Houston Astros Open to Trades to Help Roster Logjam?

Late Saturday night, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle posted a piece detailing the perceived logjam in the Houston Astros lineup with Jason Castro, Evan Gattis, Jon Singleton, Colby Rasmus, Jake Marisnick, George Springer and Chris Carter. As Drellich states, not all of these players can be in the opening day lineup–it’s just not possible. With the cluster of players, the Astros have “received calls, but are not actively seeking to move anyone.”

If the stars align, and the Houston Astros are healthy, at-bats could become an issue for these players. Yet, with opening day still looming a couple of weeks away, it’s likely that general manager Jeff Luhnow will wait before any deals are made. These players represent depth, and if healthy, that could be a huge bonus for the team as the season goes along.

In any baseball season, players will struggle for a period of time, and this depth will definitely come in handy. While Singleton is hitting .281 with six of his nine hits being doubles, he struggled mightily last season. While we’re optimistic about Singleton’s 2015 season, having options as backups will keep the offense moving.

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Two players in this group will receive as many at-bats as they can handle–Carter and Springer. Carter lead the team in home runs last season with 37, and arguably represents the team’s biggest power threat in 2015, while Springer is an asset both offensively and defensively with his combination of power and speed.

As Drellich mentions in the article, if a player is to be traded, it will likely be one of the extra outfielders. Alex Presley is out of options and is owed one million dollars this season, while Robbie Grossman has put together a solid spring, batting .367 with a .429 on-base percentage. Of the two, Grossman would likely be more attractive to teams looking for a boost in their outfield rotation, and would be under team control for a year longer than Presley.

Regardless of what moves may or may not happen, the Houston Astros have a good problem on their hands. The hottest bats will be in the lineup, and Hinch will have at least one extra option on the bench in a pinch. What these spring training roster battles all boil down to is a well-constructed roster that will be battling for playing time, with their on-field performance doing the speaking for each of them.

A couple may wilt under the pressure, but the cream will rise to the top, and every last player will be giving it their all to get into the lineup and prove their worth throughout the season. This all leads to good things for the Houston Astros as the season progresses, and potentially a bigger trade down the line.

Next: Should the Astros Trade Chris Carter?

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