Players who left their mark
The 5 Best SuperDraft Picks in Houston Dynamo history
Jan 9, 2020, 7:52 am
Will Bruin remains the Dynamo's second all-time goalscorer in MLS play.
The MLS SuperDraft used to be a solid provider of reinforcements for the Houston Dynamo during the Dominic Kinnear era. The 2020 edition, which takes place on Thursday (11:30 a.m. CT, ESPN app/Facebook/Twitter/YouTube), will be the 15th time the Dynamo participate in what is otherwise known as the annual college draft.
The following is a list of the five SuperDraft selections that left the biggest on the field impact for the Dynamo.
5. Danny Cruz (41st overall, 2009, M)
Midfielder Danny Cruz was the club's first selection in the 2009 SuperDraft, coming at 41st overall (Round 3, pick 10) after trading away their first and second round picks. Previously a member of the United States Under-17 National Team, Cruz made six appearences off the bench in his rookie season.
He became more influential during his next two seasons, scoring in his first professional start in 2010 and helping the Dynamo return to an MLS Cup final in 2011 after scoring the goal that clinched their playoff berth. Cruz was traded to D.C. United before the start of the 2012 season.
4. Kofi Sarkodie (7th overall, 2011, D)
Sarkodie was part of the U.S. Youth National Team that finished in the Round of 16 at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and a member of the 2010 NCAA Champion Akron Zips before joining the Dynamo. He was part of the club's back-to-back MLS Cup final appearances in 2011 and 2012, starting in all six playoff matches of the latter.
In total, the right back played five seasons in orange before reuniting with Dominic Kinnear in 2016 at the San Jose Earthquakes.
3. Corey Ashe (26th overall, 2007, M)
Corey Ashe was a regular substitute during his rookie year, appearing in 22 matches during the regular season as part of the 2007 MLS Cup championship team. He went on to be a staple on the left side of the field, eventually making the switch in midfield to left back, for nine seasons which included MLS Cup appearances in 2011 and 2012, two MLS All-Star nods and a call-up to the 2013 U.S. Men's national team squad that won the Concacaf Gold Cup.
2. Will Bruin (11th overall, 2011, F)
Will Bruin was drafted by the Dynamo in the 2011 SuperDraft and went on to become the club's second all-time goalscorer in MLS matches. For six seasons, the "Dancing Bear" never featured in less 18 MLS starts per year and looked to be the heir-apparent to Brian Ching. He was less consistent in his later years and was traded to the Seattle before the 2017 season.
1. Geoff Cameron (42nd overall, 2008, M)
The Dynamo did not have a pick in the first two rounds of the SuperDraft after having utilized them in player trades during their MLS Cup winning 2007 season. All other teams except Chivas USA had selected at least once before them.
In comes Houston at 42nd overall, the final pick of the third round, and takes the player that arguably went on to have the most complete career from those in the 2008 SuperDraft.
Cameron was a versatile player coming out of college. A midfielder with an attacking mentality, Cameron would later become the Dynamo's solution in defense as a centerback.
He freatured in over 100 MLS regular season matches and helped the Dynamo to a 2011 MLS Cup final appearance. After call ups to the U.S. Men's National Team, he would be sold to Stoke City where he went on to play five seasons in the Premier League and feature for the U.S. in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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If the Astros were going to win one series and lose the other on their six-game road trip out of the All-Star break, they got it right in taking two out of three games at Seattle then losing two out of three to lousy Oakland. Had they inverted those results, the Astros would not be alone atop the American League West starting this weekend’s series against the Dodgers at Minute Maid Park.
By the schedule the Astros’ sledding now gets tougher. The Dodgers are rolling toward their 11th National League West crown in 12 years, despite their pitching staff having been battered by injuries every bit as much as the Astros’. The Astros will face three rookie starters this weekend. National League Rookie of the Year candidate (non-Paul Skenes division) Gavin Stone goes Friday. Saturday it’s Justin Wrobleski making his fourth big league start, Sunday River Ryan makes his second. 325 million dollar addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto last pitched June 15. Tony Gonsolin is out for the year without throwing a pitch. Clayton Kershaw’s first pitch Thursday marks the first of his season. Tyler Glasnow’s Wednesday return from the Injured List means the Astros won’t face him this weekend.
Aside: Astros’ fan favorite Joe Kelly is back in the Dodgers’ bullpen. He was activated from the IL out of the break, so the opportunity to welcome him back to Minute Maid Park looms!
After the Dodgers, the Pirates hit town with Skenes slated to pitch Monday opposite Jake Bloss. Gulp. Hey, in one game, you never know. Skenes has been the most electric rookie pitcher since Dwight Gooden with the Mets in 1984.
Sleepless in Seattle
The Mariners’ unraveling has reached historic proportions. It’s not easy losing six straight matchups with the lowly Angels but the Mariners were down to the challenge and pulled it off. The M’s have stumble-bummed their way to a 9-20 record over their last 29 games. That’s actually a better winning percentage than the Astros’ had after staggering from the starting gate to a 7-19 mark. Like the Astros did, the Mariners can right their ship, though if they don’t add quality offense before Tuesday’s trade deadline it seems unlikely. Seattle has scored more than two runs in one of its last eight games, the only win among those eight when the Mariners got to Ronel Blanco and Seth Martinez Sunday to avoid an Astros’ sweep. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers whipping up on the laughingstock Chicago White Sox this week has their World Series title defense very much alive and a threat to overtake both the Astros and Mariners.
The trade deadline is this Tuesday
Tick-tock toward Tuesday’s 5PM Central Time trade deadline. General Manager Dana Brown is on the clock. Let’s start with starting pitchers. Tarik Skubal! Garrett Crochet! Jack Flaherty! Any would be a fabulous addition. If Brown acquires one, he will have done phenomenal work cajoling the trade partner into thinking the Astros’ offer the best. Frankly it seems impossible. The Orioles are in the starting pitcher market. Their farm system runs laps around what the Astros have. Numerous other teams on the hunt for pitching have higher rated minor league talent. The Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys are having a fabulous season, but until the Astros Thursday moved up soon to be 24-year-old Jacob Melton (who was batting just .248 with a .307 on-base percentage at Double-A Corpus Christi) there was not one non-pitcher of any consequence younger than 25 on the roster. Pedro Leon, Shay Whitcomb, Will Wagner, and include Joey Loperfido: it would be shocking if any of them can be the best player in an offer good enough to land one of the potential big trade fish. All four of them wouldn’t be enough to land a Skubal or Crochet.
On the hitter side, if the Blue Jays shop Vlad Jr. and/or the Rays take offers for Paredes, of course Brown better try. Either would be a sharp upgrade over Jon Singleton, and Guerrero can’t become a free agent until after next season, with Paredes under team control through 2027. Reality check time. Seattle’s offense is in dire straits. The Mariners have four prospects rated higher than any Astros’ prospect. If the Mariners didn’t make a winning offer over what the Astros proposed, Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto would look like a timid clown.
That said, there will be several second and third tier starters and relievers moved who would boost the Astros. If Spencer Arrighetti and Jake Bloss are both still in the Astros’ starting rotation after the deadline, Dana Brown will have failed. That said, the Astros could well stand pat and win the Mild, Mild West. They could also finish third.
Go for the gold!
With the Olympics underway, a medal podium-style ranking of the Astros’ greatest trade deadline acquisitions:
No medal but cannot be omitted: Randy Johnson. It was a brief fling with “The Big Unit” in 1998 but it was spectacular. It elevated Houston as a baseball city. In 11 regular season starts Johnson went 10-1 with a 1.28 earned run average. He threw shutouts in his first four Astrodome starts. He spiked attendance like no other player in franchise history. Even though the San Diego Padres beat Johnson twice (Johnson pitched fine, the Astros scored two runs total in the two games) and bounced the Astros in a National League Division Series, and prospects Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen included in the deal both went on to have excellent careers, it was a trade that in hindsight you make 100 times out of 100.
Bronze: Jeff Bagwell. Reliever Larry Andersen was outstanding in helping the Boston Red Sox win the AL East in 1990, but the BoSox got swept in the ALCS and Andersen left as a free agent. Bagwell has the greatest offensive resume in Astros’ history (I know, I know, postseason aside) and is quite arguably one of the 10 greatest first basemen of all-time.
Silver: Yordan Alvarez. He has longevity to prove but to this point in his career, while not the all-around player Bagwell was, Yordan is clearly the more destructive force in the batter’s box. Throw in his three monstrously significant home runs in the 2022 Astros’ title run, and his awesome 2023 postseason, and what could still lie ahead for him and the Gold could be his if we revisit this topic 10 years from now. Imagine the Dodgers if they hadn’t gifted Yordan to the Astros for Josh Fields.
Gold: Justin Verlander. Astros’ World Series championships pre-JV, zero. With him, two. Even though his World Series resume is terrible. The finishing piece to the Astros’ initial championship winner in 2017 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts ahead of winning the 2017 ALCS MVP, a second crown in 2022, two Cy Young Awards and a Cy runner-up. Interesting decision to make for the cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. Much more body of work with the Tigers but the championships and legend cemented with the Astros.
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.