Braves and Astros Complete Five-Player Trade

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros completed a five-player trade late this evening, as the Braves have acquired right-handed pitchers Mike Foltynewicz and Andrew Thurman and third baseman Rio Ruiz in exchange for catcher/outfielder Evan Gattis and right-handed minor-league pitcher James Hoyt.

Foltynewicz (pronounced FOLE-tin-eh-vich), 23, was selected by the Astros in the first round (19th overall) of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Minooka (Ill.) High School. The hard-throwing righty has compiled a 32-28 record with a 3.98 ERA in 116 career minor-league games (104 starts) and 562.2 innings pitched. He was recently ranked as the Astros' No. 3 prospect by Baseball America. 

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder made 21 appearances (18 starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2014 and went 7-7 with a 5.08 ERA. He recorded 102 strikeouts in 102.2 innings pitched, 32 before a late-season call-up to the Astros, where he appeared in 16 games (all in relief) and notched 14 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched.

Ruiz, 20, was selected by the Astros in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 2012 Draft out of Bishop Amat High School in La Puenta, Calif. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound left-handed batter is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Astros' system. Last season he played in 131 games at Class-A Lancaster and posted a .293 batting average with 37 doubles, 11 home runs and 77 RBI. Ruiz owns a career batting average of .275 in 283 minor-league games (three seasons). Following the 2012 season, he was tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 4 overall prospect in the Gulf Coast League.

Thurman, 23, was selected by the Astros in the second round (40th overall) of the 2013 Draft out of the University of California, Irvine. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound righty appeared in 26 games (21 starts) at Class-A Quad Cities in 2014, his first full professional season. He went 7-9 with a 5.38 ERA, recording 107 strikeouts in 115.1 innings pitched. In 2013, he went 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 12 games (five) starts, with 43 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched.