Astros taking chance on waiver claim from Diamondbacks seems like a total waste

On Monday, the Houston Astros claimed OF Jorge Barrosa off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is a 25-year old OF who can play all 3 OF spots. He has shown a solid glove and weak bat.

My first reaction to this move was: why?

On a team that has been littered with glove-first, weak-stick OF bats all season, why did the Astros feel the need to take a shot on another one?

Has this not been the Astros biggest offensive issue for the past two seasons? They have plenty of outfielders who can run it down, but none who can be anything resembling a solid bat in the lineup. Isn't this why Dana Brown's deal of Spencer Arrighetti for Daulton Varsho was criticized as much as it was? Varsho was exactly the kind of glove-first, weak-stick bat the team already had. It didn't address their need.

Now the team goes back to the recycle bin yet again, and this time plucks out Jorge Barrosa. Barrosa's career numbers at the MLB level are less than inspiring: .180 AVG .241 OBP .543 OPS in 222 career AB. This season, his numbers are a slight improvement on his career numbers: .201 AVG .285 OBP .628 OPS in 134 AB. He accrued these while playing half of his games presumably in one of the best hitters parks in the majors in Arizona. Only Coors Field in Denver is a better hitters' park than Chase Field in Phoenix.

Barrosa is the latest player to be cast off by another team for not hitting that the Astros have grabbed up this season. He joins LaMonte Wade Jr.(.211/.323/.662), Nelson Velazquez (.100/.136/.386), Dustin Harris (.226/.286/.576), and Daniel Johnson (.143/.294/.437) as players the Astros have picked up off the street hoping for better results that never really came.

Meanwhile Joey Loperfido, whom the Astros traded away a legitimate MLB OF in Jesus Sanchez to acquire, continues to hit well at Triple-A but cannot get a call up.

I could understand this if Loperfido were hitting at Sugar Land like Zach Dezenzo (.238/.384/.740) or Zach Cole (.195/.294/.651), but he outperforming both of them notably. Loperfido is hitting a very respectable .286 with a .378 OBP and .776 OPS at Sugar Land. Considering the reason they traded for Loperfido was allegedly because they liked the adjustments he made to his swing that led to him hitting .333 with an .879 OPS with 4 HR and 4 2B in 96 AB and they gave up a legit league-average major league bat to get him in Sanchez (.260/.319/.738, 103 OPS+), it stands to reason they should like him enough to want to give him another shot. They should especially want to give him another shot when he's earned it by playing well at the Triple-A level.

Loperfido isn't the only player at Triple-A that a case can be made for earning a shot, he just happens to be the only one on the 40-man roster.

Not on the 40-man roster players who have played well enough to get a look include Cavan Biggio (1B/2B/3B/LF/RF: 18 HR, .821 OPS) and CJ Alexander (1B/3B/LF/RF: 21 HR .868 OPS). Pascanel Ferreras has almost no experience in the OF or he too would be a candidate based on his offensive performance (.320 AVG .383 OBP .883 OPS). Ferreras has primarily played 2B/SS/3B.

Loperfido is a player the Astros know can play all 3 OF positions, he has been a member of the team before, and even in his cup of coffee with the team this season in which he only accrued 102 AB across 39 games, he hit .216 with a .314 OBP and .647 OPS. Essentially the same as Barrosa, but the difference is that Loperfido then went down to Triple-A, worked on his swing, and produced.

It seems pointless to keep going through the recycling bin for players that match what you already have, especially when what you already have seems like it may be better than what you can scrounge up off the street.

The team can't get a real gauge on Loperfido when he doesn't ever get a real opportunity. Occasional starts and pinch-hit ABs are not a real opportunity. No one else the Astros have tried has seized the chance, and that list is long: Taylor Trammell, Brice Matthews, Lucas Spence, Jake Meyers, Harris, Johnson, Cole, Dezenzo, Wade Jr., Shay Whitcomb, Varsho, Velazquez.

None of them have shown they should be the guy everyday. Why is Loperfido so undeserving of another chance, a real chance to have regular playing time like all these others have for a point, after proving himself yet again at Sugar Land? He certainly seems a better bet for success than someone new to the organization who hasn't performed elsewhere at the MLB level ever.

Maybe fifth time is the charm for the Astros and the bargain bin? Not likely. However, they're going to try it anyway.

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