Gilbert De La Vara
| IP | 407 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.091 |
| WHIP | 1.366 |
| BB/9 | 3.361 |
| SO/9 | 7.916 |
- Full name Gilbert A. De La Vara
- Born 10/04/1984 in Tucson, AZ
- Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Pima CC
- Drafted in the 15th round (445th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2004.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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As they did last offseason, the Astros dipped into the major league Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings in December to try to strengthen their bullpen from the left side. Last year it was Dodgers farmhand Wesley Wright, who made 71 appearances in Houston and stuck with the team. This time it was de la Vara, a former Royals farmhand who split last season between high Class A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. De la Vara can touch 91 mph but generally pitches at 87-89. His curveball is a big bender with enough depth that many righthanded hitters just take the pitch and hope for the best. His changeup improved quite a bit last season, but they key to his chances for sticking in the big leagues will be improving his command. De la Vara has shown enough stuff to get righthanded hitters out, though his long-term role remains as a lefty specialist. Scouts long have questioned his durability due to his slight frame, and he's had trouble maintaining the quality of his stuff in back-to-back outings. If he doesn't stick on the 25-man roster he'll be offered back to the Royals for half the $50,000 draft price, but given the Astros' thin corps of lefty relievers, he'll have a good shot.
