Well, it was only a matter of time until Ed Wade commenced the firesale.
2B Jeff Keppinger has been traded to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Henry Sosa and RHP Jason Stoffel. This deal makes plenty of sense for the Giants, who were in dire need of middle infield help. Heck, they even signed Bill Hall several weeks ago when Freddy Sanchez was injured.
Sosa is a 25 year old right-hander that has bounced around the Giants' farm system since he was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2004. He has struggled so far this year pitching in AAA, posting a 10.41 ERA while allowing an opponents' batting average of .371. While he has had more success at the AA level this year (5-2 with a 2.68 ERA), Sosa has gone back and forth from the bullpen to the starting rotation for much of his minor league career.
Stoffel, 22 years old, is the other acquisition for the Astros in this deal. He has a career 4-6 record with a 3.78 in 102 minor league innings, and his K/9 is an impressive 10.2 over that span. He sits around 94 mph with his fastball, and it's not surprising that Wade has acquired another bullpen arm.
I'm more intrigued with Altuve getting called up to the big leagues, and I can't wait to see what he does at second base. A career .327 hitter in the minors, Altuve has shown he can hit all kinds of minor league pitching. Standing at only 5'7, he could also become an Astros' fan favorite for years to come.
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