Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Minor League releases

This is a tough time of year as minor-league players start to get rotated out of the system. Brian McTaggart tweeted that the Astros have released:

Jean Batista - international free agent signed in 2011. Hit .287/.307/.458 in 145 games over three seasons, and only played in 95 games over 2012/2013.

Ryan Connolly - undrafted free agent signed in June 2013. He was 1-2 with a 5.22 ERA/1.67 WHIP, with 20K:12BB in 29.1IP for Greeneville last season.

Zachary Dando - 2011 32nd Round pick. In 58 games (one start), Dando allowed a 3.56 ERA/1.25 WHIP, but only threw 101IP in three seasons between the GCL Astros, Greeneville, and Tri-City.

Alex Gillingham - Acquired from Colorado in the Wilton Lopez trade. Gillingham was the Rockies' 11th Round pick in 2011, but only threw eight innings for Lancaster in 2013.

Kyle Hallock - 2011 10th Round pick out of Kent State. Hallock made 59 appearances, everywhere from Tri-City in 2011 to Oklahoma City in 2013 with a career 5.63 ERA/1.55 WHIP. He got knocked around in Lancaster and Corpus (over 6.00 ERA in both places) before allowing 17H/8ER with 6K:8BB in 19.1IP for OKC.

Parker Hipp - undrafted free agent signed in 2013. Hit .159/.280/.190 in 24 games (75 PAs) for Greeneville in 2013.

Angel Ibanez - 2012 28th Round draft pick out of UT Pan-Am. In 93 games for Greeneville in 2012/13, Ibanez hit .256/.307/.309 with 63K:25BB in 376 PAs.

Euris Quezada - Signed as an international free agent prior to 2009. In parts of five seasons with the Astros organization (never rising above Low-A), Quezada had a 5.52 ERA/1.56 WHIP, with 138K:72BB in 190.2IP.

Blair Walters - Acquired in the Brett Myers trade with Chicago in July 2012. Walters struggled at High-A Lancaster, posting a 7.37 ERA/1.79 WHIP in parts of two seasons. He did pitch one game for OKC, allowed 4H/2ER, 4K:3BB in 4.1IP.


Blair Walters: