23-year old switch-hitting shortstop Marwin Gonzalez was snapped off the Cubs over the winter. He has played in 9 games for the Astros so far this year and he is 6 for 24 (.250 avg, .613 OPS) with 5 runs scored, 0 homers and 1 RBI. Gonzalez held his own as the starting shortstop earlier this year when Jed Lowrie started the 2012 season on the D.L. 25-year old righty reliever Rhiner Cruz was taken from the Mets over the winter. He has pitched in 3 games (0 starts) for the Astros so far this year and he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. He has only given up 4 hits and has yet to walk a batter in his first 4 1/3 innings this year, while whiffing 5 batters. It looks like the Astros really did their homework in preparing for the Rule 5 Draft last winter.