL squad
Michel Martinez (Cuba; 9/16/93)
Saul Martinez (6/21/95)
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97)
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96)
Hector Perez (6/6/96)
Jose Rosario (2/15/95)
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); youngest player on Blue roster
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96)
Framber Valdez* (11/19/93)
Edwin Villarroel* (Venezuela; 5/18/95)

Catchers

Oscar Campos (Venezuela; 12/8/96)
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela; 1/24/98)
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela; 3/12/96)
Oliver Toribio (6/7/96)

Infielders

Wilson Amador (12/14/96)
Reiny Beltre (7/16/96)
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94)
Cristopher Luciano (5/31/96)
Juan Piñeda (Panama; 1/31/98)
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama; 10/30/97)

Outfielders

Jose Benjamin (12/16/95)
Angel De Leon (5/26/96)
Jose Hernandez (3/12/96)
Andy Piñeda (11/11/96)

ORANGE

In its 2nd season, the Orange team will feature the big signings from the previous July 2 international signing period; Ronny Rafael, Miguelangel Sierra, and Franklin Perez, the three million-dollar signees, will begin their road to the show with the Orange team.

The Orange team will play in the 11-team Boca Chica North division, the largest division in the DSL. They'll be matched up against the Angels, the Cubs, the Mariners 2, the Marlins, the Mets 2, the Phillies, the Pirates, two Rangers teams, and the Yankees 2. Last year, the Orange team finished 31-39, putting them in a tie for 6th with the Angels. They finished strong after languishing at the bottom of the division for most of the season.

The Orange team's first game is against the Nationals; they are the home team.

Coaching Staff

Manager: Neder Horta
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Assistant Hitting Coach: Danny Ortega
Pitching Coach: Carlos Gonzalez
Coach/Outfield Specialist: Melvi Ortega

Neder Horta, a native of Colombia, was originally signed by the Yankees, but much of his minor league career was spent in the Astros system. The highest level he reached was Class A, with Asheville; he played there from 1986-88. He last managed in the DSL with the Cardinals, doing so in 2005 and 2006. Horta also served as the hitting coach of the GCL Cardinals in 2009 and served as a coach for the VSL Cardinals in 2010. Horta spent the last two years as a scout for the Astros.

A Panamanian, Carlos Gonzalez played 3 seasons in the Cardinals system and made it to the United States, where he topped out at Johnson City in the Appalachian League in 2008.

Pitchers

Bryan Abreu (4/22/97)
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94)
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95)
Jorge Guzman (1/28/96)
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96)
Javier Navas* (2/3/98)
Franklin Perez (12/6/97)
Gabriel Pirela (5/1/94)
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96)
Jose Ramos (Panama; 8/4/96)
Michael Richez (5/15/97)
Juan Robles (Mexico; 11/6/97)
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96)
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96)
Josue Uribe (2/6/95)
Gabriel Valdez (Panama; 10/25/95)
Luis Vasquez (11/21/93)

Catchers

Brandon Benavente# (Venezuela; 9/3/97)
Carlos Canelon (Venezuela; 12/14/94)
Randy Vasquez (3/13/96)

Infielders

Marcos Almonte (3/28/96)
Felix Lucas (3/27/97)
Nicolas Miranda (Panama; 6/12/96)
Anardo Peralta# (5/11/96)
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96)
Miguelangel Sierra (Venezuela; 12/7/97)

Outfielders

Juan Fuentes# (11/8/93); oldest player on Orange roster
Carlos Machado (Venezuela; 6/5/98)
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); youngest player on either DSL squad
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97)
Angel Tejeda (1/22/97)

Minor League Rosters Announced

Well, much to Jayne's chagrin (kidding, of course), the Astros have released the minor league rosters of the full-season affiliates. So, (shameless plug time) who are these guys, and where did they come from? You know Mark Appel and Carlos Correa and Preston Tucker, but what about Mott Hyde, Troy Scribner, and Richard Rodriguez? Learn more about them, and over 250 more prospects in the Houston Astros organization by purchasing the 2015 Houston Astros Farm System Handbook, available now on Amazon!

Notice: These rosters are preliminary and are subject to change. Minor League Opening Day is April 9.

FRESNO GRIZZLIES

The franchise that is a continuation of the former Tucson Toros will play their first season as an affiliate of the Houston Astros organization since 1997.

Coaches

Manager: Tony DeFrancesco
Hitting Coach: Leon Roberts
Pitching Coach: Arthur "Ace" Adams
Catching Coach: Jeff Murphy

Pitchers

RHP Jake Buchanan - 8th round, 2010 Draft (North Carolina State)
LHP Kevin Chapman - Acquired from Royals (along with D'Andre Toney) for Humberto Quintero and Jason Bourgeois, 3/20/12
LHP Luis Cruz - 9th round, 2008 Draft (Academia Santa Monica; San Juan, Puerto Rico)
LHP Darin Downs - Claimed off waivers from the Tigers, 11/1/13
RHP James Hoyt - Acquired from Braves (along with Evan Gattis) for Mike Foltynewicz, Andrew Thurman, and Rio Ruiz, 1/14/15
RHP Jordan Jankowski - 34th round, 2012 Draft (Catawba College)
RHP Brady Rodgers - 3rd round, 2012 Draft (Arizona State)
RHP Richard Rodriguez - International free agent signing, 2010
LHP Tommy Shirley - 9th round, 2010 draft (Xavier)
RHP Jason Stoffel - Acquired from Giants (along with Henry Sosa) for Jeff Keppinger, 7/19/11
RHP Dan Straily - Acquired from Cubs (along with Luis Valbuena) for Dexter Fowler, 1/19/15
RHP Alex White - Acquired from Rockies (along with Alex Gillingham) for Wilton Lopez and Jose Monzon (PTBNL), 12/4/12

Catchers

Luis Flores - Rule 5 draft pick (minor league phase) from Cubs, 2014
Max Stassi - Acquired from Athletics (along with Brad Peacock and Chris Carter) for Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez, 2/4/13

Infielders

Matt Dominguez - Acquired from Marlins (along with Rob Rasmussen) for Carlos Lee, 7/4/12
Matt Duffy - 20th round, 2011 draft (Tennessee)
Nolan Fontana - 2nd round, 2012 draft (Florida)
Jon Singleton - Acquired from Phillies (along with Jarred Cosart, Josh Zeid and Domingo Santana) for Hunter Pence, 7/29/11
Joe Sclafani - 14th round, 2012 draft (Dartmouth)
Ronald Torreyes - Acquired from Cubs for international signing pool space, 7/2/13

Outfielders

Andrew Aplin - 5th round, 2012 draft (Arizona State)
L.J. Hoes - Acquired from Orioles (along with Josh Hader and a competitive balance draft pick) for Bud Norris, 7/31/13
Domingo Santana - Announced as the PTBNL from Phillies to complete the Hunter Pence trade, 8/15/11
Ruben Sosa - 23rd round, 2011 draft (Oklahoma City University)
Preston Tucker - 7th round, 2012 draft (Florida)

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

The Hooks are without a doubt the affiliate to watch in 2015 as the two #1 overall picks, Carlos Correa and Mark Appel, headline the squad.

Coaches

Manager: Rodney Linares
Hitting Coach: Dan Radison
Pitching Coach: Doug Brocail
Infield Coach: Tom Lawless (Is he roving this year?)

Pitchers

RHP Mark Appel - 1st round, 2013 draft (Stanford)
RHP Angel Baez - Acquired from Royals for cash considerations, 3/28/15
RHP Travis Ballew - 23rd round, 2012 draft (Texas State)
RHP Chris Devenski - Announced as the PTBNL from White Sox to complete the Brett Myers trade, 8/3/12
LHP Kent Emanuel - 3rd round, 2013 draft (North Carolina)
RHP Jandel Gustave - International free agent signing, 2010 (returned to organization after being claimed in the 2014 Rule 5 draft)
LHP Josh Hader - Acquired from Orioles (along with L.J. Hoes and a competitive balance draft pick) for Bud Norris, 7/31/13
RHP Mike Hauschild - 33rd round, 2012 draft (Dayton)
LHP Mitch Lambson - 19th round, 2011 draft (Arizona State)
RHP Lance McCullers - Supplemental 1st round, 2012 draft (Jesuit HS; Tampa, Florida)
RHP Dan Minor - 9th round, 2012 draft (Texas A&M—Corpus Christi)
RHP Tyson Perez - 17th round, 2011 draft (Fresno City College)
RHP Aaron West - 17th round, 2012 draft (Washington)
RHP Kyle Westwood - 13th round, 2013 draft (North Florida)

Catchers

Brett Booth - 34th round, 2013 draft (Alabama)
Tyler Heineman - 8th round, 2012 draft (UCLA)
Roberto Peña - 7th round, 2010 draft (Colegio Eloisa Pascual; Caguas, Puerto Rico)

Infielders

Carlos Correa - 1st round, 2012 draft (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School; Gurabo, Puerto Rico)
Conrad Gregor - 4th round, 2013 draft (Vanderbilt)
Tony Kemp - 5th round, 2013 draft (Vanderbilt)
Jio Mier - 1st round, 2009 draft (Bonita HS; La Verne, California)
Colin Moran - Acquired from Marlins (along with Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes, and a compensation draft pick) for Jarred Cosart and Kiké Hernandez, 7/31/14
Telvin Nash - 3rd round, 2009 draft (Griffin HS; Griffin, Georgia)
Tyler White - 33rd round, 2013 draft (Western Carolina)

Outfielders

Leo Heras - Rights purchased from Mexico City, 8/3/13
Teoscar Hernandez - International free agent signing, 2011
Jon Kemmer - 21st round, 2013 draft (Brewton-Parker College)
Brandon Meredith - 6th round, 2011 draft (San Diego State)

LANCASTER JETHAWKS

All 5 outfielders on the JetHawks roster are left-handed hitters. In fact, the JetHawks have 12 players who do things left-handed (throwing or hitting), which is the most out of all the full-season teams. The lineup will be headlined by the college duo of J.D. Davis and A.J. Reed, who both bring some serious power to the table. In the outfield, Brett Phillips is looking to build upon his breakout 2014, and surely, he has to be salivating at the prospect of putting up some gaudy numbers at The Hangar.

Michael Feliz is the big name on the JetHawks' pitching staff. He'll be the next top pitching prospect to take on the California League, where, as we know, the combination of the elevation, strong winds, and high temperatures can make a pitcher's life absolutely miserable. The California League Championship Series MVP, Tyler Brunnemann, will be a galvanizing presence in the back of the bullpen.

Coaches

Manager: Omar Lopez
Hitting Coach: Darryl Robinson
Pitching Coach: Don Alexander
Infield Coach: Ramon Vazquez

Pitchers

RHP Tyler Brunnemann - 40th round, 2013 draft (Hardin-Simmons)
LHP Chris Cotton - 14th round, 2013 draft (LSU)
LHP Randall Fant - 29th round, 2013 draft (Arkansas)
RHP Michael Feliz - International free agent signing, 2010
RHP Edison Frias - International free agent signing, 2011
LHP Evan Grills - 10th round, 2010 draft (Sinclair SS [secondary school]; Whitby, Ontario)
LHP Brian Holmes - 13th round, 2012 draft (Wake Forest)
RHP Adrian Houser - 2nd round, 2011 draft (Locust Grove HS; Locust Grove, Oklahoma)
RHP Zach Morton - 32nd round, 2013 draft (Northwestern)
RHP Gonzalo Sañudo - Acquired from Twins for Mike Kvasnicka, 3/25/13
RHP Troy Scribner - Non-drafted free agent, 2013 (Sacred Heart)
LHP Blaine Sims - Rule 5 draft pick (minor league phase) from Braves, 2013
RHP Frederick Tiburcio - International free agent signing, 2008

Catchers

Brian Holberton - 9th round, 2013 draft (North Carolina)
Jobduan Morales - Acquired from Marlins for Justin Ruggiano, 5/26/12

Infielders

J.D. Davis - 3rd round, 2014 draft (Cal State Fullerton)
Jose Fernandez - International free agent signing, 2009
Jack Mayfield - Non-drafted free agent, 2013 (Oklahoma)
Chase McDonald - 12th round, 2013 draft (East Carolina)
Chan-Jong Moon - International free agent signing, 2009
A.J. Reed - 2nd round, 2014 draft (Kentucky)

Outfielders

Ronnie Mitchell - 38th round, 2013 draft (Dallas Baptist)
Brett Phillips - 6th round, 2012 draft (Seminole HS; Seminole, Florida)
James Ramsay - 7th round, 2013 draft (South Florida)
Danry Vásquez - Acquired from Tigers (along with David Paulino) for Jose Veras, 7/29/13
Marc Wik - 21st round, 2012 draft (Chabot College)

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

Derek Fisher is the big name in this contingent, while Joe Musgrove looks to continue his momentum from a strong 2014 with Tri-City in his first stab at full-season ball.

The River Bandits boast a fine triumvirate of backstops; Jake Nottingham has shown promise in the Rookie leagues, Jamie Ritchie put up some outstanding numbers in his half-season at Tri-City, and Alfredo Gonzalez brings a fine defensive reputation to the squad.

Coaches

Manager: Josh Bonifay
Hitting Coach: Joel Chimelis
Pitching Coach: Dave Borkowski
Outfield/Baserunning Coach: Tim Garland

Pitchers

RHP Austin Chrismon - 26th round, 2013 (Christopher Newport University)
RHP Kevin Comer - Announced as the PTBNL from Blue Jays to complete the David Carpenter, Brandon Lyon, and J.A. Happ trade (which occurred on 7/20/12), 8/16/12
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn - 6th round, 2014 draft (Central Arizona College)
RHP Josh James - 34th round, 2014 draft (Western Oklahoma State College)
LHP Chris Lee - 4th round, 2011 draft (Santa Fe Community College)
RHP Dan Mengden - 4th round, 2014 draft (Texas A&M)
LHP Albert Minnis - 25th round, 2013 draft (Wichita State)
RHP Jose Montero - International free agent signing, 2010
RHP Joe Musgrove - Acquired from Blue Jays (along with Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Francisco Cordero, Kevin Comer, and Ben Francisco) for David Carpenter, J.A. Happ, and Brandon Lyon, 7/20/12
RHP Eric Peterson - 37th round, 2014 draft (North Carolina State)
LHP Bryan Radziewski - 9th round, 2014 draft (Miami)
RHP Ryan Thompson - 23rd round, 2014 draft (Campbell)
RHP Keegan Yuhl - 35th round, 2014 draft (Concordia; Irvine, California)

Catchers

Alfredo Gonzalez - International free agent signing, 2008
Jake Nottingham - 6th round, 2013 (Redlands HS; Redlands, California)
Jamie Ritchie - 13th round, 2014 (Belmont)

Infielders

Alex Hernandez - 40th round, 2014 draft (Miami)
Mott Hyde - 26th round, 2014 draft (Georgia Tech)
Thomas Lindauer - 23rd round, 2013 draft (Illinois)
Bryan Muniz - 22nd round, 2014 draft (Southwestern [Florida])
Nick Tanielu- 14th round, 2014 draft (Washington State)
Kristian Trompiz - International free agent signing, 2012

Outfielders

Ryan Bottger - 12th round, 2014 draft (UT—Arlington)
Bobby Boyd - 8th round, 2014 draft (West Virginia)
Derek Fisher - Supplemental 1st round, 2014 draft (Virginia)
Jorge Martinez - Minor league free agent signing, 2014, after being released by Indians
Sean McMullen - 30th round, 2014 draft (LSU)

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

I had hoped to get the Quad Cities Season Preview up today, but it turns out that I actually do need more than four hours of sleep a night, so I'll try to have that up on Saturday. In the meantime, the tandems for Quad Cities were announced by Steve Batterson of the Quad Cities Times. They are anticipated to be:

Andrew Thurman and Chris Lee
Kent Emanuel and Jandel Gustave
Adrian Houser and Gonzalo Sanudo
Michael Feliz and Evan Grills

As anticipated, there were a few last minute changes to the Opening Day Rosters for the four teams. They were as follows:

OKLAHOMA CITY
LHP Patrick Urckfitz - Placed on the temporary inactive list
C Ryan McCurdy - Placed on the temporary inactive list
1B Erik Castro - Placed on the temporary inactive list
LHP Raul Valdes - Cleared waivers and is listed as a reserve on the roster
UT Andy Simunic - Sent to Extended Spring Training

CORPUS CHRISTI
OF Chris Epps - Placed on the 7-day DL
LHP T.J. Geith - Placed on the 7-day DL

LANCASTER
*RHP Michael Dimock - On the preliminary roster, but not the opening day roster
*RHP Tyson Perez - On the preliminary roster, but not the opening day roster

QUAD CITIES
*LHP Albert Minnis - On the preliminary roster, but not the opening day roster
*C Brett Booth - On the preliminary roster, but not the opening day roster

*No transaction showing on MiLB.com yet

I updated my Opening Day Roster post with this information and you can find it here.

Final Astros MiLB Opening Day Rosters

Here are the final Astros minor league opening day rosters. A few players have been placed on the temporary inactive list or the 7-day DL. There were also a handful for whom I haven't seen a transaction listing; they may be on a temporary inactive list or they may get sent back to Extended Spring Training.

OKLAHOMA CITY

PITCHERS
Jake Buchanan
Jose Cisnero
Paul Clemens
Bobby Doran
Darin Downs*
Mike Foltynewicz
Chia-Jen Lo
David Martinez
Collin McHugh
Rudy Owens*
Jason Stoffel
Nick Tropeano
Pat Urckfitz*- temporary inactive list
Raul Valdes - listed as a reserve
Josh Zeid

CATCHERS
Ryan McCurdy - temporary inactive list
Carlos Perez
Max Stassi

INFIELDERS
Japhet Amador
Erik Castro* - temporary inactive list
Jonathan Meyer
Gregorio Petit
Jon Singleton*
Ruben Sosa#
Ronald Torreyes

OUTFIELDERS
Adron Chambers
Domingo Santana
George Springer
Austin Wates

CORPUS CHRISTI

PITCHERS
Travis Ballew
Colton Cain*
Luis Cruz*
Jorge de Leon
T.J. Geith* - 7-day DL
Matt Heidenreich
Jordan Jankowski
Andrew Robinson
Brady Rodgers
David Rollins*
Ross Seaton
Tommy Shirley*
Alex Sogard*
Aaron West

CATCHERS
Rene Garcia
Tyler Heineman

INFIELDERS
M.P. Cokinos
Matt Duffy
Nolan Fontana*
Enrique Hernandez
Jio Mier
Joe Sclafani#

OUTFIELDERS
Andrew Aplin*
Delino DeShields
Chris Epps* - 7-day DL
Leo Heras*
Preston Tucker*

LANCASTER

PITCHERS
Mark Appel
Jamaine Cotton
Chris Devenski
Michael Dimock - not on opening day roster
Josh Hader*
Mike Hauschild
Mitch Lambson*
Lance McCullers
Juan Minaya
Daniel Minor
J.D. Osborne*
Tyson Perez - not on opening day roster
Kyle Smith
Vincent Velasquez
Kyle Westwood

CATCHERS
Roberto Pena
Jake Rodriguez

INFIELDERS
Carlos Correa
Tony Kemp*
Brandon Meredith (converting to first base)
Carlos Perdomo
Rio Ruiz*

OUTFIELDERS
Justin Gominsky
Dan Gulbransen*
Teoscar Hernandez
Jordan Scott*
Danry Vasquez*

QUAD CITIES

PITCHERS
Tyler Brunnemann
Patrick Christensen
Chris Cotton*
Kent Emanuel*
Michael Feliz
Evan Grills*
Jandel Gustave
Adrian Houser
Chris Lee*
Albert Minnis* - not on opening day roster
Zach Morton
Gonzalo Sanudo
Andrew Thurman
Andrew Walter

CATCHERS
Brett Booth - not on opening day roster
Brian Holberton*
Jobduan Morales#

INFIELDERS
Austin Elkins#
Conrad Gregor*
Jack Mayfield
Chase McDonald
Chan Moon*
Tyler White

OUTFIELDERS
Jon Kemmer*
Tanner Mathis*
Brett Phillips*
James Ramsay

*Left-handed
#Switch-hitter

Just a few of those missing who are presumed to either be on the DL, in Extended Spring Training or released:

Brian Holmes (definitely rehabbing)
R.J. Alaniz (DL?)
Jonas Dufek (DL?)
Rhiner Cruz (EST per Evan Drellich)
Andy Simunic (EST)
Telvin Nash
Bobby Borchering
Jordan Mills
Kevin Comer
Joe Musgrove
Chris Munnelly
Austin Chrismon
Austin Nicely
Devonte German
Edison Frias
Raul Rivera
Troy Scribner
Reymin Guduan
Luis Ordosgoitti