The Astros announced their 25 man roster yesterday, but for twenty four of the twenty five positions there was no suspense. The only decision that wasn’t already foregone was for the last spot in the bullpen for lefty reliever.
Although he had an excellent Spring, going 9.2 innings with 13 strikeouts, a 1.86 ERA, and a 0.86 WHIP, the Astros optioned hard-throwing 27 year old Reymin Guduan, and chose 25 year old Framber Valdez to stay with the team.
Valdez had been under consideration as the fifth starter, a slot he lost to Brad Peacock, and his overall performance was not as good as Guduan’s, sporting a 3.