WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Getting a job in the majors is not easy.
But getting to your job in the majors is very easy for a pitcher this spring trying to land a job on the Astros' pitching staff.
He hopes to find a home in Houston's bullpen, but until the roster is finalized, what's the next best thing for Bennett Sousa?
How about playing at the Astros facility roughly 20 minutes from where he grew up?
"(The) only challenge is going to be leaving tickets for my mom, grandma, everybody," Sousa said. "But no, it's really fun for them. And they don't really get to see me that much during the season. It’s a good chance for them to come to games and really watch me play.
In high school, Bennett was an All-American. Ten years later, the lefty appears to have the right stuff to pitch again for Houston. He touts a 95-mph fastball and a slider, which last season, gave batters fits -- he didn’t allow a run in five games after being let go by Detroit.
"I expect him to come in and continue to show how good he was," manager Joe Espada said. "And the stuff is there. He has a really good shot of making our team."
Although he’s working close to home, "I get free rent at home. So I'm saving money, that's for sure,"
He is, by no means, getting comfortable.
"There's a lot of opportunity, but I’m trying to take care of what I can do and let the chips fall where they fall," Sousa said.
Sousa could have possibly made the Astros’ postseason roster last year, but he wasn’t eligible because he was claimed off waivers after a Major League Baseball deadline.
It was frustrating for Sousa but he did make a great first impression.