- The Astros are a fit for catcher Brian McCann if the Yankees shop him during the offseason, opines the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, who cites both Houston’s need for a left-handed bat and backstop Jason Castro’s status as a soon-to-be free agent. With catcher/designated hitter Evan Gattis joining Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel, the Astros are slated to have at least six right-handed batters in their lineup next year. McCann would add balance, and serve as an offensive upgrade over Castro, while likely alternating with Gattis behind the plate and at DH. There are potential roadblocks in the way of a McCann deal, however, including the 32-year-old’s full no-trade clause and the $34MM left on his contract through 2018.
Astros Rumors
Offseason Outlook: Houston Astros
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After snapping a nine-year playoff drought a season ago, the Astros entered the 2016 campaign with championship aspirations. A dreadful April ultimately helped doom the Astros to a third-place finish in the American League West, but they still recorded their second straight winning season for the first time in a decade. Given the plethora of talent that’s already in place, a productive offseason from general manager Jeff Luhnow would restart the hype machine for Houston next spring.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Yulieski Gurriel, IF/OF: $44MM through 2020
- Tony Sipp, RP: $12MM through 2018
- Luke Gregerson, RP: $6.25MM through 2017
- Jose Altuve, 2B: $4.5MM through 2017 (club options for 2018 and 2019)
- Jon Singleton, 1B: $4MM through 2018 (club options from 2019-2021)
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLB Trade Rumors)
- Marwin Gonzalez (4.133) – $3.6MM
- Dallas Keuchel (4.089) – $9.5MM
- Will Harris (3.102) – $2.5MM
- Mike Fiers (3.085) – $4.3MM
- Collin McHugh (3.085) – $4.6MM
- George Springer (2.166) – $4.7MM
- Jake Marisnick (2.135) – $1.1MM
Contract Options
- Pat Neshek, RP: $6.5MM club option ($500K buyout)
- Evan Gattis, C/DH: $5.2MM club option ($100K buyout)
Free Agents
Colby Rasmus, Doug Fister, Luis Valbuena, Jason Castro
Astros Depth Chart; Astros Payroll Information
At the outset of the season, the Astros had an enviable long-term core of position players consisting of second baseman Jose Altuve, shortstop Carlos Correa and right fielder George Springer. That group welcomed two new members during the summer in Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel. The arrival of the 22-year-old Bregman, whom the Astros chose second overall in the 2015 draft, wasn’t surprising. But the addition of Gurriel, 32, from outside the organization was an eye-opener. Houston won the much-hyped sweepstakes for the the longtime Cuban superstar in July, inking him to a five-year, $47.5MM pact.
Gurriel’s deal is the largest free agent contract the Astros have handed out since Jim Crane purchased the franchise in 2011. The Astros were in a rebuild in the first few years of Crane’s tenure, thus leading to limited payrolls – including a comically low $26MM and change in 2013. While the Astros have spent far more liberally of late, the $96MM-plus payroll with which they opened this year still ranked toward the bottom of the majors. In discussing his offseason plans earlier this month, Luhnow revealed that Houston aims to spend on outside acquisitions, saying, “We’re going to have the resources to go out and sign some players.”
The Luhnow-led Astros took a modest approach to free agency last winter, when the only multiyear deal they doled out went to reliever Tony Sipp (three years, $18MM). They also reeled in starter Doug Fister for $7MM and retained outfielder Colby Rasmus, who eschewed the open market in favor of the Astros’ $15.8MM qualifying offer. Those two are without contracts again, and after their mediocre performances this year, it’s doubtful Houston will re-sign either (Luhnow has all but said Rasmus’ tenure with the Astros is over).
Trey Hillman Leaving Astros To Manage Korea’s SK Wyverns
The SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization announced yesterday that they’ve hired Astros bench coach Trey Hillman as their new manager (via Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News). Hillman signed a two-year contract that’ll pay him $1.6MM, per Yoo’s report, which also notes that Hillman will become just the second foreign-born manager to serve in the KBO in the league’s 34-year history. His departure will leave the Astros looking for a new bench coach for manager A.J. Hinch, though Houston has yet to issue a comment on the news.
Hillman served as the manager of the Royals from 2008-10, compiling a 152-207 record before being ousted for Ned Yost, who remains the Kansas City skipper to this day. In addition to his time with the Royals, Hillman spent five years managing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and has more than a decade of managerial experience in the minor leagues. He’s also served as the Rangers’ director of player development (in 2002), the Dodgers’ bench coach (2011-13) and spent two years as a scout with the Indians early in his career.
There were previously reports circulating in the Korean media that the Wyverns were eyeing a foreign manager to bring a new style of play to the club, and they were at one point rumored to have interest (link in Korean) in former White Sox and Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen. Hillman’s experience managing and coaching in multiple countries should bring the shakeup the Wyverns were seeking, though, as the team looks to improve upon its 69-75 standing from this past season.
Of course, Hillman will be joining a team that could lose its best pitcher, left-hander Gwang-hyun Kim, to international free agency this winter. With more than nine full seasons of pro ball under his belt in the KBO, Kim can test free agency and negotiate with Major League teams without needing to go through the posting process. The Padres won exclusive negotiation rights with Kim two years ago when they bid $2MM for his services, but the two sides were unable to reach a deal. This past season, he posted a 3.80 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9, and he has turned in three straight years with a sub-4.00 ERA in the hitter-friendly KBO.
Astros Void Deal With Cuban Prospect Cionel Perez
10:10pm: A medical matter of some kind gummed up the arrangement, ESPN.com’s Keith Law tweets, though the precise issue isn’t known.
7:37pm: The Astros have voided their agreement with top Cuban pitching prospect Cionel Perez, sources tell Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs (via Twitter). It’s not yet clear what caused the deal to fall apart, though it’s certainly possible that a health problem was identified.
Perez, 20, reportedly agreed in September to a $5.15MM signing bonus to go to Houston. The team had already spent beyond its international bonus pool, meaning that it had to match that amount in an overage tax. Perez was (and will still be) subject to the international signing limitations given his age and lack of experience in Cuba’s top league.
The youngster has drawn rave reviews from prospect hounds. Longenhagen rated him the seventh-best player available in this year’s July 2 signing period — second only to fellow Cuba lefty Adrian Morejon among pitchers.
While he lacks a large frame and hasn’t quite fully harnessed his command, Perez features good arm speed and athleticism, per Longenhagen’s assessment. He works into the mid-nineties with his fastball and has shown several promising secondary pitches.
It’s not known whether Houston will look to renegotiate with Perez, but the team is stuck regardless with the max penalty (two years without $300K+ international bonuses) due to its other additions. Other teams could certainly jump into the mix, though presumably Perez won’t have quite the same earning capacity now. Reports at the time of his signing suggested that the Orioles, Padres, and Reds had chased the young southpaw, though Longenhagen noted that as many as ten teams were interested to some degree.
Manfred: MLB Nearing Completion Of Investigation Into Cardinals-Astros Hacking Case
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says that the league is nearing the end of its investigation into the improper accessing of the Astros’ computer systems by at least one Cardinals employee, as the Associated Press reports (via USA Today).
“We are in the process of finishing up our investigation,” said Manfred. “I wish it had gotten a little more help a little sooner from the U.S. attorney’s office. But the cards come up how they come up, and we’re going to finish our investigation, and there will be a resolution of that during this offseason.”
Unsurprisingly, the commissioner did not hint as to whether the team would face any punishment, or if so of what kind and severity. The individual seemingly directly responsible for mining information from the computer systems of the Houston organization, then-Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa, has already paid an extremely heavy price with a prison sentence and order to pay restitution.
It seems to be all but a foregone conclusion that the Cards will face some kind of punitive measure, since the intrusion came from a fairly high-ranking member of its front office hierarchy. But the scope will surely be tied to Manfred’s assessment of how high up the chain of command the matter rose. The Cardinals have suggested publicly that this was an isolated situation, but as Manfred’s comments hint, nobody is really sure what the prosecuting authorities know (and what of that they’ve shared with the league).
Jeff Luhnow On Trade Deadline, 2017 Needs & Payroll, Rasmus
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says that he recognizes in retrospect that the team would’ve been better served to be more active at the trade deadline, as Angel Verdejo of the Houston Chronicle reports. But that wasn’t entirely apparent at the time, he stressed.
In particular, the losses of starters Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. left a difficult void for Houston down the stretch. But Luhnow says that he “didn’t have that perspective at that point,” referring to the August 1st trade deadline and its run-up. He also noted that, “over the long term, [foregoing additions] does sometimes turn out to be the right decision;” obviously, striking significant deals typically requires the sacrifice of young talent.
The “jury’s out” on whether the ’Stros should have been more aggressive this summer, says Luhnow, who does note that there are lessons to be learned from the 2016 experience. “I can’t control what happened after the deadline,” he said. “But we’re certainly going to continue to look at every opportunity going forward to give ourselves maybe a little more breathing room so if we do lose a player or we have some underperformance, that we’ve got more of a margin to still have a successful campaign.”
The Houston GM also addressed a variety of other important topics for the organization as it moves forward after missing the postseason.
Astros Have “Strong Desire” To Re-Sign Jason Castro
With Jason Castro heading to free agency, the Astros face uncertainty behind the plate in 2017, as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes. But the veteran catcher’s entry onto the open market doesn’t mean that he won’t end up back in Houston.
The return of Evan Gattis to some catching duties helps the situation, even if he’s still lacking some polish defensively, but he’s probably not a quasi-regular option as a backstop. And as Kaplan explains, the club’s other immediate possibilities — Max Stassi and Tyler Heineman — probably aren’t in line to be entrusted with a significant role.
Per GM Jeff Luhnow, a bid to re-sign Castro is definitely on the table as the offseason approaches. Explaining that Gattis will likely be a part of the mix, Luhnow went on to address Castro.
“The rest of [the catching] picture has to be fleshed out for us, but certainly Jason coming back is not something we’re going to rule out by any stretch,” he said. “I think there would be a strong desire from our side to try and bring him back.”
Luhnow spoke highly of Castro, noting that the 29-year-old’s slightly-below-average offensive output — a .209/.307/.378 slash and 11 home runs over 372 plate appearances — isn’t the only consideration. “He does a really good job of working with our pitchers, working with our coaching staff, and I think people forget sometimes the catcher is the field general, the person that’s running the show during the game,” Luhnow explained.
That being said, Houston figures to face plenty of competition for Castro’s services. He may not be the most exciting option imaginable, but he is a respected defender who delivers some pop from the left side of the plate. With Wilson Ramos felled by an ACL tear, and Francisco Cervelli previously re-upping with the Pirates, there’s a lot of demand and much less supply than had been anticipated.
Fister Struggles Through Final Month In Houston
- Wednesday likely marked Doug Fister’s last start as a member of the Astros, writes Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, noting that the impending free agent’s September was a dreadful month. Houston lost each of Fister’s final seven starts, Kaplan points out, and the righty surrendered 30 earned runs across 24 innings in his final month of the year (11.74 ERA). That’s hardly the note on which any pitcher wants to end a season, especially when things had been going fairly well for him for much of the season. Fister carried an ERA in the mid-3.00s throughout the entire summer but will conclude his 2016 campaign with a 4.64 ERA in 180 1/3 innings as he looks to improve upon the one-year, $7MM pact he signed with the ’Stros last winter.
Lourdes Gurriel Setting Up Private Workouts With MLB Clubs
Free agent infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who hosted a showcase attended by roughly two-thirds of the league earlier this month, is setting up private workouts with “about a half-dozen” clubs, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Currently known to have a private audition in the works are the Red Sox, Cardinals, Astros and Marlins, according to Heyman.
Gurriel, the younger brother of Astros infielder Yulieksi Gurriel, was declared a free agent in early August and is considered one of the better all-around prospects on the international market. He’s currently subject to international bonus pools, but that’ll change next month on Oct. 19 when Gurriel turns 23. At that point, he’ll be free to sign with any MLB club for any amount, so the Red Sox will have a shot at him even though they’re currently restricted in their signings of players that are subject to international bonus restrictions (i.e. players that are under 23 and/or have fewer than five years of professional experience).
Gurriel is a career .277/.362/.426 hitter in just under 1100 plate appearances in Cuba’s top professional league, although those numbers include some lackluster stats from his years as a teenager. Gurriel batted .308/.388/.466 as a 20-year-old in the 2014-15 season, and he was even more impressive as a 21-year-old in the 2015-16 season, hitting .344/.407/.560 with 10 homers in 245 plate appearances. Gurriel is primarily a shortstop but is also said to be capable of sliding over to third base, second base or the outfield. At 6’4″ and 205 pounds, it certainly seems possible that Gurriel will eventually have to move off of shortstop, given his size relative to his peers at that position.
Astros Injury Notes: Bregman, McCullers, Rasmus
- Burgeoning Astros infielder Alex Bregman could be back sooner than expected after a “leap forward” in his recovery from a hamstring strain, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. Indeed, he could appear as soon as this week. While the timetable isn’t quite as promising for righty Lance McCullers Jr., he might be ready to go for the postseason if Houston can sneak in. Meanwhile, there’s said to be little chance that outfielder Colby Rasmus will return to uniform before qualifying for free agency.