Alvarez replaces White or Kemp at LF/DH. That's it. They'll trade for another starting pitcher. Stroman or MadBum would be perfect.
I am on board for another SP, but LF (.802 OPS) and DH (.857 OPS) are not where we need offensive help. At first we are getting a .688 OPS. http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/splits/_/name/hou
That's why I suggested we trade for Smoak from the Jays. They're openly shopping him, and he'd be just a rental. Strong, switch-hitting middle of the order bat, 0.847 OPS for the season. My ideal August-October lineup Springer CF Altuve 2B Bregman 3B Brantley LF Correa SS Smoak 1B Alvarez DH Chirinos C Reddick RF Bench: Gurriel, Kemp, Stubbs
Hard to see them demoting Gurriel in May. Right kind of move to make later in the season if both Gurriel and White cant get going.
Playoff roster: CF Springer 3B Bregman 2B Altuve LF Brantley SS Correa 1B Belt* DH Castellanos** C Posey* RF Reddick Bench: Chirinos, Marisnick, Gurriel Rotation: Verlander, Cole, Bumgarner*, McHugh Bullpen: Peacock, Valdez, Whitley, Devenski, Harris, Rondon, Greene**, Pressly, Osuna *Bumgarner, Posey, and Belt and money for Fisher, C Martin, Bukauskas, Abreu, Kemp, and Stassi **Castellanos and Shane Greene and money for Cionel Perez, Tyler White, Cristian Javier, and Ronnie Dawson.
