The Astros have released first baseman Jon Singleton, the team announced (h/t Mark Berman of FOX 26, via Twitter). He is currently serving a 100-game suspension for his third positive test for a drug of abuse.
Singleton had previously been outrighted off of the Houston 40-man roster. Once one of the team’s top prospects, he is best known at this point for failing to pan out in the majors after signing an extension just in advance of his initial elevation to the majors.
At the time that contract was entered, it drew quite a lot of criticism. Many were concerned that Singleton — at the time, one of several high-end prospects vying to become core members of a pre-breakout Astros team — had given the team too much upside for a $10MM guarantee. But the deal has clearly turned out to the advantage of a player that received a fairly minimal signing bonus as an amateur and has accrued limited MLB time since — a possibility we pointed out in a full analysis at the time.
Singleton is earning $2MM this year, the final guaranteed season in the contract. He’s still owed $1MM in total buyouts for the next three years, as well. The deal gave the Astros successive options at $2.5MM, $5MM, and $13MM that obviously will not be exercised.
Singleton’s only lengthy MLB action came in his first season with the ’Stros. He picked up a few more in the 2015 season, but has not been back since. Through 420 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, he carries a meager .171/.290/.331 slash line with 14 home runs and 151 strikeouts against sixty walks.
Despite his struggles in the majors, Singleton remains an interesting hitter who could get a look elsewhere — at least, that is, if other organizations are willing to deal with his mounting problems with testing positive for drugs of abuse. Though he has always swung and missed a fair bit, Singleton has solid power and a phenomenal eye. Last year, for instance, he popped 18 home runs and drew 107 walks in his 500 Double-A plate appearances.
Complete waste of a career. He’d rather hit a blunt than a baseball. Good riddance.
It was a good idea to extend him early even though it obviously didn’t pan out. The Astros have been really good about locking up guys through their pre-arb years, and this didn’t really cost them too much in the long run; sometimes prospects don’t pan out. That’s true of every organization.
As far as the weed stuff, meh, it’s absurd that MLB suspends for it in the minors and not in the majors, especially when it is legal in like 1/3 of the states. It’s not a PED in any way, and there’s no real reason in 2018 to still be treating it like we were in the movie Reefer Madness.
420 career plate appearances, how ironic.
LMAO
Or was it ichronic?
It is rather shocking that he is still merely 26, and that any team who signed him could control him until 2024 if they so chose
That said, he’s now gone from MLB (15) to AAA (16) to AA (17) to a near season-long Suspension (18) – with pitiful results at every stop as he climbed down the latter. There might be interest still, but I can’t imagine much any longer
Singleton may have done his career more harm with that lackluster 2017 season in Double-A than he did with his off-the-field troubles.
Second, third, and fourth chances are easier to come by when it doesn’t appear the player in question has already begun his decline.
Sad. Get help dude. This isn’t the NFL
What’s his DOC?
He would have 420 career plate appearances. Classic Jon Singleton.
He obviously isn’t as good as the rest of the Astros at hiding the use of it. Yes I’m a mariners fan so insert Cano/Cruz/Gordon shots here. I just wanna know more about spin rate mysteries, tell me more Trevor Bauer?
Singleton is earning $2MM this year
———————
Huh? No he’s not. Suspended players don’t get paid.
You beat me to this.
Rusney Castillo needs to be very careful about what he eats. All it takes is three edibles followed by filling a cup and that guaranteed contract is gone.
Hehe. I wonder if Prince Fielder still gets tested…
I think they meant that has contract calls for a $2 million salary and unlike some other sports, you don’t have the ability to cancel has contract due to a PED or drug violation
“I think they meant that has contract ……cancel has contract due to a PED or drug violation”
“Has” and “his” are two different words. If your English teacher has not noticed your usage of “has” it’s probably due to fatigue because he/she has to work a second job after the school day ends.
Tax dollars are for building free ballparks for billionaires to get richer, not to pay teachers.
I believe a comma should follow “has”. Ya know, since you’re into grammar errors.
I thought third suspension means lifetime ban? Isn’t that what happened for Mejia from the Mets?
Penalties for drugs of abuse are different than PED’s
You are going out for a coffee shop in case we can have dinner tomorrow on Sunday afternoon on Saturday and Sunday night I can have dinner
This is probably the best thing for him. Now he doesn’t have to worry about being drug tested. He can just sit at home “curing his glaucoma” until the money runs out.
Of all the players traded for Hunter Pence – Singleton, Cosart, Zeid, Joseph, Rosin, Schierholtz, Santana – only 1 of them is still playing in the majors. Generally worth it to trade prospects for all-star level players. “such a huge haul” 1 of 7 players panned out, so far… Santana looks bad this year.
That’s 2 separate trades fyi.
Amen. I remember that Pense trade and all the ney sayers. Remember, a bird in the hand (MLB players) is better than 2 in the bush (prospects). Santana had a good year last year, but in the end, that trade didn’t help the Astro’s one bit.
Exactly. And then… the Phillies got nothing out of trading Pence.
Singleton get a shot with another organization? Pffffff. He’s the poor man’s Chris Carter, and what’s Carter doing these days?
And magically Carter was just signed by the Twins. Can’t make this stuff up.
The guy is a mental midget.
giants ought to pick him up, farm system is depleted and could use decent bodies, you don’t have to pay him this year and if timmy is any indication, don’t care about a little weed smoke.
I would be shocked if anyone gave Singleton a shot. He batted .210 last year in AA as a 26 year old…. In addition to having drug problems…. I’m not going to debate the merits of weed. Don’t care. It’s against the rules for minor league baseball and he can’t stop/won’t stop smoking weed.
Everyone banging on this dude, that clearly needs help. Marijuana in fact does have addictive ability as well as tolerance. Let’s hope he gets the help he needs before searching for another way to get his high
I can remember all the sourness of the Philly Phans for “giving up so much” to Houston and including slugger Singleton. The “heir apparent” to Ryan Howard was “the biggest mistake” of that trade since moving Ryan Sandberg to Chicago. He had potential (and at 26, he could still make a name for himself on the field) and is young enough to clean up his act. For all those that say “weed” ain’t no big deal, it may not be to you. However, when MLB teams are paying you millions upon millions, there is an expectation that you are performing at your physical best all the time. I have the same problem with guys “tyin’ one on after a game’ and getting sloppy drunk. Playing hung over does not mean playing at your best. Work requirements are just that, regardless of what the “legal implications are” for smoking weed. If you don’t like the work conditions, don’t work. MLB players have expectations as do MiLB work requirements. Don’t sign up for something and then expect to change the rules to suit your own standards. My hope is that he gets the proper direction from family/advisors. He had talent, still does. Can he hone it to be productive? That is the long term question while the short term answer is “3 strikes and your out”
Josh Hamilton was able to get himself clean long enough to approach his potential for several years with CIN/TEX, so there is hope. Singleton has to have to will, drive, and focus to make it happen. Nobody’s gonna do it for him – has to come from within.
Yea… at my job, testing positive means you’re fired. Drugs or alcohol. I don’t get “suspended” it’s called unemployed.
Calling weed a “drug of abuse” is just embarrassing, like, what decade do you have to be living in to think that? Not this one.
I still believe that he’ll make it back to the majors one day. Good hitter in the minors before that contact