text: So as the Astros gear up for the Rule 5 draft (in which other teams can poach other teams' players), the Astros have added some guys to the 40-man roster:
  And have thus been protected from the Rule 5 draft
  Labels: Arcenio Leon, David Carpenter, Jimmy Paredes, Jorge de Leon, Roster, Tranzactionz
  Labels: Jim Pankovits, Sayonara
  2010's Lancaster manager Tom Lawless has been promoted to the same position with Double-A Corpus Christi.
  He'll be joined by pitching coach Don Alexander, who comes up from Lancaster; and hitting coach Stubby Clapp, who gets a promotion from Lexington.
  And in a related note, the Astros announced that they have hired Larry Prado - who signed Ryan Braun for Milwaukee - to scout central and south Florida.
  Labels: Corpus Christi, Don Alexander, Larry Prado, Stubby Clapp, Tom Lawless
  Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi says that the Astros are interested in former top pitching prospect Brandon McCarthy.
  When healthy, McCarthy was effective this season at Class AAA Oklahoma City in the Texas organization (4-2, 3.36 ERA). But a stress fracture in his right shoulder limited him to just 56 1/3 innings. That is the same injury that hampered his throwing arm in the past.
  Labels: Brandon McCarthy, Rumors
  Apologies for the lack of posting this weekend. Don't buy a Gateway. That's the Moral of the Weekend.
  Anyhow, with a captip to Bernie's Crew, we read that Miles Prentice - owner of Milwaukee's Double-A Huntsville Stars - is interested in buying the Astros:
  This is obviously a poorly-punctuated sentence, but you get the drift. Before getting excited, read Bernie's Crew's take:
  The Huntsville Stars have routinely been harassed by the Brewers for not putting money into their facilities. If a man with that type of attitude wishes to purchase the Astros, be my guest.