So are they just gonna bridge to a Matthews/Pena left side of the infield? With JD Davis imploding this year they might not have better options lol. I'm also not a big believer in Wagner as a solution given that I haven't read that his glove is that great at 3B (e.g., as good as Bregman's) and his power sucks for a 3B.
I think as a general rule, stuff > results is true for small sample cases like with Bloss. Bloss though has done incredible things with contact management this season, where it's really hard to believe that he hasn't also gotten at least a little lucky. Also, his zone contact rate hasn't been that spectacular this season so when he throws the ball in a hittable location hitters at the AA level have been able to hit it. For instance, Ullola has a 69% Z-Contact% compared to 82% for Bloss. Thus, I think the lack of Ks was more than a fluke although, as said originally, if the stuff is there the results will eventually follow.
Movement > strikeouts He also is giving up like 4 hits per 9 innings so far. He may need to clean up his control some at AAA and the big leagues, but that isn't even really a red flag. He is an interesting pitcher to watch.
I’m assuming there will be other releases or movement with this. Those moves would leave Fayetteville with 5 catchers on their roster and Corpus with only 1; Palma has been rehabbing awhile so I assume he will be added back to corpus this week, and Wrobleski may be moved back down if Loperfido gets called up to get Salazar back in Sugar Land.
They think that they can find a decent stop gap if necessary. They are not sure what the market will be like for Bregman and a few others out there. I've heard names like Isaac Paredes, Jake Burger, Matt Chapman, Ryan McMahon and Christopher Morel as possible options next season in trade.
Next season Houston could be playing rookies in more positions than is comfortable. Dezenzo and Mathews at first and third seems likely to me. Wasting money on a temporary third baseman to give Mathews a little time in AAA may not be possible as we begin 50 million+ in the hole payroll wise. Most of our Acquisitions are in the lower minors. One possible line up if we wind up selling. 1st Dezenzo 2nd Altuve SS Pena 3rd Mathews C Diaz DH Alvarez LF Acquisition CF Meyers RF Leon One possible rotation if we wind up selling. Blanco Brown Garcia Bloss Acquisition, Verlander, or McCullers
When he was drafted scouting reports said that some teams believed he would need to move off of shortstop. As of a few months ago, Brown and his staff still believed he could be a good MLB starting SS with his glove. At this point I think that it is premature to know for sure, he is the type of player that makes errors sometimes on plays that almost no one else would even attempt. He has some issues getting his glove down far enough - and squaring his body. That is correctable. If he isn't a SS when he makes the Astros, I think it will be because they have a hole elsewhere - he can also play 2nd, 3rd and CF well - he is likely the best in CF, where he gets good jumps and has an excellent arm. I am greedy though - I want his bat at SS, as he reminds me some of Brandon Phillips and Milton Bradley as a hitter. He has such great bat speed that he can pull the trigger when the ball is at his wrists and still drive the ball.
I do not know about the Astros but I do not see him there. Long term I think he is Altuve's replacement.
Bregman and Graveman will be off the books for sure - that is nearly $40,000,000 - which basically covers the arbitration raises. They also could end up with Verlander and Pressly off the books as well. The Mets will pay a lot of Verlander's deal if the option accrues, they pay half of the money - so the Astros want that option to vest if he is healthy. The Astros would likely be open to playing one rookie possibly - if someone like Mathews just soars in AA for example, but they do plan to sign free agents, so most likely, one of 1st or 3rd will be a free agent or trade.
He could end up Altuve's replacement - and he would be a good defensive second baseman - but if he is moved off of SS, maximizing his value would be playing him in CF, where he has all the tools to be elite.
My line of thought was...Pena most assuredly could play 3B eventually (good 3B are hard to find, and I'm assuming Bregman is gone) if Brice can play SS. That's a stupidly athletic left side of the IF.
Our history at 2nd base and with Altuve justifies it in my mind. Put him at 3rd and gradually at 2nd as Altuve plays less over the next couple of years.
It is - and then add in Loperfido at 1st, who has the aptitude and skill to be an excellent 1st baseman. If their bats develop, it can be an extremely good defensive infield.
It is going to come down to who they have or don't have in the system - if Meyers is playing well or another CF is emerging (Melton), then Brice likely ends up at 3rd or 2nd. It is a good problem to have. I'll just say that Matthews glove is better than I expected when drafted - and unlike someone like Pedro Leon, he actually wants to play SS.
Will Wagner is about to be Ben Zobrist part 2 if we mess around and let him get away. Same lack of position, lack of power, lack of speed... Never considered a true top prospect but you look back and wonder how he ever got away when you look at his minor league stats. Wagner has 37 walks to 20 strikeouts in AAA. That's got to be one of the best walk to strikeout ratio in decades in AAA. Those are Wade Boggs numbers. Boggs did ok at third averaging 7 homers a year. We are going to mess around and overthink this and he will end up playing somewhere for a decade.
