What you need to know about Travis Blackley

It may just be three games into the 2013 season, but the Astros aren't done making moves. Just ahead of a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics, the Astros acquired left-handed pitcher Travis Blackley - FROM Oakland - for minor league outfielder Jake Goebbert. Blackley, a 30 year old Australian, broke into the big leagues way back in 2004. And while he didn't exactly hit it off in the majors right away, he did manage to pitch for the Australians in the 2009 World Baseball Classic tossing 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball in a start against the Cubans where he went head to head against Aroldis Chapman. 2012 was definitely Blackley's break out year though as he went 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA for the A's as a starter and a long reliever.  Remember the last Australian born starter/long reliever we acquired? Does the name Ryan Rowland-Smith ring a bell? Rowland-Smith - who like Blackley was signed as an amateur free agent by Seattle back in 2000 - failed to make the 2011 Astros (you know, the first Astro team that ever failed to win 60 games) out of spring training and went on to go 2-10 with a 6.19 ERA in AAA that year. For the sake of all parties involved, let's hope Blackley fairs better. He's not exactly riding a hot streak on his way into town after putting up Jordan Lyles-esque spring numbers (12 2/3 innings, 27 hits, 20 runs), but he's a lefty who's pitched in the AL West (5 starts against the Rangers last year including two wins), and with Alex White probably out for the year, he gives Bo Porter another arm he can use in long relief.

So what'd we give up to get him? Jake Goebbert is a corner outfielder who has hit .285 over the last 4 minor league seasons. He spent most of 2011 and 2012 in AA, but did reach AAA both years. He doesn't have tremendous speed or power - he's more of a doubles hitter if he's anything - but he has good plate discipline and doesn't strike out a ton (which is more than you can say about the Astros major league roster right now). You just have to hope Goebbert doesn't go out and pull a Justin Ruggiano on us. Ruggiano, another corner outfielder we gave up on, hit .325 in AAA for the Astros last year, and then we traded him to Florida - I mean MIAMI - for Jobduan Morales. Ruggiano then went on to hit .313 for the Marlins with 13 homers and 14 stolen bases. Whoops.