HOUSTON \u2014 Chas McCormick, whose sprawling catch at Citizens Bank Park helped secure the second World Series title in Astros history, was one of five players put on outright waivers by the team on Tuesday, a league source told The Athletic.<\/p>\n
Minor-league outfielders Pedro Le\u00f3n and Kenedy Corona joined McCormick on waivers, alongside injured pitchers John Rooney and Luis Garcia. Garcia and Rooney both underwent elbow surgery in September and are not expected to pitch next season.<\/p>\n
Teams have until Thursday to activate players from the 60-day injured list, which forced Tuesday\u2019s flurry of activity. Garcia and Rooney were two of eight players Houston had on the 60-day injured list. The six others will be put back on to the Astros\u2019 40-man roster, which stood at 37 players entering Tuesday.<\/p>\n
All five players could remain in the Astros\u2019 organization if they pass through waivers unclaimed \u2014 though none would be on the 40-man roster. Rival teams have long had interest in McCormick, whose opposite-field offensive profile is ideal for a number of ballparks with short porches in right field.<\/p>\n
MLB Trade Rumors projected McCormick to make $3.4 million this winter in salary arbitration. Coupled with his staggering decline across the past two seasons and Houston\u2019s glut of young outfielders, Tuesday\u2019s fate came as no surprise.<\/p>\n
McCormick managed a .574 OPS across his past two major-league seasons while accruing minus-1.6 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference. At one point in 2024, McCormick told The Athletic<\/a> that \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve let the team down, let the coaches down, let my teammates down.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s move had to happen, but McCormick must still be viewed as a rousing success story for Houston\u2019s scouting and player development departments. A 21st round pick in 2017 out of Division III Millersville University, McCormick became a mainstay in a championship-contending lineup.<\/p>\n McCormick started 27 playoff games and appeared in six more, endearing himself to Houston\u2019s fanbase with a contagious attitude that even prompted fans to begin doing the \u201cChas Chomp\u201d when he came to bat or ran out to his position.<\/p>\n His place in Astros lore will forever be intact for a leaping catch of J.T. Realmuto\u2019s fly ball during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2022 World Series. McCormick, a Pennsylvania native who grew up a Phillies fan, crashed into the scoreboard while making the catch before falling onto the warning track, protecting Houston\u2019s one-run lead.<\/p>\n McCormick\u2019s most consistent success came in 2023, when he slashed .273\/.353\/.489 and finished with a 130 OPS+ across 457 plate appearances.<\/p>\n