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12-17-2002, 07:28 AM
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/hou/news/hou_news.jsp?ymd=20021216&content_id=186770&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp
Astros take two, lose two in Rule 5
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
The Houston Astros lost two players and gained two in Monday's Rule 5 draft in Nashville, one of the final items of business of the 2002 Winter Meetings.
The Astros selected right-hander Andres Astacio from the Dodgers in the Triple-A phase of the draft. They also took left-hander Nathan Bland from the New York Mets later in the round, selecting both players on behalf of its Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans.
Astacio, 22, was 5-5 with one save and a 3.87 ERA over 31 games (10 starts) for Class A South Georgia in '02. He was originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 19, 1999. Astacio has a career record of 18-14 with a 3.64 ERA in 78 games (45 starts).
Astros Assistant GM Tim Purpura said the club has had its eye on Astacio for a while and has been impressed with the young righty.
"He has a fastball in the low 90s, a good curveball, a decent change and he's working on a slider," Purpura said. "He keeps the ball down and he pitches inside, which we liked."
Purpura added that the Astros had a plan in place to replenish their system with more pitchers.
"With the number of young pitchers that we traded this year, we thought we'd stockpile with more arms," he said.
Bland was 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA over 15 relief appearances for the New York Mets' Double-A affiliate in Binghamton last season. Drafted by the Dodgers in 1993, he was signed by New York on July 16, 2002. He has a career minor league record of 40-38 with a 3.88 ERA over 174 games (90 starts).
Bland missed all of 2001 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but Purpura feels the lefty "might just now be coming into his own." The fact that the Mets re-signed Bland immediately after he became a six-year free agent this year led the Astros to believe that he was likely healthy.
"That gave us a pretty good feeling," Purpura said.
The Astros lost Double-A Round Rock infielder Aneudi Cuevas to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the Triple-A phase of the draft. Another Express infielder, Jason Maule, was selected by the Yankees. Cuevas batted .250 (29-for-116) for the Astros' short season Class A affiliate in Tri-City in 2002 before jumping to Class A Lexinton, where he batted .355 (11-for-31) over eight games.
Maule batted .263 (45-for-171) over 76 games for the Express in '02.
In the Rule 5 draft, teams that have room on their 40-man rosters can select prospects left unprotected by other clubs. A player who is 18 when he's signed can spend four seasons in an organization before he has to be protected on the 40-man roster. Anyone who is 19 or older must be protected after three years.
At the Major League level, it costs $50,000 to select a player. The player must stay on the 25-man roster all season, or be offered back to the original club for half the original fee.
Astros take two, lose two in Rule 5
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
The Houston Astros lost two players and gained two in Monday's Rule 5 draft in Nashville, one of the final items of business of the 2002 Winter Meetings.
The Astros selected right-hander Andres Astacio from the Dodgers in the Triple-A phase of the draft. They also took left-hander Nathan Bland from the New York Mets later in the round, selecting both players on behalf of its Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans.
Astacio, 22, was 5-5 with one save and a 3.87 ERA over 31 games (10 starts) for Class A South Georgia in '02. He was originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 19, 1999. Astacio has a career record of 18-14 with a 3.64 ERA in 78 games (45 starts).
Astros Assistant GM Tim Purpura said the club has had its eye on Astacio for a while and has been impressed with the young righty.
"He has a fastball in the low 90s, a good curveball, a decent change and he's working on a slider," Purpura said. "He keeps the ball down and he pitches inside, which we liked."
Purpura added that the Astros had a plan in place to replenish their system with more pitchers.
"With the number of young pitchers that we traded this year, we thought we'd stockpile with more arms," he said.
Bland was 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA over 15 relief appearances for the New York Mets' Double-A affiliate in Binghamton last season. Drafted by the Dodgers in 1993, he was signed by New York on July 16, 2002. He has a career minor league record of 40-38 with a 3.88 ERA over 174 games (90 starts).
Bland missed all of 2001 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but Purpura feels the lefty "might just now be coming into his own." The fact that the Mets re-signed Bland immediately after he became a six-year free agent this year led the Astros to believe that he was likely healthy.
"That gave us a pretty good feeling," Purpura said.
The Astros lost Double-A Round Rock infielder Aneudi Cuevas to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the Triple-A phase of the draft. Another Express infielder, Jason Maule, was selected by the Yankees. Cuevas batted .250 (29-for-116) for the Astros' short season Class A affiliate in Tri-City in 2002 before jumping to Class A Lexinton, where he batted .355 (11-for-31) over eight games.
Maule batted .263 (45-for-171) over 76 games for the Express in '02.
In the Rule 5 draft, teams that have room on their 40-man rosters can select prospects left unprotected by other clubs. A player who is 18 when he's signed can spend four seasons in an organization before he has to be protected on the 40-man roster. Anyone who is 19 or older must be protected after three years.
At the Major League level, it costs $50,000 to select a player. The player must stay on the 25-man roster all season, or be offered back to the original club for half the original fee.