Farm Futures
Signings update
With the reported signing of Jiovani Mier earlier this week, the Astros have signed 34 of their 51 draft picks this year. Through the first 25 rounds, only 7th round pick Dallas Keuchel and 12th round pick Geoffrey Thomas have yet to reach an agreement.
Keuchel talks about potentially signing with the Astros in a Q&A with the Houston Astros Examiner:
[The Astros] have definitely been persistent. [Astros scout Jim Stevenson] called and informed me that the Astros are prepared to make me an offer this week. He’s going to stop by the house in Tulsa. All he said was I’ll be happy with the offer, and it’s above the slotted system for being a seventh-round pick.
Right now, I’m 50-50 on my decision. I really like the Astros, and I would like nothing more than to sign with them. However, I do have some unfinished business at Arkansas. Before the College World Series, I was set on signing. Now, after the special experience, I need to take some time to make the best decision for myself and family.
It’s going to come down to the offer. I believe I’ve earned a fair signing bonus. Like I said, I’m 50-50 on my decision, but if they make me an offer I can’t refuse, I’m going to lean toward signing with the Astros.
Arkansas Razorback coach Dave Van Horn thinks Keuchel will sign, however, saying “Dallas is a no doubter.”
Follow along on the Astros 2009 draft class and draftee signings in the Bus Ride.
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Catching up with J.B. Shuck
Shucks hometown paper catches up with the Galion High School graduate.
Shuck, whose .316 batting average is tops among JetHawks regulars and ranks 11th in the league, inexplicably was not invited to play in Tuesday’s California League-Carolina League All-Star Game in Lake Elsinore, Calif. — not that he’s complaining.
The days off during the All Star break were welcomed.
“It was nice to get some time off to rest my body. The running that you do every day puts a pull on your body. You feel it every day.”
His thoughts on not getting an invite to the California League’s All Star game?
“I don’t know. I don’t have any home runs, that probably didn’t help. And we struggled as a team during the first half.”
What is life like in the minors?
It really is a full-time job. You put in an eight-hour day just about every day of the week. You get to the ballpark around 2 and take batting practice and infield from 3 to 5. Games usually start at 7 and last until 10. By the time you shower and eat, it’s 11:30 and it’s after midnight by the time you get home. Then you get up and do it all over again.”
Goals on progressing through the Astros farm system.
“The goal is to move up a level a year. Hopefully my next stop will be in Double A in Corpus Christi.”
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New Dominican facility
The Astros have formalized a “build-to-lease” agreement build-to-lease agreement for a new complex in the Dominican. It will consist of two-and-a-half baseball playing fields, six-pack pitching mounds, batting cages and an observation tower, as well as a two-story facility for housing, education and weight training, among other things. The complex is scheduled to be fully functional by the start of the 2010 Dominican Summer League season.
Read more about it in the Bus Ride and from the Astros.
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Odds and Ends
Time for McLane to get out his checkbook
McLane and long time friend and owner of the Royals David Glass “have Whataburgers bet on who wins the [Astros – Royals] series”. Looks like Drayton is gonna have to pay up on that one…
And in the non-story department, Drayton ‘remains enthusiastic’ about the Astros chances this year. (Tag’s lines)
“If you go back to 2004, we’re making the move awfully early… The team is [gradually] improving and has won a lot of series and we’re going to do that against the Kansas City Royals.”
McLane’s optimism is fueled by the fact that Roy has yet to get on track, and the pitching staff has been dealing with a lot of injuries, but appears to be getting healthier..
“If you asked me back in spring training, would Roy Oswalt have [three] wins at this stage and I’d say, ‘No, he’d have 8 to 10 wins at this stage. So we need Roy and his pitching and he needs run support and I think he will pitch much, much better going forward. Mike Hampton has had some injuries and I think he can pitch better going forward and Wandy will be more consistent.”
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Fox Sports follows the Royals Rusty Kuntz around for a tour of the outfield at MMPUS.
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Zach Levine has a couple of interesting comments in his live game blog on Thursday:
Regarding promotions for Lyles and Seaton:
I’d see Lyles before Seaton. Last I talked to Ricky Bennett about Seaton, they were still a little spooked about sending him up to Lancaster to that hitters’ paradise. Wouldn’t be shocked if he finished out the season in Class A and started next year in Corpus, but that’s just speculation on my part. Lyles, I didn’t ask him about specifically, but it could be the same situation.
Regarding playing time for Maysonet:
Cooper just won’t play him. He said he brought him up to be a role player and isn’t budging from that despite the strong start when injuries forced him in.
Levine discusses Maysonet further in his blog.
“He was called up to be kind of a role player and a bench player, and when he came up, he got started playing a little bit and played well,” Cooper said. “He hasn’t not played well. It’s just that the role has been diminished because guys have become healthy, the guys that were supposed to be out there playing are playing, and that makes his role more of a utility role.”
Despite the lack of playing time, Maysonet is doing what he can to stay ready to play.
“I’m asking the guys like (Darin) Erstad and (Jason) Michaels, just listening to them and going to the cages to do extra,” Maysonet said. “When you don’t play every day, you have to stay sharp.”
“I go into the cage and hit, run a little bit and try to stay loose because you can go in like they if they say ‘we need you right now.'”
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Where are they now?
Lima Time Sighting (LA Times): Lima is hoping to make a comeback by pitching for the Long Beach Armada in the independent Golden Baseball League.
Ezekiel Astacio is “happy to ride with the Colts” (Go San Angelo.com): Astacio is hoping that a stint with the United Baseball League’s San Angelo Colts will put him back on the road to the majors.