Yea actually none have ever done it. This was the moment that it felt real and that this could be different. It was surreal. It was that “is this really happening” moment. To quote a parrot on YouTube “fuucking legend”
If Marwin ever sees the field for the Stros this year, then things have gone very wrong. Insurance is insurance, though.
Not necessarily. Dusty seems to be a fan of load management. Can see him giving starters days off here and there with MarGo spot starting.
I think he almost assuredly will. Why not use him in September? If we see him in the postseason, that would be different.
If Marwin shows he's a good defender but a not so good bat and if Taylor Jones continues to hit, who gets the final playoff (If they make it) roster spot? Which is more important, good glove but poor bat or good bat but poor glove? Think this was brought up somewhere but can't remember where I saw it. Or neither of them and it's someone else that plays over them (perhaps a pitcher).
Am wondering was he proven to be one of the main users of the trash can banging hitting technique in 2017? He’s had a really bad year offensively this season. Or, maybe this was part of his plan to rejoin the Astros for another title run?
If Marwin can hit over 220, you take him because he can pretty much cover any position on the field. He's Diaz insurance.
If Marwin looks at all capable in September, he gets the spot over Jones. He would likely only be used in extreme situations (injury sub, extra innings pinch hitter), and Marwin has experience in those kinds of once in a lifetime high pressure situations. Now, if injuries come up that indicate that player may be used more, there may be a better argument for Jones. But for now I would pencil in Marwin as the 13th position player on the playoff roster.
Yes, he was one of the main beneficiaries in 2017 and he had a .907 OPS that year. The next season in Houston he was back to his normal .733 OPS, and then went to Minnesota and had a .736 OPS. The bangs made him all-star caliber, but a .700+ OPS Marwin is a valuable player on the bench. If he can ever get close to that again. His terrible .567 OPS is still better than Robel's .423 though.
I'm hoping the Astros have absolutely no need for Marwin. If they do, it means a current player is injured.
Not really. His versatility with the bat and defense gives the stros a number of options for situational purposes. And given the rest days for plenty of guys, he’ll be playing.
They only get 2 September call ups. Without sending any current players down, Mc Cormick will be one and when Urguidy is healthy, he will be the other. Do they send Jones down to accommodate Marwin?
Marwin > Robel for that 40 man roster in September The vet presence & versatility of Marwin > Jones for the 13 hitters in the playoffs
My hope is there are no injuries either, but between now and a month from now, its not out of the realm of possibilities that someone wont be healthy. And for that reason, who that last guy is could matter
Astros bring back Marwin Gonzalez: Making sense of the move and where he fits on their roster https://theathletic.com/2794213/202...f-the-move-and-where-he-fits-on-their-roster/ If all goes according to plan, the Astros’ position player group looks mostly set. In a best-of-five American League Division Series, their bench could consist of Aledmys Díaz, Chas McCormick, Jason Castro, Taylor Jones and Garrett Stubbs. Between those five players, they would be covered for key pinch hitting and pinch running opportunities as well as having the necessary defensive replacements to accommodate such moves. But things don’t always go according to plan. And the way the postseason eligibility rules are set up, a player has to be in an organization before Sept. 1 to be on a playoff roster. A lack of viable bench options beyond the aforementioned five is why the Astros brought back utility player Marwin Gonzalez on a minor-league contract Friday. There’s no guarantee Gonzalez will even make a postseason roster for the Astros. But for him to be an option, he had to be in their organization by the end of Tuesday. “We got him to see what he brings to the table,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re trying to see if there’s a fit.” Gonzalez, 32, is not the player he once was, as evidenced by the fact that he was released earlier this month by the Red Sox after passing through waivers unclaimed by the other 29 teams, including the Astros. In the last two seasons combined (2020 with the Twins, 2021 with the Red Sox), Gonzalez has a .583 OPS in 470 plate appearances. With the Red Sox, he batted .202/.281/.285 in 271 plate appearances. There’s a chance he’s no better than the internal depth infielders the Astros already have in Triple A, Jacob Wilson and Robel García. But perhaps Gonzalez will turn out to be meaningfully better than Wilson and García, maybe even to the point where he challenges for the Jones spot on the bench. A switch hitter, Gonzalez has been dreadful from the left side this season but solid when batting righty in a smaller sample. The Astros could try him out in September as a right-handed pinch hitter against left-handed pitchers, like how they would use the right-handed-hitting Jones. Jones, a first baseman and left fielder, has a better chance at changing a game with his bat because of his power. Gonzalez is more sure-handed at third base, where the Astros evidently don’t feel comfortable playing the 6-foot-7 Jones despite his having played there in the minors. Marwin Gonzalez's 2021 splits __________________PA_____AVG___OBP___SLG As LHB vs. RHP | 196 | 0.170 | 0.267 | 0.216 As RHB vs. LHP | 74 | 0.271 | 0.311 | 0.443 A cornerstone of Houston’s 2017 World Series championship team that was later found to have illegally stolen signs, Gonzalez last played for the Astros in 2018. He signed with the Twins before the 2019 season for two years and $21 million and then reunited with Alex Cora in joining the Red Sox for one year and $3 million ahead of this season. Gonzalez’s last game with the Red Sox was on Aug. 12, so his second go-around with the Astros will begin with workouts at their spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. MLB rosters expand from 26 to 28 on Wednesday, after which the Astros would be able to fit Gonzalez on their bench. The Red Sox will still be responsible for paying the rest of his $3 million salary for this year except for the prorated, major-league minimum rate the Astros will pay him if they bring him up. A corresponding 40-man roster move would also be necessary. If they’re not confident in a September return, the Astros could clear a 40-man spot by transferring Pedro Báez or Rafael Montero to the 60-day injured list. Designating García for assignment would be another option. Gonzalez doesn’t have minor-league options. Once on the roster, the Astros would have to designate him for assignment or release him to replace him with another player.
On the list of useful bench people I want to see getting spot starts and ABs for the rest of the season: Diaz, Chas, Jones.....Marwin/Robel/Wilson
