Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Having already been outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster at the start of Spring Training, it seemed as though it were only a matter of time before Brett Wallace and the Houston Astros parted ways. The corner infielder remained in camp with the team following the move, but the Astros have now released the former top prospect, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Jose de Jesus Ortiz.
Now 27, Wallace had just two hits in 14 plate appearances this spring.
For his career he’s a .242/.313/.391 hitter in just over 1,000 plate appearances over the past four seasons. With just 29 HR in that span, Wallace never truly developed into the power hitter that many expected he could be. Striking out nearly four times for every walk, his discipline at the plate has also been a concern, particularly over the past two seasons.
Wallace was originally a 1st Round pick (#13 overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 but he’s been well travelled since. In July 2009 they’d trade him (and others) to the Oakland A’s for Matt Holliday. The A’s would ship him to the Toronto Blue Jays just a few months later. The following July he’d be on the move again, this time to Houston in exchange for Anthony Gose.
Few expected that Wallace would factor into the Astros plans this coming season. The organization has been stockpiling youth and while Wallace was not yet arbitration eligible, there are simply other players in camp more deserving of an opportunity. Ortiz shared word from GM Jeff Luhnow that they’d concluded that Wallace didn’t have a role with the Major League club any longer. Releasing him now gives him more time to latch on with another organization.