Erick Abreu – signed a minor league contract (Feb.)
Josh Appell – acquired in trade for Ralph Henriquez (Nov.)
Miguel Asencio – granted free agency (Oct.), Signed by Red Sox to minor league deal (Jan.)
Jimmy Barthmaier – claimed off waivers by Pirates (Nov.)
Phillip Barzilla – Signed by Mariners as a minor league free agent. (Nov.)
Frankie Caraballo – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Alberto Castillo – signed to minor league contract (Feb.)
Brandon Caipen – released (Feb)
Ken Chenard – Signed to minor league contract
Scott Chiasson – Signed to minor league contract
Rob Cosby – Signed to Minor League contract (Jan)
Mike Constanzo – aquired in the Lidge trade and then traded in the Tejada trade (Dec.)
Jose Cruz Jr. – signed to Minor League Contract (Nov.)
Mike De Jean – signed to Minor League Contract (Jan.)
Victor Diaz – signed to Minor League Contract (Jan.)
Travis Driskill – granted free agency (Oct.), Named Pitching Coach in Greeneville (Nov.)
Harold Eckert – Signed to minor league contract (Jan.)
Pedro Espinoza – released (Nov.)
Robert Evans – released (Jan.)
Jesse Garcia – signed to minor league contract (Feb.)
Kevin Fox – released (Dec.)
Felipe Garcia – signed to minor league contract (Dec)
Victor Garate – Selected by Dodgers in minor rule 5 draft (Dec.)
Sammy Gervacio – added to 40 man roster (Nov.)
Hector Gimenez – outrighted to AAA (Oct.), Claimed by Tampa Bay Rays (Nov.)
Brian Gordon – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Nick Gorneault – Signed to a minor league contract (Jan.)
Juan Gutierrez – traded to Arizona (Dec.)
Runelvys Hernandez – signed to minor league contract (Jan.)
Ralph Henriquez – traded to the Mets (Nov.)
Carlos Hines – signed to Minor league contract (Dec.)
Andrew Holder – released (Jan.)
Kevin Hooper – signed to Minor League Contract (Nov.), Released (Jan.)
J.R. House – signed to Minor League Contract (Jan.)
Brad James – added to 40 man roster (Nov.)
Joshua Johnson – signed to minor league contract (Feb.)
Tim Johnson – Released (Dec.)
Mike Just – signed to Minor League Contract (Dec.)
Danny Klassen – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Eric King – Released (Dec.)
Felipe Lira – signed to minor league contract (Jan.)
Kyle Middleton – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Jeff Mackor – Released (Jan.)
Natanael Mateo – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Josh Miller – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Brian Moehler – signed to minor league contract (Jan.)
Eric Munson – Claimed off Waivers by Brewers (Oct.)
David Newhan – Signed to Minor League Contract (Jan.)
Lance Niekro – signed to Minor League Contract (Jan.)
Guiseppe (Joey) Norrito – Selected from Dodgers in minor Rule 5 draft (Dec.)
Ryan Owens – Released (Nov.)
Troy Patton – Traded to Baltimore (Dec.)
Richard Paz – signed to minor league contract (Feb.)
Tomas Perez – signed to Minor League Contract (Nov.)
Julio Puentes – lost to Rays in minor rule 5 draft (Dec.)
Tim Raines Jr. – Diamond backs signed to Minor League Free Agent (Dec.)
Yordany Ramirez – Signed as a Minor League Free Agent (Oct.)
Stephen Randolph -outrighted to AAA (Oct.), re-signed to Minor League Contract (Nov.)
Cody Ransom – outrighted to AAA (Oct.), Signed with Yankees as a minor league free agent (Dec.)
Chad Reineke – added to 40 man roster (Nov.)
Levi Romero – Signed to Minor League Contract (Nov.), Selected by Rangers in minor rule 5 draft (Dec.)
Mike Rodriguez – outrighted to AAA (Oct.), signed by Baltimore as a minor league free agent (Jan.)
Ray Sadler – Signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Santo Luis – lost to White Sox in minor rule 5 draft (Dec.)
Neil Sellers – lost to Phillies in minor rule 5 draft (Dec.)
Todd Self – signed to minor league contract (Dec.)
Wesley Wright – Selected from Dodgers in Major Rule 5 Draft (Dec.)

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From there, we caravanned out to the Playboy party. We enjoyed ourselves immensely among a plethora of A-listers: from Nick Cannon DJing and rapper Common emceeing to the cast of “Entourage” to the man, the myth, the legend himself … Hugh Hefner.

The party was unforgettable, though we paid for it the next morning.

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They still had a postgame party, though there were not too many smiles.

Earth, Wind and Fire, Lionel Richie and Alicia Keys performed live in front of roughly a thousand team members, family and guests. Although the Patriots lost, we did celebrate their amazing 18-1 season.

Tip Fairchild visited Houston last week for a doctors visit, a few bullpen sessions at the elite camp and dinner at Koby’s.

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Fairchild said he threw fastballs at about 85 miles an hour in the 10-minute, 50-pitch sessions. He said he could probably throw harder, but he tries to pitch pain-free.

“To the naked eye you wouldn’t know I was hurt,” Fairchild said. “But I know I’m still rehabbing a little longer.”
On Clemens:

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“I went over to his house Tuesday and had dinner with him,” Fairchild said….”I can’t say anything bad about him,” he said. “He’s been good to me and I’ve seen how he works out. Everybody down here is on his side.”

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“Paulino is a really talented kid,” Ryan said. “Norris is really talented. James has one of the better sinkers I’ve seen in a long time. So when you look at those kids, you get real excited. I would think Perez is the most improved from when we signed him.”

Bennett on James:

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“He’s got unbelievable stuff,” Astros assistant general manager Ricky Bennett, the farm director, said of James. “When you talk about stuff, you look at his stuff and you can use your imagination. He throws a heavy fastball, and he pitches 91 to 94 (mph).

Bennett on Gervacio:

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“There’s a good chance he’ll probably start at Double-A this year,” Bennett said. “He’s a guy that we really liked. He might be able to help us at the end of this year, but more than likely he’ll be in the bullpen next year.”

Perez on Perez:

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“I think basically it’s just getting the innings and experience,” Perez said when asked what he’d like to improve. “Racking up those 200 innings is very important. I threw 140 last year. So (it would be good to) just get 160-170 innings just to show them that I’m durable and I can last a whole season. It’s experience.”

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The four scouts allow a 12-year-old boy riding a donkey while pulling three horses behind him to cross their path and pull up to the stadium that houses the Astros’ Dominican Summer League team—which is more the norm for what clubs typically have in the D.R. currently.

It’s a cinderblock façade painted black on the outside, with hand-painted block letters spelling out “HOUSTON ASTROS” next to the club’s trademark star. Inside, it’s much like many minor league facilities in the States were built in the 1930s or 1940s.

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“Last year was a big year for him,” Astros assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said. “For the first time, he started to show that consistency. He’s a little older and only pitching full time for about two years now.

Bogusevic is working on his slider & change up during the off season.

On Sapp:

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“He’s really made some strides thus far, but we’d like to see some more consistency,” Bennett said. “He’s at a point now and he’s been in the organization a couple of years, this is normally the time a few of them start to make that jump and show more consistency.”

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The Astros have been monitoring Sapp’s big-body physique in an effort to keep him in better shape. He has been doing pilates and recently started doing hot yoga, which is yoga in room heated to 95-100 degrees.

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“It was one of those things where I think usually I am ahead of the hitters mentally, but when I got to Triple-A, I didn’t feel that,” Douglass said. “I was playing catchup the whole Triple-A season.

“Definitely, it was a learning experience I can use. Having older guys on the team, I was really able to pick their brains. Even though I didn’t do a great job implementing it, I’ve had a whole offseason to process it.”
On working with kids:

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“My message is baseball is a very fun game,” Douglass said. “But it takes hard work, and you have to put in the time. Nothing comes easy.

“I’ve been impressed (with the ability of the young players). Some of them can definitely throw. The thing which I tell them all, no matter what skill level you are at now, you can all be that much better next year.”
On setting goals:

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“All the time I set goals,” Douglass said. ” It’s hard to set as far as where I am at because that’s out of my hands. So I set performance goals as far keeping my ERA at a certain point, have a good strikeout-to-walk ratio, make all my starts, just stuff like that.”

Where he is at in his rehab:

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Now I’m up to eight or 10 minutes off a mound and I’m locating, inside and outside. I’ll throw three pitches to the inside, three to the outside, three to the inside, three to the outside,” he said. “Then, I’ll go from the stretch and throw three to the inside, three to the outside. I’ve started to mix in my change-up, and for the past week-and-a-half I’ve been throwing that very well. Then recently, I started spinning my breaking ball (from) a short distance and getting the feel for that back.”

“The bullpen that I threw (Wednesday), I could go out in and pitch in a rookie game and do fine. So, I feel like I’m ahead of schedule in that aspect,” he added.
What to expect from him at Spring Training:

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“The weird thing is, I’m going to be ahead of schedule (compared) to almost every pitcher down there,” he said. “Those guys are going to catch me faster because I’m going to be rehabbing through the whole spring training. Hopefully, by the end of (spring training), I’ll be built up to where I’m throwing five innings in a game. That’s what they’re hoping.”

Hopes to be at AA this year.

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“I guess I’d tell people to wait until it’s all over and then make your judgments,” he added. “Just hear him out and see what happens.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell us how Tip is doing recovering from Tommy John surgery (although it mentions a related article that I can’t find).

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“It’s easy to feel cheated,” said the 32-year-old Klassen, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz. “It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself when you’re trying to do things the right way and other guys are going  past you.”.. .”Anyone who wanted them could have gotten them, but I didn’t know what affect it would have down the road,” he six-foot, 190-pound Klassen said.

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“I don’t have millions, but I have my dignity,” he said. “I’m more satisfied with how I got there and can look my wife, my sons, my mom and dad and family in the eye and have a clean conscience.”