Welcome to the Thirsty Thursday Boil.
Your Thursday Boil comes with news, birthdays, and the 41st part of our Everystros.
Houston Astros News
New skipper Espada looks ahead to 2024
With moves on the periphery, Astros roster taking shape after Winter Meetings (The Athletics)
Astros reach 2-year deal with C Victor Caratini (WKZO)
Era of excellence: The pinnacle of Houston sports history unveiled (SportsMap)
Houston Astros: Two added, three lost in minor-league Rule 5 draft (Houston Chronicle)
‘Leader’: Astros players post emotional farewell messages for Martín Maldonado (Houston Chronicle)
AL West News
Oakland Athletics — Boras criticizes Fisher, MLB owners on A’s relocation effort (Yahoo)
Los Angeles Angels — Angels, Adam Cimber agree to $1.65 million contract in free agency (ClutchPoints)
Texas Rangers — Rangers add reliever Kirby Yates on 1-year deal
Seattle Mariners — Analysis: Why the Mariners might need to wait to make more moves (The Seattle Times)
The 41st installment of Everystros features another 11 players from the fourth bracket, those with between 101 and 500 plate transactions. Each player in today’s group put up between 0.0008 and 0.0011 bWAR per PA/BF.
451. Dave Eilers is a five-foot-11 right-handed pitcher from Oldenburg, TX. Born on December 3, 1936, he made his major league debut in 1964 with the Milwaukee Braves (0-0, 7.15, 11 1⁄3 IP, two K), later playing for the New York Mets (2-2, 4.44, 52 2⁄3 IP, 23 K). On November 29, 1966, Houston drafted Eilers away from the Mets in the minor league draft.
Eilers worked nearly exclusively as a relief pitcher for the 1967 Astros, pitching 59 1⁄3 innings in 35 appearances (including a single start). On June 19, he struck out the side in a perfect ninth in a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. On July 23, in an absolutely no-leverage outing, he came in with two outs and a runner on in the bottom of the fifth with the Astros trailing, 15-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He gave up two singles and struck out five over 3 1⁄3 innings, playing his best with nothing on the line.
Eilers’ only start was his worst outing. On September 3, he lasted 3 2⁄3 innings and allowed eight runs on nine hits and a walk, for a GameScore of 10. Taking his start out of his years’ output, he was an excellent pitcher. He was 6-3 with a 2.91 ERA, with 27 strikeouts in 55 2⁄3 innings. He had a 1.347 WHIP and an opposing slashline of .280/.336/.379. He went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts as a hitter, with two sacrifice hits. He also fielded at 1.000, making 10 assists and three putouts.
After his season in the majors for Houston, Eilers played two minor league seasons with the Oklahoma City 89ers, but did not get back to the majors.
450. Aubrey Huff is a six-foot-four left-handed batting and right-handed throwing corner infielder and right fielder from Marion, OH. Born on December 20, 1976, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 1998 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, out of the University of Miami.
Huff reached the majors with the Rays in 2000, and played in parts of seven seasons with Tampa Bay (799 games, .287/.343/.477 with 128 home runs and 449 RBI. On July 12, 2006, the Rays sent Huff with cash to Houston for Mitch Talbot and Ben Zobrist.
Huff appeared in 68 of Houston’s final 73 games of the 2006 season. He collected multiple hits on 17 occasions. On August 9, he hit a double and two home runs with six RBI in a 14-1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On September 4, Huff hit a double and a solo home run in a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
