The Astros are set to sign fourth-rounder Rio Ruiz for $1.85MM, according to Keith Law of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Houston was able to spend big on the third baseman after signing first-overall pick Carlos Correa for well under the slot recommendation.
Ruiz, who comes out of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California, was pegged to be a first-round selection before his season was ended prematurely by a blood clot in his neck. The youngster was believed to be one of the toughest signs out of Houston's 2012 class, along with Lance McCullers Jr. (signed last weekend) and eleventh-round pick Hunter Virant.
wow very very impressive draft Houston. 3 first round talent players. They really worked with the new CBA well. Maybe the best usage of the money allocated of all the teams?
‘Stros getting a big “atta boy” this draft year and already have far surpassed the think it was measly 5m +/- they spent in total last year by a HUGE margin.
Maybe 1st pick wasn’t the best, but they have more than taken up the slack, if indeed Correra does not pan out.
These guys have pulled a “Boston” signing so many guys in lower rounds to massive deals and beaten the cap thus far.. Hat is off now for passing up on Appler and leaving Boras standing on the curb, with his hat in hand looking for handouts.
Funny thing is both Mccullers and Ruiz are Boras Clients and nether would not of been sign in this draft had stros takens Appel. So maybe this worked out even better for Boras :).
Lots of people said Correa and Buxton were the two best talents in the draft. Correa just plays at a premium position is the thing. Even the Twins who picked next said the loved him as well and it would of been a hard choice between him and Buxton (although they have also said they are really really glad to get Buxton)
Correa was the best player available.
Debatable. BA didn’t rank him as #1 (Buxton) predraft and it’s highly dangerous to take a toolsy HS kid who isn’t a 100% sure thing with the #1 overall when a team like Houston has had such bad luck with the draft the last few seasons.
Not saying that to be mean or anything, but the pressure was on to take someone with a more known pedigree (Appel, Gausman) was on, who could have helped sooner and are both top of the rotation potential.
Not knocking Houston at all here now.. The overall plan seems to have been that they had a deal worked out to sign Correa for far less than Appel and maybe less than even Gausman would have been willing to go down to and they managed to grab McCullers and Ruiz as well. They just took someone with an injury who dropped (nothing wrong there) and someone who dropped with signability concerns, but might have missed on that sure fire (or as close to as can get) potential Ace in Gausman and Appel.
Houston needs to build it’s system. Maybe next season if they pick near the top 5, they will go in the other direction.
good points, but MCCuller’s has top of the rotation potential which is why they picked him in the the supplemental round. Appel was a sure thing to make the big league’s not be an ace according to scouts, so taking the Kid with the higher roof for less money is a good thing to do with the first pick which they did. Rio Ruiz was believed to be a top 25 talent at the beginning of the year and the injury kind of ruined that for him the kid has a future 60 batting tool and his power should reach aaround 50 which projects to guys like brett lawrie or evan longoria. The Astros had the best draft this year far and away.
“The Astros had the best draft this year far and away.”
Bang on there, not to mention the best one they have had in.. A decade perhaps?
What is that saying from the ’69 ‘Stros team when they were in the race (for a little while) with Harry “the Hat” Walker as the manager??
“It makes a fellow proud to be an Astro” and that saying can go on towards meaning a fan again now with management that seems bent towards actually spending towards its future.
Yes, it is debatable that Correa was the BPA, but it is my opinion that he was, in addition to the opinion of some respected analysts such as John Sickels.
In any case I don’t think it’s correct to say that the Astros sacrificed at 1-1 in order to make gain elsewhere. Rather, there were 4 or 5 guys who were neck in neck in talent level, and the Astros got the least expensive of them.
Getting Ruiz and McCullers along with Correa gives them 3 guys who could have gone in the 1st round. Luhnow has done more in a few months than Wade did while he was here. This guy is awesome.
Great signing. I am massively impressed with Jeff Luhnow thus far. Now I wonder if this means no money left over to sign Virant?
I think Virant was going to be very very difficult. He was suppose to be a 2nd round talent that slid because of college choice. He would of wanted Ruiz type money. He was only picked in the 11 rd because first 10 rounds are slot money and they would of lost it had he not signed. Way too risky
Not kept up with $$$ spent in total by Houston.. They can spend 5% over and *just* get penalized 75% of the overage however.
Houston was allotted like 12m as recall? They can nearly give out 1S money (600k) as part of that penalty and not lose a 1st round pick next year.
They’ve already given all of their Correa savings and some of their 5% overage to McCullers, Ruiz and Phillips. Assuming their remaining guys sign for slot (Fontana, Tucker, Heineman) they have an extra 356k. Probably not enough to nab another hard sign guy. But no complaints here, McCullers, Ruiz and Phillips are more than enough.
Jeff Luhnow is a great scout/draft guy, and he is on his way to turning the Astros around in a big way.
now trade Wandy/Myers/ and Lee….get some youth!!