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Jon Singleton is on his way back to the Houston Astros. The former first-rounder, who was released by the Astros earlier this season, signed a minor-league deal with Houston after being dumped by the New York Mets earlier this week.
If the Mets — who've lost eight of their last 10 games — don't want you, then one has wonder why Houston re-signed Singleton at all. It's not as if he's been tearing it up down in the minor leagues.
Singleton latched on with New York following his dismissal from Houston this past spring and has spent the entire season in Triple-A. Though his 17.4% walk rate with Triple-A Syracuse is impressive, Singleton is hitting just .213 through 55 games in the minors this season.
Astros just brought back Jon Singleton after Mets sent him packing
Yes, Singleton has his moments with the Astros, but he was largely a disappointment. A liability at first base defensively, Singleton offers little more than a bat that is oftentimes feast or famine. During his intermittent major league career, most of which came in Houston, Singleton hit just .198/.301/.347.
While the 33-year-old's consistent ability to draw walks managed to keep his on-base percentage respectable, that's hardly an asset when his sprint speed was constantly among the worst in baseball. The last thing Houston needs is a bat-only player who'll clog up the basepaths if and when he gets on.
Though Houston's front office has been desperate to fill the team's need for a left-handed bat, Singleton is not the answer. If Singleton is called up, which seems like little more than a formality, Astros manager Joe Espada will undoubtedly feel forced to get his bat into the lineup simply because he hits from the left side.
Last season, Singleton owned a respectable .773 OPS against right-handed pitching, but was unplayable against left-handers (.145/.207/.250). Do the Astros really want to handcuff Espada with a designated hitter who's destined to fail if an opposing manager brings in a southpaw?
This move has disaster written all over it, but in Houston's rushed attempt to fix the roster flaw they failed to address this past offseason — acquiring a left-handed bat — the Astros are now going back to the same player they cut loose this spring after hitting .171/.239/.195 in 17 Grapefruit League games.