The Astros have signed 30-year old righty starter/reliever Clay Hensley. Hensley will likely get to compete for a spot in the starting rotation for the Astros in 2009. He pitched in 32 games (1 start) for the Padres in 2008 and he was 1-2 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. He has now pitched in 106 games (40 starts) in his major league career and he is 15-18 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. This was a good low risk/high reward signing for the Astros as Hensley is a decent pitcher.

The Astros decided to not tender 31-year old righty swinging 3B Ty Wigginton a contract. He played in 111 games for the Astros last season and he was 110 for 386 (.285 avg, .876 OPS) with 50 runs scored, 23 homers and 58 RBIs. He has now played in 784 games in his major league career and he is 734 for 2,715 (.270 avg, .790 OPS) with 350 runs scored, 111 homers and 384 RBIs. This was a move designed to just save money for the Astros as they will have a problem replacing Wigginton’s production at 3B in 2009.

The Astros selected 24-year old lefty reliever Gil de la Vara in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in 45 games (1 start) in A + AA ball last year and he was 6-3 with 4 saves, a 3.27 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. de la Vara might win a job in the bullpen for the Astros because he’s good at missing bats as he only allowed 56 hits in 77 innings last season.

The Astros have acquired 26-year old righty swinging catcher Lou Palmisano in the Rule 5 Draft. He played in 27 games in A + rookie ball last season and he was 30 for 101 (.297 avg, .788 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 2 homers and 9 RBIs. This is a good risk for the Astros who need help at catcher big time. I would not be totally surprised if Palmisano is the starting catcher for the Astros in 2009. This was a outstanding move for the Astros.

The Astros have traded 24-year old righty swinging outfielder Jordan Parraz to the Royals to complete the Tyler Lumsden trade. Parraz was the #18 prospect in the Astros’ minor league system heading into the 2008 season. Parraz played in 114 games in A-ball last season and he was 123 for 425 (.289 avg, .818 OPS) with 82 runs scored, 6 homers, 42 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. This could be a trade that eventually works out for both teams.