The front office of the Houston Astros is quietly garnering quite a reputation as a forward-thinking group, and they may have struck again in raiding the San Diego Padres.
#Astros officially acquire RHP Anthony Bass & a PTBNL or cash considerations from San Diego in exchange for a PTBNL or cash considerations.
— Houston Astros (@astros) December 11, 2013
Houston won’t make any real national headlines by grabbing Anthony Bass from San Diego in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, but it’s exactly the kind of depth-adding, low-floor move that good front offices love. The 25-year-old Bass struggled mightily with the Padres in 2013, posting a 5.36 ERA in 42 big league innings, but the peripherals point to a bit of luck correction in his future, and Bass has nice “stuff”.
Bass debuted with a “bang” in 2011, putting up a 1.68 ERA over 48.1 innings, and while that was never going to be the type of dominant arm that he actually was, it likely raised expectations to unmanageable levels. With a fresh start in Houston (and almost zero pressure), the still-young Bass could thrive in a variety of roles, including a fringe member of a rotation or as a long man in the bullpen, using his plus-fastball to its fullest extent.
The Astros have made bigger splashes in the recent past, but grabbing MLB-quality arms for nothing is always a good practice.