Now that the season is over, players find out if they are in a teams plans or not. Sometimes that means a door is opened for a new opportunity with a new team and sometimes it means a career may be over. Here is the list of transactions that have occurred since this season ended that involve former G-Stros. For those who have been declared a free agent, I have listed the last team they were affiliated with.
I am also including any players still on active rosters (MILB & MLB) so that you can see what results those teams have produced.
2004
Jimmy Barthmaier - declared a free agent by the Nationals.
Juan Gutierrez - re-signed by the Royals to a minor league deal.
Jordan Parraz - re-signed a minor league deal with the Braves.
Wladimir Sutil - declared a free agent by the Dbacks.
J.R. Towles - declared a free agent by the Twins. (Update signed to minor league contract with Cardinals)
Felipe Paulino (Royals-DL) and Troy Patton (Orioles) are the last two on Major League rosters.
2005
Koby Clemens - released by Blue Jays before end of season.
Victor Garate - released by Brewers before end of the season.
Ralph Henriquez - released by Mariners before end of season. (Signed to minor league contract with Rockies)
That leaves only Brandon Barnes left in affiliated ball from the 2005 G-Stros.
2006
Amadeo Zazueta (Blue Jays) and Tom Vessella (Giants) were on minor league rosters at the end of the season and have not been declared free agents or released yet. Both Barnes & Henriquez were also on this team.
2007
Fernando Abad - removed from the Astros 40 man roster, cleared waivers and is a free agent. (Update - signed to a minor league deal with the Nationals)
Arcenio Leon - removed from Astros 40 man roster and was claimed by the Brewers.
In addition to those two, the only player left on an active roster is Albert Cartwright (Phillies - minors).
2008
The following players have been released by the Astros organization:
Brad Dydalewicz
Nathan Pettus
Jose Trinidad
Jay Austin (before season ended)
Kody Hinze (before season ended)
In addition to those, Jorge De Leon was removed from the 40 man roster, cleared waivers and is a free agent.
Henry Villar was declared a free agent by the Astros.
There are still seven players in the Astros system from that team (Altuve, Lyles, Urckfitz, Grimmett, L. Cruz, Seaton, R. Garcia). Also Cartwright was on this roster too.
2009
Gabriel Garcia was released by the Astros. There are still 12 players from this roster active in the Astros organization.
2010
The following players have been released by the Astros organization.
Ricardo Batista
Emilio King
Rodney Quintero
There are still 14 players from this roster active in the Astros organization.
2011
The following players have been released by the Astros organization
Juan Mojica
Brad Propst
Garen Wright
Joshua Magee (released during the season and is now on the Alabama football roster as a walk on).
(Batista & Quintero were also on this roster)
There are 22 players from this roster active in the Astros organization.
2012
James Howick was released by the Astros organization. Propst was also on this roster. There are 39 players from this roster active in the Astros organization.
Showing posts with label trinidad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trinidad. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - June 2012
It has been a fun month of June. Several former G-Stros are making serious progress and the new bunch is winning games. Let's look at how the former Greeneville Astros did this month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Month - Vincent Velasquez made three starts in June and had a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 IP with 16 K. What makes this more impressive is these were his first three starts after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Honorable Mention - Juri Perez - two scoreless starts to start his second season in the NYPL. Jamaine Cotton - made five scoreless relief appearances before surrendering two runs on 6/30.
Hitter of the Month - There are only three former G-Stros on the roster in TriCities, none of which are setting the woods on fire. This months award goes to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .260 for the first 14 games of the season.
Lexington Legends
Pitcher of the Month - Murilo Gouvea had a stellar month out of the pen. Allowing just one earned run in 14 1/3 ip (10 games) with 14 strike outs. He only allowed five hits during that stretch but allowed 10 walks. His June ERA was 0.61.
Honorable Mention - Mike Foltynewicz amassed a 2.97 ERA in five starts. He had a rough outing to end the month, otherwise, he numbers would have been much stronger. Still 2.97 is not to shabby.
Hitter of the Month - I think those who follow Astros minor league ball would come after me with pitch forks and torches if I chose anyone but Delino DeShields Jr. as the Lexington hitter of the month. DDJ hit a solid .303 for the month. He also took 16 walks which helped boost his OPB to .407. He showed some pop with seven extra base hits and when he did find him self on first, he often managed to get to second via one of his 25 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions - Chan Moon really appears to have put it together at the plate. The South Korean Shortstop hit .276 in June with a .403 OBP. Roberto Pena also had a solid June hitting .329 and hitting seven doubles during the month where he turned 20.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Trinadad had a great month out of the pen. In eight games (seven relief and one start) he allowed 19 hits in 21 innings pitched. His ERA for the month was .043. His last appearance of the month was spreading seven hits over seven shut out innings in his third start of the year. His ERA as as start this season is 1.13
Honorable Mention - Pat Urckfitz who allowed four earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 2.40 ERA in June.
Hitter of the Month - I normally put those who haven't played a full month in the Honorable Mention category but what Grant Hogue put together in limited playing time is impressive. He played the first nine games of the month and then missed about two weeks on the DL returning to get in for the final few games of the month. During his 11 games, Hogue hit .667 (21 out of 34). Hard to ignore that production.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Valenzuela hit .298 in 17 games with a .403 OBP. Rene Garcia hit .321 in 16 games. Ben Orloff hit .283 and had just four strike outs in 99 at bats during the month.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Cisnero is the easy choice this month. In five starts, he allowed just eight walks and eight earned runs while striking out 31 in 33 innings pitched. He allowed no home runs in June. He pitched a complete game two hitter on June 16th. He held opponents to a .215 batting average for the month.
Honorable Mention- Henry Villar pitched in 8 games (16 1/3 IP) in June with a 2.70 ERA. During that span, he fanned 16 while only issuing two free passes.
Hitter of the Month - Kody Hinze rebounded from a rough May (.106 in 22 games) to hit for a solid .306 in 24 games in June. Seven of his 22 hits in the month went for extra bases.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Vacant - there were no former G-Stros pitching in Oklahoma City in June except Fernando Abad who was on rehab assignment.
Hitter of the Month - Brandon Barnes is the only RedHawk who played in Greeneville but this award isn't given by default. Barnes has earned it! He hit .333 with nine doubles and three home runs in June. He also walked eight times and struck out just 18 in 108 at bats (28 games). If the 26 year old Barnes can keep this up, he might get a shot at the bigs in a September call up or as an injury replacement.
Minors Outside Astros System
Pitcher of the Month - Slingin Sammy Gervacio continues to tear up the Mexican League (unaffiliated AAA). In June, he appeared in 15 games (15 2/3 IP), issued just four walks and nine hits while fanning 23 batters. He earned 12 saves during the month.
Hitter of the Month - Albert Cartwright had a bounce back month after hitting below the Mendoza line for May, he hit .306 with four doubles and three home runs in the Florida State League (Phillies High A).
Major Leagues
Pitcher of the Month - While Jordan Lyles and Fernando Abad had good months, the best month by a former Greeneville Astro pitcher in the Majors was by Troy Patton of the Orioles. Patton appeared in 11 games (14 2/3 IP) in which he fanned 15 batters while allowing only nine hits and four walks. Opponents hit just .190 off Patton during the month.
Hitter of the Month - While you can debate my list choice, I don't think there is much of a debate when it comes to selecting Jose Altuve as the hitter of the month. During June, he hit .291 with five doubles and two home runs.
Quick break down of the number of former G-stros in the Astros system:
Tri Cities - 8
Lexington - 16
Lancaster - 17
Corpus Christi - 6
Oklahoma City - 1
Houston - 4
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Month - Vincent Velasquez made three starts in June and had a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 IP with 16 K. What makes this more impressive is these were his first three starts after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Honorable Mention - Juri Perez - two scoreless starts to start his second season in the NYPL. Jamaine Cotton - made five scoreless relief appearances before surrendering two runs on 6/30.
Hitter of the Month - There are only three former G-Stros on the roster in TriCities, none of which are setting the woods on fire. This months award goes to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .260 for the first 14 games of the season.
Lexington Legends
Pitcher of the Month - Murilo Gouvea had a stellar month out of the pen. Allowing just one earned run in 14 1/3 ip (10 games) with 14 strike outs. He only allowed five hits during that stretch but allowed 10 walks. His June ERA was 0.61.
Honorable Mention - Mike Foltynewicz amassed a 2.97 ERA in five starts. He had a rough outing to end the month, otherwise, he numbers would have been much stronger. Still 2.97 is not to shabby.
Hitter of the Month - I think those who follow Astros minor league ball would come after me with pitch forks and torches if I chose anyone but Delino DeShields Jr. as the Lexington hitter of the month. DDJ hit a solid .303 for the month. He also took 16 walks which helped boost his OPB to .407. He showed some pop with seven extra base hits and when he did find him self on first, he often managed to get to second via one of his 25 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions - Chan Moon really appears to have put it together at the plate. The South Korean Shortstop hit .276 in June with a .403 OBP. Roberto Pena also had a solid June hitting .329 and hitting seven doubles during the month where he turned 20.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Trinadad had a great month out of the pen. In eight games (seven relief and one start) he allowed 19 hits in 21 innings pitched. His ERA for the month was .043. His last appearance of the month was spreading seven hits over seven shut out innings in his third start of the year. His ERA as as start this season is 1.13
Honorable Mention - Pat Urckfitz who allowed four earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 2.40 ERA in June.
Hitter of the Month - I normally put those who haven't played a full month in the Honorable Mention category but what Grant Hogue put together in limited playing time is impressive. He played the first nine games of the month and then missed about two weeks on the DL returning to get in for the final few games of the month. During his 11 games, Hogue hit .667 (21 out of 34). Hard to ignore that production.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Valenzuela hit .298 in 17 games with a .403 OBP. Rene Garcia hit .321 in 16 games. Ben Orloff hit .283 and had just four strike outs in 99 at bats during the month.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Cisnero is the easy choice this month. In five starts, he allowed just eight walks and eight earned runs while striking out 31 in 33 innings pitched. He allowed no home runs in June. He pitched a complete game two hitter on June 16th. He held opponents to a .215 batting average for the month.
Honorable Mention- Henry Villar pitched in 8 games (16 1/3 IP) in June with a 2.70 ERA. During that span, he fanned 16 while only issuing two free passes.
Hitter of the Month - Kody Hinze rebounded from a rough May (.106 in 22 games) to hit for a solid .306 in 24 games in June. Seven of his 22 hits in the month went for extra bases.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Vacant - there were no former G-Stros pitching in Oklahoma City in June except Fernando Abad who was on rehab assignment.
Hitter of the Month - Brandon Barnes is the only RedHawk who played in Greeneville but this award isn't given by default. Barnes has earned it! He hit .333 with nine doubles and three home runs in June. He also walked eight times and struck out just 18 in 108 at bats (28 games). If the 26 year old Barnes can keep this up, he might get a shot at the bigs in a September call up or as an injury replacement.
Minors Outside Astros System
Pitcher of the Month - Slingin Sammy Gervacio continues to tear up the Mexican League (unaffiliated AAA). In June, he appeared in 15 games (15 2/3 IP), issued just four walks and nine hits while fanning 23 batters. He earned 12 saves during the month.
Hitter of the Month - Albert Cartwright had a bounce back month after hitting below the Mendoza line for May, he hit .306 with four doubles and three home runs in the Florida State League (Phillies High A).
Major Leagues
Pitcher of the Month - While Jordan Lyles and Fernando Abad had good months, the best month by a former Greeneville Astro pitcher in the Majors was by Troy Patton of the Orioles. Patton appeared in 11 games (14 2/3 IP) in which he fanned 15 batters while allowing only nine hits and four walks. Opponents hit just .190 off Patton during the month.
Hitter of the Month - While you can debate my list choice, I don't think there is much of a debate when it comes to selecting Jose Altuve as the hitter of the month. During June, he hit .291 with five doubles and two home runs.
Quick break down of the number of former G-stros in the Astros system:
Tri Cities - 8
Lexington - 16
Lancaster - 17
Corpus Christi - 6
Oklahoma City - 1
Houston - 4
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month: May 2012
Well, I have let June slip up on me and I haven't gotten the highlights from May wrapped up. Better late than never. We have two months of full season ball under our belts now, let's see who put up solid months in May.
Lexington Legends:
Hitter of the Month-
Last month, we gave the award to Alex Todd, he has absconded to Lancaster. In May, we are going to Delino DeShields Jr.. I know he only hit .252 in May but 1/3 of his hits went for extra bases. But it is more about what happened when he got on base. He stole 16 bases in 20 attempts in May. He had 32 total stolen bases in 36 attempts this season.
Honorable Mention: Chan Moon hit .283 in his first 13 games with Lexington and Jordan Scott who hit .270 for the month with nine doubles and two triples.
Pitcher of the Month-
Last month, the honor went the Mike Foltynewicz. He had another good month (3-0 with a 2.84 ERA) but Luis Cruz was better. He made five quality starts in the month and finished with a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings pitched. The little lefty looks like he is putting together a quality year in his third season in Lexington.
Honorable Mention: Folty and Carlos Quevedo who made nine appearances out of the pen (19 1/3 IP) and allowed just 3 earned runs (1.40 ERA). Also worth of a mention is Murilo Gouvea who made 11 relief appearances (16 IP) and struck out 19 batters while amassing a 2.25 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
Jonathan Meyer cooled off in May hitting just .265 and Telvin Nash hit a rough patch seeing his average plummet while his strike outs continued to climb. So this month, the Almni hitter of the month is Ben Orloff who hit .287 for May. He also had more walks than strike outs.
Honorable Mentions: Rafael Valenzuela who in limited playing time, hit .270 with eight of his 20 hits going for extra bases.
Pitcher of the Month
This month, we are going to the bullpen to give the award to Jose Trinidad. Trinidad pitched in 10 games in May. Eight were in relief and two were starts. In those appearances, he covered 22 1/3 innings pitched and only allowed 6 earned runs for an ERA of 2.42 for the month.
Honorable Mention to RJ Alaniz and Tyson Perez who both had good starts in May but also had a few where the game got away from them. But there was more good than bad.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Here we have another situation where the incumbent, Brandon Barnes, was promoted to the next level during the subsequent month; so he was not here to defend his stats as alumni of the month. There is not much to write home about with the remaining Greeneville alumni on the roster. However, in limited action, Chris Wallace put together a .273 average in seven games (8 at bats). With the struggles of other former G-Stros Hinze and McCurdy; Wallace is the best chose this month.
Pitcher of the Month
Ross Seaton was very good this May. In six starts, he pitched six plus innings in five of them and in those five, he did not give up more than three runs. His ERA for the month was 2.70. When you consider he was charged with four earned runs in his first start of the month; his solid ERA at the end of the month is more impressive.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Brandon Barnes brought his hitting with him to OKC. In the four games after he arrived late in the month, he hit .333 with five singles in fifteen at bats.
Pitcher of the Month
Jordan Lyles made three starts in OKC in May. His ERA over those starts was 3.68. It has been announced that he is in Houston to stay for the foreseeable future so this may be his last shot at AppyAstros Alumni of the month in AAA for a while.
Outside of the System - Minors
Hitter of the Month - Vacant
This section might be called dishonorable mention. No one stood out. Jordan Parraz went 0 for 16 in May before landing on the DL with a broken hand. Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma after hitting .228 in AA. J R Towles hit .231 for the month. Wlad Sutil hit .224 for May. Albert Cartwright couldn't get above .188 for the month. Amandeo Zazueta hit just .148. Koby Clemens was sent down to high A ball and then further down to a short season roster as the work with him on possible returning to catcher.
Pitcher of the Month
Sammy Gervacio appeared on the roster of the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican league in May. He appeared in nine games (10 IP) and maintained an ERA of just 1.80 and struck out 12 batters. The Mexican League is AAA but it is unaffiliated. It will be interesting to see if his pitching catches the attention of an affiliated team in the near future.
Major League
Hitter of the Month - Jose Altuve
El Escorpion continues his solid performance at the plate. He hit a solid .283 with six more walks. While this is down from April. It is still worthy of recognition.
Pitcher of the Month - Troy Patton
Patton repeats as Pitcher of the Month. He was called on 11 times out of the Oriole bullpen and he responded with a 3.55 ERA and also started striking batters out more. After striking out just four in 10 innings in April, Patton fanned 16 in 12 2/3 innings pitched in May.
Lexington Legends:
Hitter of the Month-
Last month, we gave the award to Alex Todd, he has absconded to Lancaster. In May, we are going to Delino DeShields Jr.. I know he only hit .252 in May but 1/3 of his hits went for extra bases. But it is more about what happened when he got on base. He stole 16 bases in 20 attempts in May. He had 32 total stolen bases in 36 attempts this season.
Honorable Mention: Chan Moon hit .283 in his first 13 games with Lexington and Jordan Scott who hit .270 for the month with nine doubles and two triples.
Pitcher of the Month-
Last month, the honor went the Mike Foltynewicz. He had another good month (3-0 with a 2.84 ERA) but Luis Cruz was better. He made five quality starts in the month and finished with a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings pitched. The little lefty looks like he is putting together a quality year in his third season in Lexington.
Honorable Mention: Folty and Carlos Quevedo who made nine appearances out of the pen (19 1/3 IP) and allowed just 3 earned runs (1.40 ERA). Also worth of a mention is Murilo Gouvea who made 11 relief appearances (16 IP) and struck out 19 batters while amassing a 2.25 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
Jonathan Meyer cooled off in May hitting just .265 and Telvin Nash hit a rough patch seeing his average plummet while his strike outs continued to climb. So this month, the Almni hitter of the month is Ben Orloff who hit .287 for May. He also had more walks than strike outs.
Honorable Mentions: Rafael Valenzuela who in limited playing time, hit .270 with eight of his 20 hits going for extra bases.
Pitcher of the Month
This month, we are going to the bullpen to give the award to Jose Trinidad. Trinidad pitched in 10 games in May. Eight were in relief and two were starts. In those appearances, he covered 22 1/3 innings pitched and only allowed 6 earned runs for an ERA of 2.42 for the month.
Honorable Mention to RJ Alaniz and Tyson Perez who both had good starts in May but also had a few where the game got away from them. But there was more good than bad.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Here we have another situation where the incumbent, Brandon Barnes, was promoted to the next level during the subsequent month; so he was not here to defend his stats as alumni of the month. There is not much to write home about with the remaining Greeneville alumni on the roster. However, in limited action, Chris Wallace put together a .273 average in seven games (8 at bats). With the struggles of other former G-Stros Hinze and McCurdy; Wallace is the best chose this month.
Pitcher of the Month
Ross Seaton was very good this May. In six starts, he pitched six plus innings in five of them and in those five, he did not give up more than three runs. His ERA for the month was 2.70. When you consider he was charged with four earned runs in his first start of the month; his solid ERA at the end of the month is more impressive.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Brandon Barnes brought his hitting with him to OKC. In the four games after he arrived late in the month, he hit .333 with five singles in fifteen at bats.
Pitcher of the Month
Jordan Lyles made three starts in OKC in May. His ERA over those starts was 3.68. It has been announced that he is in Houston to stay for the foreseeable future so this may be his last shot at AppyAstros Alumni of the month in AAA for a while.
Outside of the System - Minors
Hitter of the Month - Vacant
This section might be called dishonorable mention. No one stood out. Jordan Parraz went 0 for 16 in May before landing on the DL with a broken hand. Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma after hitting .228 in AA. J R Towles hit .231 for the month. Wlad Sutil hit .224 for May. Albert Cartwright couldn't get above .188 for the month. Amandeo Zazueta hit just .148. Koby Clemens was sent down to high A ball and then further down to a short season roster as the work with him on possible returning to catcher.
Pitcher of the Month
Sammy Gervacio appeared on the roster of the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican league in May. He appeared in nine games (10 IP) and maintained an ERA of just 1.80 and struck out 12 batters. The Mexican League is AAA but it is unaffiliated. It will be interesting to see if his pitching catches the attention of an affiliated team in the near future.
Major League
Hitter of the Month - Jose Altuve
El Escorpion continues his solid performance at the plate. He hit a solid .283 with six more walks. While this is down from April. It is still worthy of recognition.
Pitcher of the Month - Troy Patton
Patton repeats as Pitcher of the Month. He was called on 11 times out of the Oriole bullpen and he responded with a 3.55 ERA and also started striking batters out more. After striking out just four in 10 innings in April, Patton fanned 16 in 12 2/3 innings pitched in May.
Monday, February 13, 2012
New Uni's for old G-Stros
As spring training approaches, it looks like most teams have wrapped up their signing of minor league free agents. Baseball America has a great database tool this year to help keep up with where players have signed. Here are players who used to be G-Stros and where they have signed for 2012.
Jimmy Barthmaier - Nationals (re-signed)
Koby Clemens - Blue Jays
Victor Garate - Brewers
Juan Gutierrez - Royals
Jordan Parraz - Braves
Wlad Sutil - Diamondbacks
J.R. Towles - Twins
Still unsigned free agents:
Douglas Arguello
Sammy Gervacio
Brad James
Jhonny Medrano
Neil Sellers
Polin Trinidad
Of those left unsigned, Gervacio is the most surprising. He pitched in 11 games (6 2/3 IP) in the Dominican Winter League. His ERA was 6.43 in a very small sample size. He gave up eight of his 10 hits and all five runs in three outings (3 1/3 IP). He had no strike outs in those outings. In the other eight (3 1/3 IP), he gave up only two hits and struck out seven. I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up in camp somewhere.
Jimmy Barthmaier - Nationals (re-signed)
Koby Clemens - Blue Jays
Victor Garate - Brewers
Juan Gutierrez - Royals
Jordan Parraz - Braves
Wlad Sutil - Diamondbacks
J.R. Towles - Twins
Still unsigned free agents:
Douglas Arguello
Sammy Gervacio
Brad James
Jhonny Medrano
Neil Sellers
Polin Trinidad
Of those left unsigned, Gervacio is the most surprising. He pitched in 11 games (6 2/3 IP) in the Dominican Winter League. His ERA was 6.43 in a very small sample size. He gave up eight of his 10 hits and all five runs in three outings (3 1/3 IP). He had no strike outs in those outings. In the other eight (3 1/3 IP), he gave up only two hits and struck out seven. I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up in camp somewhere.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Former Appy Astros Who Are Now Minor League Free Agents
Baseball America released their list of the minor league free agents on Friday. There are a great number of former G-Stros who are on the list. Here are the ones whose careers are at a crossroads. Included are the year(s) they played in Greeneville and the organization they played in last season.
Sammy Gervacio (05 - Houston)
Brad James (05,06 - Houston)
JR Towles (04 - Houston)
Koby Clemens (05 - Houston)
Jhonny Medrano (10 - Houston)
Wlad Sutil (04 - Houston)
Victor Garate (05- Florida)
Neil Sellers (04 - Florida)
Jordan Parraz (04 - NY Yankees)
Polin Trinidad (05,06 - Texas)
Jimmy Barthmaier (04 - Washington)
Most of the ones on the list have had their shots at the AA level or higher. However Medrano has only been as high as Lexington (Low A). He was on the initial roster for the 2008 G-Stros and was bringing a fair amount of buzz with him. He blew his knee out at the first practice of the season in Greeneville. He missed all of 2008 and never fully regained his prospect status.
Some of these players will sign with an affiliated team to fill out the upper levels rosters. Some will choose to play in a foreign country. Some will play indy ball. Some of these players will hang their spikes up and walk away silently into the night. We will try to keep you informed on what happens to these players.
Sammy Gervacio (05 - Houston)
Brad James (05,06 - Houston)
JR Towles (04 - Houston)
Koby Clemens (05 - Houston)
Jhonny Medrano (10 - Houston)
Wlad Sutil (04 - Houston)
Victor Garate (05- Florida)
Neil Sellers (04 - Florida)
Jordan Parraz (04 - NY Yankees)
Polin Trinidad (05,06 - Texas)
Jimmy Barthmaier (04 - Washington)
Most of the ones on the list have had their shots at the AA level or higher. However Medrano has only been as high as Lexington (Low A). He was on the initial roster for the 2008 G-Stros and was bringing a fair amount of buzz with him. He blew his knee out at the first practice of the season in Greeneville. He missed all of 2008 and never fully regained his prospect status.
Some of these players will sign with an affiliated team to fill out the upper levels rosters. Some will choose to play in a foreign country. Some will play indy ball. Some of these players will hang their spikes up and walk away silently into the night. We will try to keep you informed on what happens to these players.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
2008 Greeneville Astros Progress Report
What a difference a year makes. The 2008 Greeneville Astros finished
the year 30-36. While not quite at .500, they were 13 games better
than the previous year's team. This was a young team with 18 of the 38
players still in the teen years when the season began. Three of them
were still 17 (Jay Austin, Jordan Lyles & Luis Cruz). In 2011, 58%
(22 out of 38) of the 2008 roster were still playing affiliated
baseball. In fact 12 of the 18 teenagers were still active.
Let's look at this group based on the highest level they played at this year. The percentage is of the 2008 full roster.
MLB 2 (5%)
Jose Altuve - Started in Lancaster and hit .408 prior to being moved to Corpus Christ where he hit .361. Then he was promoted to Houston. In the big leagues, he hit a respectable .276 in 221 at bats in 57 games. He appears to have locked down the starting 2nd base position for 2012 at the ripe age of 22.
Jordan Lyles - While Altuve's sudden climb was a bit of a surprise to some, Lyles ascendance was expected. He was sent to AAA to start the year after a solid spring training but was called up to the quickly to the majors and spent most of the season there. He started 15 games before being moved to the pen to keep his inning count down. He finished with a 2-8 record and a 5. 36 ERA. He has locked up a rotation position for 2012 at age 21.
AAA 2 (5%)
Patrick Urckfitz - Urckfitz bounced around earning frequent flier miles this year. He was in AA to start the season. Then got some brief time in at AAA before heading back to AA. Next came a short time in hi A before return to AA to wrap up the season. In four games at AAA he amassed a 17.47 ERA. In AA 5.08 in 31 games. In hi A, he appeared in 10 games with a 2.02 ERA. Gotta love a NDFA reaching this level. he will be 23 at the start of next season.
Henry Villar - Started the season in AAA but was moved to AA in June. In AAA, he made 7 starts but that experiment ended and he spent the rest of the year in the pen. Pitched just 76 innings worth of ball between the two for a combined 5.45 ERA. Villar had a brief appearance in the big leagues in 2010. He will be 24 at the start of next season.
AA 5 (13%)
Kody Hinze - Had a break out year. He started in Lancaster, where he hit .323 with 22 HR. He was promoted to CC where he hit 281 with 7 HR. He is getting extra at bats in the Arizona Fall League right now. Another solid Non Drafted Free Agent (NDFA) signing. He will be 24 in spring training.
Federico Hernandez - It was a rough year for Freddy. He struggled at the plate both at AA and at High A after he was sent down to Lancaster. In both stops he hit less than .200. He will turn 24 just before pitchers and catchers report.
Ross Seaton - Spent the year in Corpus Christi, 4-9 with a 5.23 in 28 starts. He continues to climb a level a year even thought the results aren't spectacular. He will just be 22 when spring training starts.
Kyle Greenwalt & Arcenio Leon see the 2007 write up.
Hi A 7 (18%)
Jay Austin - The former 2nd round draft pick repeated Lancaster to start the season. After not showing much progress over last season, he was sent to Lexington to finish the year and he continued to struggle. He is getting more at bats int the Arizona Fall League right now. He will be just 21 when the 2012 minor league players report to camp.
Rene Garcia - The 35th round pick from 2008 spent this season in the California league where he hit hit .242 with only 41 K in 326 AB. He threw out 30% of base stealers. He will turn 22 during spring training next year.
Luis Cruz - The 9th round pick in 2008 made 4 starts in Lancaster where he got shelled (ERA over 14). But found moderate success back in Lexington where he went 5-4 with a 4.45 era. He had 92 strike outs in 91 IP in Lex but gave up 15 HR. He will still be 21 when next season ends!
Colton Pitkin - see the 2007 write up
Zachary Grimmett - He split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen this year in Lancaster. As a starter 7.35 ERA in 18 games (85 2/3 IP) as a reliever 5.34 in 12 games (32 IP). He will turn 22 before he reports to spring training.
Jose Trinidad - Season shorted to just 10 games due to an injury. He will start the season on the DL at age 24.
Wander Alvino - Had 73 K in 73 IP (46 games). His 4.19 ERA isn't bad when you consider the location. His walks per 9 jumped from 2.8 in Lex in 10 to 6.3 in Lancaster. Alvino will turn 25 before he reports this spring.
Low A 3 (8%)
Jorge De Leon - The former shortstop now converted to pitcher went 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 43 games (55 1/3 IP). He struck out 51 to just 13 walks while giving up 5 long balls. He will be 24 next season.
Brad Dydalewicz - The 8th round pick of the 2008 draft had a rough season. In only 29 2/3 innings pitched between GCL & Lexington, he amassed a 10.86 ERA. He will turn 22 during spring training next season.
Jeiler Castillo - After being drafted by the A's in the rule 5 draft; Castillo started in the Midwest league (Low A) but was sent back to Vermont (SS A) for his 4th season in short season ball. He was released after the season.
Short Season 1 (3%)
Wilton Infante - The former outfielder tried to make the move to pitcher. After six outings in the GCL, he was released
DL/Rehab 2 (5%)
Albert Cartwright - see the 2007 write up.
Nathan Pettus - The former 27th round pick of the 2008 draft spent most of 2011 on the DL. He appeared in 5 games at the GCL Astros rehabbing his way back from an injury. He will be 23 when the new season starts.
We would expect the number of active players to continue to rise while we look at more recent teams but the jump from five to 22 in one year tells us that something changed in the Astros farm system in 2008. Oh yeah, Bobby Heck joined the Astros staff in October of 2007. You think that change made a difference?
Let's look at this group based on the highest level they played at this year. The percentage is of the 2008 full roster.
MLB 2 (5%)
Jose Altuve - Started in Lancaster and hit .408 prior to being moved to Corpus Christ where he hit .361. Then he was promoted to Houston. In the big leagues, he hit a respectable .276 in 221 at bats in 57 games. He appears to have locked down the starting 2nd base position for 2012 at the ripe age of 22.
Jordan Lyles - While Altuve's sudden climb was a bit of a surprise to some, Lyles ascendance was expected. He was sent to AAA to start the year after a solid spring training but was called up to the quickly to the majors and spent most of the season there. He started 15 games before being moved to the pen to keep his inning count down. He finished with a 2-8 record and a 5. 36 ERA. He has locked up a rotation position for 2012 at age 21.
AAA 2 (5%)
Patrick Urckfitz - Urckfitz bounced around earning frequent flier miles this year. He was in AA to start the season. Then got some brief time in at AAA before heading back to AA. Next came a short time in hi A before return to AA to wrap up the season. In four games at AAA he amassed a 17.47 ERA. In AA 5.08 in 31 games. In hi A, he appeared in 10 games with a 2.02 ERA. Gotta love a NDFA reaching this level. he will be 23 at the start of next season.
Henry Villar - Started the season in AAA but was moved to AA in June. In AAA, he made 7 starts but that experiment ended and he spent the rest of the year in the pen. Pitched just 76 innings worth of ball between the two for a combined 5.45 ERA. Villar had a brief appearance in the big leagues in 2010. He will be 24 at the start of next season.
AA 5 (13%)
Kody Hinze - Had a break out year. He started in Lancaster, where he hit .323 with 22 HR. He was promoted to CC where he hit 281 with 7 HR. He is getting extra at bats in the Arizona Fall League right now. Another solid Non Drafted Free Agent (NDFA) signing. He will be 24 in spring training.
Federico Hernandez - It was a rough year for Freddy. He struggled at the plate both at AA and at High A after he was sent down to Lancaster. In both stops he hit less than .200. He will turn 24 just before pitchers and catchers report.
Ross Seaton - Spent the year in Corpus Christi, 4-9 with a 5.23 in 28 starts. He continues to climb a level a year even thought the results aren't spectacular. He will just be 22 when spring training starts.
Kyle Greenwalt & Arcenio Leon see the 2007 write up.
Hi A 7 (18%)
Jay Austin - The former 2nd round draft pick repeated Lancaster to start the season. After not showing much progress over last season, he was sent to Lexington to finish the year and he continued to struggle. He is getting more at bats int the Arizona Fall League right now. He will be just 21 when the 2012 minor league players report to camp.
Rene Garcia - The 35th round pick from 2008 spent this season in the California league where he hit hit .242 with only 41 K in 326 AB. He threw out 30% of base stealers. He will turn 22 during spring training next year.
Luis Cruz - The 9th round pick in 2008 made 4 starts in Lancaster where he got shelled (ERA over 14). But found moderate success back in Lexington where he went 5-4 with a 4.45 era. He had 92 strike outs in 91 IP in Lex but gave up 15 HR. He will still be 21 when next season ends!
Colton Pitkin - see the 2007 write up
Zachary Grimmett - He split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen this year in Lancaster. As a starter 7.35 ERA in 18 games (85 2/3 IP) as a reliever 5.34 in 12 games (32 IP). He will turn 22 before he reports to spring training.
Jose Trinidad - Season shorted to just 10 games due to an injury. He will start the season on the DL at age 24.
Wander Alvino - Had 73 K in 73 IP (46 games). His 4.19 ERA isn't bad when you consider the location. His walks per 9 jumped from 2.8 in Lex in 10 to 6.3 in Lancaster. Alvino will turn 25 before he reports this spring.
Low A 3 (8%)
Jorge De Leon - The former shortstop now converted to pitcher went 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 43 games (55 1/3 IP). He struck out 51 to just 13 walks while giving up 5 long balls. He will be 24 next season.
Brad Dydalewicz - The 8th round pick of the 2008 draft had a rough season. In only 29 2/3 innings pitched between GCL & Lexington, he amassed a 10.86 ERA. He will turn 22 during spring training next season.
Jeiler Castillo - After being drafted by the A's in the rule 5 draft; Castillo started in the Midwest league (Low A) but was sent back to Vermont (SS A) for his 4th season in short season ball. He was released after the season.
Short Season 1 (3%)
Wilton Infante - The former outfielder tried to make the move to pitcher. After six outings in the GCL, he was released
DL/Rehab 2 (5%)
Albert Cartwright - see the 2007 write up.
Nathan Pettus - The former 27th round pick of the 2008 draft spent most of 2011 on the DL. He appeared in 5 games at the GCL Astros rehabbing his way back from an injury. He will be 23 when the new season starts.
We would expect the number of active players to continue to rise while we look at more recent teams but the jump from five to 22 in one year tells us that something changed in the Astros farm system in 2008. Oh yeah, Bobby Heck joined the Astros staff in October of 2007. You think that change made a difference?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
2006 & 2007 Greeneville Astros Progress Reports
Yesterday, we went back to 2005 to see who was still hanging around. Today we will cover two years. We are covering two years because, well..., there aren't many players left from these two teams.
2006
There were 31 players on the 2006 roster. Six of those players were still in affiliated ball during the 2011 season (19%). We have already covered half of these guys in the 2005 post (so click here to read about them). Those from the 2005 team who were also on the 2006 team include:
Brandon Barnes
Ralph Henriquez
Polin Trinidad
Other players who were active in 2011 were:
Tom Vessella - the 11th round pick in 2006 was released by the Astros after the 2008 season. He played two years in indy ball and was signed by the Giants this year. He started the season in AA, was sent down to the Sally League (A), was promoted to the Cal League (A+), before ending the year with one appearance in AAA Fresno. Over those four stops, he amassed 5.50 ERA in 38 games (72 IP). He started eight games and also finished 8 games. He will be 26 years old when spring training starts next year.
Armadeo Zazueta - the utility infielder from Mexico only appeared in 28 games and had just 57 plate appearances in Greeneville. He was released after that season. In 2008, he appeared back in the states playing indy ball. He was signed by the Braves in 2010 and played in Myrtle Beach (A+) and Mississippi (AA). He also suspended for PED use. Then late this season, he showed up with the Padres' AA team in San Antonio. In 15 games he hit .283 with his best games coming against the Corpus Christi Hooks. Over a three game series, Zazueta went six for 13 with three singles, a double, a triple and a HR. He will be 26 next season.
Reid Kelly - Kelly was the 33 round pick in 2005 but didn't sign until 2006. He pitched in Greeneville in 2006. He spent 07 & 08 in Lexington before finishing his time with the Astros organization in 2009 in Lancaster. He was out of baseball for 2010 but was signed in 2011 by the White Sox. He appeared in 18 games for Kannapolis of the Sally League (A) but was released in August. In his time in the Sally, he put together a 3.72 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 19 1/3 IP.
2007
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." - Thumper (Bambi 1942)
This is going to be very, very short. Of the 38 players that appeared on the roster in 2007, only five players are still active in affiliated ball (13%). Sixty three percent (24) of the players were out of affiliated baseball at the start of the 2009 season. Let those awful stats sink in for a moment and then let's say the nice things about the survivors.
Fernando Abad - The big righty made it to the bigs in 2010 appearing in 22 games out of the Houston bullpen. He had a solid 2.84 ERA and looked primed to be an important part of the 2011 pen. However, he wasn't effective in 29 games (19 2/3 IP) and was sent down to the minors in early July. He made two rehab appearance in the Gulf Coast League before heading to AAA. There he got 30 innings of work in with a 4.50 ERA. Abad is currently on the 40 man roster, so he should be competing for a bullpen slot again this coming spring at age 26.
Albert Cartwright - Cartwright was drafted in the 36rd round of the 2007 draft. He didn't get much playing time in 2007 due to some paperwork related issues but returned to Greeneville in 2008 where he shared time at 2B with Jose Altuve. He then climbed the ladder all the way to AA in 2010 before he was traded last off season. He was traded to the Phillies for Sergio Escalona. Cartwight injured his Achilles during spring training and missed the whole season. He reported on his twitter feed that he was able to return to the field for instructional league games.
Kyle Greenwalt- He was drafted in the 20th round of the 2007 draft. He repeated Greeneville in 2008 and was the MVP that season. After stops in Lexington (09) and Lancaster (10), he spent the fall of 2010 in the Arizona Fall League. He started 2011 in Corpus Christi and struggled. After nine starts, he was moved to the bull pen and then in late July, he was sent back to Lancaster. In Lancaster, the notorious hitters park, Greenwalt was extremely effective. He pitched in 12 games (24 1/3 IP) amassing a 1.85 ERA. Greenwalkt will be 23 at the start of next season where I expect he will take another shot at AA.
Arcenio Leon - The hard throwing Venezuelan spent the first of his two seasons in Greeneville during the 2007 campaign. After a solid but unspectacular 2009 in Lexington, he returned there and was outstanding. In 26 games (54 IP) he struck out 60 batters and had a 2.33 ERA. He was moved all the way up to AA Corpus Christi to finish that year and predictably he didn't fare as well. His strike out numbers stayed good at 23 in 23 IP but he also walked 22 batters. He returned to Corpus Christi in 2011 and struck out 73 batters in 64 2/3 IP. But he still walked too many batters (48). He did get moved up to Oklahoma City at the season for one brief appearance. He will be 25 when next spring rolls around. I look for him to be at AAA next season. He is on the 40 man roster and has some promise if he can learn the control to match his velocity.
Colton Pitkin - Pitkin was drafted in the 41st round of the 2007 draft. He came with a tired shoulder so he was eased in to pro ball in 2007 only pitching 7 2/3 innings. He returned to Greeneville in 2008 and struck out 45 batters in 44 innings out of the bullpen. After a stint in 2009 as a starter for Tri Cities, he moved back to the pen in Lexington in 2010. He stayed in the pen in Lancaster in 2011 where he got off to a great start with a 3.82 ERA in the first half. However, after the all star break, he struggled and finished with a 6.45 ERA overall. Pitkin will be 22 when he heads to Florida this spring, he will likely be in Lancaster but he might be in Corpus Christi.
So there you have it. 2008 can only look better since we know there will be at least four of these players returning to the roster. We will look at their outcomes soon.
2006
There were 31 players on the 2006 roster. Six of those players were still in affiliated ball during the 2011 season (19%). We have already covered half of these guys in the 2005 post (so click here to read about them). Those from the 2005 team who were also on the 2006 team include:
Brandon Barnes
Ralph Henriquez
Polin Trinidad
Other players who were active in 2011 were:
Tom Vessella - the 11th round pick in 2006 was released by the Astros after the 2008 season. He played two years in indy ball and was signed by the Giants this year. He started the season in AA, was sent down to the Sally League (A), was promoted to the Cal League (A+), before ending the year with one appearance in AAA Fresno. Over those four stops, he amassed 5.50 ERA in 38 games (72 IP). He started eight games and also finished 8 games. He will be 26 years old when spring training starts next year.
Armadeo Zazueta - the utility infielder from Mexico only appeared in 28 games and had just 57 plate appearances in Greeneville. He was released after that season. In 2008, he appeared back in the states playing indy ball. He was signed by the Braves in 2010 and played in Myrtle Beach (A+) and Mississippi (AA). He also suspended for PED use. Then late this season, he showed up with the Padres' AA team in San Antonio. In 15 games he hit .283 with his best games coming against the Corpus Christi Hooks. Over a three game series, Zazueta went six for 13 with three singles, a double, a triple and a HR. He will be 26 next season.
Reid Kelly - Kelly was the 33 round pick in 2005 but didn't sign until 2006. He pitched in Greeneville in 2006. He spent 07 & 08 in Lexington before finishing his time with the Astros organization in 2009 in Lancaster. He was out of baseball for 2010 but was signed in 2011 by the White Sox. He appeared in 18 games for Kannapolis of the Sally League (A) but was released in August. In his time in the Sally, he put together a 3.72 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 19 1/3 IP.
2007
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." - Thumper (Bambi 1942)
This is going to be very, very short. Of the 38 players that appeared on the roster in 2007, only five players are still active in affiliated ball (13%). Sixty three percent (24) of the players were out of affiliated baseball at the start of the 2009 season. Let those awful stats sink in for a moment and then let's say the nice things about the survivors.
Fernando Abad - The big righty made it to the bigs in 2010 appearing in 22 games out of the Houston bullpen. He had a solid 2.84 ERA and looked primed to be an important part of the 2011 pen. However, he wasn't effective in 29 games (19 2/3 IP) and was sent down to the minors in early July. He made two rehab appearance in the Gulf Coast League before heading to AAA. There he got 30 innings of work in with a 4.50 ERA. Abad is currently on the 40 man roster, so he should be competing for a bullpen slot again this coming spring at age 26.
Albert Cartwright - Cartwright was drafted in the 36rd round of the 2007 draft. He didn't get much playing time in 2007 due to some paperwork related issues but returned to Greeneville in 2008 where he shared time at 2B with Jose Altuve. He then climbed the ladder all the way to AA in 2010 before he was traded last off season. He was traded to the Phillies for Sergio Escalona. Cartwight injured his Achilles during spring training and missed the whole season. He reported on his twitter feed that he was able to return to the field for instructional league games.
Kyle Greenwalt- He was drafted in the 20th round of the 2007 draft. He repeated Greeneville in 2008 and was the MVP that season. After stops in Lexington (09) and Lancaster (10), he spent the fall of 2010 in the Arizona Fall League. He started 2011 in Corpus Christi and struggled. After nine starts, he was moved to the bull pen and then in late July, he was sent back to Lancaster. In Lancaster, the notorious hitters park, Greenwalt was extremely effective. He pitched in 12 games (24 1/3 IP) amassing a 1.85 ERA. Greenwalkt will be 23 at the start of next season where I expect he will take another shot at AA.
Arcenio Leon - The hard throwing Venezuelan spent the first of his two seasons in Greeneville during the 2007 campaign. After a solid but unspectacular 2009 in Lexington, he returned there and was outstanding. In 26 games (54 IP) he struck out 60 batters and had a 2.33 ERA. He was moved all the way up to AA Corpus Christi to finish that year and predictably he didn't fare as well. His strike out numbers stayed good at 23 in 23 IP but he also walked 22 batters. He returned to Corpus Christi in 2011 and struck out 73 batters in 64 2/3 IP. But he still walked too many batters (48). He did get moved up to Oklahoma City at the season for one brief appearance. He will be 25 when next spring rolls around. I look for him to be at AAA next season. He is on the 40 man roster and has some promise if he can learn the control to match his velocity.
Colton Pitkin - Pitkin was drafted in the 41st round of the 2007 draft. He came with a tired shoulder so he was eased in to pro ball in 2007 only pitching 7 2/3 innings. He returned to Greeneville in 2008 and struck out 45 batters in 44 innings out of the bullpen. After a stint in 2009 as a starter for Tri Cities, he moved back to the pen in Lexington in 2010. He stayed in the pen in Lancaster in 2011 where he got off to a great start with a 3.82 ERA in the first half. However, after the all star break, he struggled and finished with a 6.45 ERA overall. Pitkin will be 22 when he heads to Florida this spring, he will likely be in Lancaster but he might be in Corpus Christi.
So there you have it. 2008 can only look better since we know there will be at least four of these players returning to the roster. We will look at their outcomes soon.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
2005 Greeneville Astros Progress Report
A few weeks back, we looked at the 2004 team and who was still active. Today, let's look back at the 2005 edition of the G-Stros and see who is still around and how they fared in 2011.
There are seven players who are still in affiliated ball from the 35 players who appeared on the 2005 Greeneville Astros roster. That means 20% were still in affiliated ball in 2011. Most of these aren't the names I would have listed after the 2005 season. The Baseball America 2005 top 20 Appy League prospects had four members of the 2005 G-Stros on the list. The only one still playing affliiated ball today is Koby Clemens (16). Those who were on the list that aren't around any more are Josh Flores (8), Eli Iorg (14), and Ryan Mitchell (19).
Koby Clemens - Clemens was the big name of the 2005 draft class. Some said he was drafted as a favor to his father Roger Clemens but Koby quickly let it be known that he was a decent ball player in his own right. This was the year the senior Clemens was only traveling with the Houston Astros when he was pitching. Therefore there were several sightings of Roger Clemens at Pioneer Park and the local Wal Mart. 2005 was Clemens only season in Greeneville. He moved up the ladder showing progress and working to find a position that worked for him. He started at 3rd, moved to Catcher and LF before finally landing at 1st. He found the thin air of the California league to his liking and had a break out year in 2009. His average dropped almost .100 points in the move from the Cal League to the Texas League in 2010 but he still hit 26 HR on the season. That warranted a move to AAA for 2011. There he hit .234 with 16 home runs.
He will turn 25 in the off season. He is still working on his versatility in the field which is more important with Brett Wallace ahead of him on the depth chart and Kody Hinze and Jonathon Singleton behind him at 1st base.
Ralph Henriquez - Ralphie (as he was known then) was the Astros' 2nd round pick in 2005. He spent the first of two years in Greeneville in 2005. He was a fan favorite because of his willingness to spend time with kids. After the 2007 season, he was traded for to the Mets for a minor league pitcher, Josh Appell. After two seasons with the Mets organization, he signed as a free agent with the Mariners organization. This appears to have been a good move for Henriquez as he got his first taste of AA ball in 2010. In 2011, he spent time at three different levels, though he only spent one game at high A High Desert before going to the Jackson Generals of the Southern League. In Jackson, Ralph hit just .196 and threw out 24% of base stealers in 39 games. In late June, he moved up to AAA Tacoma of the PCL. His found more success there. He hit a respectable .256 and threw out 30% of base stealers in 37 games.
Henriquez will turn 25 right at the start of the 2012 season. He is showing improvement despite a slow start that saw him in short season ball for at least part of every season from 2005 to 2009. He is currently looking like a career organizational player but you never know. Many folks thought he would be out of affiliated ball by now.
Since we are talking about Ralph, you can't mention his career with out the including the classic at bat in 2008 against Pat Venditte. Switch hitter verses switch pitcher.
Brandon Barnes - Barnes was the 6th round pick in 2005. He like Henriquez spent two season in Greeneville. Barnes took up baseball late and was primarily a football player in High School. He was seen as someone with good athleticism and power but very raw. He had a bit of a break out year in 2007 at Tri Cities where he was named the team MVP. After spending 2008 in Lexington, he made three different stops in 2009. He especially enjoyed Lancaster. During the 2009 and 2010 season, he combined for 39 HR. That is more than half of his career total of 77 round trippers. After 2010, he spent some tie in the Arizona Fall League. This year, he started in Corpus Christi (AA) but was quickly moved to AAA Oklahoma City. He didn't fare well there and was sent back to Corpus Christi in July. In Corpus Christiy, he played all three outfield positions and also played three games at second base. He hit .286 with an OPS of .788 while on the Texas coast. At AAA Oklahoma City, he hit 197 with an OPS of .696. He played almost exclusively in CF for the RedHawks.
Barnes will be 25 for another month when the season starts next year. I expect he will be in AAA to start the 2012 season.
Victor Garate - Garate showed promise in Greeneville. He struck out 53 batters in 32 1/3 IP out of the pen but walked more batters (26) than he allowed on base via hits (21). The questions could he learn control. He made huge progress in 2006 in Tri Cities where his ERA dropped to 0.92. Yet he struggled with walks again in Lexington and was sent back to Tri Cities to finish in 2007. He was left off a AA or AAA roster in the offs eason and the Dodgers nabbed him in the minor league section of the rule 5 draft.He made solid progress for them and was traded to the Nationals in 2009 out of AA as a player to be named later in the Ronnie Belliard trade. Washington brought him right to the big leagues and he made four appearances in the end of the 2009 season. He didn't wow anyone with his performance and spent 2010 between AA and AAA in the Washington organization. In 2011, he signed with the Marlins and had an impressive campaign with the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA). He appeared in 43 games (56 1/3 IP) and had a 2.72 ERA. During the year, he struck out 59 batters, walked 34 and allowed 44 hits and five home runs.
I was a bit surprised he didn't get a September call up based on the numbers he put up. He will be 27 when the season begins and if he continues to do the quality of work he did last season, he should be getting another shot a the majors.
Sammy Gervacio - Gervacio or "Slingin' Sammy" as I like to call him, was the closer for the 2005 G-Stros. He collected eight saves that season. He spent 2006 in Lexington before climbing two levels a year in 2007 and 2008. He ended 2009 with a late season call up to Houston. He took advantage of his opprotunity and had a solid 2.14 ERA over 29 games (21 IP). He started 2010 in the Astros bullpen but rotator cuff surgery ended his 2010 season and cut into his 2011 season. This year he started his climb back to the majors in Corpus Christi in May. In 8 games there (13 IP) he put up a 1.38 ERA and was promoted to AAA to finish the year. In Oklahoma City, he appeared in 28 games with a 4.01 ERA.
Gervacio will be 27 when the season starts next year. Shoulder injuries often drop velocity and make pitchers have to learn to pitch differently. Gervacio is playing winter ball for Licey in the Dominican. How he does there might impact where he starts 2012.
Brad James - Yes was still on a roster this year. Brad James spent two summers in Greeneville. He then rode his sinking fast ball on a fast track to AA in 2007. He spent 2008 and 2009 there. He missed all of 2010 with a shoulder injury and made a brief comeback this season. He was shut down in July. At 27, James time is running out. I would be surprised if he is on a roster next spring.
Polin Trinidad - Trinidad spent both 05 and 06 in Greeneville as well. He think climbed the Astros ladder and was at AAA in 2010 when he was released. The Cubs picked him up in the off season but released him in early 2011. He was picked up by the A's and finished the year at AA Midland where he amassed a 6.91 ERA in 18 games/9 starts. Trinidad will be 27 when next season begins. Being a lefty, he might make it on someones roster. He is playing winter ball in the Dominican for Estrellas de Oriente.
There are seven players who are still in affiliated ball from the 35 players who appeared on the 2005 Greeneville Astros roster. That means 20% were still in affiliated ball in 2011. Most of these aren't the names I would have listed after the 2005 season. The Baseball America 2005 top 20 Appy League prospects had four members of the 2005 G-Stros on the list. The only one still playing affliiated ball today is Koby Clemens (16). Those who were on the list that aren't around any more are Josh Flores (8), Eli Iorg (14), and Ryan Mitchell (19).
Koby Clemens - Clemens was the big name of the 2005 draft class. Some said he was drafted as a favor to his father Roger Clemens but Koby quickly let it be known that he was a decent ball player in his own right. This was the year the senior Clemens was only traveling with the Houston Astros when he was pitching. Therefore there were several sightings of Roger Clemens at Pioneer Park and the local Wal Mart. 2005 was Clemens only season in Greeneville. He moved up the ladder showing progress and working to find a position that worked for him. He started at 3rd, moved to Catcher and LF before finally landing at 1st. He found the thin air of the California league to his liking and had a break out year in 2009. His average dropped almost .100 points in the move from the Cal League to the Texas League in 2010 but he still hit 26 HR on the season. That warranted a move to AAA for 2011. There he hit .234 with 16 home runs.
He will turn 25 in the off season. He is still working on his versatility in the field which is more important with Brett Wallace ahead of him on the depth chart and Kody Hinze and Jonathon Singleton behind him at 1st base.
Ralph Henriquez - Ralphie (as he was known then) was the Astros' 2nd round pick in 2005. He spent the first of two years in Greeneville in 2005. He was a fan favorite because of his willingness to spend time with kids. After the 2007 season, he was traded for to the Mets for a minor league pitcher, Josh Appell. After two seasons with the Mets organization, he signed as a free agent with the Mariners organization. This appears to have been a good move for Henriquez as he got his first taste of AA ball in 2010. In 2011, he spent time at three different levels, though he only spent one game at high A High Desert before going to the Jackson Generals of the Southern League. In Jackson, Ralph hit just .196 and threw out 24% of base stealers in 39 games. In late June, he moved up to AAA Tacoma of the PCL. His found more success there. He hit a respectable .256 and threw out 30% of base stealers in 37 games.
Henriquez will turn 25 right at the start of the 2012 season. He is showing improvement despite a slow start that saw him in short season ball for at least part of every season from 2005 to 2009. He is currently looking like a career organizational player but you never know. Many folks thought he would be out of affiliated ball by now.
Brandon Barnes - Barnes was the 6th round pick in 2005. He like Henriquez spent two season in Greeneville. Barnes took up baseball late and was primarily a football player in High School. He was seen as someone with good athleticism and power but very raw. He had a bit of a break out year in 2007 at Tri Cities where he was named the team MVP. After spending 2008 in Lexington, he made three different stops in 2009. He especially enjoyed Lancaster. During the 2009 and 2010 season, he combined for 39 HR. That is more than half of his career total of 77 round trippers. After 2010, he spent some tie in the Arizona Fall League. This year, he started in Corpus Christi (AA) but was quickly moved to AAA Oklahoma City. He didn't fare well there and was sent back to Corpus Christi in July. In Corpus Christiy, he played all three outfield positions and also played three games at second base. He hit .286 with an OPS of .788 while on the Texas coast. At AAA Oklahoma City, he hit 197 with an OPS of .696. He played almost exclusively in CF for the RedHawks.
Barnes will be 25 for another month when the season starts next year. I expect he will be in AAA to start the 2012 season.
Victor Garate - Garate showed promise in Greeneville. He struck out 53 batters in 32 1/3 IP out of the pen but walked more batters (26) than he allowed on base via hits (21). The questions could he learn control. He made huge progress in 2006 in Tri Cities where his ERA dropped to 0.92. Yet he struggled with walks again in Lexington and was sent back to Tri Cities to finish in 2007. He was left off a AA or AAA roster in the offs eason and the Dodgers nabbed him in the minor league section of the rule 5 draft.He made solid progress for them and was traded to the Nationals in 2009 out of AA as a player to be named later in the Ronnie Belliard trade. Washington brought him right to the big leagues and he made four appearances in the end of the 2009 season. He didn't wow anyone with his performance and spent 2010 between AA and AAA in the Washington organization. In 2011, he signed with the Marlins and had an impressive campaign with the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA). He appeared in 43 games (56 1/3 IP) and had a 2.72 ERA. During the year, he struck out 59 batters, walked 34 and allowed 44 hits and five home runs.
I was a bit surprised he didn't get a September call up based on the numbers he put up. He will be 27 when the season begins and if he continues to do the quality of work he did last season, he should be getting another shot a the majors.
Sammy Gervacio - Gervacio or "Slingin' Sammy" as I like to call him, was the closer for the 2005 G-Stros. He collected eight saves that season. He spent 2006 in Lexington before climbing two levels a year in 2007 and 2008. He ended 2009 with a late season call up to Houston. He took advantage of his opprotunity and had a solid 2.14 ERA over 29 games (21 IP). He started 2010 in the Astros bullpen but rotator cuff surgery ended his 2010 season and cut into his 2011 season. This year he started his climb back to the majors in Corpus Christi in May. In 8 games there (13 IP) he put up a 1.38 ERA and was promoted to AAA to finish the year. In Oklahoma City, he appeared in 28 games with a 4.01 ERA.
Gervacio will be 27 when the season starts next year. Shoulder injuries often drop velocity and make pitchers have to learn to pitch differently. Gervacio is playing winter ball for Licey in the Dominican. How he does there might impact where he starts 2012.
Brad James - Yes was still on a roster this year. Brad James spent two summers in Greeneville. He then rode his sinking fast ball on a fast track to AA in 2007. He spent 2008 and 2009 there. He missed all of 2010 with a shoulder injury and made a brief comeback this season. He was shut down in July. At 27, James time is running out. I would be surprised if he is on a roster next spring.
Polin Trinidad - Trinidad spent both 05 and 06 in Greeneville as well. He think climbed the Astros ladder and was at AAA in 2010 when he was released. The Cubs picked him up in the off season but released him in early 2011. He was picked up by the A's and finished the year at AA Midland where he amassed a 6.91 ERA in 18 games/9 starts. Trinidad will be 27 when next season begins. Being a lefty, he might make it on someones roster. He is playing winter ball in the Dominican for Estrellas de Oriente.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Outside the System - Farm & Bigs
Yesterday was the opening day of the Minor League Season. It was the second opening day of the baseball season. The third opening day, short season opening day, is the one I am anxiously awaiting now.
For yesterday's action, Subber10 over at The Crawfish Boxes and some citizen of Astros County have done fine recaps so no sense in repeating their hard work. So let's check on those former Greeneville Astros who are no longer in the Houston farm system. I will list who is where and any reports on their opening day results.
Jimmy Barthmaier is in AA Harrisburg of the Nationals organization.
Albert Cartwright is in AA Reading of the Phillies organization.
Jieller Castillo is at Low A Burlington in the A's Organization.
Victor Garate is in AAA New Orleans of the Marlins organization.
Ralphie Henriquez is in A-Advanced High Desert of the Mariners organization. He played in Thursday's game against Lancaster and went 1 for 4 with 2 of the Maverick's strike outs. Opening day was Ralphie's 24th birthday. (His MILB page now list him as Ralph but he will always be Ralphie to me.)
Santo Luis is in AA Portland of the Red Sox organization.
Jordan Parraz is in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Yankees organization. He went 2 for 3 on opening night with a triple, a run scored and a RBI.
Troy Patton is in AAA Norfolk with the Orioles organization.
Neil Sellers is in AA Jacksonville of the Marlins organization.
Major League Update:
Let's also check on the former G-Stros who play for other MLB teams besides Houston.
Juan Gutierrez - has made 3 appearances for the D-Backs in relief this year so far. He has yet to surrender an earned run, though he has given up 2 unearned runs. He has fanned 5 in 2 2/3 IP.
Felipe Paulino has made 2 appearances for the Rockies out of the pen so far. He has yet to surrender a run in those appearances which span 2 innings of work.
There have been a few transactions involving former G-Stros over the last few weeks. The following players were released out of spring training this year.
Robert Bono released by the Marlins.
Beau Torbert released by the Braves.
Polin Trinidad released by the Cubs.
For yesterday's action, Subber10 over at The Crawfish Boxes and some citizen of Astros County have done fine recaps so no sense in repeating their hard work. So let's check on those former Greeneville Astros who are no longer in the Houston farm system. I will list who is where and any reports on their opening day results.
Jimmy Barthmaier is in AA Harrisburg of the Nationals organization.
Albert Cartwright is in AA Reading of the Phillies organization.
Jieller Castillo is at Low A Burlington in the A's Organization.
Victor Garate is in AAA New Orleans of the Marlins organization.
Ralphie Henriquez is in A-Advanced High Desert of the Mariners organization. He played in Thursday's game against Lancaster and went 1 for 4 with 2 of the Maverick's strike outs. Opening day was Ralphie's 24th birthday. (His MILB page now list him as Ralph but he will always be Ralphie to me.)
Santo Luis is in AA Portland of the Red Sox organization.
Jordan Parraz is in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Yankees organization. He went 2 for 3 on opening night with a triple, a run scored and a RBI.
Troy Patton is in AAA Norfolk with the Orioles organization.
Neil Sellers is in AA Jacksonville of the Marlins organization.
Major League Update:
Let's also check on the former G-Stros who play for other MLB teams besides Houston.
Juan Gutierrez - has made 3 appearances for the D-Backs in relief this year so far. He has yet to surrender an earned run, though he has given up 2 unearned runs. He has fanned 5 in 2 2/3 IP.
Felipe Paulino has made 2 appearances for the Rockies out of the pen so far. He has yet to surrender a run in those appearances which span 2 innings of work.
There have been a few transactions involving former G-Stros over the last few weeks. The following players were released out of spring training this year.
Robert Bono released by the Marlins.
Beau Torbert released by the Braves.
Polin Trinidad released by the Cubs.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Polin Trinidad Now A Cub
Polin Trinidad was a free agent this year and Baseball America has announced that he has been signed to a minor league contract by the Cubs. Here is what BA had to say about Trinidad.
Trinidad pitched for Greeneville in 2005 & 2006. He showed tremendous improvement from 05 to 06 and made several Astros top prospect list. He has been a starter for his entire time in the Astros organization, starting 125 of 138 games.
He has had a solid winter ball as a starter. Best of luck to Trinidad in the next phase of his career.
Polin Trinidad sits in high 80s with a nice changeup. His funky angles and relatively young age (26) means he's still young enough to embark on a career as a lefty reliever.
Trinidad pitched for Greeneville in 2005 & 2006. He showed tremendous improvement from 05 to 06 and made several Astros top prospect list. He has been a starter for his entire time in the Astros organization, starting 125 of 138 games.
He has had a solid winter ball as a starter. Best of luck to Trinidad in the next phase of his career.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Random Notes: Altuve, Parraz, Abad & Trinidad
Jose Altuve continues to get good press in Venezuela. He has mastered the art of the baseball cliche' it is even coming across vial Google translator.
Jordan Parraz was removed from the Royals 40 man roster yesterday. But he is still in the Royals plan as they hope to sign him to a minor league deal.
Polin Trinidad has his strongest outing of the Dominican Winter League tonight. He finally got the start after relieving for 8 appearances. He went 5 innings tonight, giving up 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 2. That dropped his ERA for the winter to 4.11.
I try to learn everything you can to a team as important as this, where there are professional baseball players of this quality and a level playing unbelievable....This article also addresses the fact that his playing time hasn't dipped despite the arrival of some big leaguers to the roster.
I am very young, just 20 years old I have, my career is starting and baseball is a game of details. Every day you see something new. That's it....
A good experience and went to play hard,
Jordan Parraz was removed from the Royals 40 man roster yesterday. But he is still in the Royals plan as they hope to sign him to a minor league deal.
Fernando Abad had an impressive outing in relief Friday. He went 4 2/3, scattering 7 hits but only 1 run. His ERA in the Dominican Winter League is 2.25 in 5 outings (15 1/3 IP).
Polin Trinidad has his strongest outing of the Dominican Winter League tonight. He finally got the start after relieving for 8 appearances. He went 5 innings tonight, giving up 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 2. That dropped his ERA for the winter to 4.11.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Signings, Free Agents, Another Beau Story & Milt Thompson Coming to G'ville?
Baseball America just released their list of the Minor League Free Agents. Here are the former Greeneville Astros on the list.
Houston Astros: Polin Trinidad (05-06), Jhon Florintino (05)
Baltimore Orioles: Jose Duran (07)
Philadelphia Phillies: Neil Sellers (04)
Washington Nationals: Jimmy Barthmaier (04), Victor Garate (05)
These players are free to sign with any other team. We have already heard some news that Garate has already been to a try out in Japan.
In other transactions released by Baseball America, the following former G-Stros were signed or re-signed by teams:
Atlanta Braves: Beau Torbert (04) (signed)
Houston Astros: Douglas Arguello(04)(re-signed)
Seattle Mariners: Raphie Henriquez (05-06)(re-signed)
Torbert's signing with the Braves got him some press in the big city Atlanta paper. Dave O'Brien's story has much of the same material others have had with the exception of this quote from the Braves' GM.
Milt Thompson who patrolled the outfield in Kingsport back in 1979 will return to the Appy this season as the Minor League Outfield/Base Running Coordinator for the Astros.
Houston Astros: Polin Trinidad (05-06), Jhon Florintino (05)
Baltimore Orioles: Jose Duran (07)
Philadelphia Phillies: Neil Sellers (04)
Washington Nationals: Jimmy Barthmaier (04), Victor Garate (05)
These players are free to sign with any other team. We have already heard some news that Garate has already been to a try out in Japan.
In other transactions released by Baseball America, the following former G-Stros were signed or re-signed by teams:
Atlanta Braves: Beau Torbert (04) (signed)
Houston Astros: Douglas Arguello(04)(re-signed)
Seattle Mariners: Raphie Henriquez (05-06)(re-signed)
Torbert's signing with the Braves got him some press in the big city Atlanta paper. Dave O'Brien's story has much of the same material others have had with the exception of this quote from the Braves' GM.
“He’s put up good numbers in the independent leagues,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “The numbers have improved each of the past three years. When you look at those kind of players that continue to improve and put up numbers, I think it’s worth taking a look.”
Milt Thompson who patrolled the outfield in Kingsport back in 1979 will return to the Appy this season as the Minor League Outfield/Base Running Coordinator for the Astros.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
2005 Greeneville Astros - Who is still around?
Last week, we looked at the 2004 Greeneville Astros and what has happened to their baseball careers. Today, we will pull up the roster from the 2005 season.
The 2005 season was a season of hope. A bunch of high draft picks were sent to Greeneville: Eli Iorg (1st round Supplemental), Ralphie Henriquez (2nd round), Josh Flores (4th round), Brandon Barnes (6th round), Timmy Johnson (7th round), Koby Clemens (8th round) and Allen Langdon (10th round). Iorg was the son & nephew of major league players and had played college ball at nearby Tennessee. Koby's dad spent a great deal of time at the park and kept the buzz going all year long. One night, you had Eli's dad, Koby's dad & Frank Viola, whose son was on the Bristol White Sox, all in the park on one night.
Add to those guys two pitchers who made some noise, Ryan Mitchell who made the BA top 20 that season and Matt Hirsh whose older brother was a top prospect in the system at the time. It was an exciting year. Let's see what has happened in the five years since then. Was the buzz warranted?
First of all there were 35 players on the roster in 2005. Four of those players were repeats from 2004. Those repeaters were Brad James, Antonio Garcia, David Katy, & Ryan Reed. Of the 35 players who were on the roster at some point in 2005, eight of them are still current. That comes to 23% still active in affiliated ball. That is a lower percentage of players in affiliated ball than the 2004 team (28%) and the 2004 team has played one more year of ball.
Here is a list of the eight players and the level & system with which they finished 2010. Those in bold have seen MLB time.
Brandon Barnes - AAA (Hou)
Koby Clemens - AA (Hou)
Jhon Florintino - AA (Hou)
Ralphie Henriquez - High A (Seattle)
Victor Garate - AAA (Wash)
Sammy Gervacio - AAA (Hou)
Brad James - AA(DL) (Hou)
Polin Trinadad - AA (Hou)
Here are some nuggets on the rest of the guys. Eighteen of the 35 (52%) never made it higher than Lexington (Low A ball). By comparison the 2004 squad had 17 out of 36 (47%) whose careers stalled at Low A.
As you can see above, two guys made it for a cup of coffee in the big leagues, compared to five from 2004. Four others made it as far as AAA (Iorg, Trinidad, Barnes, & Henriquez)as the high point in their career, which is the same number as 2004.
For a class that started out full of hope, there has been some significant disappointments. Significant injuries played a part in some of them (Iorg, Flores & Jose Lopez) not making it further up the ladder. There have also been rumblings of personality issues that lead to some of the lack of success.But you can't take all the blame away from those who scouted and drafted the players. As we look back at this next year, I expect the 2005 class of Greeneville Astros will have fallen even further behind the 2004 class.
The 2005 season was a season of hope. A bunch of high draft picks were sent to Greeneville: Eli Iorg (1st round Supplemental), Ralphie Henriquez (2nd round), Josh Flores (4th round), Brandon Barnes (6th round), Timmy Johnson (7th round), Koby Clemens (8th round) and Allen Langdon (10th round). Iorg was the son & nephew of major league players and had played college ball at nearby Tennessee. Koby's dad spent a great deal of time at the park and kept the buzz going all year long. One night, you had Eli's dad, Koby's dad & Frank Viola, whose son was on the Bristol White Sox, all in the park on one night.
Add to those guys two pitchers who made some noise, Ryan Mitchell who made the BA top 20 that season and Matt Hirsh whose older brother was a top prospect in the system at the time. It was an exciting year. Let's see what has happened in the five years since then. Was the buzz warranted?
First of all there were 35 players on the roster in 2005. Four of those players were repeats from 2004. Those repeaters were Brad James, Antonio Garcia, David Katy, & Ryan Reed. Of the 35 players who were on the roster at some point in 2005, eight of them are still current. That comes to 23% still active in affiliated ball. That is a lower percentage of players in affiliated ball than the 2004 team (28%) and the 2004 team has played one more year of ball.
Here is a list of the eight players and the level & system with which they finished 2010. Those in bold have seen MLB time.
Brandon Barnes - AAA (Hou)
Koby Clemens - AA (Hou)
Jhon Florintino - AA (Hou)
Ralphie Henriquez - High A (Seattle)
Victor Garate - AAA (Wash)
Sammy Gervacio - AAA (Hou)
Brad James - AA(DL) (Hou)
Polin Trinadad - AA (Hou)
Here are some nuggets on the rest of the guys. Eighteen of the 35 (52%) never made it higher than Lexington (Low A ball). By comparison the 2004 squad had 17 out of 36 (47%) whose careers stalled at Low A.
As you can see above, two guys made it for a cup of coffee in the big leagues, compared to five from 2004. Four others made it as far as AAA (Iorg, Trinidad, Barnes, & Henriquez)as the high point in their career, which is the same number as 2004.
For a class that started out full of hope, there has been some significant disappointments. Significant injuries played a part in some of them (Iorg, Flores & Jose Lopez) not making it further up the ladder. There have also been rumblings of personality issues that lead to some of the lack of success.But you can't take all the blame away from those who scouted and drafted the players. As we look back at this next year, I expect the 2005 class of Greeneville Astros will have fallen even further behind the 2004 class.
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