Astros assistant GM Ricky Bennett was recently at the Astros academy in the Dominican and said that six players from there would be invited to extended spring training. If all six were to be assigned to SS clubs, then that would be one of the largest contingents out of the DSL for the Astros in the last 5 years (only the 2005 group would match that). Coincidently, last September in the  season-ending BTN  we identified six players in the DSL as possibilities for promotion to the U.S. this season. Those six were–

• LHP Fernando Abad
• RHP Agustin Pinales
• RHP Jose Duran
• LHP Edwin Ciriaco
• RHP Leandro Cespedes
• RHP Gredlis Francisco

The fact that all six invitees may turn out to be pitchers wouldn’t exactly be surprising given recent history. Seven of the 11 players who have come out of the DSL in the last four years have been hurlers. Specifically–

2006

• RHP Santo Luis
• INF/OF Cesar Quintero

2005

• INF Jhon Florentino
• RHP Sammy Gervacio
• RHP Celson Polanco
• INF Reinaldo Ramirez
• LHP Sergio Severino
• LHP Polin Trinidad

2004

• RHP Juan Gonzalez

2003

• C Jose Acosta
• RHP Ronnie Martinez