Astros recall four from Oklahoma City

The Oklahoma City RedHawks season came to an abrupt end on Friday night. The Astros AAA farm team was ousted from the playoffs when the Omaha Storm Chasers rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to take a 7-6 victory. The Royals affiliate completed a 3-game sweep, stunning the RedHawks who had finished the regular season with a PCL best 82-62 record.

The RedHawks early exit from the postseason is extremely disappointing, but it gives the Astros a chance to add some depth to the big league roster. Today the Astros recalled a pair of pitchers and a couple of position players. Rhiner Cruz, David Martinez, Brandon Laird, and Jimmy Paredes have joined the club in Oakland.

All four players were already on the Astros 40-man roster, meaning no one will have to be reassigned to make room for them. All four have seen action with the Astros earlier this season.

Jimmy Paredes (Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports)

Cruz and Martinez will join the Astros bullpen. Laird and Paredes will provide manager Bo Porter with a couple more options off the bench. Both are likely to get a spot start here and there as well. Laird had a productive season at AAA, leading the RedHawks in RBIs and runs scored. Paredes has fared well at the AAA level for the last two seasons but has yet to duplicate that success when given the opportunity in the big leagues.

All four players will essentially be auditioning for a spot on next year’s club. The Astros surplus of young prospects means some difficult roster decisions will have to be made during the offseason. Time could be running out on some of these more experienced players if they can’t live up to expectations.