The Houston Astros look a lot different this spring training than last year. After losing Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Ryan Pressly, and Justin Verlander this offseason, they have a lot to prove. They also do not have a locked-in lineup heading into spring training for the first time in this generation. Jose Altuve, Ben Gamel, Mauricio Dubon, and Brendan Rogers are the pieces of two important Astros position battles.
Even though they lost Alex Bregman in the final days of the offseason, their third base situation is figured out. They got Isaac Paredes back in the Tucker trade and he has been a solid third baseman for years. Hitting in Houston, with a short left field, will help him offensively. But their other offseason moves have created position battles, as has poor play from last year. With the final years of a dynasty at stake, the Astros must get these position choices correct.
Who will break camp with the Astros? And can this team get them back to the American League Championship Series?
Is an Astros icon playing left field?
The first position battle to key in on is left field. Last year, Mauricio Dubon posted 47 RBIs and a .657 OPS in 137 games primarily playing left field. He will turn 31 years old during the season and likely won’t be taking too many steps forward at this point. As Jose Altuve enters the twilight of his career, the Astros are looking to move him to a less-taxing position. He will be battling for the left-field position in spring training.
The biggest contenders for left field are Ben Gamel and Chas McCormick. While neither one is the level of hitter that Altuve is, they have played outfield in the big leagues and are much younger. One of those players has to slide into right field, a more demanding position at Daikin Park. McCormick played only 94 games last year and posted a grizzly .576 OPS.
For as long as Altuve can hit at a high level, they must find a place for him to play on the field. Yordan Alvarez is locked into the designated hitter spot and will be for as long as he is in Houston. This idea came up as a way to keep Bregman after adding Paredes. But even without Bregman, this idea has taken off and looks like it may come to fruition.
How Jose Altuve in left could impact their second baseman
Jose Altuve has been the Astros second baseman since 2011. So if he moves to left field, a new second baseman would have to emerge during spring training. Assuming McCormick takes over right field, Dubon could throw his hat in this ring. He has been a utility player throughout his career and could be a stopgap option at second base.
His biggest competition is Brendan Rodgers, a free agent who spent his first six years with the Colorado Rockies. He has been a second baseman for his entire career and won the Gold Glove in 2022. While his offense has never popped, which is concerning when you play in Colorado, that is the least important part for Houston.
The Astros need a strong second baseman to play next to Jeremy Peña, who has struggled in his second and third seasons. With a good defender as a double-play partner, Peña could return to his rookie form. Considering Christian Walker and Alvarez could make a dynamic duo in the middle of the lineup, they can afford a light-hitting second baseman.
Ben Gamel and Mauricio Dubon are likely going to start the season on the bench which gives the Astros great depth. But will it be enough to get them past the issues that plagued them last season? Losing Tucker and Bregman will be tough to recover from for this group and will have an impact on the AL West and the league as a whole.
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