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Astros' legend Craig Biggio's provides harsh reality for Jose Altuve position change

Eric Cole
Eric Cole

Climbing Tal's Hill

World Series - Philadelphia Phillies v Houston Astros - Game Two / Carmen Mandato/GettyImages

Whether or not the Houston Astros are able to bring back Alex Bregman, it is abundantly clear that moving Jose Altuve to the outfield is at least going to be on the docket this spring. This experimentation being floated is a way to accommodate a potential Bregman reunion, but it's also a recognition of reality.

As good as Altuve is, time is finally catching up with him. His defensive metrics are second base have not been good of late, and with Altuve's extension keeping him under contract through 2029, finding a long-term defensive home has a lot of value. Left field isn't thought to be a physically demanding, so in a vacuum, shifting there makes some sense.

However, another legendary Astros second baseman shed some light on the fact that moving to left field isn't as easy as it seems. When asked his opinion on Altuve moving to the outfield, Hall of Famer Craig Biggio said such a shift could be very difficult, especially for a player who is used to playing second base. But Biggio supported the idea of giving Altuve a try.

Astros Hall of Famer Craig Biggio believes Jose Altuve's position change could work, but it won't be easy

Biggio has unique insight into this situation after making a similar short-lived defensive move late in his career. When Houston signed Jeff Kent before the 2003 season, Biggio moved to the outfield to help accommodate the move. While Biggio's numbers didn't drop off too much during the switch, he made it clear that the transition was difficult, saying, "It's a whole different world than the infield."

Biggio wound up going back to the infield after Kent left, and finished his career at the keystone, so his long-term success in the outfield is undetermined. However, Biggio seems to think that Altuve would do just fine after a period of adjustment while calling him "a special athlete" and saying "...he's been given ample time. He'll be just fine in the outfield if that's the direction they go."

Will the Astros seriously entertain moving Altuve to the outfield if Bregman signs elsewhere? That remains to be seen. Given Altuve's defensive trends and the internal options available to replace him, moving Altuve to left field could be a wise move. But one wonders if Altuve's overt willingness to move off second hinges on bringing back his buddy Bregman back.

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Eric Cole

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.