The Astros have signed two more minor-league free agents (in addition to Valdez and Gonzalez from earlier today), with invitations to Spring Training.
OF Trevor Crowe
The switch-hitting Crowe, who just turned 29, was the Indians 1st Round pick (14th overall) in the 2005 draft. He has played in 205 MLB games (713 PAs) with a career .245/.295/.329 line - all with the Indians. Crowe saw the most playing time in 2010, when he played all three outfield positions and hit .251/.302/.333 with 20 stolen bases, getting thrown out seven times.
He has a career .275/.359/.393 slash line in eight seasons in the minors. In 2012, he played in 84 games (350 PAs), with a .281/.349/.397 line, 52K:34BB. He's mainly a doubles guy, hitting 19 doubles in 2012, and with more triples (4) than homers (3) last season.
Crowe was released by the Indians on July 16, 2012, and signed with the Angels on July 17 who granted Crowe free agency on November 3. Fun baseball fact time! Trevor Crowe was the 28th out in Armando Galarraga's Imperfect Game on June 2, 2010.
LHP Sergio Escalona
Familiar name alert! Escalona, 28, was acquired by the Phillies in 2011 in the Albert Cartwright trade. He last pitched in 2011 having undergone elbow surgery in early 2012 (from, what my records tell me, hyper-extending his elbow swinging a bat - which makes perfect sense for a reliever) . He was outrighted off the 40-Man roster on November 1 but, obviously, has re-signed with the Astros on a minor-league deal.
Escalona killed it against lefties in 2011, holding LHBs to a .188/.278/.313 line in 74 PAs.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
