According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Phillies have acquired right-hander Zac Houston from the Rays for financial considerations (X link). Topkin characterizes the transaction as a result of the Rays’ overabundance of pitchers in Triple-A, with Houston seemingly forced out by the team’s desire to give younger pitchers more innings.
The 29-year-old Houston started his professional career in minor league baseball as an 11th-round selection of the 2016 Tigers draft. (Almost a year before Houston’s draft date, Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski had already broken up with the Tigers.).. Houston has mostly relieved in the minor leagues, where he has a 3.18 ERA in 305 2/3 career innings. However, in 101 Triple-A innings, his ERA is only 4.81.
Throughout his minor league career, Houston has had a staggering 35.46% strikeout percentage yet an equally impressive 12.86% walk rate. Since the beginning of his professional career, the righty has struggled with control, and as Houston has advanced through the minor league ranks, his walk rate has increased. His apparent strikeout potential makes him an intriguing project for the Phillies’ pitching development department. If Houston can combine his penchant for hitting bats out of the park with even mediocre control, he might be a very valuable bullpen weapon.
