The Houston Astros are aiming for improvement any way they can get it after finishing as the worst team in the Major Leagues last season. Increasing their international scouting base is a good way to start, although it will take some time. However, if it reaps the benefits of prospects like Jorge Soler, that could be a great start.
New general manager Jeff Luhnow is hoping that the team is going to be able to sign Soler ahead of other competition like the Chicago Cubs. But it’s likely to take some time since there’s been no word on Soler for some time. Overall, signing Soler would be an initial step toward a long-term Dominican presence.
Zachary Levine writes, “The Astros are looking to step up their Latin American presence under new ownership and baseball operations management. Luhnow took a trip to the Dominican Republic before coming to Florida for spring training. He was able to scout several prospects from this year’s July 2 class and check out those already in the Astros’ system including some who would be Florida-bound for major league camp.”
“I’d say there are a lot of quality players that I wasn’t necessarily aware of that I found out more about once I got there,” Luhnow said. “We got a couple young arms that are throwing in the mid-to-high 90s that I hadn’t really heard of before. If these guys can harness their control a little bit, we’re talking about some definite prospects.”