Revisiting the Houston Astros Impact of Offseason Moves

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Jed Lowrie

Apr 27, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie (right) hits a solo home run in front of San Diego Padres catcher

Derek Norris

(3) during the fourth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Then:

Why give Lowrie a three-year deal when you have Carlos Correa knocking on the door? “It takes three years to get a player like Jed who is a free agent for the first time,” Luhnow said. “Quite frankly, 3-years from now if Jed is the super utility player on a playoff team, that’s pretty good.”

Lowrie will be the starter now, but when the super prospects Carlos Correa and Colin Moran arrive, Lowrie will still have a place on a good team similar to a player like Marco Scutaro. When Correa and Moran are ready, they will not be blocked by Lowrie or Valbuena.

Now:

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

Jed Lowrie was one of the key reasons for the Astros success this season. However, Lowrie slid awkwardly at home plate during the Astros ten-game winning streak. With that slide, he tore his UCL in right thumb, which will cause him to miss games until after the All-Star break. When Lowrie went out, the Astros lost a consistent producer at shortstop, which could lead to Correa’s early debut in 2015.

Before the injury, Lowrie had a slash line of .300/ .432/ .567/ .999. He has scored eleven runs, hit four home runs, and ten RBI’s in 18 games. Lowrie has struck out 15 times in 74 plate appearances, which represents a 20% strikeout percentage. (Stats from Baseball-Reference)

Grade:

Even with the unfortunate injury to Lowrie, I would still give the Lowrie addition an A because he literally carried the team while the sluggers struggled at the beginning of the season. Some might argue that had the Astros not signed Lowrie, Correa would have been called up sooner. This was disproven when Lowrie’s injury occurred, Correa was not automatically called up.

Next: Evan Gattis and James Hoyt

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