Appel and Correa could be in big league camp this spring

According to Evan Drellich, the Astros are expected to have Mark Appel and Carlos Correa working with the big league team when Spring Training begins next month. Neither of the #1 overall picks is expected to start the regular season in the big leagues but the experience should be beneficial for both of them.

Appel, last year’s top pick, is expected to see considerable time at the AA level this season and could possibly make it to Houston by September. Correa, who is still only 19, is also slated to spend the bulk of the season at Corpus Christi. The shortstop is still probably a couple of years away from the big leagues.

Outfielder George Springer is expected to be back in big league camp as well. Like Appel and Correa, Springer isn’t on the Astros 40-man roster. But the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year could force his way onto the Opening Day roster with a big spring.

In my opinion, Springer should be the Astros Opening Day starter in rightfield. He has already proven himself at the AAA level and could be one of the Astros best players. But the Astros are likely to keep Springer at AAA Oklahoma City for a couple of months in order to milk an extra year of team control for the 5-tool phenom.

Japhet Amador and Jonathan Meyer have also been rumored to be joining the big club in Kissimmee this spring. Amador could become a factor in the 1B/DH competition while Meyer is probably only there for the learning experience. Either way, it should be fun to see how the young players respond to the challenge.