Where Are They Now? Houston Astros Trades Part 3; 2013

Jose Veras – Picked up at the beginning of the year for the sole idea and purpose of being traded at the deadline, the Astros got a very solid return on their $2 million dollar for one season contract handed to Jose Veras in December of 2012. At the trading deadline the Detroit Tigers (who seem to be in the market for a late reliever every trade deadline) sent 19-year old outfielder Danry Vasquez and eventually David Paulino as a PTBNL for the Astros closer who would join them as a 7th and 8th inning shutdown hopeful.

Veras, who was coming off a very productive season with the Milwaukee Brewers, gave the Astros a fantastic first portion of the season, racking up 19 saves and posting a 2.93 ERA. Things in Detroit went okay in the regular season and he threw a scoreless 1.2 IP in the ALDS vs. Oakland but in the ALCS put up an inflated 5.40 ERA across 5 appearances.

Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

This earned Veras a nice $4 million dollar contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2014, the team holding a $5.5 option for the following season to potentially expedite his trade value for the rebuilding Cubs.

However, things went south and south fast on the south side of Chi-town and by June 15 not only was Veras DFA’d he was released and picked up by…..the Houston Astros!

As for the return and not the re-return, Danry Vasquez out of Venezuela holds a lot of promise but a lot of promis