On Wednesday, Major League Baseball held the annual Rule 5 Draft, which allows teams to select players from other team’s roster, with some exceptions. More can be found here on the Rule 5 Draft. The Astros came away with five players, which are detailed below.
Julio Rodriguez, RHP
Rodriguez was selected out of the San Francisco Giants’ system. Rodriguez is a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher from Cuba. In 2024, he made it up to Triple-A posting a 3.48 ERA with 64 K in 54.1 innings over 38 relief appearances. He has been with the Giants since 2018.
Jean Pinto, RHP
23-year-old Pinto was selected out of the Orioles’ farm system. Pinto last pitched in 2023, posting a 3.10 ERA over 22 outings while striking out 101 batters in 81.1 innings. Pinot had Tommy John surgery in March of 2023 so hopefully he will be healthy for 2025.
Anderson Bido, RHP
Bido is a 25-year-old pitcher who was selected out of the Rockies’ organization. The right-hander appeared in 25 games in 2024, making one start, and had 6 BB/27 K in 38.1 innings with a 3.29 ERA. The majority of his time came in Double-A where he had a 2.82 ERA.
Jack Blomgren, SS
Blomgren is a 26-year-old shortstop who spent most of the 2024 season with the Rockies’ High-A affiliate. In 34 games in 2024, he hit .279 with a .829 OPS. He was originally a 5th round pick in thee 2020 draft out of Michigan.
Nick Swiney, LHP
Swiney was a 2nd round pick by the Giants in the 2020 draft after a nice career at NC State. In 2024, the 25-year-old pitched in relief, though he had a 5.25 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 72 innings. He had more success in the previous years, so maybe he can find that in 2025.
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