Astros’ GM on Feldman: ‘the right combination’

For a rebuilding franchise with money to spend, a gamut of starting pitchers were available to choose from to anchor a rotation, so why did the Astros choose to sign Scott Feldman to a 3-year, $30 million contract?

Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana were tied to draft pick compensation. Matt Garza seemed best suited for the National League after an underwhelming time in Texas. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish interviewed General Manager Jeff Luhnow at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston and asked him what the Astros saw in the former Rangers’ Pitcher of the Year.

"In the case of Feldman, Crain, and Albers, the analytics certainly played a role in all of those decisions–the combination of the scouting reports we had, the projections that we have, and the evaluation of delivery and mechanics. Those [Santana, Garza and Jimenez] are quality arms, but for us, Feldman was the right combination of total cost, value and timeframe for our organization,” Luhnow said. “Quite frankly, he’s immediately taken on a leadership role with a lot of our young pitchers, and that was part of the decision as well."

Cotillo also notes that Luhnow considered the draft-pick compensation when deciding on who to pursue. In an organization still perceived to be 3-4 years from being a competitive force in the powerful AL West, keeping draft picks and acquiring prospects is still key. Had the Astros signed one of the starters that had turned down the $14.1 million, one-year qualifying offer, Luhnow would have had to give up the competitive balance draft pick obtained from the Orioles in the trade for Bud Norris.

Scott Feldman, the 31-year old righty from Hawaii, spent 2013 with both the Cubs and the Orioles. On the whole, Feldman went 12-12 with a 3.86 ERA, making 30 total starts. He earned his first career shutout while pitching for the Orioles and was a 17-game winner for the Rangers in 2009. Following that season, Feldman struggled with injuries and spent 2011 and 2012 as a swingman for Texas. Without a place in their rotation for him, Feldman signed a one-year pillow contract with the Cubs and seemed to regain his confidence and rhythm as a regular starter.