No for a number of reasons. IF for some stupid reason they want Diaz in the lineup everyday he would be at 3rd and Bregman would slide to SS. Diaz is not an everyday SS defensively. I doubt it will come to that. Astros will have right around 50 million to spend in free agency to get back to their current payroll level. That's after arbitration raises and Pressly and Yuli's options being vested/picked up. To me the key to next season is Pedro Leon. We need him to rake and be good enough to be penciled in for CF next season. If he can fill the hole in CF then we have 50 million or so to get a SS (or 3rd baseman if Bregman slides to SS), maybe bring back one of Greinke or Verlander, and add a couple bullpen pieces.
If it comes down to using FA money in CF or at SS for a similar quality player, I'd take Diaz at 3B/Bregman at SS over Straw in CF. I hope Leon is ready by next year, but the Astros teaching him SS makes me think it will take him longer to make the majors as it takes a while to learn SS.
They would probably try McCormick if Straw continues to suck. I wouldn't be against moving Tucker to CF, Brantley to RF, and Diaz to LF. After that... we don't have much in the minors. Jose Siri I guess is still in the organization. Otherwise it would require a trade.
Really need Tucker to start raking. It's one thing to have your catcher and center fielder below the Mendoza line, as they are both relied upon for elite defense (at least, in theory). But to have Tucker as an automatic out is a waste of a lineup spot.
Not according to the AP writeup: David Fletcher made it 2-0 with his infield single on a hard-hit groundball that bounced off first base, into the air and out of reach of the first baseman Gurriel.
I think Click gets beat on a little too unfairly sometimes, he has enormous shoes to fill, but CF is something I really wish Click had considered more of a critical need in the offseason. I don't think anybody was confident coming into the season that Straw was going to be productive in CF. He's a Glen Barker late inning pinch runner type, just no business being an everyday starter and there was no reason to think otherwise.
Tucker should be fine although the lack of walks is a little concerning. I wonder why they haven’t tried experimenting with Tucker in CF more given how much easier it is to find a decent hitting corner outfielder. Maybe the org doesn’t think he has the skills to play CF.
There are players that for whatever reason, it seems their flaws make more of an impression than their skills despite being okay or fine players. It seems Tucker won't get a try in CF because he has a lanky arm, has less range than the ideal CF, and needs to devote his time to be less streaky with the bat in the eyes of the Astros. It does not seem to matter that he might provide more value in CF than the current option.
