The Astros have agreed to a new minor league deal with first baseman Jon Singleton, as first reported by Michael Schwab of The Ice Box Insider. Singleton was designated for assignment shortly before the trade deadline and passed through waivers unclaimed. He briefly became a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment but will now return to the ’Stros and presumably head to Triple-A Sugar Land for the time being.
Singleton was on the Astros’ 40-man roster heading into the season but was released after he didn’t make the club in spring training. He signed a minor league deal with the Mets and has spent the bulk of the season with their Triple-A club in Syracuse but was cut loose in June. Singleton quickly latched back on with Houston on a minor league deal and was briefly selected to the big league roster last month prior to his DFA.
That call to the bigs saw Singleton, 33, get into three games and go 1-for-9 in that tiny sample. He’s logged a combined 306 Triple-A plate appearances between the Mets and Astros organizations this year, slashing .224/.373/.451 with 16 home runs, a massive 18.4% walk rate and a 26.5% strikeout rate.
Singleton was the Astros’ primary option at first base last year, following the release of Jose Abreu. He wound up making 405 trips to the plate in 119 games and turning in a solid, if unspectacular .234/.331/.386 batting line (104 wRC+) with 13 homers. Singleton doesn’t hit lefties well and is a below-average defender at first base, but he draws plenty of walks and can hit for some modest power against right-handed pitching.
The Astros acquired lefty-swinging outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the Marlins prior to last week’s trade deadline, but they’re still very light on left-handed bats — particularly with Yordan Alvarez having missed most of the season due to a fracture in his hand. Singleton will add a lefty-swinging option to the depth chart — one who seems to be a sentimental favorite within the organization. This is the third minor league deal Singleton has signed with Houston since 2023, and he’s spent the vast majority of career in the Astros organization.
How many chances has this guy gotten with the Astros???
As many as he’s asked for, so far.
He is the Astros Jesse Chavez
I believe it’s because he can get the best weed.
Way too many.
Astros beginning to give up on Yordan coming back. Man he’s talented but also a huge liability to count on. Every year it’s something and always for longer than diagnosed. He spends more time on the IL than in a lineup.
In fairness, just last season he played in 147 games and got 635 plate appearances, to the tune of a 171 OPS+.
He’s played in 135+ games in 3 of the last 4 years.
This is really the first season (not counting the covid year) where he truly has missed a considerable amount of time to injury.
If only there were dozens of sites to find out numbers like these!
Yes, it would certainly help prevent people making silly comments without having the facts.
He played 119 games. Big difference.
This is a guy who bet against him self early in his career, steroid suspension, quit for 4 years, what’s the point of this deal?
Why do we keep bringing this joke back? Enough!
Just in case Rowdy doesn’t work out: they have literally the exact same guy waiting in the wings
Rowdy Tellez, of the Texas Rangers?
These two just can’t quit each other.
Surprised he didn’t end up in Colorado. Rumor has it he likes to have a Rocky Mountain high.
Still committed to this guy, huh?