Houston Astros: Three prospects the team should willingly give up in a trade
By T.A. Mock
Freudis Nova, SS, GCL Astros, #9 prospect
The Houston Astros went all in on the 2016-17 international free agent class. They spent a franchise-record $17.6 million on this class in between bonuses and penalties for overspending. Needless to say, they were confident about the prospects that were available.
Freudis Nova was one of the gems of the class at only 16 years old. He originally signed a $2.5 million bonus to join the Miami Marlins organization out of the Dominican Republic. However, he failed a performance-enhancing drug test that caused the Marlins to withdraw their offer.
After several more tests, which he passed, the Astros extended a $1.2 million offer to Nova which he accepted. Nova subsequently became the top player in the Astros international class. He has spent the past two years playing in some of the lowest levels of the farm system, the Dominican Summer League and then in the Gulf Coast League.
This past season, Nova impressed in short-season rookie ball. He hit over .300, launched 8 home runs, stole 9 bases, and collected 45 hits in only 41 games. He also played some impressive shortstop that showcased his defensive potential.
Potential landing spots for the Astros free agents. light. Trending
Nova legitimately has the capabilities to develop into a five-tool player at shortstop which is a rarity in general but definitely so at shortstop. He has tremendous speed and strength and has thus far been able to maintain great conditioning. All of these things play into him becoming a five-tool player.
He can easily hit for both average and power with his excellent right-handed swing. He has incredible bat speed and had has already been adapting to the launch angle craze. Nova also has already begun to display good swing selection and patience at the plate. He also has plus speed, potentially higher than that, as well as good base running. Nova has good footwork and a strong arm that projects well to stay at short.
Nova, while still very young, could develop into a core prospect in a year or two with the ability to start contributing by 2021 or 2022. Unfortunately, the Houston Astros are set on the left side of the infield probably beyond that, which makes him expendable. Teams would likely love to jump at the opportunity to add a guy that compares favorably to Edgar Renteria.