Houston Astros: The Aoki versus Fisher debate begins

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May 24, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Norichika Aoki (3) gets an RBI with a sacrifice fly during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

With the 40-16 record, the Houston Astros are riding high. The offense has hidden the struggles of the starting rotation at times. Houston ranks third in the MLB in runs scored per game at 5.44 and second with 9.47 hits per game. This is a legit offense that is built to win longtime!

Let’s take a look at the moves that the Astros made over the offseason. They added three outfielders. They claimed Nori Aoki off waivers and signed Carlos Beltran and Josh Reddick via free agency. I get the latter two moves, but Aoki became expendable with the addition of the other two.

Aoki is basically a matchup platoon player at this point. He got off to a hot start, but Jake Marisnick and Marwin Gonzalez deserve playing time over Aoki. What he represents is the player who plays left field when there is a left-hander on the mound. Aoki bats left and had a history of not striking out much and being a pesky player.

Just throwing this out there... any chance this is Aoki's last start for #Astros ??? (Probable super 2 date tomorrow-ish)
— Baseball Lawyer (@Bballlawyer) June 3, 2017

How valuable is Aoki?

Should the Astros have the reversed record at this point of the year, Aoki would have probably been released by now. Why fix something that ain’t broken? Sorry for the grammar there, it was intentional. Aoki better watch out for a player at Triple-A who is on fire.

Derek Fisher will be forever remembered as the guy we got with a pick in the Bud Norris trade. Fisher was drafted with the competitive balance pick between the first and second round of the 2014 draft. While always a good player in the minors since being drafted, he has risen to the next level this year.

Think of the seasons we remember from George Springer, Carlos Correa, and Alex Bregman in the minors. Right on the cusp of being called up, they were crushing the competition showing they were ready for the big time. I remember telling a season ticket representative that I would not buy season tickets until Springer was promoted. A few years later I fulfilled my promise and became a season ticket holder, as has Springer and the others.

What is the Super Two cutoff and how it affects Fisher?

Mar 24, 2017; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Derek Fisher (77) connects for a base hit during a spring training game against the New York Mets at First Data Field. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

While Fisher may not have the fans demanding for his call-up like the other three, his numbers say that he deserves it. There is not a glaring hole in the outfield, or is there? This is the time of the year where teams start calling up top prospects they think can help them down the stretch. Why? Because the Super Two cutoff is approaching.

For those of you who don’t know what the Super Two cutoff, let’s get a detailed description via Fangraphs.

“There’s variation in the cutoff, but you can safely assume it will be between 2.120 and 2.150, meaning that if you keep a player down for about 65 service days in their first year, you will not have to let them pass through arbitration four times.” – Fangraphs.

That 65th day of the season is approaching. While the actual date fluctuates, the first week of June is usually the range. Some teams have already brought up their top prospects because of need. If the Houston Astros were to bring Fisher up sometime this week, what would the corresponding move be? Would you DFA Aoki? What if one of our American League competitors picks him up and he becomes a catalyst?

To get Fisher up, what will the team do?

What if you DFA Aoki and end up trading Fisher and others, you may be shorthanded in the outfield. Aoki is not the main driving factor for this team, but his absence could be noticed. His stats don’t wow you with his .254 batting average and his .623 OPS. He is also way below the MLB average with his 69 wRC+. However, he has saved some leads with outfield assists at the plate.

Fisher could make this offensive juggernaut Astros even better if he doesn’t have to be the man. At Triple-A, Fisher’s slash line is .341/ .400/ .615/ 1.015 with 14 homers and 37 RBIs. He has also stolen nine bases after turning heads this spring with his speed. Some would say that it’s time to see what he can do or trade him while his value is high.

Next: Sherman suggests that Justin Verlander could be a trade target for the Stros

Joel Sherman mentioned Fisher’s name as part of possible Justin Verlander trade suggestion. He said that Fisher could immediately be roaming center for the Tigers. If they are looking to trade him, they will keep him in the minors most likely. Who knows what they will do, but that’s part of the fun. We will discuss this further on Talking Stros after the Tenth Inning show tonight on SportsTalk 790.

***Stats from Baseball-Reference***

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Houston Astros: The Aoki versus Fisher debate begins

What should the Houston Astros do with Derek Fisher?

How valuable is Aoki?

What is the Super Two cutoff and how it affects Fisher?

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To get Fisher up, what will the team do?

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