July 10, 2008 Oscar Villarreal turned down the Astros assignment that would have sent him to Triple-A, and as as result he will be placed on waivers and become a free agent on Monday, according to MLB.com. "I'm disappointed about the decision," general manager Ed Wade said. "We thought there was an opportunity for him to be productive here. By going to Round Rock, he had a chance to get straightened out.
Our View:Villarreal has been a mess this year with a 5.02 ERA and 1.57 WHIP while allowing 12 home runs in 37.2 innings. He will certainly be claimed and could have value depending on what his role is with his new club, though he could still end up having to work on his game in the minors given his poor work this season.
July 2, 2008 Reliever Oscar Villarreal has been designated for assignment, according to the Houston Chronicle. The team recalled reliever Dave Borkowski as a corresponding move.
Our View:Villarreal allowed 21 earned runs, 42 hits, and 17 walks over 37.2 innings of relief for Houston, and held no fantasy value prior to his designation.
December 28, 2007 The Astros signed Oscar Villarreal to a two-year, $2.85 million contract extension Friday. Villareal was acquired via trade from the Braves in November. He will help set up Jose Valverde in Houston this season.
November 16, 2007 The Astros acquired Oscar Villarreal from the Braves Friday in exchange for outfielder Josh Anderson. Villareal held a 4.24 ERA in 76 1/3 innings for the Braves in 2007. "Oscar Villarreal gives us another experienced, durable arm for the bullpen," Astros GM Ed Wade told Sports Network. "He has the ability to pitch late in a game, throw multiple innings and pitch back-to-back days. We gave up a good, young prospect in Josh Anderson, but with the additions of Michael Bourn and Yordany Ramirez, along with our earlier waiver claim of Reggie Abercrombie, we had the outfield depth to make this move."
February 11, 2007 The Braves signed Oscar Villarreal to a one-year contract worth $925,000 on Sunday, according to the AP. The right-hander could make another $100,000 in bonuses based on how many games he starts and finishes. Villarreal went 9-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 58 games (four starts) with Atlanta in 2006.
