Astros reportedly add deceptive lefty to roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft

One piece of offseason housekeeping that the Houston Astros had to take part in along with the rest of the league is figuring out who to protect from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. Tuesday was the deadline to add any Rule 5-eligible prospects to the 40-man roster to keep them from getting selected in December, and Houston had a number of players that could be at risk.

Colton Gordon was one such prospect who found himself potentially exposed to the Rule 5. Houston's eighth-round pick in the 2021 draft established himself quickly during his first pro season in 2022 as one of the Astros' better pitching prospects, although his progress slowed over the next couple of seasons.

Despite no longer being quite on the fast track, Houston clearly still likes Gordon and thought he could end up being stolen away next month. The Astros have reportedly added Gordon to their 40-man roster just in case.

Astros add Colton Gordon to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 draft protection deadline

Had the Astros not added Gordon to the 40-man on Tuesday, he would have been eligible to be picked by another team by virtue of his age when he was drafted. At first glance, Gordon doesn't strike one as particularly enticing to be carried on another team's big league roster in order to keep him because he doesn't throw particularly hard nor does he have a nasty breaking ball at his disposal.

What Gordon does have going for him is deception — and a lot of it. His low release point and arm angle combined with tons of extension means opposing hitters (especially lefties) have a uniquely difficult time picking up the ball out of his hand and it jumps on them despite the middling stuff. His numbers in Triple-A in 2024 were mediocre, but he did strike out better than a batter an inning and could continue to blossom into a solid 4/5 starter with big league coaching.

The Astros may not be done protecting players from the Rule 5. A cursory glance has them with one spot left on the 40-man roster as things stand. Alex Santos is a tough call, as while he has struggled in the minors, he is absolutely shoving in the AFL right now. If Houston wants to protect more than just one more player before Tuesday evening's deadline, they will probably have to make some sort of roster move to clear some room.

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