3 Astros who could be cut to clear a path for top prospect Brice Matthews

It's becoming apparent that Brice Matthews is on the cusp of making his major league debut. Houston Astros GM Dana Brown has never been shy about quickly promoting the club's top prospects to the big leagues, with Cam Smith acting as a prime example.

Nevertheless, after trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, there was a vacancy to fill in right field which allowed for Smith's inclusion on the Astros Opening Day roster. No such opening exists on Houston's current roster — at least not yet.

If Houston wishes to get their top prospect on the major league roster, they're going to need to give him opporunties to be in the everyday lineup. The Astros will also need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Which three Astros players should be on the hot seat with Matthews' debut inching closer and closer?

3 Astros who could be cut to clear a path for top prospect Brice Matthews

Luis Guillorme, Astros infielder

Luis Guillorme just made his Astros debut, and in his first game with the team, made an unbelievable catch. Guillorme has the abliity to play all over the diamond, something manager Joe Espada no doubt values, and cutting ties with the veteran could cause some problems elsewhere. Guillorme is also one of the few left-handed bats currently on the Astros' roster, so Houston may not be ready to cut ties with the veteran just yet.

Brendan Rodgers, Astros infielder

Brendan Rodgers was a late-spring addition to Houston's roster, and was always more of a placeholder in case the Jose Altuve to left field experiment failed. Currently on the IL with an oblique injury, Rodgers will probably be out of commission until after the All-Star break. But even when healthy, Rodgers was hitting just .191 with a .544 OPS. Are the Astros really planning to wait around while Rodgers tries to figure things out?

Mauricio Dubón, Astros infielder/ outfielder

This name may raise some eyebrows throughout Houston, but the numbers are not good. Mauricio Dubón is hitting .260 on the year, but his on-base percentage is below .300 and there's absolutely no power in that bat. It seems unlikely that Houston would cut Dubón, but if the Astros find other means to get Matthews onto the active roster, the veteran will have to take on a backup role — something he was very accustomed to in the past.

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