Astros week in review – and what’s ahead

In case you’ve been busy watching the World Series and missed what’s been going on with the Astros, let’s get you caught up. The offseason can be a busy time, and that’s when we here at Climbing Tal’s Hill dig as deep we can to help keep you informed.

Last Monday we were the first to report the hiring of Kelly George as the new Director of Social Media for the Astros. Be sure to say hi to the former Ms. Arkansas and Ms. U.S.A. pageant contestant on Twitter @KellyKGeorge.

Brandon Barnes (Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE)

On Wednesday we posted our interview with Astros OF Brandon Barnes. Barnes was kind enough to take the time to chat via e-mail with CTH writer Brandon Wheeland. Barnes is currently playing winter ball in Venezuela where he has hit two homers and driven in nine runs in his first 14 games.

Thursday we took an in-depth look at the minor leaguers in the Astros system that could be added to the 40-man roster prior to the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. Then we followed that up on Friday with a couple of posts discussing which current members of the 40-man roster could be sent packing.

Friday the Astros made a roster move, acquiring OF Che-Hsuan Lin off waivers from the Red Sox and designating Enerio Del Rosario for assignment (which we had already predicted). Lin, 24, was the MVP of the 2008 All-Star Futures game at Yankee Stadium. He is a .256 career hitter in the minor leagues and is rated as an excellent fielder with a strong arm and plus base-running skills.

Friday also provided a sneak peak at the Astros new logo courtesy of a local Academy store. Merchandise featuring the soon-to-be-released logo and color scheme was mistakenly placed on the sales floor and it didn’t take long for a fan to post a photo on twitter.

The Mesa Solar Sox had a rough week, going 1-4-1 in Arizona Fall League action. Astros prospects who have performed well include Chia-Jen Lo, Jiovanni Mier, Johnathan Singleton, George Springer, and Nick Tropeano. Jarred Cosart has not fared well but has been named as the starting pitcher for the East squad in Saturday’s AFL Rising Stars game.

Manager Bo Porter is still putting together his coaching staff and more new members could be named any day now.

The official unveiling of the new uniform is set for Friday and CTH will be there to cover it. Stay tuned.