It came as a bit of a shock to see that the Houston Astros had designated relief pitcher Ryan Weiss for assignment after he was picked up just this offseason after he posted a 2.87 ERA in the 30 starts in the KBO League.
The Astros signed him cheaply, $2.6 million, and he made his debut just this season. Granted, it didn't go well, but nobody had been pitching great for Houston, so seeing him DFA after only 26 innings in the major leagues was hard to comprehend.
However, Weiss wasn't picked up and ended up clearing waivers. Instead of electing free agency, he decided to stay within the organization and go pitch in Triple-A Sugarland . His four-seamer is strong at 95 MPH, so with some time working solely on command, he could be a vital asset.
It is also important to note that Weiss had been used as a starter and/or bulk reliever, which isn't necessarily the pressure that a rookie can handle. Weiss definitely did not, as he struck out 30 in those innings, but walked 20.
One would have hoped that Weiss's first trips to the big leagues would have gone much better, but this spring, he showed the organization stuff that they really liked, and seeing him stay within the ballclub is the right move for Weiss.
Astros starting pitcher Mike Burrows (50) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
It has been painful to see Houston somewhat waste the season that Yordan Alvarez is having seemingly because their defense and pitching staff cannot keep runs off the board, which has been low-lighted by not one, but multiple pitchers.
Lance McCullers
Now, all four pitchers listed above have ERA's climbing over 6.00, which doesn't pair well with their ace, Hunter Brown, having missed most of the season with an injury of his own. The starting rotation has been begging for stability, but that has come from only Spencer Arrighetti .
With Brown finally returning, the team has announced that Burrows will be moved into the bullpen for the time being. But if he pitches the way he has all year, he will quickly be optioned back to Sugar Land alongside Weiss.
The Astros have a monster of an offense because when they get hot, they are not losing games. But when the ballclub doesn't score 5+ runs, the game is more often than not marked as an L. If there is any hope for a postseason birth, this pitching staff needs a lot of improvement.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/astros/onsi as Astros Keep Ryan Weiss in Organization After Waiver Decision .
