Astros Notes: Sanchez DFA'd for Snyder, Name Changes, Saber-Hire

The Houston Astros have designated Angel Sanchez for assignment to make room for recently signed Chris Snyder, according to Stephen Goff.

In other quick notes, the team held a press conference yesterday, announcing lower ticket prices, fan-friendly food/drink policies, and...a possible name change, which seems like a hit idea with everyone other than Astros fans. The official Astros twitter feed, however, reassures they're only floating the idea and they'll be listening to reaction.

In somewhat offbeat news, if you're into sabermetrics, you might recognize the name Mike Fast. He's the pitch f/x whiz over at Baseball Prospectus, and he just got hired by the team to presumably do similar work. If you have a close eye, you may have noticed Fast was a regular commenter over at our sister site, Beyond the Box Score:

• Astros designate IF Angel Sanchez for assignment -Stephen Goff | Examiner.com
  "Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow announced Tuesday that Houston has designated shortstop Angel Sanchez for assignment. The move enables the Astros to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, thus allowing the club to add recently-signed catcher Chris Snyder."

• Houston Astros Sign Chris Snyder - MLB Daily Dish
  Alyson Footer from the Houston Astros PR department is reporting that the Astros have signed catcher Chris Snyder. The deal will include a mutual option for the 2013 season.
• Twitter / @astros - "Jim Crane is the most open-minded owner in sports, and he is considering anything that will potentially improve the fan experience...To be clear, nothing is decided concerning a change to the team name. We invite you to continue the discussion & assure you we are listening."
• Should The Houston Astros Change Their Name? - Baseball Nation
  If you think your team's nickname has been that way forever, for many MLB teams, that's not the case. Will the Astros become the next club with a new name?
• Astros add ‘Baseball Prospectus’ alum Fast in drive for stats knowledge - Zachary Levine
  "The Astros added to their statistical strength in the front office, hiring Mike Fast of Baseball Prospectus to serve in the baseball operations department. Fast, one of the foremost experts on pitch trajectory (PITCHf/x) data, has also written on HITf/x data for BP. Some of his latest writings have been on hit-and-run success, quantifying how much control pitchers have over batted balls and an analysis of hot and cold zones for hitters."