The Astros have claimed left-handed reliever Buddy Boshers off waivers from the Twins, per a team announcement from Houston. Boshers was designated for assignment by the Twins in order to clear a roster spot for Addison Reed. Boshers pushes Houston’s 40-man roster up to a count of 39.
Set to turn 30 in May, Boshers parlayed a minor league deal with the Twins in the 2015-16 offseason into 71 innings of work and more than a year of service at the big league level. In parts of his two seasons with Minnesota, the southpaw turned in a 4.56 ERA. Boshers impressed with an 8.2 K/9 rate against 2.2 BB/9, but he’s also been somewhat homer-prone (1.3 HR/9). He’s also been clobbered by right-handed opponents in that time; while Boshers limited lefties to a lowly .231/.262/.345 batting line through 122 plate appearances, righties knocked him around at a .268/.330/.485 clip in 183 PAs.
He’ll add some much-needed depth to the Astros from the left side, as Tony Sipp currently projects to be the only southpaw in Houston’s big league bullpen. Boshers has a minor league option remaining, so the Astros can freely send him to the minors even if he doesn’t break camp with the club. Other options on the 40-man include outfielder-turned-pitcher Anthony Gose (a Rule 5 pick) and Reymin Guduan.
Certainly, there’s room for the Astros to further strengthen this area either on the trade or free-agent market before Opening Day. Tony Watson is the top lefty reliever remaining on the free-agent market, and he’s joined by the likes of Jorge De La Rosa, Fernando Abad, Xavier Cedeno and Kevin Siegrist (among others), as can be seen in MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker.
I like his line against lefties. Could replace Sipp as the LOOGY in the pen
Great name.
It finally happened: the Astros went out and got themselves an Astro Buddy.
First since Biancalana? Or Bell?
Bud Norris count?
Thanks for researching that for me.
Check this thread in September. Predicting a sub 4 era for this guy. Astros always seem to find diamonds in the rough. Give strom a whole spring training with this guy and he’ll automatically improve. Exciting time for astros fans
lol as a twins fan. there’s nothing special here if he faces just Lefty’s he’s good enough but not special. but he is cirinatly not a dimiond in the rough
I’d legally change my first and last name if I was born with that handle.
With a name like Buddy there’s a good chance he’s a Jr.
yep. I’m a Buddy and I’m a II (instead of junior).
I don’t get the love for the guy. His bottom line numbers were ok last season, but he posted a 5.19 FIP and saw his velocity drop 2 mph from 2016 to 2017, and 3 from 2013.
It’s not like any of his numbers are special. Like he induces ground balls at a 45% clip, he walks 2.5 per 9, strikes out 7 per 9 and gives up homers a lot. Furthermore, the guy is 30, so it’s not like he’s a great prospect or anything.
I don’t think see him in the Houston organization much longer.
If they make any moves that would require them needing to make room on the roster before opening day, he looks like the last dog at the bowl.
I say that because they used a Rule V pick on Gose, so they might as well see what he can do in spring training, and Guadan is only 26 and can throw the ball harder than most.
He’s a left handed reliever. …
I figure he is a depth signing for both majors and AAA. As good as the stros minor league system is, they lack left handed relievers. Guduan is the best of the bunch so far and he is wild, Gose is what do we have to lose but $50k (Rangers have said that they would take him back if he doesn’t make the stros 25 man roster), and Boshers is a “veteran” guy who can probably serve as depth in AAA if he doesn’t make the major leagues. Also the stros have a history of pickup up some guys that don’t seem to make a lot of sense – Will Harris, Collin McHugh, Charlie Morton…..and with Brent Strom he works some magic on them and all of a sudden they are pretty good major league pitchers. Who knows what they saw in Boshers – maybe spin rate, maybe they think with an adjustment (like Morton) he can get his velocity back up. Whatever it is, they do this strange stuff and more often than not it seems to work.
I’m glad the steps went out and got a reliever
Too bad he was never on the same team as Boof Bonser.
Okay pickup, doubt we will see a ton of him this year anyway, he can’t be as bad as Liriano was
Oh yes he can….
One of the advantages of the Cole trade is the open spots on the 40 man. This guy should be counted in the trade. We’ll see if he does anything, but it’s a no risk pickup.