I agree with both points. If he has a good finish to the season I would think he could find a spot on a contender though I wonder if whatever injury he has apparently had put a squash on a possible deal today
I thought the same thing; that he *currently* projects as a 4th OF based entirely on their current MLB roster. I did not read that as a long-term projection of him at all.
I guess this is more of a fantasy baseball take than actual baseball take but... Astros trades create opportunities The Houston Astros dealt several players prior to Wednesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, neither of them attractive for fantasy owners, but as in most cases with bad teams it’s about opportunity created for others waiting to play, or opportunity lost. Right-handed pitcher Bud Norris becomes a member of the Baltimore Orioles and outfielder Justin Maxwell was sent to the Kansas City Royals, and neither for an immediate return that fantasy owners should pay attention to; What we need to keep an eye on is whether outfield prospect George Springer now gets the call. Springer, 23, has totaled 29 home runs and 35 stolen bases between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Oklahoma City, and while he’s a strikeout machine that has elicited comparisons to former big league outfielder Mike Cameron – for positive and negative reasons – he’s certainly worth a look from a fantasy aspect for the potential in the counting statistics. As of now, there’s no word that the Maxwell deal means Springer gets the call, but keep an eye on this situation. Maxwell piles on the strikeout totals himself, but last season he hit 18 home runs for the Astros, with nine stolen bases. Now 29, Maxwell has always had the tools, but the career .222 batting average is a big problem, and there’s little evidence he can do much about it. The Royals will likely use him in a platoon role, as he is strong against left-handed pitching. David Lough hits left-handed. This platoon seems natural. Houston could continue using Marc Krauss, Robbie Grossman and Brandon Barnes in their underwhelming outfield, but then again, this is hardly a contending team. None of these outfielders are appealing to fantasy owners. The Astros could also give a legitimate chance to L.J. Hoes, the outfielder acquired from the Orioles in the Norris deal. Hoes, 23, was hitting .304 at Triple-A Norfolk, but other than an innate ability to take walks and get on base, there’s not much to see here. Hoes never hit as many as 10 home runs in a minor league season, and while he occasionally stole bases, it was with a poor percentage. He’s likely a fourth outfielder at best, and the Astros have younger players with higher upside, but if he gets the chance to play, he could matter in AL-only formats. Then there’s Norris. I suppose based on his history I saved the best for last, but don’t get too excited. The right-hander owns a career 4.33 ERA and while his strikeout rate is enticing, the walk rate is not. Norris, now 28, hasn’t been durable and moving to the AL East doesn’t figure to help his numbers. The Orioles don’t seem to have an obvious rotation spot for him unless that’s it for right-hander Jason Hammel, who has struggled most of the season and is headed for another DL stint. Hammel emerged last season with a higher strikeout rate than he had ever shown before, but hasn’t replicated it in 2013. Norris is an upgrade, but from a fantasy angle, one to pass on.
4th OF'ers aren't typically high average, high OBP guys... if so, they're far more valuable as everyday players than spot-starters and defensive replacements.
Everyone on a team can't be a star, and because they don't become a star doesn't mean they don't help you win. If Hoes can hit .300+ with a great on base, even without a lot of power he could be a good long term 2 hole guy in a great lineup. Not saying I think that will happen, but just because someone wrote 4th OF somewhere doesn't mean this guy doesn't have a chance to turn into a good player and starter for us
4th OFs can be useful too. I'm sure over the next few months, Grossman and Hoes will be given an extended audition to win a permanent starting spot.
Can someone post this insider article? Or at least what he had to say about the Astros? Thanks http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/post?id=7271
From a previous thread ... The post trade ranking ... 11. Jonathan Villar 12. Vincent Velasquez 13. Josh Hader 14. Asher Wojciechowski 15. Kyle Smith 16. Rio Ruiz 17. Preston Tucker 18. L.J. Hoes 19. Danry Vasquez 20. Nick Tropeano Gone are Andrew Thurman Brad Peacock Carlos Perez Max Stassi
no way hes better then wojo. Wojo has proven himself at AAA and AA and his command and velocity have decent. Harden still has a fastball in upper 80's
James Harden would probably be one of the Astros' top prospects. On a completely unrelated note: Are you on drugs?
