Concerns over offense in absence of Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley could shape early...
Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers and Kyle TuckerHere is a breakdown of the contenders for the final five spots and some context about the Astros’ decisions:Karen Warren/Staff photographerSeth Martinez, Ronel Blanco and Brandon Bielak are competing for two spots. Length is a priority, especially when starters aren’t built up early in the season. That Hunter Brown appears fine after a minor back injury last week doesn’t bode well for Bielak.
Martinez’s spot on the team seems secure. He can pitch multiple innings and ended last season as one of the sport’s best right-on-right relievers. Martinez is scheduled to pitch on Monday at Constellation Field behind Blanco, who could cement his spot with another good outing. Catcher Yainer Diaz could play outfield or be used at designated hitter as Astros look at options for their roster.On Sunday morning, Baker shared some statistics scribbled on a purple sticky note. Yogi Berra played 149 games in left field. Elston Howard played 247. Baker reminded two reporters how talented those New York Yankees teams were — and how both catchers had to get into the lineup somehow.
“I've seen flashes of brilliance. I've seen flashes of still young and rookies that need some more seasoning sometimes,” Baker said of both catchers. “Do we season them here? Or do we season both of them here? Is there enough playing time? Who needs to maybe go back to play? Does that back whoever else is out there? I mean, it's kind of a domino effect.”Entering camp, conventional wisdom suggested only one of Lee or Diaz would win a roster spot as Maldonado’s backup.
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