Astros: 6 prospects selected in the LIDOM Draft including Yainer Diaz

The Astros had six prospects selected in the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) draft.

The Houston Astros have not seen their prospects be highly ranked by major news outlets, and while turning to international free agency for their top talent, they sit at the top in Cuban-born prospects. Now, they will see six of their own prospects compete in the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) this winter.

The ball club had two prospects in LIDOM during the 2020-21 season with outfielder Jose Siri and infielder Jeremy Pena competing all the way into the postseason. The two will not be returning this winter as of now, as Siri is now a major-leaguer and Pena has recently returned from a wrist injury that held him out the whole season.

Yainer Diaz will be the only Astros’ prospect to play for the Leones Del Escogido.

Diaz was the second piece in the return for Myles Straw from the Cleveland Indians, as the 22-year-old catcher has been raking in the minor-leagues. After being assigned to Low-A Fayetteville, Diaz saw a quick promotion to High-A Asheville about two weeks after being acquired.

The right-hander is slashing .310/.349/.494 across three different minor-league teams this season in 90 games. While older than most of these lower-level prospects selected, Diaz could see a quick rise through the minor-league system with more consistency in his swing.

“He constantly wanted to become a better catcher. Whether that be on the mental side or the performance side, he was always striving to learn more and improve,” Josh Wolf, who played with Diaz in the Indians’ system, said. “When I was pitching it was really great having him back there, because I knew I could count on him to call the right pitch, or if a runner was trying to steal to throw him out. He made me feel very confident out there and trust the game plan we had.”

Enmanuel Valdez, Deury Carrasco and Bryan De Paula have been selected by the Toros Del Este.

Enmanuel Valdez

Valdez started the ’21 season with the Tourists, before being promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi. In 93 total minor-league games this season, the left-hander is slashing .255/.323/.528, which displays a lot of power.

The 22-year-old can play left field, second base and third base, as his versatility will be an asset for the Toros this Winter. Most teams in the LIDOM utilize the different gloves that players are accustomed to.

Deury Carrasco

Carrasco has played his ’21 season all with the Tourists, while the left-handed hitter has posted .225/.354/.400 in 36 games this season. The 21-year-old can play all infield positions, excluding first base.

Brayan De Paula

De Paula started his ’21 campaign with the Woodpeckers before being promoted to the Tourists, as the left-hander posted a 1.78 ERA over 30.1 innings in Low-A. Since his promotion, the script has been flipped with a 6.67 ERA in 28.1 innings. The 22-year-old is currently on the 7-day injured list.

(Statistics as of Sept. 9)

In other prospect news, infielder/outfielder Pedro Leon has begun working out at the Astros’ spring training facilities in West Palm Beach, as he nears six weeks since his left-pinky finger fracture on July 26.

Top 50 international prospect, Kenni Gomez from Granma, Cuba, has also been reported to have found a range between $650K and $900K for his signing bonus, as reported by Francys Romero. More has started to come out on the outfielder, as the next signing period opens Jan. 15, 2022.