Insider Says Houston Astros Won't Roster Young Player in 'Part-Time Role'
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This spring is going to be very interesting for the Houston Astros.
With Kyle Tucker gone and Alex Bregman expected to follow suit despite the franchise being open to his return, the core group of players has dwindled down to really just Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez as the true stars on this roster.
Jeremy Pena could regain that status at some point, and Hunter Brown could become the future ace he was billed to be when he was a prospect, but the elephant in the room is the Astros let more of their franchise cornerstones out of the building.
It's worked for them in the past.
Pena replaced Carlos Correa seamlessly at shortstop when they won the World Series in 2022. Tucker's emergence in right field counterbalanced George Springer's departure. Justin Verlander's continued excellence alongside Valdez mitigated the loss felt by Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke.
But a certain point, the well is going to run dry.
That's what a lot of analysts expect to happen this year for Houston despite the organization feeling confident they can compete like they always do after bringing in Christian Walker at first base and 2024 All-Star Isaac Paredes at third.
Spring Training should give the front office, coaching staff, and fan base an opportunity to see who that next wave of stars are going to be when they're ready.
Could a good showing from any of them on the cusp of the Major League roster be carried during the year to give them reps?
Don't expect that to happen according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
"Manager Joe Espada prefers prospects to develop through regular playing time, so don't expect the Astros to carry a young player for a part-time role. Eight of their nine everyday starters are already accounted for, as are at least five established starting pitchers, making it almost impossible for anyone in this group to crack the Opening Day roster," the insider writes.
Considering the makeup of this lineup, that shouldn't be too surprising.
There are established players filling the roles that Bregman and Tucker are leaving behind, and while it might be exciting to see what some of their top prospects can do, that won't happen this season barring a major rash of injuries like what occurred in 2024.