The Astros are in agreement with lefty reliever Jalen Beeks, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. It’s a minor league contract, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
Beeks divided the ’24 season between the Rockies and Pirates. He tossed 71 innings of 4.50 ERA ball between the two clubs. Beeks carried a 4.74 mark over 49 1/3 frames for Colorado. The Rox flipped him to Pittsburgh at the deadline for minor league reliever Luis Peralta. The 31-year-old southpaw managed decent production for the Bucs. He turned in a 3.92 ERA with three holds and a save across 20 2/3 innings.
However, Beeks’ strikeout rate trended down for the fourth consecutive season. He punched out 32.1% of opponents as a member of the Rays in the shortened 2020 season. Beeks missed all of ’21 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but he returned to post a 28% strikeout rate over 61 innings in 2022. That fell to 24.5% the next season and dropped to a well below-average 17.6% mark last year. The trade didn’t help in that regard. Beeks had run an 18% strikeout rate with Colorado and fanned 16.8% of opposing hitters in Pittsburgh.
Beeks still throws reasonably hard. His fastball averaged 94.5 MPH last season. That’s in line with where it has landed since his surgery. He leaned more heavily on the pitch at the expense of his changeup and cutter last year. Beeks did a decent job limiting hard contact on all three pitches, but he only missed bats effectively with the changeup.
Houston spent a few years operating without many left-handers in their bullpen. Josh Hader will close, leaving the lefty middle relief group rather thin. The Astros let deadline pickup Caleb Ferguson depart in free agency to the Pirates. That leaves Bryan King and Bennett Sousa as the only other lefty relievers on the 40-man roster. Beeks joins Steven Okert and Blake Weiman as non-roster southpaws in camp.
Beeks?
Are the Duke Brothers trying to get involved in baseball instead of the stock market?
It was the Dukes it was the dukes!
He just wanted a team that trains in Florida to get the inside info on the frozen orange juice report!
The Rockies usually win their trades. They just do like three or four a decade.
To be fair, Tulo was pretty much a zero himself for the rest of his career. At least the Rockies saved some money.
Merry New year
I would think Marlins or Rays since he has the orange crop reports.
I know I’m not the only one here for the Trading Places references. Outstanding work once again folks. Keep it up!
Watch out for the ape, Jalen!