Unless there is something that happened that doesn't show up on the boxscore, he appears to be ready for call-up. It will be nice to have him back.
The Astros farm, which entered the season ranked in the bottom 5 of the league by most pundits, graduated these prospects in 2021: C Garrett Stubbs 1B Taylor Jones OF Chas McCormick OF Jake Meyers SP Luis Garcia RP Bryan Abreu It also sent out Bryan De La Cruz to acquire a major league reliever (Toro and Straw were graduated so not technically prospects). This isn’t a farm that was heavy in upper level prospects either. Next year is very likely to graduate these prospects: RHP Tyler Ivey RHP Peter Solomon SS Jeremy Pena With many others (the majority of their projected AAA pitching staff, plus potentially Korey Lee and Pedro Leon, among others) having a chance to graduate as well. This farm is not elite because it doesn’t feature a Bregman/Correa/Tucker level prospect, but it’s depth and plain productivity gives plenty of reason to label it an average or even above average system.
Anyone seen or read anything about Misael Tamarez lately? Strikeout rate has stayed great in his last 33 innings, but he's barely walking anyone now. Found this video embedded in the tweet below: Fastball is overpowering hitters. Can't tell much on the shape of the change or the slider from the camera.
Any thoughts on Jose Siri or Marty Costes? Both guys are having a great season and putting up some impressive #'s. They are both older prospects for sure. Siri is doing it with speed, power and average. Costes is getting on base at an incredible clip and hasn't slowed down.
Tamarez (autocorrect keeps going to Tamales) starting getting some velocity hype in instructs. His stock is def pointing up. That group of international pitchers in A/A+ will be fun to watch next season as they get out of Asheville. Jimenez, Tamarez, Taveras, De Paula, Jaquez, Robaina, and Melendez should all be in Corpus by the end of next season and they all have pretty high upside. Further down there’s another group: Tokar, Betances, Rodriguez, Vega, Calderon, Garcia, Ramirez, and Bellozo all could be worth tracking. Astros just keep pumping them out; it’s truly amazing.
Siri strikes out too much to be a viable prospect at this point. He may end up reaching the majors and might even carve out a career as a 4th OF but it is very unlikely that he sustains performance as an everyday or star player. He is a minor league free agent after the season so with the depth Houston has I assume he will move on. Costes has surprised me, as he has been better in AAA than I expected but also has not developed defensively like I thought he would. He is 70 pa into AAA and has walked as much as he’s struck out, which is a great sign, but he is not hitting for enough power to make himself a real prospect. At this point unless he takes a big step forward in terms of power or defensive ability, he is probably a guy who tops out as a AAAA bench bat. I have wished they’d convert him to 2B although I assume that’s something they’ve explored in the complex and it didn’t take. Costes’ statistical hitting profile closely resembles Tony Kemp. So at this point he’s RHH Tony Kemp without the speed and ability to play CF and 2B.
A lot can change by April, but I anticipate the Astros will be open to moving him, especially if he pitches well down the stretch. Odorizzi is a guy you get to help you get to the playoffs, and then don't use him in a competitive playoff game.... that is something that the Astros really don't need. Maybe the Astros can move him for a low level prospect and financial relief or perhaps they deal him for a reliever or SS under contract.
This. I think the farm system at this very minute is an above average system. They lack a top prospect but they have a number of useful players and some guys that could develop into more than useful but into starters and maybe even a tier 1 starter with some luck. When it is all said and done I wouldn't be surprised if the actual production from this group is top 5 system.... BUT I get not ranking it that high because it lacks the ceiling of 10-15 systems.... even though maybe only 5 of those 15 systems produce close to what they are capable of.
I think both could potentially be useful players and even get playing time in the majors down the line, but they are going to be log jammed in the Astros organization. The Astros have better options in the big leagues and in the lower minors there are players with a higher upside. I think they will possibly be dealt for a position of need down the line or be a minor part of a bigger deal. A lot of teams cannot produce the type of depth the Astros do, so they are of value (limited) to other teams....
Castro seeking a 2nd opinion is not a good sign. Papierski is an underrated prospect. He has confounded me because it’s odd that a guy who is 6’3” 230 lbs who doesn’t strike out much can’t hit for power. But even without power he has a solid defensive reputation at C and can also handle 1B quite well, which combined with his ability to get on base makes him project for a long career as a backup, even if it’s unlikely he will be much more than that.
Yainer Diaz is 3-3 with a three-run homer (11) in the second game of Asheville's doubleheader with Greenville. Wilyer Abreu hit two solo homers in the first game, which originally started on July 18. He now has nine homers after that game was made official. He's had a respectable year, but it's also a product of his ballpark (.273/.386/.527, 7 HR at home, .220/.308/.297, 2 HR on the road). Abreu is likely going to be lost in the glut of outfielders now that Sandle/Hamilton/Loperfido are right behind him, Brewer and Daniels are on his level and more likely to be considered prospects, in addition to Costes/Siri/Adolph being ahead of him.
Diosmerky Taveras got the win in his Asheville debut as he allowed a run on four hits, walked two, and struck out four in four innings of work in game two of the Tourists' doubleheader.
I think Diaz has performed to the point that he is an extreme risk to be chosen in the Rule 5 draft if not protected. He can be hidden pretty easily on a rebuilding team as a backup or 3rd catcher. His upside is just too high to risk losing him.
I would protect him.... but I also am not willing to proclaim him anything more than an interesting prospect at this point. He is 23 years old and is in A+ for the first time in his career. I know the Astros made some simple mechanical changes, and the results are positive.... but I want to see what he does in AA before I view him as anything but an interesting prospect.
Because of the pandemic I am buying the numbers more this season, who knows how Diaz (like Meyers) would have been viewed as a prospect and what level he would be at if he had played in 2020. To me it seems likely he would have taken care of the lower levels and started this season in AA getting major hype. I am not all in on him as a major/elite prospect either; I want to see how he does in AA and if he keeps playing C. But I would rank him in Houston’s top 15 prospects and definitely protect him.
Shay Whitcomb went 3-4 with a couple of doubles and scored twice in Asheville's 4-0 win in Greenville. He's two home runs away from a 20-20 year in his pro debut, which is nice. I think he'll be a major leaguer, but he'll really need to cut down on his 30% strikeout rate quite a bit. I think he could start in Corpus next year which should be a very big test for him. I don't know what it means or how significant this really is, but Whitcomb has hit much worse at home since moving up to Asheville (.855 OPS on the road, .692 at home). Mark Moclair walked one and struck out four over the final three innings to earn the save for the Tourists. Other than an awful July, he's held his own in Lancaster East and has probably made a case (I didn't say a good case, just a case) to move up to Corpus in 2022. I like him but I also realize that 10 walks per 9 innings = non-prospect. If he somehow gets it down to 4.5-5 without having his K/9 rate take a big hit, he might get himself to the end of the fringe line. He might have a pretty short leash if he starts out in Corpus Christi next year.
