At least eight scouts fired in ‘reconfiguring’
The Astros, closing in on their third consecutive winning season and having cultivated one of the best farm systems in baseball, fired at least eight members of their scouting department Friday, sources confirmed to the Chronicle.
Peter Gammons first reported the news on Twitter on Friday afternoon. The firings came at the expense of pro and amateur scouts.
Each of the scouts’ contracts with the club expire at the end of October.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow declined to confirm the number of scouts who were informed their contracts won’t be renewed or the names of any of the scouts affected. Luhnow insisted the Astros’ scouting department will remain roughly the same size in the future.
The Astros are in the process of realigning their scouting departments, the general manager said.
“This is not a cutback in scouting,” Luhnow said. “We are reconfiguring within and across the three scouting departments — international, domestic and pro.”
Luhnow declined to disclose details of the planned reconfiguration. Their realignment will consist of new hires, the GM said.
“We’re proud of the work that all of our scouts have done, so this is not a comment on what’s happened because we have a tremendous farm system and a lot of good players that our scouts have helped us find, both for trades and through the draft and international,” he said. “This is more about us looking forward into the future and trying to set up our resources to align with where we think the opportunities are likely to be down the road.”
It’s not all that uncommon for a team to inform employees on expiring deals in August or September that their contracts will not be renewed beyond October. But it is rare for these moves to come on a first-place team with a flourishing minor league system, especially in the sheer volume of scouts the Astros fired Friday.
From their pro scouting staff, according to sources, the list of those let go includes Paul Gale, Tim Moore, Tucker Blair and Mike Wickham.
The list on the amateur side includes Zach Clark, John Martin, Nick Venuto and Mark Ross, sources said.
As part of these sweeping changes, certain retained members of the Astros’ scouting department will see changes to their job titles in the near future. It’s unclear which job titles the eventual new hires will take on.
At least one American League scout, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, questioned the caliber of scout the team will attract in the wake of Friday’s firings.
McCann might return next week
Brian McCann could return to the Astros’ lineup next week.
McCann, who’s on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his right knee, is first eligible to be activated before Thursday night’s game against the Washington Nationals. Whether he returns that day remains to be seen, but if not then it should be shortly after.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said McCann will increase his baseball activities this weekend. McCann probably won’t require a minor league rehab assignment.
“McCann is doing well,” Hinch said. “I do expect this to be a minimal time. Whether it’s 10 days or 11 days, I think it falls on the last day of the Nationals series, so we’ll have to make a determination early next week.”
Hinch said the Astros are confident the inflammation in McCann’s knee will subside with the treatment he has been undergoing.
“We need him to have a little bit more range of motion and not feel the pain every time he comes up and down the steps as an indicator that he’s ready to play,” Hinch said.
Facebook to show Friday’s game
Friday’s A’s-Astros game will be streamed on Facebook as part of the platform’s weekly series of Friday night Major League Baseball games.
The Astros’ network feed from AT&T SportsNet Southwest will be available on MLB’s Facebook page.
Facebook is streaming 20 Friday MLB games this season and showed a Twins-Astros game in July.
McCullers to face hitters Sunday
Rehabbing starter Lance McCullers Jr. is scheduled to face hitters in a live-batting-practice setting Sunday morning at Minute Maid Park, potentially his final step before a minor league rehab assignment.
McCullers has been sidelined since July 31 because of what the Astros described as back discomfort. It’s expected he will need multiple rehab outings once out on assignment.
Odds and ends
Carlos Correa (left thumb surgery) took ground balls and ran the bases again Friday. The Astros’ All-Star shortstop continues to increase his volume of hitting in the batting cages in preparation for an eventual minor league rehab assignment. …
Catcher Evan Gattis (concussion) and relievers Will Harris (bone bruise in pitching shoulder) and Tony Sipp are each in line to begin rehab assignments early next week. Gattis took batting practice Friday against Harris, who simulated one inning, and Sipp, who simulated two. …
Third baseman Colin Moran (facial fractures) has progressed to taking batting practice at the spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. …
Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley, who doesn’t turn 20 until Sept. 15, became the second-youngest player to pitch in the Texas League this season with the six scoreless innings he threw in his Class AA debut Thursday. The only Texas League pitcher younger is fellow Astros prospect Franklin Perez, who turns 20 on Dec. 6.