The Houston Astros certainly have a history of letting young talent get away (see Curt Schilling, Kenny Lofton, Johan Santana, et al.). In late 1997, when deciding which players to protect from the Expansion Draft, evidently the team only had room to protect one of two well-regarded young outfielders in Richard Hidalgo and Bobby Abreu. The team chose Hidalgo.
Abreu was selected by the Devil Rays in the expansion draft and immediately traded to the Phillies, where he would quickly blossom into one of the best all-around players in the game.