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Astros Acquire Jacob Amaya From Marlins

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The Astros have acquired infielder Jacob Amaya from the Marlins, per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. In return, Rome adds that the Marlins will receive cash considerations and minor league right-hander Valente Bellozo. Amaya had been designated for assignment by the Marlins earlier this week. Per Rome, Houston has optioned Amaya to Triple-A and placed left-hander Bennett Sousa on the 60-day injured list to make room for the infielder on their 40-man roster.

Amaya, 25, was an eleventh-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2017 draft but made his big league debut with Miami last year after L.A. shipped him to the Marlins in exchange for veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas prior to the 2023 campaign. Amaya’s final season with the Dodgers saw him slash a respectable .261/.369/.427 in 133 games split between the Double- and Triple-A levels, but he took a bit of a step back upon joining the Marlins last year.

In 128 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, Amaya hit just .252/.345/.407 (89 wRC+) during his age-24 season while primarily playing shortstop. Meanwhile, his four-game cup of coffee in the majors left something to be desired as he went 2-for-9 with no walks or extra base hits. On the other hand, his struggles in the majors came in an extremely small sample while his solid glove at shortstop helped to carry his subpar slash line in the minors.

Amaya entered the offseason looking like he could contribute in the big leagues for the Marlins at some point this year, though the additions of Tim Anderson and Vidal Brujan this winter left him largely blocked entering the season. After the youngster struggled at the plate both in camp this spring and in the first games of his return to Jacksonville, the club decided to move on by designating Amaya for assignment to make room for infielder Emmanuel Rivera on the 40-man roster.

Now, Amaya will get a chance to re-establish himself in an Astros organization with minimal infield depth in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Houston has Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena locked into regular roles up the middle with Mauricio Dubon as their top option off the bench, though Amaya could compete with the likes of Grae Kessinger and David Hensley for a role on the club’s bench as a reserve infielder at some point this season.

To land Amaya, the Astros are giving up Bellozo, who made his pro debut with the club out of Mexico back in 2018. The right-hander split the 2023 campaign between the High-A and Double-A levels, struggling to a 5.55 ERA in 110 1/3 innings despite a solid 22.4% strikeout rate against a strong 6.8% walk rate. Bellozo’s results took a turn for the better late in the season, as he pitched to a 1.72 ERA in his final four appearances last season. He’ll look to build on that late-season hot stretch this season in what figures to be a return to the Double-A level.

Astros Release Justin Dirden

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The Astros have released outfielder Justin Dirden, according to his player page on MLB.com (h/t to Chandler Rome of The Athletic).

Dirden signed with Houston as an undrafted free agent following the shortened 2020 draft. Already 23 when he debuted in the Astros system in 2021, the lefty batter quickly made an impact at the plate, putting up a .936 OPS in 58 games at Single-A Fayetteville and a .928 OPS in 25 games at High-A Asheville. He kept slugging the following season, producing a 1.027 OPS in 92 games at Double-A Corpus Christi. It wasn’t until he was called up to Triple-A in August 2022 that Dirden finally looked overmatched, and even then, he had 12 extra-base hits in 32 games.

Following his strong 2022 season, Dirden made the Astros’ top prospect lists at Baseball America (No. 9) and MLB Pipeline (No. 9). He also earned an invitation to spring training in 2023 and put on a show in the Grapefruit League. Over 19 games, he slashed .324/.425/.618, good for a 1.043 OPS and 171 wRC+.

Asked in early March if Dirden was a candidate for the Opening Day roster, then Astros manager Dusty Baker replied, “Who knows? We’ll see who’s injured, who’s not, who’s playing well and what we need…I’m impressed with him. We’re impressed with him. That’s why he’s here” (per Rome).

Unfortunately, Dirden was not selected to the Astros roster and continued to flounder at Triple-A. He posted a .709 OPS and 68 wRC+ while nagging injuries limited him to just 84 games. This past offseason, he dropped to No. 30 on Baseball America’s organizational prospect list and fell off of MLB Pipeline’s list entirely. The Astros chose not to protect him in the Rule 5 draft, and he ultimately went unselected.

Dirden’s professional career has had its high highs and low lows. The 26-year-old is now eligible to sign with a new team, where he can hope to reach a new high – perhaps the major leagues.

Bennett Sousa Undergoes Surgery For Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

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The Astros announced to reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that left-hander Bennett Sousa underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome yesterday. He will miss the entire 2024 season.

Sousa, 29 on Saturday, has only been with the Astros since September when he was claimed off waivers from the Tigers. But the club is clearly fond of him, as general manager Dana Brown said in February that Sousa likely would have made their playoff roster last year if he had been acquired prior to the September 1 eligibility cutoff date.

That strong reputation with the club would have put him in a good spot to earn a notable role in their bullpen this year but he started the season on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. It seems that further testing revealed a more specific diagnosis and the recommendation of surgery.

Sousa has 29 1/3 innings pitched in his major league career with a 7.06 earned run average in that small sample. He started 2023 with the White Sox but rode the roster carousel to the Reds, Brewers and Tigers before landing with the Astros. He tossed nine major league innings on the year with four earned runs allowed, striking out 10 and walking two. He also tossed 20 1/3 minor league innings with a 4.43 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate.

The news of the surgery and missed season is obviously tough for Sousa, but it comes with a silver lining. He’ll spend the year on the major league injured list collecting big league pay and service time, a notable thing for a guy who came into 2024 with less than a year of service. The Astros will transfer him to the 60-day IL whenever they need his roster spot for another transaction. Other than Josh Hader, the only left-handed reliever on the 40-man other than Sousa is Parker Mushinski, so perhaps the club will keep an eye on the waiver wire for southpaws.

Astros To Claim Miguel Diaz, Cooper Hummel Off Waivers

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2:05 pm: The Astros have now announced both claims. In corresponding moves, they transferred right-handers Luis Garcia Jr. and Penn Murfee to the 60-day injured list. Both pitchers underwent elbow surgery last summer and won’t be available for a few more months, at least.

12:27 pm: The Astros are set to make a pair of waiver claims. Neither has been formally announced by the club just yet, but Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that Houston is claiming right-hander Miguel Diaz off waivers from the Tigers, who’d designated him for assignment last week. Ari Alexander of KPRC-2 in Houston further reports that the ’Stros are claiming catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel, who was designated for assignment by the Giants last week.

Diaz, 29, has pitched in parts of six big league seasons — four with the Padres and two with the Tigers. He tossed 14 innings out of the Detroit ’pen in 2023, allowing just one run on eight hits and five walks with 16 strikeouts. It was a brief but dominant showing that surely enhanced his standing within the organization and gave him a chance to break camp with the 2024 club. However, Diaz struggled this spring, surrendering five runs on ten hits and five walks in 8 1/3 innings.

Originally selected by the Padres (by way of a trade with the Twins) out of the Brewers organization in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, Diaz’s big league career began in rocky fashion. That was understandable, given that San Diego carried a then-22-year-old Diaz on the roster all season after plucking him directly out of A-ball. He pitched just 66 2/3 innings in his first three seasons, logging a lowly 6.62 ERA. The Friars non-tendered him in 2019 to remove him from the 40-man roster but quickly re-signed him.

In 2021, Diaz returned to the majors with 42 effective innings out of the San Diego ’pen. Over the past three seasons, he carries a 2.87 ERA, 27.1% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 41.9% ground-ball rate in 59 2/3 innings. Diaz is out of minor league options, so he’ll head directly to the Houston bullpen as he cannot be sent to the minors without first passing through waivers. If he can demonstrate some staying power in manager Joe Espada’s bullpen, he can be controlled through the 2027 season via arbitration.

Hummel, 29, has bounced from the Mariners, to the Mets, to the Giants and now the Astros since the end of the 2023 season. He appeared in 10 MLB games last year and came to the plate 26 times with Seattle. He also received a brief look with the D-backs in 2022, and he’s posted an overall .166/.264/.286 line in 227 career plate appearances.

Ugly as that small-sample slash line may be, Hummel turned in a .262/.409/.435 batting line in Triple-A last year and drew walks at a massive 18% clip. His ability to play both catcher and corner outfield gives him a relatively uncommon brand of versatility. Hummel has logged more than 1800 innings in left field, 1054 frames behind the plate, 508 innings at first base and another 296 innings in right field. Add in that he has a minor league option remaining, and he’s an interesting depth piece even if he hasn’t yet produced at the big league level.

Justin Verlander Scheduled To Begin Rehab Assignment On Sunday

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Astros right-hander Justin Verlander began this year on the injured list but is nearing a return. Manager Joe Espada told members of the beat, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Verlander will throw a bullpen tomorrow and is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday if the bullpen goes as planned. The club believes only two rehab starts will be necessary, lining the righty up to join the major league club in about two weeks.

Rotation health has been a key focus for the Astros for quite a while now. Both Luis Garcia Jr. and Lance McCullers Jr. underwent surgery last year and are still working towards getting healthy. In the spring, each of Verlander, José Urquidy and Shawn Dubin suffered injuries that prevented them from making the Opening Day roster. In Verlander’s case, some shoulder soreness slowed his ramp-up early in spring and put him a bit behind schedule.

That left the Astros with a rotation consisting of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, JP France and Ronel Blanco. That group has been throwing well, with Blanco throwing a no-hitter on Monday, but the club is 1-5 regardless with the bullpen responsible for all five of those losses. France is currently on the paternity list but expected back with the team shortly.

The 41-year-old Verlander wasn’t quite able to replicated his 2022 Cy Young-winning form but had a strong season in 2023 nonetheless. After posting a 1.75 earned run average in 2022, that number jumped to 3.22 last year. Perhaps more concerning, his 27.8% strikeout rate fell to 21.5% while his walk rate dropped from 4.4% to 6.7%. Maintaining that excellent form was going to be a tough task, especially as Verlander pushes beyond his 40th birthday, but he managed to still post strong results.

When Verlander is back, the Astros may have to make a tricky call of who to bump out. Each of the five starters currently in the rotation has options, but Valdez and Javier are well established in the big leagues at this point. Brown has 180 innings on his major league track record now with a 4.50 ERA but better peripherals. He has struck out 26.9% of batters faced, walked 8.4% and kept 54.5% of balls in play on the ground. His 4.06 FIP and 3.65 SIERA suggest better results may be possible going forward. France has a 3.87 ERA in 142 major league innings while Blanco has a 4.14 ERA in just 67 1/3 frames but, as mentioned, he just threw a no-hitter a couple of days ago.

Verlander is in the final guaranteed year of the contract he signed with the Mets but he’ll have a $35MM player option for 2025 if he can throw 140 innings this year. As part of last year’s deadline trade, the Mets agreed to cover $35MM of Verlander’s 2023 and 2024 salaries as well as half of the player option if it vests.

AL West Notes: Verlander, García, Santos, Brash, Sasaki

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A pair of Astros starting pitchers are making progress on their way back from injuries. Justin Verlander spoke to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) after a successful batting practice session against live hitters on Monday. He believes his next step will be a minor league rehab assignment. Manager Joe Espada provided a similar update, telling Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that his ace “should be ready to go out on a rehab assignment” as long as he “comes back tomorrow feeling well.” Espada suggested Verlander would need more than one rehab appearance before he can return to the Astros, but the skipper did not provide an exact timeline for the three-time Cy Young winner’s return. Verlander has recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines this spring. Still, he needs more time to build up his arm strength before pitching in an MLB game.

Meanwhile, Luis García has begun to throw off a mound, and Espada says the righty is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a UCL injury (per Rome). The 27-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last May. While he still has plenty of work to put in before he can return to the majors, the Astros are hopeful he can rejoin the rotation by July if all goes well (per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Over 64 games (62 starts) from 2021-23, García pitched to a 3.63 ERA and 3.86 SIERA.

More news from around the AL West…

  • The Mariners received some good news today when reliever Gregory Santos’ MRI came back clean (per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times). He had been dealing with a flareup of inflammation in the strained lat that kept him out for all of spring training. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Santos needed the MRI to come back clean in order to resume his throwing program; the hard-throwing right-hander has now begun “light baseball activities” (per Jude). The Mariners have not yet provided a timeline for his return, but they are surely hoping to get him back sooner rather than later. Santos pitched to a 3.39 ERA and 3.32 SIERA in 60 games for the White Sox last season.
  • In other Mariners bullpen news, Matt Brash is making progress as he recovers from right elbow inflammation. While Mariners GM Justin Hollander would not provide an exact timeline for any of his injured arms, he suggested that Brash is the furthest along in his rehab (per Jude). Like Santos, Brash is a hard-throwing right-hander coming off a breakout year. In 78 games last season, he posted a 3.06 ERA and 2.86 SIERA, winning nine games and collecting 24 holds.
  • Eight teams recently sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki pitch in Japan. The Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, and Yankees were previously reported to be four of those clubs, and now Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reveals that a scout from the Rangers was also in attendance. That leaves three remaining mystery teams present at Sasaki’s latest starts for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Brown: Astros, Alex Bregman Will Discuss Extension “At Some Point”

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Speaking to reporters on Thursday (including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com), Astros general manager Dana Brown said that the team has not yet broached the subject of an extension with Alex Bregman. This aligns with comments Bregman made this spring, telling reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) that he had not received an offer and did not expect to before Opening Day.

However, Brown added that he still plans to discuss a new contract with his third baseman. “At some point,” the GM stated, “we will have some discussions with Bregman and make him an offer” (per McTaggart).

While there is often a long way to go between an initial offer and an agreement, this is a reassuring update for Astros fans hoping the two-time All-Star signs a long-term deal with the club. Brown made similar comments regarding Bregman ahead of spring training, which is often considered the best time for extension discussions. Although the spring has wrapped up and the season has begun, the executive’s more recent remarks clarify that the Astros are open to negotiations over the next several months. For his part, Bregman has also expressed a willingness to allow his agent, Scott Boras, to negotiate with Houston during the season (per Rome).

Bregman made back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2018 and ’19. He slashed .291/.409/.561 with 72 home runs across those two seasons, finishing in the top five in AL MVP voting each year. Leg injuries limited him to 133 games between 2020 and ’21, and although he has stayed healthy ever since, he has never quite returned to his 2018-19 form. Nonetheless, Bregman has remained a highly productive player, thanks to excellent plate discipline, plus power, and a capable glove at the hot corner. As he enters his age-30 season, he is still one of the better third basemen in the American League. With another strong showing in 2024, he will be one of the top free agents available if he hits the open market this coming winter.

Brown also told reporters that Kyle Tucker will receive an extension offer, though he noted that the two sides are not engaged in “deep discussions” (per McTaggart). The GM had previously expressed a desire to extend Tucker, but his words on Thursday suggest a further degree of certainty that the Astros will in fact make an offer. 

Tucker has blossomed into one of the better corner outfielders in baseball over the past four seasons. He won a Gold Glove in 2022, a Silver Slugger in 2023, and made the AL All-Star team both years. However, extending Tucker is less pressing business for the Astros; the right fielder won’t reach free agency until after the 2025 campaign. 

Astros Select Tayler Scott

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Right-hander Tayler Scott has made the Astros’ Opening Day roster, reports Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. He’d been in camp as a non-roster invitee but will be selected to the 40-man roster, with lefty Bennett Sousa heading to the 15-day IL and righty Lance McCullers Jr. heading to the 60-day IL to create roster space for him. McCullers is recovering from forearm surgery and was already known to be out for the early portion of the season. Sousa is dealing with shoulder inflammation.

Scott, 31, has appeared in parts of three MLB seasons, spending time with the Mariners, Orioles, Padres, Dodgers, Red Sox and A’s. He’s only pitched 46 big league innings, but Houston will still remarkably be his seventh team.

The first South African-born player in MLB history, Scott signed a minor league deal over the winter and had an excellent spring showing. In 11 innings, he notched a tidy 2.45 ERA with 10 punchouts against four walks while keeping the ball on the ground at a huge 55.2% clip.

Scott has yielded 46 runs in his 46 MLB innings, but teams have been continually drawn to his strong minor league track record and the high-end spin rate on his slider. Scott has a solid 3.83 ERA in 206 2/3 Triple-A frames, having punched out nearly 27% of his opponents against a 9.1% walk rate at that level.

Astros Claim Penn Murfee From Braves

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The Astros have claimed right-hander Penn Murfee from the Braves, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros placed righty Kendall Graveman on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Graveman is going to miss the entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery.

It was reported on Monday that Murfee was released but it seems he was actually on release waivers and had not yet cleared. Murfee, who turns 30 in May, had surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in June of last year while with the Mariners. This offseason, he was claimed off waivers by the Mets and Braves, with the latter club non-tendering him and re-signing him.

Atlanta put him on waivers this week to try to open up a roster spot but the Astros swooped in with a claim. It’s a little strange that Atlanta put him on waivers since they only have 36 players on their 40-man roster right now. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, only release waivers. Perhaps the club was hoping Murfee would clear and become a free agent, then they could re-sign him to a minor league deal, not having to give him major league pay or service time. It’s a moot point now as whatever plans Atlanta had were foiled by Houston.

The Astros have roster spots to burn, so it’s more or less a free pickup for them. As mentioned, Graveman is going to miss the entire season and was going to end up on the 60-day IL at some point. The same is true of Luis García Jr., who had Tommy John surgery in May of last year. Lance McCullers Jr. had flexor tendon surgery and is a candidate for the 60-day IL as well. Then there’s Oliver Ortega, who recently had surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow and will miss three to four months.

With all of those injuries, it’s quite easy for the Astros to claim a player and make a corresponding move and Murfee will now give them yet another player that can be moved to the 60-day IL to open up a spot in the future.

Murfee has a 2.70 career earned run average in 83 1/3 major league innings, all of those with the Mariners over the past two seasons. He struck out 27.9% of batters faced in that time while giving out walks at an 8.5% clip. Given those results, it’s understandable that so many clubs have shown interest since he lost his roster spot with Seattle.

Once healthy, he will jump into the mix for a spot in a Houston bullpen that has seen a decent amount of turnover. Héctor Neris, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek each hit free agency and signed with other clubs. Graveman’s injury further depleted the depth and spurred the Astros to make a splashy addition, signing Josh Hader. Combined with Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu, Hader gives the Astros a lethal punch for leverage spots but the relief corps isn’t as deep as it was last year.

Murfee has just under two years of service, meaning the Astros could theoretically retain him for the next five years if he returns to health and is in good form. He also has a full slate of options, giving them some roster flexibility going forward.

Ronel Blanco To Begin Season In Astros’ Rotation

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Right-hander Ronel Blanco will start the 2024 season in the Astros’ rotation, manager Joe Espada announced to the team’s beat writers last night (X link via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Blanco got the news after celebrating the birth of his daughter Tuesday and going on to fan 10 hitters in his final start of spring training — not a bad way to close out camp.

The final couple spots in Houston’s rotation have been up in the air throughout spring training due to injuries up and down the staff. The ’Stros entered camp knowing that Luis Garcia Jr. (Tommy John surgery) and Lance McCullers Jr. (flexor surgery) would start the year on the shelf. But since camp began, they’ve seen Justin Verlander slowed by shoulder discomfort, Jose Urquidy sustain a forearm strain and righty Shawn Dubin stalled by shoulder troubles of his own. That trio will join McCullers and Garcia on the injured list to begin the season. Right-hander J.P. France has also battled through shoulder problems, but he’s recovered to the point where he’ll now join Blanco in the rotation to begin the year.

Blanco, 30, didn’t even make his major league debut until his age-28 season in 2022 and only tossed 6 1/3 frames that year. He logged 52 innings of 4.50 ERA ball with the Astros in 2023, starting seven games and making another 10 relief appearances. Command woes (12.4% walk rate) and extreme susceptibility to home runs (2.08 HR/9) worked against Blanco in 2023, but neither has been an issue through his small sample of spring innings. Blanco was unscored upon in 15 2/3 frames during Cactus League play, striking out 32.7% of his opponents against a tidy 7.3% walk rate.

It’s a small sample that’s come against opposition that hasn’t entirely consisted of MLB hitters, but it’s nevertheless an encouraging trend. Blanco walked 12.6% of his opponents even in Triple-A last season, so any strides in that department are most welcome. He’ll need to demonstrate that his improved command is sustainable over a larger sample against more advanced competition, but there’s little denying that he’s earned this opportunity — outperforming alternative rotation options like swingman Brandon Bielak or non-roster prospect Spencer Arrighetti.

The Astros don’t seem to be anticipating a lengthy absence for Verlander, and if he indeed is able to return before long, that’ll create an interesting decision on whether Blanco or France retains his rotation spot. France had the stronger overall showing in 2023, emerging as an unexpectedly vital contributor who tossed 136 1/3 innings of 3.83 ERA ball. But France also wilted substantially after a hot start to the season; from Aug. 1 through season’s end, he was torched for 5.84 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. Much of that damage came in a 10-run drubbing at the hands of the Red Sox, but France was increasingly prone to walks and hard contact in the season’s final two months, even when setting aside that outlier shellacking against Boston.

The Astros will send lefty Framber Valdez to the mound for tomorrow’s Opening Day start. For the time being, he’ll be followed by Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, Blanco and France. Time will tell when or whether the Astros need to make a decision on the back end of the staff. Additional injuries could further cement Blanco and/or France among the group. In all likelihood, both France and Blanco will make their fair share of starts in 2024. Both have minor league options remaining — two for France, one for Blanco — and injuries/spot starts will necessitate utilizing far more than just five or even six starters. But at least early in the season, Blanco will get the chance to make a strong impression and show that he’s deserving of a long-term spot in a Houston rotation that has been continually dogged by injuries over the past couple years. Blanco has less than one year of big league service and can be controlled all the way through the 2029 season.

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