All of the following are returning players or those who have signed minor league contracts with the organization for 2007 with invites to the major league spring training camp:
Returnees
C Kevin Davidson: like Santangelo below, the sawed-off backstop (mebbe 5’9″) is solely in camp to provide catching help in regards to the large gaggle of pitchers who clog the major league camp over the first couple of weeks of ST. Unlike Santangelo, however, the 26-year old is strictly an organizational player at this stage who has virtually no long-term prospects of a major league career. This is his first invite to major league ST.
INF/C Eric Munson: the career .211/.286/.400 hitter at the big league level was the backup catcher for the Astros most of the season in 2006 when he hit .199/.269/.348. Also hit .250/.351/.469 in nine games in AAA. One of three candidates for the backup catcher position to Brad Ausmus this year along with Humberto Quintero and Hector Gimenez.
LHP Troy Patton: see the Minor Opinions Top Ten Prospects writeup. This is of course his first invite to major league ST.
OF Hunter Pence: see the Minor Opinions Top Ten Prospects writeup. Like Patton, this Pence’s first invite to major league ST.
INF Cody Ransom: hit .247/.345/.479 last year at Round Rock while playing three of the four infield positions (though primarily at SS and 3B). Much of the career of the soon-to-be 31-year old has been unimpressive. Of his nine seasons in pro ball, all or part of the last six have been spent in AAA. Over the course of 1 1/2 years beginning in late 2004, he was the property of five different organizations: Giants, Cubs, Rangers, Mariners and finally Astros. Spent parts of the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons at the big-league level with San Francisco when he hit .238/.298/.362 in just 105 at-bats. 2006 was something of a turnaround season for him at the plate as his 21 longballs were the most he’d hit in a season since 2001 when he belted 23 for Fresno. The righty swinger could be a top candidate for callup this season if injuries create holes on the big club, particularly if he swings a bat with some sting in it like he did over the course of the final three months of last year when he batted .277/.393/.570.
C Lou Santangelo: one of the top catching prospects in the system, the 4th-round pick in 2004 will be making his first trip to a major league spring training camp. As commented on elsewhere, the Clemson-ex will not be in Kissimmee with hopes for a major league job but rather simply to catch some of the horde of pitchers clogging the big league camp over the first couple of weeks of spring training. The soon-to-be 24-year old will be on the Corpus Christi roster come opening day.
New to the Organization
RHP Jose Rodriguez: originally signed by the Braves as a NDFA out of Venezuela as a 16-year old, Rodriguez has pitched 8 years of pro ball despite the relatively young age of 25. He spent 5 years in the Atlanta organization and only made it to hi-A ball when he was released after the 2003 season. Signed by the Mets the next year, he spent 2004 at four different levels: SS, lo-A, hi-A, and finally 2 games at AAA. In 2005, the 6’0″ 170-lb (that’s what he’s listed as, anyway) righty spent virtually all year in AA where he put up some relatively mediocre numbers out of the bullpen: 3.96 ERA, godawful 1.52 WHIP. A minor league free agent after that season, he signed with Tampa Bay for 2006. He started that year in AA, where he had a handful of relief appearances for Montgomery. In the middle of April, he was moved up to AAA Durham. In 49 games for the Bulls, he put together one of the best seasons of his career with a 2.43 ERA and a still-too-high 1.30 WHIP. Again a minor league free agent heading into 2007, his chances for being signed by the Astros were certainly helped by pitching for Al Pedrique in the VWL. His results for Magallanes were unimpressive, though: a 3.86 ERA in 24 games (21 IP) but again a sky-high WHIP of 1.71. Unless he’s made some sort of breakthrough that have yet to show up in the numbers, looks like Rodriguez is headed towards a full season out of the Express bullpen.
LHP Stephen Randolph: the UT-ex and Austin native is heading into his 13th-year of pro ball, all but two of which have been spent in the minors. Spent 3 years in the Yankees organization before being taken by Arizona in the Rule 5 draft (minor league portion) after the 1998 season. Spent all or parts of the next 5 seasons pitching for AAA Tucson. Got his break in the big leagues in 2003, working out of the D-back bullpen for most of the season and compiling an 8-1 record with a 4.05 ERA. He walked 43, however, that season in 60 IP. The 6’3″ 205-lb southpaw spent 2004 again in the Arizona bully (though he did make 6 starts), where he somehow managed to walk 76 hitters in 81+ innings. The Snakes traded him after that season to the Cubs, where he didn’t even make it through spring training before being released.
Ultimately, he spent time during that 2005 season primarily as a reliever with both AAA Fresno (Giants) and AAA New Orleans (Nationals) with control again a huge problem: 66 walks in 69 IP. He signed with the Chisox for 2006 as a minor league free agent and went back to starting at AAA , putting together what might be considered a nice season only if you stick a finger next to your computer screen to cover that BB column: he handed out 114 free passes in 154+ IP. As noted in the press release, he was 3rd in the International League with 144 whiffs. To enhance his chances as an MLFA, the 32-year old (turns 33 in May) pitched in the VWL this winter where Pedrique and company would have been able to get a look at him. In 15 games (13 starts) for Tiburones de La Gaira, he had a 3.29 ERA with 56 hits allowed in 65 2/3 innings. He struck out 68 while issuing 37 walks. Because of those control problems, he just doesn’t seem a great candidate to fill that 2nd lefty spot in the Astros bullpen or a spot in the rotation (and the Astros seem to be viewing him as the latter). Unless someone’s finally able to straighten him out, it looks like he’ll be coming back home to Central Texas in 2007.
LHP Scott Sauerbeck: didn’t make his MLB debut until age 27 but over the ensuing five years (1999-2003) the lefty specialist averaged 65 innings of work per season. Almost all of that time was spent with the Pirates. In 2004, he signed a minor league contract with the Indians even though he had just undergone shoulder surgery and was to miss the entire season. Cleveland exercised his option the next year and he responded with a 4.04 ERA in 35.2 IP (58 games). After ineffectiveness the first half of ’06 (not to mention that DUI incident), the Tribe released him. He finished out the season with the A’s. The 35 year-old has a career ERA of 3.82 despite the incredible 243 walks in 386 career innings. Lefties have hit just .199 against him in his career.
LHP Kevin Walker: the Metroplex native was drafted in the 6th round by the Padres in 1995 out of Grand Prairie HS. Finally made it to the bigs in his 6th season and that year (2000) put up pretty decent numbers as a rookie out of the SD bullpen: 4.19 ERA, 49 hits allowed in 67 IP. Over the next 5 seasons, bounced back and forth each year between the minors and the big leagues. The first 3 of those years (2001-2003) was while he was still in the Padres organization, while in 2004 he belonged to the Giants (after being waived by SD) and in 2005 he was White Sox property (after being signed as a FA). The time spent during those 5 years as a member of a big league roster was a grand total of 35 1/3 innings. In other words, he averaged just 7 IP in the bigs in each of those years. Again a free agent, he moved on to the Rangers in 2006 and spent the entire year at AAA Oklahoma City where he mostly appeared in relief and rang up a 1.60 WHIP. Although not to the same severity as Randolph, Walker has more than his share of control problems. In his 102 IP at the major league level, he’s posted a 5.56 W/9. At AAA over the last three seasons, his W/9 is 4.30. The 30-year old former MLFA like Randolph doesn’t look like much of a contender for an bullpen spot with the big club (at least out of spring training) and is more likely fodder for the Express pitching staff.
Recycled
OF Richard Hidalgo: didn’t play at all last season (though a number of clubs kicked the tires, including the Orioles and Yankees) after batting .221/.289/.416 for the Rangers in 2005. Put up fairly pedestrian .273/.385/.455 numbers in 54 regular season games for Magallanes in Venezuela this winter but sizzled early in the playoffs (including a 3-home run game and was hitting .400/.455/.967 thru seven postseason games at the time of his signing).
RHP Brian Moehler: the one-time Astro was absolutely atrocious for Florida last season, getting slammed for a 6.57 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in 122 IP. He did put up a 2.45 ERA as a reliever, but that was in a mere 18 innings. As a starter for the Marlins, his ERA was 7.29 and he allowed 146 hits (including 19 longballs) in 104 IP.
RHP Rick White: the well-traveled burly one returns to the Astros four years after posting a 3.72 ERA back in 2003 in 19.1 IP. At 38, he’s coming off a season in which he had a combined 5.15 ERA in 64.2 IP split between Cincinnati and Philadelphia. White has been a free agent eight times in his career, released three times and traded twice.