Recruiting pitches reel in undrafted talent
Eight college players sign as free agents after frenzy of salesmanship following draft
Recruiting is nothing new for Peter Zimmermann. Saint Louis University won his services out of high school, but he was a Billiken for only one year. He transferred to San Jacinto College for 2018 and then back home to Missouri for 2019.
Cesar Gomez got his start at North Central Texas College before finding a home at Texas-Arlington. Righthander Jimmy Endersby ended his college career at Division II Concordia after starting at Cal State Fullerton.
While bouncing among destinations, the trio listened to other collegiate staffs try to pry them from their pledges. Logic suggested such situations were over once their eligibility expired.
Yet Endersby endured a sleepless Saturday night, hoping for an early morning phone call from a specific franchise. Zimmermann sifted through “six or eight” teams that showed serious interest in offering him a contract. Gomez fielded calls from around Major League Baseball, an entity that — at least for a few days— revolved around college-style recruitment of prospects.
“I was getting calls and stuff like that saying what deals were better and stuff like that,” Gomez said Sunday. “I had to look at what was better for me financially and family-wise, things that I was looking at in college and deciding where I was going to go play.”
One of busier teams
Gomez, Zimmermann, Endersby and Southeast Missouri State outfielder Justin Dirden signed with the Astros as undrafted free agents Sunday, signaling the start of an open season on amateur ballplayers who were not selected in MLB’s truncated five-round draft Wednesday and Thursday.
Houston added four more signees Monday, making it among the league’s most active teams in the market. The Boston Red Sox signed 10 free agents, according to Baseball America, and the Astros were tied with the Chicago Cubs for second with eight.
Before free agency started, little was known about the Astros’ approach. First-year general manager James Click said Thursday the team needed to “reassess” following the draft and was noncommittal about specifics.
Yet as Monday afternoon arrived, Houston had signed two outfielders, a power-hitting SEC first baseman and five righthanded pitchers, two of whom are from Texas. On Monday, the Astros added Houston Baptist righty and Cypress native Kyle Gruller, Central Missouri closer Jonathan Sprinkle, Oklahoma righthander Zack Matthews and Tiffin (Ohio) outfielder Cody Orr.
This year, undrafted free agents can receive a maximum signing bonus of just $20,000. The paltry payout, coupled with the NCAA’s decision to grant college players an extra year of eligibility, made many question the merit for any underclassman to take this route. Five of the eight Astros signees were either college seniors or redshirt juniors.
“I think it’s just knowing where I’m at in my game and knowing how age plays into the minor league system,” said Zimmerman, a senior first baseman at Missouri. “It’s my time to move on from the college ranks. I’ve played my four years in college.
“Honestly, you get a chance to play for a team like the Astros, you don’t turn it down.”
The two true juniors — Orr and Sprinkle — come from Division II programs. Sprinkle attended Central Missouri, whose team plays in a stadium named for a prominent alumnus: Astros owner Jim Crane.
Sprinkle struck out 142 in 87 career innings, throwing a low-90s cutter and slider. Orr was a twoway player at Tiffin but fared far better as a hitter. Given the Astros’ need for outfielders, it stands to reason they’ll develop him there. Orr slashed .303/.395/.438 in 308 career at-bats, striking out just 53 times.
Endersby played at Division II Concordia. He awoke Sunday at 5:30 a.m. Pacific time in anticipation of free agency opening. Houston called the minute it started at 6 a.m.
“I told myself ‘I’m an Astro’ at 6:05,” Endersby said.
Endersby and Astros fifthround pick Shay Whitcomb — a UC San Diego shortstop — share representation. Houston considered selecting Endersby with its fifth-round pick, he said, but opted for Whitcomb. Astros area scout Ryan Leake texted Endersby
his regrets but reminded him of the upcoming opportunity.
College-style recruitment started the next day.
“That’s exactly what it felt like post-draft,” Endersby said. “Exactly what it felt like. One of my best friends was like, ‘Dude, you’re going to college again. You’re getting recruited.’ ”
Swayed by numbers
The Astros made some sort of organizational and analytical presentation to all three players. Gomez received a video that tracked the organization’s work with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Endersby didn’t get that but claimed it would have been “pretty sweet.”
Unsurprisingly, spin rates were a focus of discussions with both pitchers. The Astros spoke highly to Endersby about the vertical break on his four-seam fastball and curveball.
“I’ve gone up to about 2,550 (rpm). I’ve hit 2,600 (rpm) on my spin rate once with my heater,” said Endersby, who this year had a 1.88 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 28 2⁄3 innings. “Stuff like that, which opens eyes to organizations who like analytics.”
For reference, Verlander averaged 2,577 rpm on his four-seamer last season. Endersby throws a curveball, slider and changeup, too. He’s quite analytically inclined and claimed Sunday he always coveted a place in the Astros’ system.
“I don’t pitch with my analytics; my analytics just follow how I am on the mound,” Endersby said. “I would say I have above average data — vertical break on my heater, vertical break on my curveball, spin rate — and the Astros take that into effect, and they know how to produce big league pitchers. That was probably one of my biggest decisions: What team can develop me into a big leaguer?”
Gomez has a three-pitch mix — fastball, curveball and changeup — but only this season started pitching exclusively. He arrived at UT-Arlington as a two-way player but ended this season as the team’s closer. In 8 2⁄3 innings, he struck out six and walked six more.
“I feel like they can polish me up,” Gomez said. “I feel like I have enough spin rate for them to work with me, and it’s just the team that their minor league system goes through Texas. Everything is close to home. It was a good fit.”
Zimmermann, a power-hitting first baseman, said he talked extensively with area scout Jim Stevenson. In 57 at-bats prior to the pandemic, Zimmermann slugged .632 and struck out just seven times. Nine of his 19 hits went for extra bases. Last season, he slashed .274/.331/.462 in 117 at-bats against SEC pitching.
“What sold me on the Astros was seeing the different ways they go about developing their players from the different analytical standpoints of how they measure players’ movements, how they look, and how guys perform and how they project it,” Zimmermann said. “They really dive into the secondary stats and things like that. Understanding why you’re maybe having success or not. If you have elite exit (velocity), how do you utilize that?”
Added Zimmermann: “You’re almost awestruck when an MLB team recruits you. It was really weird. I’m glad I don’t have to go through this again, it was definitely weird.”