Houston Astros: Remaining Areas of Offseason Concern

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But there is still work to be done in the meantime. Certain positions will need to be addressed, or at least clarified, before pitchers and catchers report in February. If Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow planned to address these needs in free agency, then this will be a more difficult task as two potential targets in free agency, Ian Kennedy and Chris Davis, have recently signed brand new contracts with the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles respectively. However, there are also plenty of internal options that the team could turn to clear up some of their concerns.

The question is whether the team will stand pat or does the front office have a few tricks up their sleeves?

Next: Starting Pitching

Starting Pitching

The rotation appears set with Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Lance McCullers, and Mike Fiers as locks for starting assignments in 2016. Scott Feldman along with a host arms in the minors will compete for the fifth and final spot in the rotation.

Those other arms will most likely include Michael Feliz, Joseph Musgrove, Dan Straily, Asher Wojciechowski, and Chris Devenski. There may be others as well depending on how far the Astros expand their internal search. But at this time it is difficult to predict who may earn the starting job over Feldman, but whoever may will need to have a terrific spring training.

And remember, the current front office is not afraid to promote players directly from the lower minors without spending time in AAA. Just look at McCullers last season. So previous AAA or major league experience will not be the determining factor in whether someone is deemed ready to pitch for the big league squad.

However, general manager Jeff Luhnow could still target a free agent to step in and fill the role. Kennedy was an option before he signed his new deal with the Royals. Yovani Gallardo is another name that the Astros seem interested in despite the draft compensation that would go to the division rival Texas Rangers in return due to the qualifying offer. Doug Fister has been a frequently mentioned name and could prove to be a great bargain given the appropriate contract.

Even if the Astros roll with Feldman as their fifth starter, the rotation still currently projects a 13.3 WAR next season per Fangraphs Steamer projections. But it never hurts to have too much pitching; that is actually a good problem.

Next: First Base

First Base

Chris Carter now finds himself in Milwaukee after the Astros organization decided to non-tender the first baseman following his disappointing 2015 season. But this also left another question on the roster; who will take over the first base role?

Jon Singleton appears to be the front runner for the job heading into Spring Training with number one prospect per Baseball America, A.J. Reed, also in the running. Tyler White could be another option. But Singleton has struggled at the major level in the past. Reed and White have yet to experience the major league level at all. So each carry the risk of the unknown. And at this point in the offseason, it appears unlikely that the front office will be able to acquire a quality first baseman via trade or free agency.

Davis was the most notable first baseman that remained in the Astros’ peripheral vision, but he is now off the table. The Atlanta Braves appear to be set on keeping Freddie Freeman, especially with their new ballpark opening in 2017. Mike Napoli signed a deal with the Cleveland Indians. Justin Morneau, Pedro Alvarez, Wilin Rosario, and Steve Pearce remain unsigned; however, each would probably be only marginal upgrades than what the Astros had in Carter last season.

Marwin Gonzalez and Preston Tucker could also see playing time on that side of the diamond if the Astros want to try more of a platoon arrangement. But that arrangement is probably a worst-case scenario if Singleton doesn’t succeed and Reed and White need more time in the minors. There is also the fact that the team may need Gonzalez and Tucker at other positions throughout 2016 so first base may not be the best position to place the pair for the long term.

Per Fangraphs, the Astros first base situation currently projects to finish with a 1.2 WAR, which comes in 25th at the position for next season. Odds are that the best scenario for the Astros to pursue will be the Singleton route while preparing Reed. It is time to finally see what the team has in the former top prospect. But if the team can get one season of quality production from a temporary arrangement then that would be considered one of the biggest wins in 2016. After all, there is room for improvement.

Next: Backup Catcher

Backup Catcher

Before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, Hank Conger had a notoriously difficult time throwing out base runners during his lone season in Houston. In fact, he only threw out 2% of would-be base stealers while allowing 42 stolen bases. Regardless of his bat or pitch-framing abilities, stolen bases allowed ultimately became his undoing in the Astros eyes.

Essentially, this leaves Max Stassi and Alfredo Gonzalez as the only two catchers remains on the 40-man roster besides Castro. And don’t forget about Tyler Heineman, Trent Woodward, and Roberto Pena. Based on who is on the 40-man roster, it appears that Stassi and Gonzalez have the inside track. That could easily change though depending on how the offseason and spring training unfolds.

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The free agent market for catchers was a weak one this offseason. Tyler Flowers was a backstop who could’ve intrigued the Astros, but he signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves. Other notable names like Chris Iannetta and Brayan Pena never appeared on the Astros radar, at least to the public’s knowledge. One familiar name, Carlos Corporan, still remains available.

At the end of the day, the Astros still have plenty of options at catcher, especially on the internal level. However, quite a few besides Stassi have yet to experience the major leagues. And considering Castro’s injury issues last season, the Astros need to have a dependable backup plan. But if the team finds a serviceable catcher that could help spell Castro from time to time in free agency or via trade, then it wouldn’t be surprising to see the front office pull the trigger to acquire him.

Next: Houston Astros: The Latest on Yoenis Cespedes

Don’t forget that Jeff Luhnow and the Astros front office pulled the trigger on numerous moves last January. Luis Valbuena, Dan Straily, Conger, Evan Gattis, and Colby Rasmus were acquired well after the start of 2015. And while the possibility exists that the team stands pat with their current roster, we all know that Luhnow likes to deal when nobody truly expects it. I have a feeling we may see more of that this year as well.

**Statistics in the following posts provided by Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference**

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Houston Astros: Remaining Areas of Offseason Concern

With Spring Training Approaching, Here are the Positions where the Astros Must Improve the Roster.

Starting Pitching

First Base

Backup Catcher

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