Last spring, Dan Straily reported to the Houston Astros camp expecting to compete for the rotation. After spending most of 2015 with the Triple-A Grizzlies, the team didn’t appear patient with him. The rotation had several options, so the Astros wanted to give him an opportunity somewhere else to make the MLB team.
Jeff Luhnow thought highly of Straily, which is why he was included in the Dexter Fowler trade. With Evan Gattis nursing an injury, they needed a catcher to start the season. The Padres needed a starting pitcher, and they had an extra catcher in Erik Kratz.