Brian McTaggart says that the Astros have signed IF Brian Dopirak and RHP Sammy Gervacio to minor-league contracts with invitations to Major-League Spring Training.
Dopirak will be 27 next week, and was the Cubs' 2nd Round pick in 2002. He was in Triple-A Las Vegas in part of 2009 and all of 2010, hitting .296/.331/.476 in 138 games at Triple-A.
Over the course of nine minor-league seasons, Dopirak has hit .280/.336/.484, with 770K:271BB, 371 extra-base hits, and 596 RBI.
He's a first-baseman, which is interesting, as he'll either be IF6 or in Triple-A (or cut, I suppose). And isn't Koby going to be at Triple-A? Or Brett Wallace? Still, it doesn't hurt anything to give him a shot, and see if he can replicate his 25+ HR power (as he has done in three seasons, most recently in 2009 between AA-AAA).
And you know all about Slammin' Sammy Gervacio.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
