Dezenzo with 2 doubles today, Meyers with a 2 run home run You called it last year if I recall correctly. I believe he should be given every opportunity to prove himself. The old adage that if someone can hit then you find a place for him to play. Fortunately he is athletic enough to play more than one position.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/36-veteran-players-with-looming-opt-out-dates.html This article says Beeks is the only NRI with an opt out. If that’s true then Rodgers and/or Guillorme can be sent to AAA, which to me would lessen their odds of making the opening day roster.
I’m starting to think McCormick might need to prove he’s back by mashing in AAA. Dezenzo and Meyers and Smith have extremely strong cases to be on the roster.
Dubon is a better player than either of those guys, if only for his versatility. Dubon is one of the 12 best position players in camp. But I’m sure there would be some market for Doobie if they wanted to trade him.
I remember a game where Kessinger made a huge pressure packed play to end it. Padres? There is serious doubt Altuve could gave made it and it would have likely lost the game, or at least the lead, if memory serves.
Dezenzo is a lock, if he wins a starting position. Dezenzo needs to play every day, either in the MLB or in the MiLB,
I'm thinking both Dezenzo and Smith have earned a spot. The problem is, unless there is an injury or they move Paredes ( or Altuve) to 2b there is only 1 spot and both need to play everyday.
I know, but I just don't ever want to see a bat in Dubon's hand. I had little use for him as a batter before ST and now have even less use for him. He doesn't walk, when he does get a hit it is a single, and he doesn't steal bases. He is glove only, which is fine, just stop batting him.
That makes by far the most sense to me. if that happens you have only 1 bad spot in the lineup in CF, plus whatever you think of Pena. He shouldn’t be bad. He should be average if he plays to career norms or good if he has a breakout in him.
Smith sticking at 3B, Paredes at 2B, and Dezenzo in RF is probably the best case scenario for the team this season.
I would honestly do it starting with opening day, but hopefully it looks something like this eventually.
I believe all signs point to the best lineup being 2B Altuve 3B Paredes DH Alvarez 1B Walker RF Smith C Diaz LF Dezenzo SS Peña CF Meyers Caratini, Hummel, (2 of Dubon, Rodgers, McCormick, Guillorme) I think Hummel is deserving of the lefty bat, 4/5 outfielder off the bench. He is also a 3rd catcher which allows Caratini and Diaz to pinch hit when not starting.
This surprised me. Hummel looked absolutely lost every time I've seen him. He hit 0.277 in AAA last season. I always just took him for a Crash Davis type of player that was on the team because the Astros lacked a depth of upper level prospects and was to give the team some veteran help.
I live in Seattle and was talking with someone who went to Mariners spring training. She knows someone who is related to Hummel and was told that Hummel was glad to be in the Astros Minor league system because it was much better than the Mariners for development.
Dubon has a career .766 ops against lefties; he’s more than a singles hitter in that situation. But yes, against righties he’s a singles hitter who doesn’t walk, which is a very weak bat. If he can be used mostly against lefties and as a late game defensive sub, he’s a valuable player. He doesn’t strike out and he has enough speed to beat out double plays, so he’s not going to hurt you with his bat; he’s just not going to help much against RHP. Overall I agree with you that the ideal situation is he’s only gets ~300 pa in a season.
