The Astros are including left-hander Colton Gordon to their 40-man roster, experiences Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X hyperlink). The 6’4″ southpaw would in any other case have been eligible for subsequent month’s Rule 5 draft. Houston has one further opening on the 40-man roster, so it’s potential they’ll make one other transfer earlier than tonight’s deadline to maintain gamers out of the Rule 5.
Gordon was an eighth-round choose in 2021. The Central Florida product has discovered success as a starter within the minors. He owns a 3.74 ERA in slightly greater than 300 skilled innings. Gordon managed a 3.94 mark throughout 123 1/3 frames with Triple-A Sugar Land this yr. He struck out a strong 23.8% of opponents whereas issuing walks at a good 7.5% clip.
Prospect evaluators have by no means graded Gordon particularly extremely. Baseball America has ranked him within the again half of their high 30 prospects in a skinny Astros’ system for the final two years. Gordon doesn’t throw laborious and had a middling 9.7% swinging strike fee in Triple-A. That limits his ceiling, however beginning pitchers with higher minors success are sometimes plucked away within the Rule 5 draft. The Astros make sure that gained’t occur with Gordon, who might make his massive league debut as a spot starter or lengthy reliever subsequent season.
