DOWN Stassi removed from 40-man roster
The Houston Astros cleared a spot on their 40-man roster on Tuesday by outrighting Yuba City native Max Stassi to Class AAA Fresno.
Stassi, who was out of minor league options, cleared waivers on Tuesday, which means he was placed on waivers on Sunday. He was reassigned to minor league spring training, leaving the Astros with 39 players in major league camp.
Brian McCann and Evan Gattis are the Astros’ only catchers on the 40-man roster, but the team could select the contract of nonroster spring training invitee Juan Centeno or Stassi in the event of an injury.
Stassi batted .150 (3 for 20) in Grapefruit League action this spring and has appeared in 30 major league games over the last four years as a catcher. He’s batted .291 (16 for 55) with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in the majors.
Stassi, who just turned 26, had seemed destined to play a significant role for Houston last season before an injury delayed his start to the year and he ended up seeing time in just nine games.
At Triple-A, Stassi has a .231 average with 29 home runs in 1,019 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.
Max’s older brother, Brock Stassi, continues to make progress as he looks to earn a spot with the Philadelphia Phillies’ big league club out of camp.
Stassi spent all of last season in Triple-A and reported last month to spring training as a non-roster invitee with an outside shot to crack the team. Stassi is doing his best to force the Phillies’ hand.
The 27-year-old leads all of baseball in spring-training RBIs (15) and is second in home runs (five). He is the team’s top hitter among players with at least 30 at-bats and is seeing time this spring in left and right field.
The latest obstacle for Stassi is the roster crunch, which could prove to be enough to keep him off the opening day roster. Stassi is not on the 40-man roster,
meaning the Phillies would have to place someone on waivers to make room for him.
His chances may depend on whom the Phillies chose for their final two bullpen spots. Stassi is in luck if the relief roles go to pitchers on the 40-man roster. They will likely add only two or three players that are not on the 40-man roster.
Stassi, a 33rd-round pick by the Phillies in 2011, will find out in less than two weeks if he makes the team.