Rockies, Astros Deal Arms, Legs
The Colorado Rockies have traded right-handers Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio to the Houston Astros for center fielder Willy Taveras and right-handers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsh.
Jennings, a native Texan, is coming off his best season in the big leagues. He posted a very respectable 3.78 ERA over 212 innings despite pitching half his games at Coors Field. Just 28 years old, Jennings should be entering his physical prime and give the Astros a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter. Asencio, the other pitcher headed to Houston, is 26 years old and has a 5.12 ERA over parts of three seasons.
Coming to Denver, Taveras is a speedy outfielder who doesn’t get on base much or steal as many bases as you might expect from a guy that fast. He’s probably more of a fourth outfielder type, but he’s young (turns 25 on Christmas Day) and fast, so he’ll get folks more excited than they have a right to be. You know the saying: speed kills.
As for the pitchers, Buchholz is a 25-year-old who bombed in his first shot with the Astros in 2006. Originally drafted by the Phillies, and part of the package that sent Billy Wagner to Philadelphia in 2003, Buccholz should compete for a spot in the Colorado rotation.
The same can be said of Hirsh. The 25-year-old posted strong numbers in the minor leagues last year but was pounded in a brief stint with the Astros. Particularly alarming, given his new home park, are the 11 homers he coughed up in just 44 2/3 innings. This is a small sample and could be a fluke, but it isn’t the sort of statistic that inspires much confidence.
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