1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[Official] Spring Training Thread

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by Castor27, Feb 19, 2023.

  1. tellitlikeitis

    tellitlikeitis Canceled
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Messages:
    19,639
    Likes Received:
    9,989
    McTaggart on 790 a few mins ago: "Justin Dirden has a real shot to make this team"
     
  2. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2000
    Messages:
    21,571
    Likes Received:
    10,436
    There is no doubt he is getting called up. The question is if he is going to be on the opening day roster. I think that will be dependent on who is injured. If Alverez and Brantley are both on the bench, then he will be on the roster.
     
    raining threes likes this.
  3. sealclubber1016

    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2010
    Messages:
    19,000
    Likes Received:
    27,536
    Dunno what he will become, but Dirden is a perfect example of a guy that can slip through the cracks as a prospect. After he graduated HS, due to injuries, a pandemic and a transfer year he only played one real season over the next 5 years. He was never able to establish himself as a hitting prospect simply due to not playing much.

    At that point you are an undrafted 24 year old in A ball without loud tools or college track record. With that profile you are basically non existent to prospect ranking people.
     
  4. El_Conquistador

    El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2002
    Messages:
    14,194
    Likes Received:
    5,178
    His swing has some shades of Lance Berkman to it. Berkman's plate discipline and K/BB ratio were far better, of course.
     
    raining threes likes this.
  5. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2000
    Messages:
    21,571
    Likes Received:
    10,436
    He played in a small school but has hit the snott out of the ball at every level he's played in. Power and arm strength are his tools. Nobody just seemed to notice other than the Astros.
     
    raining threes likes this.
  6. tehG l i d e

    tehG l i d e Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2009
    Messages:
    22,999
    Likes Received:
    13,765
    Brantley probably not making opening day so Dirden would be a suitable left handed outfielder replacement in the meantime. I'm 99% sure Dusty will move Chas to left and put Meyers in center though.
     
    raining threes likes this.
  7. tehG l i d e

    tehG l i d e Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2009
    Messages:
    22,999
    Likes Received:
    13,765
    Outside of Dirden, I'm liking what I see from Lee, Julks, and Blanco. I wish we could've seen Seth Martinez some.
     
  8. Wulaw Horn

    Wulaw Horn Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2018
    Messages:
    4,426
    Likes Received:
    4,495
    He is throwing up 0’s.
     
  9. Nook

    Nook Member

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2008
    Messages:
    53,805
    Likes Received:
    111,572
    He gave an interview and admitted that the Astros called him minutes after the draft ended and told him they could help him a lot and wanted to sign him…. He also said no other team showed any serious interest.

    He is a deceptive athlete with solid speed once he gets going… kind of like a bowling ball rolling down a mountain gaining momentum.
     
  10. punkoholic

    punkoholic Member

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2016
    Messages:
    3,226
    Likes Received:
    3,010
    Haven't seen them but looks like Jayden Murray and Matt Gage been pitching well. I think Brown praised both of them.
     
    Snake Diggit likes this.
  11. IdStrosfan

    IdStrosfan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2021
    Messages:
    5,272
    Likes Received:
    5,899
    I'm not saying he is even close to this level but he sounds a lot like Yordan.

    Big guy who runs well after getting started and with a big arm.

    I heard a clip from an interview with Brown a few days ago. (on MLB.COM) What I interpreted from it was:

    The Astros really like him, especially his power and speed. They feel he can help the team but still has things to work on in the batters box.

    I took this to mean they most likely want him in Sugar Land to start the year.

    He's not on the 40 man yet and with Tucker, Chas, Meyers, Yordan, and Brantley all feeling like options from at least mid April forward, outfield certainly isn't a need.

    I say: let him spend the season at AAA.

    This could be very similar to the Reddick-Tucker transition (but hopefully Kyle remains more productive than Josh was)

    Tucker here thru 2025.

    Dirden gets a cup of coffee in 2023
    Rookie year in 2024 playing mostly LF.
    Starting RF 2026-2029.

    The future of the Astros outfield is in great shape.
     
    RunninRaven and Nook like this.
  12. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2000
    Messages:
    21,571
    Likes Received:
    10,436
    Or he gets Meyer's position as a the fourth outfielder. There is no guarantee that Meyers will ever show the promise of his one good month in the majors consistently. He may have never been that good in the first place or the injury set him back permanently. I'm rooting for Meyers but there are no guarantees. You play whoever gives you the best chance of winning.
     
    raining threes likes this.
  13. Hemingway

    Hemingway Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2016
    Messages:
    6,040
    Likes Received:
    7,994
    If Myers doesn’t make the team then McCormick needs to learn to hit right handed pitchers. A platoon with Dirden would be great for McCormik if Dirden could play CF, but i don’t think he can.
     
    Wulaw Horn likes this.
  14. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 1999
    Messages:
    23,839
    Likes Received:
    13,895
    WTF. The Reddick-Tucker transition was the worst. It took Alvarez getting hurt for Tucker to play every day despite Reddick absolutely getting killed by the shift and without the power to go over it.
     
    Wulaw Horn and HeyBudLetsParty like this.
  15. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 1999
    Messages:
    23,839
    Likes Received:
    13,895
    Despite McCormick having huge handedness splits, only Hensley (small sample), Alvarez, Altuve, Bregman, Tucker, and Brantley were clearly better against RHP during the regular season last year. McCormick isn't as bad against RHPs as people make him out to be regarding him as a CF (he's only slightly below average for CFs). Sure, he sucks against RHPs if one is grading him as a corner bat. It is not McCormick's fault he was in LF against RHPs.
     
  16. IdStrosfan

    IdStrosfan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2021
    Messages:
    5,272
    Likes Received:
    5,899
    I was specifically talking about the playing time transition.

    As long as Tucker does not implode like Reddick did then there's no problem with this.
     
  17. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 1999
    Messages:
    23,839
    Likes Received:
    13,895
    There was not a significant playing time transisition. Tucker took Alvarez's time due to injury because the transition was occuring so slowly. Alvarez, once healthy, took Reddick's playing time and they shuffled guys around in the OF to accomodate Alvarez's bat. The Tucker-Reddick transition is the story of a guy that makes a lot of contact and hitting the ball really hard, but getting so incredibly unlucky in 70 something ABs that it takes nearly two years and injury for him to get significant playing time.

    I would not want the Astros to model this transition going forward.
     
    cmlmel77 likes this.
  18. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 1999
    Messages:
    23,839
    Likes Received:
    13,895
    P.S. I do not like when worse players play over better players outside of development reasons (i.e., not old player playing over an already better young player and not Dusty has a master plan to develop Chas that involves him sitting on the bench).
     
    #918 Joe Joe, Mar 15, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2023
    Wulaw Horn likes this.
  19. IdStrosfan

    IdStrosfan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2021
    Messages:
    5,272
    Likes Received:
    5,899
    I acknowledge you are right.

    This is much much more complex than I was intending.

    I was simply talking about a situation where the Astros had a veteran established every day RF and a prospect looking to be on the cusp.

    The youngster played for both Houston and AAA some and also played both left and right until the contract of the veteran ended a couple of years later.

    Then he took over.
     
  20. Tuckmose

    Tuckmose Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2022
    Messages:
    1,739
    Likes Received:
    2,899
    Josh Reddick starting for most of 2019 and 2020 over Tucker was a stupid idea then, and looks even worse in hindsight.
     
    Wulaw Horn likes this.

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now