Astros: Players in DFA or trade trouble “if” Souza makes 40-man

Could Andre Scrubb be traded to make room?

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While not making his ’21 spring training debut just yet, Andre Scrubb is battling a small leg issue. The right-hander is absolutely a force to be reckoned with, if he gets his walk rate down. While possibly being a reliable relief pitcher of the future, Scrubb still needs sometime to develop in the minor leagues and is projected to not make the 26-man roster by McTaggart. This isn’t an alarming thing; he just needs to work on control, before he is seen as an everyday major leaguer. By the looks of it, Ryne Stanek is the one taking his job to start the season, although having a rough career thus far.

DFAing someone like Scrubb is something we can only hope doesn’t happen, but if it does, he is another player to not last long on a waiver. While still having minor league options, Scrubb shouldn’t be let go or moved on at all, but if Souza is what James Click wants now, then there is a chance. Other pitchers like Brandon Bielak and Nivaldo Rodriguez, who are having notable springs, could be in the same boat as Scrubb. At 25-years-old, walks are the only thing holding the right-hander back from being an All-Star level relief pitcher.

It is overall a very tough situation to evaluate, if Souza were to make the 40-man roster. Currently, he is not hitting well, but has been taking reps at multiple positions. These three players might have trade value, but also could hit be in the spot of being DFA’d, if the Astros come to it. Chas McCormick is likely the fourth outfield of the future, but without any major league experience, it could be hard to throw that sort of job on someone at the beginning of the season.