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Cassel to Astros
By Chad Gramling | December 17, 2007
Approximately one month ago, the Houston Astros signed former Wizard Yordany Ramirez to a Major League Contract. Today, the ’stros added another former Fort Wayne Wizards player in starting pitcher, Jack Cassel.
Astros general manager Ed Wade signed 27-year-old right-hander to a $400,000 Major League contract and added him to the team’s 40-man roster. Cassel made 27 appearances for Triple-A Portland this year. Twenty-four of them were starts and three were complete games. He finished 7-14 with a 3.91 ERA.
“He’s a sinkerball guy, he pounds the strike zone,” Wade said. “He had an opportunity in September and pitched well for them. He has an opportunity to come into a setting where we’re inviting competition, and we’ll see where his skills go. We had a couple of clubs interested in signing him, and he viewed our opportunity as favorable.” [source: MLB.com]
Cassel, was called up from Triple-A on Friday, August 10th to join the parent club Padres. He debuted after coming in for the starter, Wil Ledezma, in the third inning. He earned his first Major League win on September 17th as a spot starter for another former Wizards pitcher, Justin Germano.
Cassel was drafted in the 25th round of the 2000 draft and was released in 2006 before resigning with the Friars as a free agent. He appeared in Fort Wayne over three seasons (2000-2002), plyaing in 74 games and logging over 200 total innings pitched while compiling 148 strikeouts.
[tags]Jack Cassel, Houston Astros, Baseball in Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Wizards, San Diego Padres[/tags]
