Intriguing prospect. His issue is obviously swing and miss, he'd project to 250+ Ks in a full mlb season,
Altuve's agent is Boras. Noting that the question occurs to me, what the hell does Altuve need with an agent anymore? There is really nothing left to negotiate for him. I suppose the agent owes a continued relationship to him till the end of his career in case a need does arise.
I think it's very much a Dana Brown led thing. He loves tool heavy guys that he thinks can "figure it out" with coaching. His love for the Meltons and Brice Matthews of the world has been on full display since he got here. As an actual player he has demonstrated some pop and plate discipline against RHP. He also strikes out a ton against them and can't hit above .200. I would rather just have Ben Gamel than these rando 4A scrubs, but whatever.
If Trammell isn’t somebody you plan on playing a lot, he’s got value. Hes got 30 SB speed and 20 HR power. He is almost certainly never going to reach those numbers and would be miscast as an everyday player. But as a 12th or 13th man, who is used as much as a pinch hitter, pinch runner, and defensive sub as he is a full-game player, he’s got potential to be really good in that role. That fits a need for Houston; they need another lefthanded bat to deploy in favorable matchups, they need somebody who can sub into LF for Altuve late in games, and they need somebody who can pinch run in extra innings or late in tied games when Walker, Diaz, or Caratini are on base. Trammell can do all those things potentially really well.
Who would he pinch hit for? Pretty much everybody on the roster has a better career BA and OBP against RHP than he does, even the guys that struggle against them. He will go deep on occasion, but overall as a hitter he's pretty terrible against them. I'm all for a lefthanded situational option...but he ain't it, or at least he hasn't been thus far.
I’m sure there are certain types of pitchers who Trammell projects to hit better than Dubon (and maybe Walker at this point), and certain situations where hitting for power carries outsized value over on base skills. But I agree that pinch hitter opportunities would be pretty rare. outside of his rookie year he’s never gotten consistent sustained run in the majors, so there’s a chance he still has some upside, although it’s unlikely.
Boras didn't stop Altuve or LMJ from re-signing with the Stros...because the agent works for the player, not the other way around. If Pena wants to be here, he'll be here. If he wants to Bregman it and chase every last dollar on the open market, he won't.
In a vacuum, Csratini is a better MLB player, which is why he in MLB and Singleton just got released. But in my opinion, big picture, the Astros are better and would win more games with Singleton on this roster and starting occasionally ahead of Caratini vs RHP. Caratini is best when he is not a 1b or DH and when his usage is limited. And if he is kept in that role, there is no reason to have Salazar on the 26.
I have a very good friend who is a big Mariners fan. His knowledge and interest levels are equal to mine regarding the Astros, IMO. He has met Trammel and watched him play multiliple times. He tells me, " He is the nicest, kindest man you will ever meet, and a classic AAAA player who just simply is lacking 1% of ability to be a regular MLB guy."
I can understand this point, but allow me to explain. When I say his ceiling is quite low, I mean he is currently playing at as high a level as he can be projected. He simply doesn't have 30 HR in the tank. His base stealing ability/efficiency limits him there too. A 4 WAR player is excellent, but his ceiling is limited because he doesn't have All Star level XBH or SB potential. It's similar to saying Luis Arraez has a limited ceiling. He has a career. 318 BA and has won 3 batting titles, but still averages 3.2 WAR per 162 games because he does hit for power, run, or play positive defense. Jake has different abilities and skills, but they limit his ceiling.
Caratini needs to play 60 or 80 games a year in the most advantageous situations possible, and PH when contact and/or a quality AB is most needed. Singleton can pin hit to lead off an inning (walk) or in a situation where a lightning bolt can change the game, imo. Caratini should be the 10th man on the roster and Singleton the 13th...
I don't see it either, like at all, but there must be something there! Hoping for the best. And, yes, he seems like an extremely likeable dude who you'd really like to see put it together. He's easy to root for.
It costs nothing to give him a try before they have to go out onto the market and trade for a LH bat. Frankly I kind of like him anyway.
If you would have said “he’s playing at his ceiling” that would have made sense. But describing a 4 win pace player as having a “low” ceiling is ludicrous.
