Villar is a better pinch runner and can also play some serviceable CF if Rasmus and Marisnick are out of the game. Also, with the radical shifts the Astros perform, the IF positions are being more muddled than ever (Valbuena is often the "SS", and Lowrie is often the "2B").
It may just be that I'm watching more games this year than in the past few, but the plate umpiring looks, to me, to be incredibly inconsistent and generally sh!tty so far this year.
Yeah, that's the only thing he has over the other guys. Marwin can play all 4 IF spots, and Grossman can play all 3 OF spots, and they're both better fielders at any position than Villar is. Villar is a very talented kid, I can see him being a valuable bench guy (if not a starter on another team), but I almost think he's being wasted on the bench, like he should be playing every day somewhere, at some position.
Hernandez has not pitched badly this year. He's the back of the rotation guy, what more do you want? What teams have a great 5-starter?
What I want is someone that has potential to develop into a solid starter, not some 35 year old guy who's one good season was something like 8 years ago. The Astros gain nothing every time Hernandez takes the mound. If you are going to basically throw some pitcher out there, make it count...get someone in there that has growth potential.
They are trying to win games, and they feel that he is a better option than some untested AAA/AAAA guy. Peacock, Wojo, Obie, Appel are all getting ready and are definite options going forward. Last year or the year before would have been a different story, I imagine.
