Earlier today the Astros bolstered their struggling (and currently Roy Oswalt-less) starting rotation with the acquisition of left-hander Randy Wolf from the San Diego Padres. In return, the Padres received 26-year-old Round Rock Express right-hander Chad Reineke. This is a low-risk, low-reward deal for the Astros but should be useful in eating-up some innings down the homestretch. Reineke is a decent-enough minor-leaguer (5-9 with a 4.41 ERA on the year for RR) while Wolf is also an adequate, if unexceptional, big-leaguer (6-10 with a 4.74 ERA in ’08 for the Padres). This is a solid move in acquiring a player Houston can utilize immediately for a player who isn’t a major prospect within the organization. Do the Astros have any major prospects in their organization? I’ll try and answer that question later in the week as I peruse the Express (and Corpus Christi Hooks) lineup for potential major-league help for my beloved Astros.
This article appears in July 18 • 2008.