Drafted in the 23rd round (704th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2005.
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The unheralded Blazek made enough of an impression in the minors last season to earn a trip to the Arizona Fall League, but he was shut down before he pitched there because of elbow tendinitis. It was a disappointing finish to his most encouraging season. Having pitched in Connecticut in high school and in the America East Conference at Vermont, Blazek has always been under the radar and a bit slower in his development as a coldweather product. But he has made himself into a reliable reliever. He was setting up Samuel Gervacio most of the year at Corpus Christi, where he showed more confidence and buzzed his fastball in at 90-92 mph with late life. He also has a decent slider. Scouts liked the way he was unafraid to bust batters inside. Blazek's to-do list includes getting a better handle on his delivery. He tends to jump off the back side and get out too fast in an attempt to generate more velocity, but it tends to affect his command, which has otherwise improved since he signed. Some think it would also be helpful for him to incorporate a changeup into his repertoire. His AFL absence helped the Astros sneak him through the Rule 5 draft, as he wasn't protected on the 40-man roster. For now, he projects as a situational lefty and will head to the Round Rock bullpen in 2009.
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