We only have too many infielders if everyone is healthy which after last season no one should be counting on. I'd absolutely rather keep them all and just ideally I'd have Yordon/Altuve splitting time in LF/DH based on how they are individually holding up. I'm also perfectly fine with the new offensive Meyers (high average lower power) batting 8/9 and being on base in front of the top of lineup. Competition really comes for the 7th inning guy,4-6 starting pitcher, RF, and backup/platoon Of currently for me.
I always thought they should have worked hard with Alvarez to transition to 1B years ago. The money going to Walker could have went to OF and Jose could be the primary DH. For 162, having the influx of IF talent works, but they have to find a way to have them all in the lineup if they make the playoffs. Perfect world, Correa would agree to play LF because of his arm talent and I think he’d be perfectly fine out there physically and defensively in a playoff run. Also, if it’s looking like Peña isn’t going to resign, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got traded, while they have Correa until they developed a guy, I think that’s more of a next offseason thing, but if they got an offer they loved I bet they’d take it.
In theory that's a brilliant plan. It was tried. It was never a real option. Not everyone can play IF.
1B is much more physically demanding than it seems. Almost every play requires quick starts, stops, running, stretching, bending, sometimes jumping. Defending the most active base is not the place to put someone who routinely gets injured running the bases.
I'm imagining all the injuries to Alvarez while playing first base ... leaning, bending, stretching, jumping, diving - Karumba
Reminds me of when we got Jeff Kent, and everyone was wondering if he'd play 3B. Hunsicker, who was with the Mets when Kent came up, said yeah, we tried it then and "it wasn't a bottle of wine" i.e. it did not age well
Other than catcher, I am fine with opening the season with the current roster. Ideally a LH corner Of who is a better bet than Sanchez to hit 20+HR/ .800 OPS would be nice but that player isn't too hard to add at the deadline.
There's really nothing to lose track of, the starting lineup is the exact same one that ended last season, hopefully just healthier. I suspect at least one of Meyers/Walker will be gone before the season starts.
As of now, 9 position players with the most projected PAs per Fangraphs: Pena, Altuve, Walker, Correa, Alvarez, Diaz, Paredes, Meyers, Sanchez So: 1) Pena SS 2) Paredes DH 3) Yordan LF 4) Correa 3B 5) Altuve 2B 6) Diaz C 7) Walker 1B 8) Sanchez RF 9) Meyers CF But the Espada does not want Yordan playing much LF which means Paredes or Walker must sit and Cam Smith replaces him, moving Sanchez to LF.
The Astros still have 3 DHs, no LF, no 2B, two 3Bs, no backup C, a star-in-the-making RF who can not hit RHP and a 1B all the fans want traded. Besides that, everything is just peachy.
Paredes and Altuve can both play 2B. They both probably suck at it, Altuve certainly does, but beggars can't be choosers. Jesus Sanchez has hit RHP very well over his career and can play LF just fine. Yordan and Altuve can also play LF, albeit poorly. Even with gaping defensive holes at LF and 2B, we have plus to elite defense everywhere else. If you've already written off Cam Smith nothing more than a platoon bat, well I just don't know what to tell you other than I disagree. Even if he is just a platoon bat, he platoons well with Sanchez.
DH: Yordan, Altuve (learn how to run the bases and slide!) C: Diaz (please have a comeback year, please), mobile-backstop who can make contact. I'd love Caratini back. 1B: Walker, Paredes (GG @ 1B between the 2) 2B: SS: Pena, Correa 3B: Correa, Paredes (left side of the IF will be amazingly good) LF: about 7 guys, maybe 1 of them can hit the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball CF: Meyers + 1 of the guys who can hopefully run faster than Berkman did RF: Sure hope it's Cam; we'll see how far hope gets us this year (see pitching) But if not, there's 6 other randos who would love the job
I thought that I was just summarizing what we here have been saying What the Astros FO thinks is more important than what we here think. It will be interesting to see the starting 9 that the Astros break camp with. We will then know what they think about where in the field Altuve, Paredes, Correa, Smith, Sanchez and Yordan should play.
You certainly aren’t summarizing my thinking which is more optimistic, especially after all the pitching we have added. To have a really good deep lineup, we really only need one of our youngsters to step up and I’m really high on a Cole platoon in center or right. Just adding Alvarez and Paredes and a full year of Correa makes our lineup playoff worthy. Without them for significant amount of time, we were a tiebreaker away of being in the post season. I just don’t understand the hand wringing on the board and I’m not sure Dana is done yet. A regular lineup of: Pena SS Paredes 2b/DH/1b Alvarez DH/LF Altuve LF/2b/DH Correa 3b Diaz C Smith Rf Myers/Cole CF Sanchez RF should produce much better than what we were running out last year. I trust the Astros that they have addressed the starting pitching issue and the bullpen looks as strong as ever. Backup catcher is the only must have signing in my opinion. We just need a little luck and Espada to be better or be gone.
Why wouldn’t we look at Cam in centerfield? Takes the pressure off his bat and he’s got the arm. Free’s up right field and allows us to move on from Meyers.
