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Astros Notes: Awards finalists, 40-man roster moves
The Astros made some roster moves and got some news on key awards.
Though there aren’t any real surprises in it, the three finalists for the BBWAA annual awards were announced on Monday. The awards include the Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards, and there are several Astros in the running.
Alex Bregman was named as a finalist for the AL MVP Award after his spectacular season. It’s been expected to be a battle between him and Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who’s also one of the finalists. The third finalist is Oakland’s Marcus Semien. The winner will be announced on Nov. 14.
The AL Cy Young Award finalists all have significant Astros connections. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are in the running, as expected. The third finalist is former Astro Charlie Morton, who put up an excellent season with the Rays. The winner will be announced on Nov. 13.
Finally, the AL Rookie of the Year favorite Yordan Alvarez is among the three finalists, which is hardly a shock. The competition is Brandon Lowe of the Rays and John Means of the Orioles. The winner will be announced on Nov. 11.
Roster Moves
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Somewhat lost behind the news of Gerrit Cole receiving a qualifying offer, the Astros made some roster moves. They added Lance McCullers Jr. and Kent Emanuel to the 40-man roster and declined their $2.825 million option on Chris Devenski.
Adding McCullers to the 40-man roster was a formality. As he spent most of the season on the 60-day injured list while he recovered from Tommy John surgery, he was not on the 40-man. Putting him back on the roster was merely a procedural move in preparation of him returning next season.
Emanuel’s addition to the roster was to keep him from becoming a minor league free agent. The left-handed sinkerballer tossed 101.2 innings for Triple-A Round Rock this season, working to a 3.90 ERA, 1.190 WHIP and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Astros’ third-round draft pick in 2013 out of North Carolina, Emanuel should find himself in Major League Spring Training in 2020 with a chance to compete for a spot in the back of the rotation or the bullpen, depending on what other additions the Astros make. Though the club might disagree, having a left-hander in the bullpen is a big help.
Next. Astros give Gerrit Cole qualifying offer. dark
On Devenski, the club declining its option does not mean he’s a free agent. Devenski is still under team control and will now go to arbitration if he and the club don’t agree to a deal before then. The Astros are essentially banking on being able to retain Devenski at a lower price that his club option would have been. Considering his poor performance the past two years, that’s a distinct possibility.