It’s time for the Astros to consider bold pivot with Cam Smith after latest cold stretch

After what looked like a promising start to the season, Houston Astros fans have been "treated" to a very familiar version of Cam Smith. Since April 8, Smith has only managed to post a .164/.243/.213 line with 21 strikeouts against just six walks. Smith hit three homers during the first 12 games of the season, but has not hit another one since. In short, it feels like we are back at square one.

As to what to do about that, that is more difficult to figure out. Houston just doesn't have a lot of depth to draw from right now, and Smith's defensive value is undeniable. However, having Smith flail about and struggle as he has doesn't exactly feel like a great use of anyone's time and resources.

If this was the first time that Smith had struggled at the plate in the majors, then letting him play through it would be justifiable. However, given how his 2025 season went and given where the Astros are as a team at the moment, it might be time to send Smith back to the minors to figure some things out.

Astros have to send Cam Smith back to the minors for everyone's sake

At the top of the list in this situation should be Smith's development, and that is not being aided by struggling in the majors right now. Smith's approach needs an overhaul, and there could be swing tweaks he could try to help stay back and punish breaking balls. Those sorts of experiments shouldn't be something that is happening in the majors, especially given how quickly Smith was pushed to the big leagues.

Moreover, the Astros just don't need this version of Smith right now. Even if Smith was hitting a bit better, the offense isn't really the problem at the moment, especially with Yordan Alvarez going wild and Christian Walker being in the middle of his resurrection. If anything, having Smith in the lineup every day is a net-negative for Houston right now. With Zach Cole out on a rehab assignment right now, there is a very good chance he would be as good, if not better than, Smith is right now, and Cole would bring more positional versatility.

It would certainly be an admission of defeat to demote Smith to some degree, as the Astros bet a lot on giving Smith such a quick shot at the big leagues. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Houston cannot sustain their competitive window without Smith being an important contributor. At some point, that has to matter whether the optics are good or not.

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