RHP Rhett Kouba has been promoted to Triple-A. The 23-year-old has a 3.27 ERA with 23 BB/118 K in 110 innings this season in Double-A. #Astros

— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) August 25, 2023

The organization likes him. Sort of a JP France type. Won't ever be an ace but has a high floor as a decent #4 guy.

Was this b/c Abreu is back?

I'd assume it was since they brought Blanco up

How many times can you send a guy down and call him up in the same season? I feel like a few of these guys have done it about five or six times.

2ndChanceAg96 said:

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Was this b/c Abreu is back?

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Nope, calling up Ronel Blanco. Bullpen needs a fresh arm.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2016/03/03/statheads-and-researchers-mourn-as-mlbs-red-and-green-books-discontinued-ending-an-era/?sh=72d30e0e50ef

Okay. Didn't see that.

Farmer1906 said:

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RHP Brandon Bielak was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land following yesterday’s game.

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 25, 2023

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How in the heck does Bielak still have options left? I feel like he's bounced back and forth to AAA a dozen times.

OKCAg2002 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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RHP Brandon Bielak was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land following yesterday’s game.

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 25, 2023

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How in the heck does Bielak still have options left? I feel like he's bounced back and forth to AAA a dozen times.

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Options are on a per year basis. You can send a guy down and call him up as many times in a season as you want...counts as one option.

Main limitation is when a guy goes down, he has to stay down so many days before you call him back up again unless you put someone on the injured list.

R-Dog said:

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OKCAg2002 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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RHP Brandon Bielak was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land following yesterday’s game.

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 25, 2023

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How in the heck does Bielak still have options left? I feel like he's bounced back and forth to AAA a dozen times.

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Options are on a per year basis. You can send a guy down and call him up as many times in a season as you want...counts as one option.

Main limitation is when a guy goes down, he has to stay down so many days before you call him back up again unless you put someone on the injured list.

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Given he's bounced back-and-forth the last few years, I'm guessing he has no more options left after this year?

I don't know his specific contract situation but I'd think it's reasonable to think if he's not out of options now, he's close.

If he's out, then I believe they have to DFA him to send him down at that point

False. There is a limit per year it was discussed here previously. Blanco is getting near the limit for this year also

R-Dog said:

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OKCAg2002 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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RHP Brandon Bielak was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land following yesterday’s game.

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 25, 2023

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How in the heck does Bielak still have options left? I feel like he's bounced back and forth to AAA a dozen times.

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Options are on a per year basis. You can send a guy down and call him up as many times in a season as you want...counts as one option.

Main limitation is when a guy goes down, he has to stay down so many days before you call him back up again unless you put someone on the injured list.

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This isn't the case.

A few things to note:

You can't go back and forth as many times as you want. It is limited to 5x in a season. Once you hit the 40 man you only have 3 seasons of going up and down aka option years.

This is Bielak's 4th season doing so. I am not sure if 2020 didn't count or what. I think next year is when he has to stay up or be DFA'd.

Farmer1906 said:

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A few things to note:

You can't go back and forth as many times as you want. It is limited to 5x in a season. Once you hit the 40 man you only have 3 seasons of going up and down aka option years.

This is Bielak's 4th season doing so. I am not sure if 2020 didn't count or what. I think next year is when he has to stay up or be DFA'd.

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I wonder if he might get traded. I can't imagine him being a bullpen arm the entire year next year

I mispoke on the as many times as you want. Just was trying to make the point that multiiple ups and down only count as one option.

bearkatag15 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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A few things to note:

You can't go back and forth as many times as you want. It is limited to 5x in a season. Once you hit the 40 man you only have 3 seasons of going up and down aka option years.

This is Bielak's 4th season doing so. I am not sure if 2020 didn't count or what. I think next year is when he has to stay up or be DFA'd.

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I wonder if he might get traded. I can't imagine him being a bullpen arm the entire year next year

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When there isn't any major deadlines, I could see Dana making moves with Bielak, an outfielder, and maybe a few others to tweak /clean up things.

Farmer1906 said:

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bearkatag15 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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A few things to note:

You can't go back and forth as many times as you want. It is limited to 5x in a season. Once you hit the 40 man you only have 3 seasons of going up and down aka option years.

This is Bielak's 4th season doing so. I am not sure if 2020 didn't count or what. I think next year is when he has to stay up or be DFA'd.

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I wonder if he might get traded. I can't imagine him being a bullpen arm the entire year next year

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When there isn't any major deadlines, I could see Dana making moves with Bielak, an outfielder, and maybe a few others to tweak /clean up things.

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We have a healthy number of guys at their option limits, but I'm not sure anyone would give up anything for them vs waiting until they hit waivers. I hope he can get some return.

I am 90% sure Blanco cannot come and go any more. I thought he was at his limit for the year. So now that he's up he's got to stay or be released. And I now think Bielak is at that limit.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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bearkatag15 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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A few things to note:

You can't go back and forth as many times as you want. It is limited to 5x in a season. Once you hit the 40 man you only have 3 seasons of going up and down aka option years.

This is Bielak's 4th season doing so. I am not sure if 2020 didn't count or what. I think next year is when he has to stay up or be DFA'd.

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I wonder if he might get traded. I can't imagine him being a bullpen arm the entire year next year

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When there isn't any major deadlines, I could see Dana making moves with Bielak, an outfielder, and maybe a few others to tweak /clean up things.

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We have a healthy number of guys at their option limits, but I'm not sure anyone would give up anything for them vs waiting until they hit waivers. I hope he can get some return.

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Who else is at their limit besides Bielak? Bannon? I think everyone else has at least 1 more year.

tjack16 said:

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How many times can you send a guy down and call him up in the same season? I feel like a few of these guys have done it about five or six times.

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I always wanted the Astros to somehow re-acquire Fiers and just keep sending him up and down to different levels, and have him pitch every inning for a couple of weeks.

Mathguy64 said:

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I am 90% sure Blanco cannot come and go any more. I thought he was at his limit for the year. So now that he's up he's got to stay or be released. And I now think Bielak is at that limit.

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He just has to stay for the rest of the season. Roster expands in a week.

Rosters expand Sept 1 so I doubt anyone comes and goes again this season.

Ag_07 said:

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Rosters expand Sept 1 so I doubt anyone comes and goes again this season.

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Unless there is an injury.

I'm unconcerned with what becomes of either Bielak or Blanco after this, honestly.

Beau Holder said:

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I'm unconcerned with what becomes of either Bielak or Blanco after this, honestly.

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I was unconcerned with Framber after 2019. What an idiot I was.

I think we've seen enough to know what Bielak is. Blanco could still have a role in this team in the future. Especially with so many bullpen spots open next year.

The Porkchop Express said:

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tjack16 said:

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How many times can you send a guy down and call him up in the same season? I feel like a few of these guys have done it about five or six times.

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I always wanted the Astros to somehow re-acquire Fiers and just keep sending him up and down to different levels, and have him pitch every inning for a couple of weeks.

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It'd be the perfect union between Astros fans and Dusty.

TIL HIS ARM FALLS OFF.

tjack16 said:

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How many times can you send a guy down and call him up in the same season? I feel like a few of these guys have done it about five or six times.

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https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/minor-league-options

A player who is on the 40-man roster but does not open the season on the 26-man roster or the injured list must be optioned to the Minor Leagues. Once an optioned player has spent at least 20 days in the Minors in a given season, he loses one of his options. Only one Minor League option is used per season, regardless of how many times a player is optioned to and from the Minors over the course of a given season. (Players may only be optioned five times per season; after that, it requires outright assignment waivers to assign the player to the Minor Leagues.)

yeah, for all I complain about wanting more urgency, it all pales in comparison to playing a complete WS G7 without having the most dominant pitcher in the game throw a single pitch. Appreciate AJ, but I'll take Dusty since he never put me through that

— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 25, 2023

Our boy Ben DuBose says he would take Dusty over Hinch