This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
Astros basic supervisor Dana Brown can have his first actual probability to place his stamp on the membership within the subsequent two months with the MLB Draft in mid-July and the Trade Deadline a few weeks later. Brown, employed simply earlier than Spring Training started, admitted as a lot this week, saying he would finally be judged by his roster administration, the Draft and the Trade Deadline.
Brown, a scout at coronary heart, has spent many nights on the street the final couple of months scouting 18 gamers the Astros could take into account taking within the first spherical of the MLB Draft, however the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline will present him a right away probability to affect the Major League roster. The Astros determine to be out there for a beginning pitcher after shedding three starters — Lance McCullers Jr., José Urquidy and Luis Garcia — to vital accidents, however Brown mentioned including a bat is a rising precedence.
After all, the Astros, regardless of their accidents, entered Thursday main the Major Leagues in staff ERA and had allowed the fewest runs. They have an elite bullpen and maybe the most effective 1-2 mixture on the prime of any rotation in Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. Rookie Hunter Brown has been stable, and the unproven arms on the backside of the rotation are holding their very own.
“Our top three guys are really good — Valdez, Javier and Brown,” Dana Brown mentioned. “That’s good to roll into the postseason with, but if we can add to that, that would be good.”
Which brings us again to an offense that’s been extraordinarily inconsistent. The Astros are at present thirteenth within the Major Leagues in runs scored, twentieth in OPS, and tied for fifteenth in residence runs. To make issues worse, slugger Yordan Alvarez left Thursday’s loss to the Blue Jays with proper indirect discomfort and has landed on the injured record.
“Everybody keeps talking about pitching, but our pitching is still No. 1 and has been pretty good,” Brown mentioned. “It may not be a bad idea to add a really good bat. When we score five runs or more, we’re really good (30-4 entering Thursday). … We’ll take a look and see what’s best for the team at the time, whether it’s a pitcher or hitter and how much we have to give up.”
The most obvious place so as to add a bat to the lineup can be at first base, the place offseason acquisition José Abreu has been a disappointment. Houston seems prepared to stay with him within the lineup in the interim. Left area is a spot the place there might be at-bats, particularly with Michael Brantley having missed nearly a whole yr. Alvarez and Corey Julks have gotten probably the most begins in left area (Alvarez has probably the most begins at DH).
“Trust me, if we find a hitter, Dusty [Baker] will find at-bats for him, I promise you that,” Brown mentioned. “Whether it’s left field, DH … It just depends on who we go get. He’ll find some at-bats.”
Still, anticipate the Astros to be energetic within the pitching commerce market. Astros proprietor Jim Crane, who has to log out on any main commerce, received’t sit nonetheless on the Deadline if the Astros have a necessity.
“We’ll still entertain it if there’s some pitching available that makes sense,” Brown mentioned. “It’s still a little early.”
Brown is having common conferences along with his assistant GMs and different members of his scouting division to debate doable commerce situations. The Astros could have to surrender one in all their youthful outfielders, together with a prospect or two to tug off a deal. Catching prospect Korey Lee appears to be a candidate to get dealt following the emergence of catcher Yainer Diaz, and there’s a bevy of expertise at Double-A, together with pitchers Spencer Arrighetti, Colton Gordon and Rhett Kouba. Expect outfielders Joey Loperfido and Quincy Hamilton and infielder Zach Dezenzo to attract commerce curiosity, as effectively.
“I know there’s going to be some big asks,” Brown mentioned. “But, at the same time, we’ll make an assessment what the wise thing is to do for the organization. We’re always looking to build and get stronger.”
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