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Astros ink former Braves reliever to bolster pen
Astros ink former Braves reliever to bolster pen

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Astros ink former Braves reliever to bolster pen

The post Astros ink former Braves reliever to bolster pen appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Houston Astros have made another decisive move in the midst of a tight 2025 AL West race, announcing the signing of right-handed reliever Enyel De Los Santos to a major-league contract. With a Houston bullpen taxed by injuries and high-leverage innings, the front office is betting on De Los Santos to be the latest arm to step up as the playoff push heats up. The news became official when The Athletic's Chandler Rome took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to report the signing, confirming that the 29-year-old reliever will join the team in New York for the New York Yankees series Friday night. In a corresponding move, the club optioned Nick Hernandez to Triple-A and designated Luis Contreras for assignment, clearing roster space for the new arrival. 'The Astros have signed reliever Enyel De Los Santos to a major-league deal. He'll join the team in New York tomorrow. Nick Hernandez was optioned and Luis Contreras was DFAd to clear spots on the 26 and 40-man rosters.' Houston's interest in the reliever comes after his recent stint with the Atlanta Braves, where he posted a 3-3 record with a 4.53 ERA and 38 strikeouts across 43 appearances during the 2025 season. Although Atlanta let him go last week, De Los Santos brings intriguing upside to Houston. His fastball hits 96 mph, and his slider has proven tough for hitters to handle. With the team looking to add more power to their bullpen in a close AL West race, the reliever's skill set could be exactly what the team needs down the stretch. This marks De Los Santos' eighth MLB team, having previously pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Braves, and now the Astros. The right-hander's journey has been anything but linear, bouncing across the league since his debut. His best stretch came with the Guardians from 2022-23, when he posted a 3.18 ERA in 120 appearances. Consistency has been an issue—short, rocky stints with the Padres, Yankees, and White Sox included a tough 14.21 ERA with New York in 2024. Still, Houston's knack for reviving overlooked arms makes this a classic low-risk, high-upside move. As of Thursday night, the Astros lead the AL West at 64-51, clinging to a narrow advantage over the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. With the playoffs looming, Houston's strategy of plucking value from the waiver wire after the trade deadline is on full display. If De Los Santos finds his footing, he could be pivotal for late-inning depth and crucial October innings, taking pressure off key arms. The Astros have captured seven American League West crowns over the past decade and are eyeing an eighth in nine years. The journeyman reliever agreed to the deal on an off day and will be ready for the team's upcoming series against one of his former clubs, the Yankees. If the coaching staff can unlock his best, he could quickly become the latest bullpen surprise in Houston—an arm that might make the difference in another tight AL West race where every out matters. Related: Yankees part ways with pitcher ahead of Astros series Related: Astros rumors: Yordan Alvarez injury return sees 'light at end of tunnel'

Astros' Yordan Alvarez takes big step toward injury return
Astros' Yordan Alvarez takes big step toward injury return

Yahoo

time27-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Astros' Yordan Alvarez takes big step toward injury return

The post Astros' Yordan Alvarez takes big step toward injury return appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Houston Astros may lead the American League West by five games, but they are dealing with injury trouble at the moment. Houston received an encouraging Yordan Alvarez update on Friday, however, via Chandler Rome of The Athletic. 'Yordan Alvarez is swinging again,' Rome wrote on X, formerly Twitter, before providing a number of other important Astros updates. 'Chas McCormick has been reinstated from the IL and Kenedy Corona was optioned. Spencer Arrightetti and Cristian Javier headed to Double-A Corpus Christi this week. Luis Garcia is going to Single-A Fayetteville. Jeremy Peña is in Florida.' Alvarez is dealing with right hand inflammation. The Astros — who play the Seattle Mariners this weekend — will closely monitor his status. The fact that Alvarez is swinging a bat is especially encouraging given the fact that he is battling a hand injury. Alvarez has been limited to 29 games played during the '25 season because of injuries. During that time, the 28-year-old has slashed just .210/.306/.340 to go along with a .646 OPS and three home runs. Although those numbers are far from ideal, Alvarez features the talent of a serious MVP candidate. He made three consecutive All-Star teams from 2022-2024 and finished within the top 10 of AL MVP voting twice during that span, even earning a third place finish in 2022. At 56-40, the Astros hold a five-game lead over the 51-45 Mariners in the AL West. The Astros-Mariners three-game weekend series is certainly important given the standings. A Mariners' sweep would instantly place Seattle back in serious contention for the division lead. An Astros sweep would lead to an extremely convincing division advantage, though. Friday night's first pitch is scheduled for 10:10 PM EST in Seattle as the Astros look to get the job done on the road. As for Yordan Alvarez, updates will continue to be provided on his injury status as they are made available. Related: 1 Fatal flaw Houston Astros must address before 2025 MLB trade deadline Related: Astros manager Joe Espada gets real on team's standing despite mounting injuries

Astros trade deadline: Answering 9 key questions, plus potential All-Stars and more
Astros trade deadline: Answering 9 key questions, plus potential All-Stars and more

New York Times

time24-06-2025

  • Sport
  • New York Times

Astros trade deadline: Answering 9 key questions, plus potential All-Stars and more

During a wide-ranging live Q&A with The Athletic subscribers Monday, Chandler Rome discussed the Houston Astros' culture, the recent return of Jon Singleton, which players might make the All-Star team and many other topics. But, unsurprisingly, most of the questions centered on how the team will approach the July 31 trade deadline. Advertisement Here are highlights from Monday's live discussion: nine answers to key Astros trade deadline questions, along with Chandler's thoughts on extending their best young players and why the team has been so successful since 2015. To see answers to many more Astros questions, read the full Q&A. (Note: Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length.) Dana Brown keeps talking about a left-handed bat. What do you think are realistic options that the Astros could 'afford' in terms of prospect capital? — Mat S. The trade deadline is still almost six weeks away, Mat. It's difficult to even know who is really available, which is why I tend to avoid listing specific names. However, if the Orioles are open for business, Ryan O'Hearn and Cedric Mullins are rental left-handed bats that make a lot of sense. If the Mets make former top prospect Brett Baty available, he could be an intriguing option, especially with his upside and ability to play second base. The White Sox's Mike Tauchman is a left-handed-hitting outfielder having a nice year on a horrible team. Ditto for the Rockies' Mickey Moniak, a man who once went first in the draft. Dana Brown does love taking chances on first-round picks with high upside. Jake Meyers has been somewhat of a revelation this season, right? I know it is foolish to speculate even still a month-plus out, but if you were to play armchair GM, would you sell high on his stock? Or do we think this is for real/here to stay? — Seth H. Hey, Seth. If the Astros must trade off the major-league roster, no player may have a higher value than Meyers. He is cost-controlled — making just $2.3 million this season — and has two more seasons before reaching free agency. All other teams have access to Baseball Savant and can look at Meyers' career numbers, so they understand this is an outlier season. But the Gold Glove-caliber defense has been a constant. So has his elite sprint speed. There is value there. Whether it is enough to warrant Brown parting with him is another story. Advertisement What major-league players do you see as potential trade chips since our minor-league system is near the bottom? — Winston B. We've already discussed Meyers, but Chas McCormick is another obvious chip who could benefit from a change of scenery. If the Astros really need to pare payroll, Mauricio Dubón and Victor Caratini are options, but it's difficult to envision either man being traded for a rental or marginal addition. Do you get the sense that the Astros are confident in their existing starting pitching depth (most of them being currently on the IL), to the point where they may not target a SP at the deadline? — Arbiter A. I get the sense that it is very much in a holding pattern. If each of Lance McCullers Jr., Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, J.P. France and Cristian Javier return on schedule and at peak effectiveness, the Astros aren't going to prioritize starting pitching at the deadline. Few things about this team's return-to-play procedure or baseball's pitching rehab in general suggest that outcome will happen, so the team's front office is keeping all options open. More will be known within the next three weeks, when it's possible all five of these pitchers could either be back to facing hitters or back in the major-league rotation. Are there simply no extensions being discussed or on the offseason agenda for the Astros — Hunter Brown, Jeremy Peña or Cam Smith would be the prime candidates, I'd assume — or is Dana Brown keeping those thoughts way more private than he used to? — Reuben M. The time to extend Hunter Brown and Peña has passed, Reuben. Brown had interest in an extension two springs ago, but the team never reciprocated. Earlier this season, Peña acknowledged that playing for one franchise his entire career is something that intrigues him, but given the season he is putting together, it would be foolish for him to sign anything long term. Hiring Scott Boras as his agent Monday only heightens the likelihood Peña will test free agency, and Brown left Ballengee Group for the Boras Corp. after a breakout 2024 season. Cam Smith is a fascinating case. Logic suggests Houston should've pursued something long term before the season began — a la Kristian Campbell — but those conversations never took place. Smith is still the sort of player Houston should prioritize in extension talks, much like the Braves did while Dana Brown worked there. Since being in Houston, Brown has shown few signs of repeating their strategy. Advertisement Why Jon Singleton? I know he's a left-handed bat, but hasn't his time passed? He plays one position, and Christian Walker isn't going anywhere. They just activated Taylor Trammell, and Yordan Alvarez should show up sometime this season. I do like moving Meyers for a good left-handed outfield bat like Ryan O'Hearn (RF/1B) — Gregory R. They needed an insurance policy and Singleton is a known commodity. Re-signing him really just accentuates how little position player depth the Astros have at the upper minor leagues. Look at their major-league bench right now: Cooper Hummel, Luis Guillorme and Taylor Trammell — three players brought in from outside the organization on minor-league deals. It's a direct reflection of a dearth of depth Dana Brown must address, perhaps as early as next month's draft. The Astros have the best record in baseball in June (14-6), if I'm remembering correctly, while they're playing players like Cooper Hummel and Luis Guillorme. What do you see as some of the biggest reasons for their recent success? Is it a soft schedule? Good luck? Their knack for developing pitchers? Something else? — Eric S. All of the above. Sixteen of their 20 games this month have been against the Pirates, Athletics, White Sox, Angels and Twins. All of those teams are under .500. Houston is doing what a good team should against a slew of bad ones. Only the Cleveland Guardians have a lower team ERA in June than the Astros, which is the biggest factor in their performance. Who do you think will make the All-Star team? I see Bobby Witt Jr. a lot but I think Peña has played better. I also think Jake deserves to be in the outfield. What about Isaac Paredes at 3B? Pitchers are easy with Brown and Josh Hader. I think the Astros will have four All-Stars: Peña, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Hader. Starters are always easy to sneak into the game because so many will pitch on Saturday or Sunday before the break and, therefore, be unavailable for the All-Star Game. It's why I think both Brown and Valdez will get in. Paredes is deserving but may get squeezed out in a crowded group of position players. Beyond Jose Altuve, what do you think are the biggest factors in the Astros maintaining a winning, positive clubhouse and organizational culture even as we've seen foundational players leave year after year? Are other players like Peña and Dubón setting a positive example and modeling a strong work ethic? How much has manager Joe Espada contributed? Is it someone or something else I'm missing? The Boston drama has really brought this to light in comparison. — Anonymous U. It's hard for me to articulate. I've been around them in this capacity for eight years and have more access to them than most — but I'm still not around them near enough to lay out a definitive reason. Culture is something that's hard to define, but the Astros have it. Altuve is the main character and catalyst. Maybe the best way to distill it is this: Players who come from other organizations always marvel at how welcoming Houston's clubhouse is. There are few cliques and very little separation between the haves and have-nots. Players have said there is an unspoken understanding that anyone who walks in is immediately accepted. There are few rules but an expectation to work hard and put the team first. (Top photo of Jose Altuve and Jake Meyers: Sergio Estrada / Getty Images)

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