Duffy will be served more of an opportunity somewhere else. Just too many CIF bats that are better than him at this point here.
Duffy and Fontana had some positional value as depth coming into the season, but with Valbuena's good year, Gurriels signing, and Bregman's rapid ascension combined with their own poor years, it does feel highly unlikely they will make any impact on this team. Even Danny Worth has moved himself ahead in the pecking order as emergency depth.
The report hasn't been posted to Baseball Prospectus yet, but here's another guy who saw Thornton recently. Bobby DeMuro writes for Today's Knuckleball. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Really like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> RHP prospect Trent Thornton, shows pretty good stuff: <a href="https://t.co/zWvrSJuJpm">https://t.co/zWvrSJuJpm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AstrosFuture">@AstrosFuture</a> <a href="https://t.co/TMri7GzrgR">pic.twitter.com/TMri7GzrgR</a></p>— Bobby DeMuro (@BobbyDeMuro) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyDeMuro/status/754401743060873216">July 16, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Might have a deal brewing for Duffy already, we have what a week to trade him before he would get his outright release?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Teoscar Hernandez with a homer to the left-center gap! His third in Triple-A, and the Grizzlies are on the board. Trail NOLA 4-1 top 7.</p>— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) <a href="https://twitter.com/FresnoGrizzlies/status/754478210121728000">July 17, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jose Luis Hernandez, in the 2nd game of a doubleheader for Quad Cities: 6 IP, 5 H, 13 K The 13 strikeouts represent a new career high for Hernandez. Quad Cities is leading Lake County 2-0.
These are his numbers since the beginning of June, including tonight: 8 appearances (7 starts), 45 IP, 35 H (1 HR allowed), 6 R (3 earned), 4 BB, 52 K, 0.60 ERA, 0.88 WHIP
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bregman Bombs! Alex Bregman with his 6th HR in just his 12th Triple-A game, and it's 1-0 Grizzlies, top 4! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSU?src=hash">#LSU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GeauxGrizzlies?src=hash">#GeauxGrizzlies</a></p>— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) <a href="https://twitter.com/FresnoGrizzlies/status/754796510772985856">July 17, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<iframe src='http://www.milb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=939062183&width=400&height=224&property=milb' width='400' height='224' frameborder='0'>Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
Does that mean he has his work visa already? I know that you can do some things, like working out, but cannot do actual things, like getting paid to play, until the government says so. Just curious, but it's also an important thing. There have been stupid hangups before, mostly with Caribbean guys who you couldn't verify a birth certificate/DOB (everyone but Cubans, to be honest, Castro did make the trains run on time).
You're right, I got a bit too excited seeing him listed on a roster and forgot about the work visa part. He might be listed on the GCL roster, but I imagine that he's just there to work out.
So... Greeneville just beat Bluefield 5-4 in 20 innings, thanks to Abraham Toro's RBI single. Both teams had a runner thrown out at home plate in the 18th. The Appy Astros' pitchers recorded 34 strikeouts in the game. Devin Raftery, an undrafted free agent from Nova Southeastern, pitched 3 innings, and 8 of the 9 outs he recorded were strikeouts. After this outing, he now has 20 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Those towns do exist, I promise.
I just realized it, and I can't believe nobody else has said anything about it: Fresno at Round Rock, 4 game series, Mon-Thurs. Austin, this is your chance to see the Golden Boy (and the rest of the team) before you have to drive to Houston to do it. I'll be there early for BP on Tuesday.
