Forrest Whitley opens up on ’embarrassing’ journey with Astros Spoiler At first, Whitley didn’t know how, the byproduct of being an 18-year-old wunderkind with a $3.148 million signing bonus and a blessed amateur baseball career. First-round picks seldom arrive with any experience navigating adversity and emotions, and when hardships arrive, feelings can vary. “The honest answer to that is it’s embarrassing,” Whitley said this week. Now, after nine years of never-ending misfortune, Whitley is nearing a place of peace. Maturation and marriage have helped. Whitley’s wife, Courtney, has been a constant companion since his professional career began. She “knows the key words, key phrases, the key things to do to calm me down,” he said. “And she has pretty much nailed everything since we’ve been together.” One of Courtney’s most common refrains to her husband: “Bear down, break through it, take it day by day, hour by hour.” “Otherwise, give up the game,” Whitley said. “That was just never an option for me. Still isn’t an option. I feel like guys in my position that keep going feel like they have stuff to give back to the game, and I still very much feel that way.” Whitley is out of minor-league options at a position where turnover is constant, creating a real scenario where he won’t finish the season in the only organization he’s ever known. “It’s impossible not to think about,” Whitley said. “I kind of viewed this year as the last chance, so when I’m on the field, I really got to make it happen.” “I told (manager Joe Espada) this, I told the pitching coaches this: I honestly feel embarrassed every time I have to go on the IL or something pops up,” Whitley said. “I don’t want it to be a reflection of my work ethic. I feel I do everything I can to stay on the field, and it just hasn’t worked out lately. “I feel like I have a certain level of responsibility to give back to the people that have supported me that I don’t.” What irks Whitley most is any thought that this is a result of negligence or complacency. He has worked with countless physical therapists, checked “under the hood” more times than he can count and has drawn a few vials of blood to figure out why he can’t stay healthy. “The game is going to be the game. You just have to deal with it. I’m a hard thrower. Got good spin. Got a good changeup. I put a lot of stress on my body,” Whitley said. “It makes sense that this stuff would happen,” he continued, “but you look around the league, and there’s a lot of guys doing the same thing that throw 160 innings every year. For me, I try to ask myself why, but that’s the kind of comparison you can’t make.” “It was just such a quick rise to such a steady fall. For me, mentally, that was really tough. It hurt my ego a lot,” Whitley said. “I was just so used to being the guy in the room. I come to spring in ’21, ’22, ’23 — you’re not the guy anymore. “While I believe that I’m not the guy just because I don’t have the prospect status or the numbers to back it up in general, I still have to maintain that belief that I am that guy without being an a–hole.” Belief is what buoys Whitley, even when his body might betray him. He “likes to think” he will pitch into his 40s, even as a 27-year-old with an extensive injury history. Whitley has exchanged some messages with Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, one of the few pitchers in the sport who can commiserate with his situation. “You come into the clubhouse every day with a certain level of apprehension, knowing that today could be the day something really flares up and something happens,” Whitley said. “You try to hold that mindset and carry that with you. It almost makes you feel humble coming in day to day, knowing that every day really, really matters. “It wasn’t a perfect process to get to this mental state right now. It’s still not perfect. It’s far from it.” “Every day I throw the baseball, it reminds me of why I keep doing this stuff,” Whitley said. “I know when I go out there, I’m going to be competitive. I know exactly what to do. I have the stuff to get the best big leaguers out. I just have to go out there and do it and make sure I’m out there every time.” “The way I dumb it down for myself is there are millions of people — maybe billions of people — in far worse situations,” Whitley said. “Look where I am. I’m in a major-league locker room. Yeah, it sucks that my knee is hurt. Yeah, it sucks that I’ve had a laundry list of s— go on the last few years. But I’m here.”
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Potential playing time after Yordan gets back= Let's say Yordan comes back 5/22 at start of Seattle series. That leaves 47 games before the ASB. 90%(5 off days)=Diaz, Paredes, Pena 85% (7 off days)= Yordan, Smith, Walker 80% (9 off days)= Meyers, Altuve 75% (12 off days)= Rodgers. C= Diaz 35, Caratini 12 1b= Walker 40, Dezenzo 7 2b= Rodgers 35, Altuve 12 3b= Paredes 42, Dubon 5 SS= Pena 42, Dubon 5 LF= Dezenzo 21, Altuve 18, Yordan 8 CF= Meyers 38, Chas 9 RF= Smith 40, Dezenzo 7 DH= Yordan 32, Altuve 8, Diaz 7 Bench total: Dezenzo 35, Caratini 12, Dubon 10, Chas 9
He has options. We could send him down. I suspect he has almost zero trade value so might as well keep him in SL for insurance.
I just don't see them using him. He's not getting the chance and Meyers is playing well enough to not give it up. The problem for a Chas trade is nobody trusts Meyers, who could go 2-40 over the next 10 games. And unless Smith DOES become a CF, the Astros will need Chas then. There just isn't a position player that is able to take Chas' roster spot but at this point he is really just insurance And FTR I still think there is a world where Jake finishes with a sub 650 OPS and Chas is the better player down the stretch and into the post season. But it looks like the Astros are gonna ride out Jake's hot streak and keep Chas on the bench.
I mean something with actual value to a major league team at some point in time. I'm sort of skeptical on that but if it were to happen, sure.
They could get value for him easily. .842 OPS less than 300 sporadic at bats ago. Plus he’s done a lot for the team over the years and has earned a trade to where he is actually wanted and will play more. Let’s not waste the rest of his prime years playing 5 rookies and dubon in front of him.
We are one injury away from Chas being our best outfielder. I would not consider trading him unless the chances for a successful season are over.
If his entire career is any indicator, Jake will turn into a pumpkin on June 1. Chas should get his chances after that. Will he get those chances? I have doubts.
One injury would do almost nothing for Chas’ playing time. Espada would just play Dubon out there with Altuve and the rookies.
That’s not at all a parallel example, and I think you know that. Urquidy had an injury that he still hasn’t returned from. It’s been over 2 years since he played. I’m just saying trade Chas because he has earned that and he can still play.
I agree its not apples to apples But Urquidy was non-tendered and left to find his own deal. He ended up signing with Detroit when the Astros decided to not give him a contract eventhough they had him under control. The Astros did not "do him a solid" because of his contributions to the team. My point is that teams don't owe players anything other than what is in their contracts. It is not unprecedented for a team to "do a guy a solid" based on contributions to the team, but it typically is reserved for guys much more accomplished than Chas. MLB transaction reports are riddled with guys who are released despite big past contributions or stuck on the bench and not traded because some hotshot took their spot.
Agree to disagree Chas is not exactly Jose Altuve. Chas is needed. Trading him as a favor because of his past contributions to the team would leave them without a backup CF if Meyers gets hurt (or remembers he's Jake Meyers) Trade him if they can get value for him and it fits the team's plan, but to do it because he's on the bench and you want to help him get playing time is stupid. Now what I could see is releasing him so he could play overseas. And that has happened often enough. But it would be a mistake for this team.
