Astros outright Rudy Owens

The Astros made a series of roster moves today that included outrighting our old friend Rudy Owens, one of three players the Astros received when they shipped Wandy Rodriguez to the Pirates.

Now 26, Owens has appeared in only one big-league game, a 2014 start in which his average fastball didn't crack 88 MPH. He spent most of 2014 with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he struck out 104 batters in 135 innings and posted a 4.33 ERA. In other words, he's approximately a statistically average Triple-A starter in every important way.

Rodriguez's Pirates career is already over, of course, but it's becoming ever clearer that at least the Bucs didn't give up a whole lot to get him. Owens is now a free-talent player, and Colton Cain isn't likely ever to make the majors. There's still some hope for Robbie Grossman as an OBP-first corner outfielder, but he hasn't yet developed much power, and with the Pirates' abundance of outfield talent, they aren't likely to regret having traded him.