Astros’ current infield mess is a rare case of having too much depth

Even as the Houston Astros gradually kick off spring training in Florida, there are still plenty of unanswered questions from the offseason. Although they managed to sign Tatsuya Imai, bearish projections are already signaling that their passivity will come at a cost.

In addition to a lack of meaningful additions, they didn't manage to trim much of the fat either. Neither Isaac Paredes nor Christian Walker managed to entice any suitors and while the former still has potential to add value to the lineup, the outlook on the latter grows dimmer by the day. Now, the Astros are trying to do whatever they can to make their patchwork lineup work.

Christian Walker is considering playing left field to alleviate the current infield logjam

Jason Bristol of KHOU 11 recently asked Walker if he'd be open to moving to the outfield to help clear the way for other infielders on the roster, namely Isaac Paredes. He responded positively but reiterated that his goal is to be the Astros' everyday first baseman.

"I’ve played left field in the past...whatever Joe (Espada) needs, whatever this team needs — that’s what I’m willing to do."

Christian Walker

The last time Walker spent a significant amount of time in left field was in 2016 when he was still with the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate. He started 90 games at the position before being moved to first base full time.

The key here is to unblock Isaac Paredes whose starting job in the hot corner is currently occupied by Carlos Correa. Paredes, who has posted negative Defensive Runs Saved at third base for the past two seasons, may be better suited for first base anyway.

His bat is still valuable and decreased defensive responsibility may increase his net contributions to the team overall. Furthermore, he has posted a .951 OPS while playing first base vs. a .759 OPS while playing third base, albeit over a much smaller sample of just 189 plate appearances as a first baseman.

Interestingly enough, left field isn't any less crowded. There are six names currently listed on the depth chart, including Jose Altuve, who Joe Espada reiterated will still get some starts in the outfield. There's also Yordan Alvarez, Taylor Trammell, and the recently reacquired Joey Loperfido among other names.

The broader concern is that it seems like Houston still doesn't have a strong grasp on what the plan is for the upcoming season. Positional battles are expected in spring training but there seems to be an overarching cloud of uncertainty over the entire roster. It's an uncomfortable tonal shift for an organization that has been so successful in recent years but it's a headwind they'll have to navigate if they want to get back to the top.

The Astros have a little over a month to answer these questions and if they don't, they could be taking the field on Opening Day with a suboptimal roster. The mercurial nature of the sport means that nothing is set in stone but for Houston, it seems like nothing is set at all.