Astros will remain opportunistic with remaining free agents

The Astros are willing to add a player if the price is right with the number of free agents still on the market.

With pitchers and catcher reporting a week from today, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says the 25-roster is almost set. With only a few players leaving via free agency or trade, the Astros have filled most of the holes. However, Luhnow said, “that they will remain opportunistic if the right deal presents itself.”

The truth is, there are way too many players without jobs right now. The players union is calling foul with collusion for keeping these players without jobs. On the other hand, the MLB is saying that the players are getting offers, just not the length and value that they think they are worth. There are not too many needs for the Astros at the moment, but there are three players out there the Astros can pounce on if the price is right.

A real backup catcher.

No offense to Max Stassi, but he is penciled in as a backup catcher. Brian McTaggart made an interesting suggestion. He said that Evan Gattis could still be the backup catcher. But they would also carry Stassi as a defensive replacement. That is an interesting concept as Gattis serving as the designated hitter won’t limit his at-bats like last year. It would be similar to the role that Juan Centeno served as in the playoffs.

While this would free Gattis up for more playing time as the DH, it seems like a wasted roster spot. It could work out, but this would limit A.J. Hinch‘s options off the bench with 13 pitchers. Having a player like Marwin Gonzalez helps here. If Gattis were the full-time DH, Stassi as the backup catcher would make sense. It’s really the same thing, after all, just a different spin on it.

Jonathan Lucroy is still on the market coming off a down season. The 31-year-old catcher is two years removed from hitting 24 homers. Last year he batted .265 with six homers between the Rangers and Rockies. He does not appear to be getting the long-term deals that he may want to, so maybe he can sign a one-year deal to rebuild his value. If he bounces back, perhaps he could get a 2-3 year deal with someone next year. Could he sign a one-year contract with the Astros? Yes, but it would make playing time complicated.

A Fisher backup plan.

We saw what Derek Fisher was able to do when he first burst onto the big stage in 2017. His offensive ability gave you a brief glimpse of what he could offer long-term. While he did struggle down the road, he still made the postseason roster as a pinch runner specialist. Fisher is capable of hitting 15-20 homers with a decent batting average and 20-25 steals. The league adjusted to Fisher in the second half.

Now it’s his turn to adjust to the league. Fisher could go either direction this year. He could blossom into a young superstar, or he could become the latest Astro prospect to flame out. His adjustments this year could make or break his career, and the Astros drive for back-to-back championships. Should Fisher struggle in 2018, it may not be a bad idea to have a plan b option for left field.

The team would not want Margo as the full-time left-fielder, as it takes away his value. You could see Jake Marisnick get more playing time as well. However, Carlos Gonzalez is still a free agent. Like Lucroy, he is coming off a down season where his production decreased. Once an All-Star, Cargo is more of an afterthought at this moment. He could look to signing a one year deal with a team like the Astros to rebuild his value.

Despite this, I think the Astros will give Fisher a chance this year in left field.

In Conclusion (All is good).

As I stated earlier in the post, the Astros roster is pretty stacked. Many of you are probably wondering why I didn’t include Greg Holland. The Houston front office has never been one to buy saves. They try to get them via trade or in-house. If Holland is due anything similar to what Wade Davis received, that is too rich for the Astros blood.

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Jake Arrieta is still a free agent, but I see little interest in him signing a short-term deal out of desperation. If the Astros did not get Cole, I could have seen them going after Arrieta or Darvish, but they were more comfortable with the trade. Could there be a lesser name addition such as a Cameron Maybin or similar? Yes, but that player would have to be better than the 25th player on the team. In other words, no scrubs on this roster.

All three of the suggested free agent additions are not required but would be nice to have. Jeff Luhnow is in the desired position before camp opening, no sense of desperation to make another addition. This is why there are so many free agents out there. The competing teams have already bolstered their rosters while the rebuilding teams are not looking to add payroll. Everyone wants to follow in the Astros footsteps.

Next: The quandary of the slow free-agent market and the Astros’ role within it

One side note about Fisher. The Astros could be hesitant to trade Fisher because he could eventually become George Springer‘s replacement. He is hoping that Springer gets signed long-term, but could give the team the extra incentive to see what Fisher can offer in 2018.

***Stats from Baseball-Reference***