Okay, the Astros have protected all the players they are going to protect for the upcoming Rule 5 draft. And the players added to the 40-Man roster are:
Jose Cisnero, Jarred Cosart, Robbie Grossman, Chia-Jen Lo, Brett Oberholtzer, Ross Seaton and Jonathan Villar.
We also find that the Astros lost reliever Mickey Storey to the Yankees in a waiver claim, and Scott Moore has been outrighted off the 40-Man Roster - he can elect free agency, or accept the assignment to Oklahoma City.
The 40-Man Roster now stands at 36 players, giving the Astros some flexibility as they explore trades and the Rule 5 draft. McTaggart has some reaction from those added to the 40-Man, as well as Jeff Luhnow. Moore, for one, isn't happy:
"I'm a little bit surprised by the decision, and I'm not sure if I would come back yet."
Among the surprises who were not protected were Marc Krauss, Josh Zeid, and Jason Stoffel. Luhnow says:
"We're at the point now as an organization (where) we are starting to build some depth, so you are risking losing some guys..."
The Chron's Brian Smith says the Astros have several players drawing interest from other clubs and while talks continue, nothing is imminent. He also added that the Astros aren't likely to lock up any arbitration players with long-term deals, preferring the financial flexibility that comes with going year-to-year. So, sorry Jed Lowrie, Wesley Wright, and Bud Norris.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
