Well, we’ve signed two more, um, veteran pitchers to minor league contracts. (info from the baseballcube.com. yahoo.com and baseballreference.com) These guys are non-roster invitees to Spring Training. Like I’ve said before, they can sign all the minor league contracts they want. We NEED filler.

Rick White, age 38, RH relief pitcher, actually played for the Stros in 03 (picked up on Aug 14 after being released by the White Sox.) He’s one of those well traveled guys who seemed to change teams every year, and I KNEW he’d been an Astro SOMEtime, I just couldn’t remember what year. I remember he was with the Pirates in 05 and I seem to remember him shutting us DOWN. Anyway, the Pirates were the organization that originally drafted him back in 1990, out of West Kentucky Community College. He was a starter in the minors, but was used mainly as a reliever when he finally made the big league club in 94. He did pretty well, too, throwing 75 innings with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.

He wasn’t quiiiiite as good the next year – as usual, too few K – and threw 55 innings – 9 GS and 6 in relief with a 4.75 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. He spent the next 2 1/2 years in the minors, then was signed by Tampa Bay as a FA in 98. Was traded to the Mets in 2000, so he’s gotten to go to a WS. Signed by the Rockies in 02, released, picked up by the Cards, did well, but wasn’t re-signed. Signed with the White Sox, sucked, was released, then signed by the Stros. Signed with the Indians in 04, sucked. Signed with Pitt in 05, had a very good year, but wasn’t re-signed. Signed with Cincy, sucked, as released, picked up by Philly, did OK.

Here are his career ML stats: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5186/career
note that he has pitched well at the Box: 3 HR, 6 BB and 24 K in 26.2 IP – 2.70 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a .245 BAA. He doesn’t give up many HR – career 0.95 HR/9 IP; 3 BB/9 IP and 5.74 K/9 IP.
ERA+ for the last 5 years: 106, 106, 77, 86, 115, 91.

IF Purpura thinks this guy is bettern Russ Springer, he’s kidding himself. IF Purpura thinks White is going to be throwing multiple innings, well, last time he threw more than 2 innings was Aug 26, 2004. He’s 38 and on his last tottering legs.

Nexxxxxxxxt

Scott Sauerbeck, age 35, RH relief pitcher.
here are his career stats: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6189/career
Picked by the Mets in the 23rd round in 1994, made it all the way to AAA by ’98, when he was picked up by the Pirates in the Rule V draft. Of course they had to put him on the big league roster, and he came through BIG, pitching 67 innings with a 2.00 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He asn’t quiiite as good the next year (4.04 ERA, 1.81 WHIP over 75.2 IP), sucked in 01 (5.60 ERA, 1.61 WHIP in 65 IP), recovered in 02 (2.30 ERA, 1.23 WHIP in 62 IP) and then was part of the infamous Mike Gonzales and Sauerbeck for Anastacio Martinez plus Brandon Lyon trade to the Red Sox where Lyon was discovered to be, um, damaged goods and was returned to the Sox and Gonzalez was returned to the Pirates.

After the fallout of the 03 Sox loss in the ALCS in which Sauerbeck was less than useless, he had surgery, missed the 04 season, then he signed as a FA with Cleveland in 05. He pitched 35 innings in 53 games (well Timmy P, don’t guess he’s gonna be this long reliever you hoping for) with a 4.04 ERA and 1.43 WHIP but was terrible last year – 13 IP over 24 games with a 6.23 ERA. He was released, picked up by Oakland and pitched 12 innings over 22 games with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. Lifetime ML – 0.72 HR/9; 5.66 BB/9 (yecccch) 9.06 K/9.

The guy has only pitched 50 innings over the last TWO years. Unless he has made some miraculous turnaround, I can’t see how he’d be the least bit useful to the Astros. But hey, it IS baseball and youneverknow…

Tags: Houston Astros, MLB

This entry was posted on Monday, February 5th, 2007 at 9:03 am and is filed under Astros baseball, Pitchers, spring training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.