New Faces in the 40-Man Roster

Now that baseball is back, I was taking a closer look at the Astros 40-man roster and noticing some unfamiliar names. There were quite a few depth pieces added during the offseason, and I wanted to see who is most likely to break camp and stay with the team long-term. I took particular note of those who were NOT Astros prospects. Here are three players we traded for cash or claimed off waivers this offseason:

Rylan Bannon (3B/2B)

A natural third baseman with good range, Bannon was signed by the Dodgers but quickly found his way into the Baltimore system. He bounced between AA and AAA before finally breaking to the majors in 2022. However, it was not enough to impress management, and he was DFA'd in August.

In a bizarre scenario, the Dodgers pick him off waivers and then DFA him again four days later without ever adding him to the roster. Maybe they were trying to trade him? He ends up with the Braves, who don't use him for any major league games because their other young talent was excelling.

Now at age 26, this is make it or break it time for Bannon. The bat is the tool that needs to be improved, and I know the Astros will look to unlock some power. At best, he is gunning for Hensley or Dubon's spot. At worst, he is another Niko Goodrum.

Matt Gage (RP)

This guy has been around the block. Drafted by the Giants and then traded to the Mets, where he reached Triple-A level in 2018. He then elected free agency and signed with the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican league, playing there in 2019 and for an independent league club during the pandemic.

The Dbacks sign him to a minor league deal in 2021 and make him a pure reliever. He still posts a high ERA in the minors, but other metrics such as K/BB ratio improve. Blue Jays call him to the majors in 2022 and he has a stellar year. 1.38 ERA in 11 major league appearances.

In 2022, he was throwing two pitches: a "boring" 94mph fastball and a high 80s cutter. The cutter is his best pitch, and he locates it really well. From the limited sample of other pitches, it seems like one of his issues is slider command. The Astros are pretty good at fixing that.

Why did the Blue Jays drop him? They signed Chad Green and had no room on the roster. I think if Gage can improve his slider and add that to last year's formula, he could be a huge steal for us. Or he could be a cheap dud.

Bligh Madris (OF/1B)

A Pirates prospect through and through, Madris has accelerated through the ranks despite missing time in 2020. He bats lefty and throws righty, with a cannon for an arm, so much so that he pitched in relief eight times in the minors. Pirates primarily played him in a corner outfield, but he also took reps at 1B after being promoted to the majors in 2022.

He was DFA'd by the Pirates after his options ran out, and at first was with the Rays. Tigers grab him off waivers, and the Astros jump on the chance to trade him for cash. I think this is the best pickup on the list, this guy has huge upside and our team was lacking depth at the areas he plays in.

He is rated as a slugger, but one of the complaints as he broke in the majors was his low OPS. It seems he will level out as a utility player with some pop, but maybe the Astros see him as purely the backup for Abreu. How many games he gets this year heavily depends on how JJ Matijevic and Jake Meyers perform, or if there is some crazy injury plague.