Yeah Cole, Dezenzo, and all the pitchers who get optioned will get their shot at some point. Between pinch running, defensive replacement, garbage time, and being the primary backup at 3-4 positions, Matthews will get plenty of consistent playing time. It won’t surprise at all if Matthews gets ROY votes.
I think they should just start Yordan in LF. No playoff contender has a Trammell type player starting in the OF (Myers gets a pass bc he plays good CF defense ). Yordan gets injured batting or running the bases anyways, and as he has said, he’s never been injured playing in the outfield. I have little hope he’ll stay healthy all year so why not put him in LF (at least for home games) and that opens up the infield players to rotate through the DH. Still excited for the season based on the pitching , but the pitchers will be worn down by an anemic offense with constant pressure to put up goose eggs . Thus we’ll need the best offense we can field day in and out.
I think i will. And when your done talking down on your 2026 Starting 3rd baseman. Bring me another pint of that nostalgia kool- aid.
Yep. The way this roster is constructed, Yordan is the LF and Paredes is the DH. If you’re trying to win the WS, you don’t run out a weaker lineup just because you’re scared of a guy getting hurt playing the easiest defensive position on the field. If Yordan is so fragile that regularly playing him in LF is too much for his body to handle, then Houston isn’t good enough to win the WS anyway. If I were the manager, Yordan would be in LF most days. I would be very quick to sub him out in games where the Astros developed a 2+ run lead, and he might get a few extra rest days relative to most everyday OF, but I would plan on him starting in LF 100+ games. Thats the roster they’ve put together. If they didn’t want that outcome they should’ve been more aggressive about trading an infielder and upgrading their OF.
completely agree with all of this. If he’s made of glass then let him break in a blaze of glory serving up what he was born to do rather than hide him in the back of the China cabinet
Yordan should play left at Daikin and other short porch stadiums. DH Paredes and Altuve in those games
This should be the batting order most games SS- Pena DH- Peredes LF- Yordan 3B- Correa 2B- Altuve RF- Cam CF- Meyers 1B- walker C- Diaz
Mighty fine reporting by Evan Drellich: He wrongly stated Miguel Rojas was a PED user https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dodgers-miguel-rojas-wrongly-identified-222315055.html
If Yordan and Altuve are in the field while Paredes is often relegated to DH, I wouldn't blame him in the slightest for being miffed about it. Money is actively being taken out of his pocket every game he is unfairly being forced to DH instead of playing a defensive position. I'm not sure how bad Paredes is at 2B, but we have a mountain of data that Altuve is for sure abysmal at this point.
Espada should platoon Altuve and Yordan in LF and play Parades at 1st until injuries hit. Put Parades at 2nd and the infield defense will improve. Yordan and Altuve split time between DH and LF.
If he makes the roster, Matthews will effectively be the primary backup at every position except RF and C. 1B: Paredes to 1B, Alvarez to DH, Matthews to LF 2B: Matthews fills in for Altuve SS: Correa to SS, Paredes to 3B, Alvarez to DH, Matthews to LF 3B: Paredes to 3B, Alvarez to DH, Matthews to LF CF: Matthews fills in for Meyers LF: Matthews fills in for Alvarez DH: Alvarez to DH, Matthews to LF There isn’t going to be much playing time for Allen (late game defensive replacement at SS and 2B) and Loperfido (back up RF, LH pinch hitter).
Paredes can be miffed - but he isn't as good a fielder as Correa or Walker. If Paredes was capable and interested in the outfield, he would be starting out there and Alvarez would be at DH except when Altuve was at DH. As for second base, Altuve wasn't as bad as last year. Paredes was playing second base to start Spring Training and if he is better than Altuve, then I expect him to play there a lot. The reality is that the two positions that Paredes plays well are 3rd and 1st - and the Astros have Gold Glover players at that spot. There will be injuries - Correa, Walker and Altuve all are no longer 25 years old -- so Paredes will get a chance in the field, and if not - if he produces, he will likely be dealt at the deadline for a better positional fit.
I can’t see them ever pulling Pena for a defensive replacement in a tight game, and if Allen main role is to be a late game defensive replacement at 2B, there are MUCH better uses of a bench spot. I really hope Allen isn’t on the 26, Espada will use him way too much
Or more likely, if he is hitting like he is capable he will become the 1B at the deadline and Walker will be moved, at that point Walker would be owed significantly less money which obviously would make him easier to move Walker needs to get off to at least a decent start. I know ST results don’t typically mean much for older veterans, but he has looked awful
