Hot Stove League Conversation
What’s Critical to the Astros Lineup Going In? Let’s start with the obvious. The Astros can’t afford to again have injuries that take Altuve down ~ and Correa way down ~ from their normally superior levels of performance. Those two guys must be well, again play well, and, hopefully, stay well for the entire season.
Next we have to stop avoiding the fact that we are trying to win without a first-rate, good-hitting catcher. Mike Stassi is a good back up, but he’s little more than a dead spot at the bottom of the batting order as a starter. We need to have no soft spots in our batting order. I don’t where we are going to find him, or at what cost, but we need that kind of leader-hitter catcher in our lineup as soon as possible.
Third, an along those same lines, we need a DH who is a consistent threat to hit ~ not a streaky guy like Evan Gattis, who’s still easy for the smart pitchers to pitch around when he’s hot. I liked the Gattis disposition; I just didn’t like the fact that we couldn’t count on him more often than his talent or style of play allowed.
Fourth, the Astros need to do whatever they can to help Josh Reddick find his offensive groove. Great as he is on defense, and as a terrific team player, he can’t stay in the lineup at age 31 with another .242 season at the plate.
It’s too bad we can’t take Jake Marisnick’s glove and Tony Kemp’s bat into one player and place him out him out there in center as we move Springer to right. That would take care of the outfield. That is, unless someone finds a way to awaken the home run genie that supposedly lives within the heart of young Kyle Tucker. Then we might have to re-think the outfield pattern all over the place.
Fifth, is a wait and see ~ since we’re still waiting to see if Marwin Gonzalez is truly gone for good. Without him, our roster is going to need several guys who can fill the utility position gap that will be created by the loss of that one super valuable utility man.
By The Way: There is no truth to the rumor that a deal that would have sent Marwin Gonzalez to Miami was killed when heavily invested owner Derek Jeter rejected a condition put forth by the player’s agent that the team would need to change their identity to the Miami Marwins as a condition of the transaction being finalized! 🙂
Below are the records of the seven men I’ve penciled in as our starters, even though I came close to dropping Reddick along with Stassi and Gattis. Apparently, the Astros already have cut bait on the latter.
Check out the current Astros roster too. (I don’t know what happened to Evan Gattis. He’s no longer on the roster).
It would be great if some of you would post your own thoughts here on what you think the Astros need to do about their season-starting nine hitters from the talent currently on hand. That link follows the table:
2019 Astros Starters / McCurdy Picks, Minus Two
| BATTER | AGE | B/T | POS | BA | G | H | R | RBI | HR | SB | W | SO |
| C | ||||||||||||
| Y Gurriel | 34 | R/R | 1B | .291 | 136 | 156 | 78 | 85 | 13 | 5 | 23 | 63 |
| J Altuve | 28 | R/R | 2B | .316 | 137 | 169 | 84 | 61 | 13 | 17 | 55 | 79 |
| A Bregman | 24 | R/R | 3B | .286 | 157 | 170 | 105 | 103 | 31 | 10 | 96 | 85 |
| C Correa | 24 | R/R | SS | .239 | 110 | 96 | 60 | 65 | 15 | 3 | 53 | 111 |
| M Brantley | 31 | L/L | LF | .309 | 143 | 176 | 89 | 76 | 17 | 12 | 48 | 60 |
| G Springer | 29 | R/R | CF | .265 | 140 | 144 | 102 | 71 | 22 | 6 | 64 | 122 |
| J Reddick | 31 | L/R | RF | .242 | 134 | 105 | 63 | 47 | 17 | 7 | 49 | 77 |
| DH |
Astros Roster Link
http://m.astros.mlb.com/roster/
******************************
Bill McCurdy
Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle 
February 11, 2019 at 5:55 am |
You’re asking for the All Star lineup. They don’t need that much if they pitch well. That’s what I worry about — every year. Max Stassi is better than Tony Eusebio and Paul Bako and we won with them.
February 11, 2019 at 1:48 pm |
Larry ~ 2017 spoiled me to the idea that an all star lineup was possible. ~ As for pitching, the Astros have a shot at a possible 3R/2L rotation with Verlander, Cole, & McHugh from the right and Miley & Keuchel from the port. Now, if we get lucky and Gonzalez does not relocate, he and back-too addition Keuchel could help ease both our worries.
February 11, 2019 at 3:25 pm |
I have subscribed to the Pecan Park Eagle Gazette Post Tribune and Look Magazine. I would like to see an article on UH basketball and its rise to glory
February 11, 2019 at 9:03 pm |
Thanks for helping us stay on topic, Dr. Matlosz. 😦 ~ We shall take your request under advisory. 🙂 Until then, please feel free to write your own column on UH Cougar basketball and submit it to me by e-mail for possible timely publication, but not here, as a baseball topic column off-subject quip. ~ Regards, Bill McCurdy, Editor, Pecan Park Eagle. 🙂
February 11, 2019 at 6:06 pm |
This is a very solid team as it is. If injuries are not a factor they should be fine. Pitching staff is deep with some guys “down on the farm” that should help a lot. Easy to forget that even with their problems in 2018 the club won 103 games! Boston was a team of destiny. They got all the big two-out hits and made the big plays that whole series.