Houston Astros Take Flyer on Risky Flamethrower
There's a saying that minor-league baseball players are like lottery tickets. The more you play, the better chance you have of cashing one in.
In that case, the Houston Astros just found a pretty good lottery ticket. They signed right-handed pitcher Drew Strotman to a minor-league contract on Friday, and for those of you who aren't familiar, his stuff is pretty nasty.
Strotman's fastball can touch 99 mph and his slider sits in the 90s -- a devastating combo for opposing batters.
I mean, just look at this video below. Pure filth.
Strotman clearly has the raw stuff to be a big-league pitcher. Now he just needs to harness it.
The 27-year-old flamethrower has already spent six seasons in the minors, including the last three at Triple-A. He still hasn't been able to crack the majors, however, as his control remains an issue (career 5.0 BB/9).
Strotman has spent time in four organizations so far. He was a fourth-round draft pick in 2017 by the Tampa Bay Rays, who have an excellent track record of developing young pitchers. They weren't able to hone Stroman's physical gifts, however. Neither could the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers or San Francisco Giants.
Now it's the Astros' turn and potentially Strotman's last chance. He's already old for a prospect at 27, so this could be it for him if things don't work out with Houston.
Like the Rays, the Astros have also done a good job building up young arms lately. If they can't fix Strotman, maybe no one can.
But at this point, what do either of them have to lose?
