The Forrest Whitley experience is coming to an end for the Houston Astros.
The team recently designated the 27-year-old for assignment, who will now either be traded, placed on waivers, or released outright. It is a disappointing day for Whitley and the Astros, who had high hopes for their former top prospect and 2016 Draft first-round pick.
Here is what manager Joe Espada had to say, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com:
“Very difficult decision based on how hard [Whitley] worked to get to the big leagues, the battle through injuries, but this is the part of the business that we’ve got to make tough decisions,” Espada said.
“The stuff is really good, but we’re taking into consideration who’s [in] our bullpen and the way they’re performing, and performance does matter.”
Whitley made his rookie debut last year, appearing in three games with a 0.00 ERA, a 3.77 FIP, and 5 strikeouts to 3 walks. However, he has been dismantled by opposing batters this year to the tune of a 12.27 ERA, a 7.29 FIP, and 8 strikeouts to 6 walks over 7 and 1/3 innings.
Houston has the 8th-best combined bullpen ERA in the Majors at 3.39, and as tantalizing as Whitley’s stuff may be, he has not done enough to carve out a solidified role, particularly with so many other strong right-handers at Espada’s disposal.
At 6-foot-7, Whitley has a solid extension and arsenal, headlined by a hard fastball/sinker combination (62% of his pitches), plus a curveball (20%), cutter (9%), slurve (7%), and the occasional changeup (2%).
Whitley did make 14 starts for Triple-A Sugar Land from 2022-23, and that deep collection of pitches could intrigue another club to try out Whitley as a starting pitcher. But, even as a reliever in the minor leagues this season, he has a 4.76 ERA and a 1.142 WHIP over 5 and 2/3 innings.
Injuries are another concern for him, as he missed all of 2020 and 2021 because of Tommy John surgery. He was also limited to just 30 innings in 2023 due to a lat strain.
Whitley’s MLB journey is still far from over, but his story with the Astros is in its final chapter.
