an app says

[JimR]

Alfredo Gonzalez, Gustave, Minaya, Musgrove and Paulino added to 40 man

[pots]

39 out of 40 man

[Uncle Charlie]

Alfredo Gonzalez, Gustave, Minaya, Musgrove and Paulino added to 40 man

Weren't Gonzalez and Minaya 6-year minor league FA's?

[Uncle Charlie]

Alfredo Gonzalez, Gustave, Minaya, Musgrove and Paulino added to 40 man

Confirmed:
Houston Astros ‏@astros  52m52 minutes ago
#Astros add 5 players to their 40-man roster: C Alfredo Gonzalez, RHP Jandel Gustave, RHP Juan Minaya, RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP David Paulino.

[pots]

Interesting they went with Alfredo Gonzalez over Tyler Heineman

[doyce7]

Mctaggart says the astros have said they may make more moves before the 7pm deadline ala feliz last year

[JimR]

Mctaggart says the astros have said they may make more moves before the 7pm deadline ala feliz last year

does this imply a trade?

[pots]

Didn't last year they stick somebody on the 40 man right before a trade?  Or perhaps 2 years ago

[MusicMan]

Interesting they went with Alfredo Gonzalez over Tyler Heineman

and Roberto Pena

[juliogotay]

Didn't last year they stick somebody on the 40 man right before a trade?  Or perhaps 2 years ago

Feliz I believe.

[pots]

Actually it was Perez.

11/3/2015
Houston Astros selected the contract of C Carlos Perez from Fresno Grizzlies.
11/5/2015
Houston Astros traded C Carlos Perez and RHP Nick Tropeano to Los Angeles Angels for C Hank Conger.

[juliogotay]

Confirmed:
Houston Astros ‏@astros  52m52 minutes ago
#Astros add 5 players to their 40-man roster: C Alfredo Gonzalez, RHP Jandel Gustave, RHP Juan Minaya, RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP David Paulino.

Unprotected includes Devinski, Guduan (ranked higher by some than Gustave), Applin, Fontana, Teoscar H., and Vasquez.
I could see some taking a flyer on Devinski, Fontana or Applin all of whom could stick. Guduan could but he may be too wild for anyone to expect him to stick this year.

[pots]

Hopefully Feliz and Velasquez start a new trend but 40 man saves have not been very helpful (to the Astros):

2009:
Fernando Abad from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Wladimir Sutil from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Evan Englebrook from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Matt Nevarez from Lexington Legends
Henry Villar from Lexington Legends

2010:
Jorge De Leon from Tri-City ValleyCats.
Arcenio Leon from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Jimmy Paredes from Lexington Legends.
David Carpenter from Lancaster JetHawks.

2011:
Paul Clemens from Oklahoma City RedHawks.

2012;
Jonathan Villar from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Jose Cisnero from Oklahoma City RedHawks.
Jarred Cosart from Oklahoma City RedHawks.
Chia-Jen Lo from Lancaster JetHawks.
Brett Oberholtzer from Oklahoma City RedHawks.
Ross Seaton from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Robbie Grossman from Corpus Christi Hooks.

2013:
Jon Singleton from Oklahoma City RedHawks.
Luis Cruz from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Domingo Santana from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Asher Wojciechowski from Oklahoma City RedHawks.

2014:
Carlos Perez from Fresno Grizzlies.
Ronald Torreyes from Fresno Grizzlies.
Vincent Velasquez from Lancaster JetHawks.
Michael Feliz from Quad Cities River Bandits.

2015:
Alfredo Gonzalez from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Jandel Gustave from Fresno Grizzlies.
Joe Musgrove from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Juan Minaya from Fresno Grizzlies.
David Paulino from Lancaster JetHawks.

[Jacksonian]

Guduan could but he may be too wild for anyone to expect him to stick this year.

A lefty who throws 100mph.  Some team not expecting to win will take him and hope they can fix the wildness enough.

[pots]

Unprotected includes Devinski, Guduan (ranked higher by some than Gustave), Applin, Fontana, Teoscar H., and Vasquez.
I could see some taking a flyer on Devinski, Fontana or Applin all of whom could stick. Guduan could but he may be too wild for anyone to expect him to stick this year.

unprotected from mlb.com top 30 list:
#16 Reymin Guduan
#17 Teoscar Hernandez
#18 Chris Devenski
#20 Danry Vasquez
#22 Brady Rodgers
#23 Andrew Aplin
#24 Nolan Fontana
#29 Kyle Smith

[Jacksonian]

unprotected from mlb.com top 30 list:
#16 Reymin Guduan
#17 Teoscar Hernandez
#18 Chris Devenski
#20 Danry Vasquez
#22 Brady Rodgers
#23 Andrew Aplin
#24 Nolan Fontana
#29 Kyle Smith

I don't know why Minaya and not Guduan but otherwise I see no issue with those picked versus those not.

[pots]

I don't know why Minaya and not Guduan but otherwise I see no issue with those picked versus those not.

May come down to Minaya could have signed elsewhere without being a rule 5 draft.  Don't know much about Minaya. Only semi-useful nugget was this from October 2014: "RHP Juan Minaya (long arm action creates timing/command issues but he’s up to 97 mph)"

I'd guess they are betting Guduan is just not ready.  Walking 19 in 16+ at Corpus and 7 in 8 2/3 in winter ball

[Nate Colbert]

Interesting they went with Alfredo Gonzalez over Tyler Heineman

JJ Cooper of BA tweeted out earlier: "Astros protect their better pitch-framing C in Gonzalez".

Memory may be failing me but first time I've seen any commentary on Gonzalez's defensive skills.

[Nate Colbert]

Weren't Gonzalez and Minaya 6-year minor league FA's?

Yes they were.

[Nate Colbert]

unprotected from mlb.com top 30 list:
#16 Reymin Guduan
#17 Teoscar Hernandez
#18 Chris Devenski
#20 Danry Vasquez
#22 Brady Rodgers
#23 Andrew Aplin
#24 Nolan Fontana
#29 Kyle Smith

Also from JJ Cooper:

"Guduan and C Roberto Pena most likely to be nabbed. Smith could be a stash as he's coming off TJ."

Of course Cooper also told us a year ago that Pena was likely to be taken in the 2014 Rule 5 draft.

[Reuben]

JJ Cooper of BA tweeted out earlier: "Astros protect their better pitch-framing C in Gonzalez".

Memory may be failing me but first time I've seen any commentary on Gonzalez's defensive skills.

Me too. He definitely looks to be the better-hitting C. But yes, a mystery man. As is Minaya, at least to me.

[Duman]

Yes they were.

Only on Jayne's list.  They were not on the BA list.  Only Jio & Alaniz were on the BA list.  So they may not have been.

[Duman]

Hopefully Feliz and Velasquez start a new trend but 40 man saves have not been very helpful (to the Astros):

Actually that shouldn't surprise us.  If they were sure fire MLB players, they wouldn't be last minute additions.  Some of these guys have gotten time at the MLB level.  So some of the additions worked out.  Who did we not protect that we have missed out on before this last year? 

DeShields has exceeded expectations but would you want him ahead of any outfielder/2nd baseman on our roster?

Same to be said with Rollins as a pitcher. 

[pots]

Me too. He definitely looks to be the better-hitting C. But yes, a mystery man. As is Minaya, at least to me.

Astros.com article has this:

Gonzalez, 23, hit .321 with six doubles, two home runs, 35 RBIs and a .409 on-base percentage in 72 games across three levels last season, finishing at Double-A Corpus Christi. He threw out 24 of 51 runners attempting to steal.

[pots]

Actually that shouldn't surprise us.  If they were sure fire MLB players, they wouldn't be last minute additions.  Some of these guys have gotten time at the MLB level.  So some of the additions worked out.  Who did we not protect that we have missed out on before this last year? 

DeShields has exceeded expectations but would you want him ahead of any outfielder/2nd baseman on our roster?

Same to be said with Rollins as a pitcher.

Yeah that was kind of where I was getting at.  There is always a fear that the next Santana will slip away, and yet even the guys that are protected at the last minute rarely do much (let alone the ones that aren't).  These are basically late bloomers.  It's very rare after 4/5 years in the minors the players will ever blossom.  So for Guduan.  He'll be 24 next year.  Has been in the minors for 6 years.  Odds of him making it are slim

[jbm]

As someone who has always been a fan of Minaya, I'm glad to see them protect him, but I've never seen Guduan.

[Nate Colbert]

Take a look at their capsule comments on all five seven players protected but here's what's written on Minaya:

"...stuff took a big step forward this year with a 95 mph fastball that now touches 98. Considering he made it to Triple-A, his excellent arm made him too likely to be picked to be left off the 40-man."

Writeup on players from all clubs protected today.

[austro]

I seem to remember that there's a limit on how many players a team can lose. Is my memory correct?

[Nate Colbert]

I seem to remember that there's a limit on how many players a team can lose. Is my memory correct?

No limit.

[doyce7]

Aplin and Fontana added. Hoes DFA. 40-man is now full.

[Nate Colbert]

unprotected from mlb.com top 30 list:
#16 Reymin Guduan
#17 Teoscar Hernandez
#18 Chris Devenski
#20 Danry Vasquez
#22 Brady Rodgers
#23 Andrew Aplin
#24 Nolan Fontana
#29 Kyle Smith

[WVastro]

Aplin and Fontana added. Hoes DFA. 40-man is now full.

We finally got rid of all our Haders and Hoes.

I'm sorry....

[Reuben]

Surprised to see them protect so many guys. Excited because that tells me they really see potential in some of them (although they appear to have been misguided on the likes of Torreyes, Cruz, maybe others in recent past...). I've always liked Aplin so I'm glad it seems he'll finally make it to the Astros at some point in 2016.

Kinda shocked that with all the changes Kevin Chapman survived on the 40. My guess is he goes as soon as they sign a FA lefty.

[pots]

Surprised to see them protect so many guys. Excited because that tells me they really see potential in some of them (although they appear to have been misguided on the likes of Torreyes, Cruz, maybe others in recent past...). I've always liked Aplin so I'm glad it seems he'll finally make it to the Astros at some point in 2016.

Kinda shocked that with all the changes Kevin Chapman survived on the 40. My guess is he goes as soon as they sign a FA lefty.

Well what it definitely says is they have some trades a brewing.  No room to even sign Sipp as is

[doyce7]

Chapman and peacock are the only guys on the 40-man that I could see being taken off without a trade being involved. But that's not something you have to worry about until you sign/trade for somebody.

[Reuben]

Chapman and peacock are the only guys on the 40-man that I could see being taken off without a trade being involved. But that's not something you have to worry about until you sign/trade for somebody.

Wojo and Straily and perhaps Oberholtzer may fall into that camp as well. Yes, it's good to have MLB-ready SP depth to stash in AAA, but those guys may not be any better than the type of veteran SPs that are NRIs or sign cheap deals right around February. And the Fresno rotation can only fit so many guys:

Appel
Devenski
Velasquez
Feliz
Musgrove?
Hauschild?
Rodgers?
Shirley?

[doyce7]

Wojo and Straily and perhaps Oberholtzer may fall into that camp as well. Yes, it's good to have MLB-ready SP depth to stash in AAA, but those guys may not be any better than the type of veteran SPs that are NRIs or sign cheap deals right around February. And the Fresno rotation can only fit so many guys:

Appel
Devenski
Velasquez
Feliz
Musgrove?
Hauschild?
Rodgers?
Shirley?

I missed wojo your absolutely right on that. Maybe on straily as well, but I can't see Obie being taken off. I believe Obie has some trade value although it isn't huge value. He's at least shown he's able to pitch in the big leagues.