Dana Brown, Joe Espada Focus on Astros First Base Plans

After the Astros released veteran first baseman Jose Abreu yesterday, the transfer left a transparent gap within the membership’s lineup at first base. Each GM Dana Brown and supervisor Joe Espada have since spoken to media in regards to the membership’s plans on the place, as relayed by Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle.

As famous by Younger, Brown instructed reporters that first baseman Jon Singleton, who acquired the vast majority of reps at first base when Abreu was optioned to the minors earlier this 12 months, will get the primary crack at common at-bats on the place, with Brown noting that the membership intends to present Singleton the chance to “seize the bull by the horn” and set up himself as a daily of their lineup. Via 50 video games with the membership this 12 months, nevertheless, Singleton hasn’t achieved a lot to recommend he’s able to step into the position of an on a regular basis first baseman. The 32-year-old slugger has hit simply .216/.313/.333 in 174 journeys to the plate this 12 months (92 wRC+). Whereas his 13.2% stroll charge in that point is kind of spectacular, he’s hanging out at an elevated 26.4% clip and has displayed minimal energy with simply eight additional base hits this 12 months.

That being mentioned, Singleton’s really been simply above common (101 wRC+) with a 14.3% stroll charge and a 22.6% strikeout charge in opposition to left-handed pitching this 12 months. That gives some cause for optimism that Singleton could possibly be a viable alternative for the sturdy facet of a platoon at first base, and it seems the membership is receptive to that chance. Per Younger, each Brown and Espada have indicated that utility man Mauricio Dubon will issue into the membership’s first base combine in opposition to left-handed pitching. Dubon is hitting a stable .302/.327/.421 (114 wRC+) in 168 journeys to the plate with the Astros this 12 months, a determine that features a powerful 133 wRC+ in opposition to southpaws.

Whereas the membership seems to be planning on Singleton and Dubon dealing with first base in the meanwhile, it seems that Astros brass are nonetheless contemplating different choices ought to Singleton battle in expanded enjoying time. As famous by Chandler Rome of The Athletic yesterday, the has thought-about the opportunity of using their catching tandem of Yainer Diaz and Victor Caratini at first base in some capability as properly. Each have produced stable offense with the bat this 12 months for the requirements of the catcher place: Diaz has slashed .258/.283/.407 (95 wRC+) in 233 journeys to the plate whereas Caratini has posted the same .235/.278/.408 (93 wRC+) line in 108 plate appearances.

With that mentioned, each of these figures are under common general and appear considerably miscast at an offense-first place akin to first base. Provided that actuality, it’s maybe not a shock that Espada indicated to reporters yesterday that the membership prefers to maintain Diaz and Caratini behind the plate. With that being mentioned, the Astros did choose the contract of switch-hitting catcher Cooper Hummel to exchange Abreu on the roster yesterday. Hummel owns a lifetime slash line of simply .166/.264/.286 within the majors, but when he can submit one thing nearer to the .301/.423/.509 slash line he has in 201 journeys to the plate on the Triple-A degree with the Astros this 12 months it’s doable that he might both issue into the primary base combine himself or act as a stable sufficient backup possibility behind the plate to make the Astros extra snug using Diaz and/or Caratini at first on a part-time foundation.

In fact, all of those choices are trying purely internally; MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart relayed yesterday that Brown famous that the Astros anticipate to seek for a further bat on the commerce deadline along with their rumored pursuit of beginning pitching. If Houston is certainly planning so as to add a bat to their lineup this summer time, first base is actually a logical match. Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has already received some buzz as a possible candidate to maneuver this summer time, and whereas Toronto brass have emphasized their reluctance to make such a deal, the match between Guerrero and the Astros is pretty apparent within the occasion that the 25-year-old does discover himself on the transfer. Pete Alonso is one other notable first baseman who could possibly be on the transfer this summer time, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently discussed. Different speculative candidates to maneuver on the deadline this summer time at first base embody a number of veterans on expiring offers akin to Josh Bell and Justin Turner.