TODAY: The Astros have requested unconditional release waivers on Sneed, according to multiple reports. Sneed will be free to join the Swallows once he clears waivers.
NOVEMBER 27: The Yakult Swallows if Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball have signed their second former big leaguer in as many days, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that they’ve agreed to terms with now-former Astros right-hander Cy Sneed (Twitter link). Yakult agreed to terms with former Pirates corner infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna earlier in the week.
Sneed, 28, came to the Astros organization in the 2015 trade that sent Jonathan Villar to the Brewers. He went on to make his Major League debut in 2019 and, over the course of the past two seasons, has logged 38 2/3 innings for Houston. It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the 2014 third-rounder, however, as he’s been tagged for a 5.59 ERA and a 4.78 FIP with a 44-to-15 K/BB ratio and a hefty eight home runs allowed in that limited sample of work.
Sneed averages 93.5 mph on his heater and has complemented that pitch with a changeup, curveball and split-finger, though he largely scrapped the splitter in 2020. While he’s struggled in the Majors, he’s had some success in Triple-A. After a dismal Triple-A debut in 2017, Sneed turned in 127 innings of 3.83 ERA/3.89 FIP ball in an extremely hitter-friendly setting with the Astros’ Fresno affiliate in the Pacific Coast League in 2018. He put up similar numbers in 2019 when Houston’s Triple-A club moved to Round Rock in 2019.
Houston has yet to formally announce Sneed’s release, though that formality is likely the final step in the process. The Swallows will likely pay some compensation to the Astros in order to release Sneed, who’ll surely get a larger guarantee to pitch in NPB next year than he’d have received as an up-and-down, pre-arbitration member of the Astros’ staff in 2021. The Astros’ 40-man roster now drops to a count of 38 players.
Because everyone needs a Sneed.
I like to think to members of the Yakult Swallows front office were in Top Gun attire and high-fived after fulfilling their “need for sneed”
Aww, man.
Tom Cruise > Dr Seuss.
I’ve been bested, fellas.
lamo
*lmao
Is it normal for this many sub known players to sign to play in Asia in a single off season? Was it like this 20 years ago or am I just noticing it now because of reporting on it? Does the reconstruction of the minor leagues have players uncertain that might have otherwise signed a minors contract leaving to play ball in Asia?
Its like Space Jam is coming true on all fronts but NFL
I think we are seeing more sign early. With the number of DFAs and outright releases, I think fringe MLBers are just being smart and signing overseas before there is glut of fringe players competing for those opportunities later in the offseason.
Tom Selleck paved the way in 1992.
I always seem to have to Sneed at the worst possible times…
Even though Sneed hasn’t done much of anything in MLB the Astros still had 5 years of control on him. I wonder if he was out of options? He is 28 years old….
He has minor league options remaining.
Sometimes it’s about giving a player an opportunity that they likely will not get with his current team. NPB/KBO teams can only have so many foreign players so Sneed is likely going right into the Swallows rotation, unlike here where he would have try to earn a spot in the Astros rotation or bullpen
Years of control is one of the more overrated things today. Having a bad player for a longer period of time is not really a good thing.
Command took a huge step back this season. Not surprised to see him gone. I like the guy but he has never been reliable. And 93 MPH is basically average for a modern reliever.
Its more of a 40 man roster crunch issue than an options issues
The Astros just have too many for the 40 man.
They already lost 2 to waivers and still need room to sign free agents.
Cy Sneed – outstanding baseball name. Best of luck to Cy.
Cy -O- Nara
Cy Sneed sounds like a great villain name. Like he should be in an old black and white silent movie and twirling the ends of his long mustaches.
Yes, a modern day ‘Snidely Whiplash’!
More rumors from foreign leagues. …
Calm down Francis! Being that it effected a player on the 40 man of an MLB club it’s relevant.
Jose Osuna is replacing Alcides Escobar and Cy Sneed is replacing Gabriel Ynoa.
kinda surprising that Ynoa fell of the map so hard despite still being fairly young
If baseball doesn’t work out for him he could always give golf a try…
Sneed’s Seed & Feed
(formerly Chuck’s)
If I was a baseball player who was a pitcher and I was named Cy, I’d definitely have a side career as a rapper or artist or something where I called myself Young Cy, so that that’d become my baseball nickname… and if I won the Cy Young Award?
Young Cy wins the Cy Young.
I’d call my album In-Cy-ption.