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4 former Astros players shining in spring training to the frustration of fans
By Eric Cole
Myles Straw
Myles Straw started his pro career as an unassuming 12th round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Astros out of a small college. However, he quickly made a name for himself in the minor leagues as a plus hitter who could really run and defend, and ended up making his big league debut in 2018 with Houston.
While Straw's time with the Astros wasn't bad, it certainly was pretty underwhelming. His defense was more hit and miss than expected, his speed wasn't really taken advantage of, and his lack of power pushed his OPS in his first three seasons with Houston in the big leagues down to .649, which is not what you want to see. The Astros saw the writing on the wall and traded Straw to Cleveland for the aforementioned Maton and Yainer Diaz.
That trade has been looking great for the Astros overall. Maton was a stellar middle reliever with Houston, and Diaz has turned into one of the best young catchers in baseball, especially now that Martin Maldonado is out of the picture. Meanwhile, Straw did win a Gold Glove with the Guardians, but his bat has regressed even further to the point where it looks like he has been swinging a toothpick the last two seasons.
This spring, Straw seems to be a new man. His 1.088 OPS ranks sixth among all Guardians hitters and he has mixed a few doubles in along the way. He may never be an impact bat, but he could make the Astros' end of that deal a little less lopsided with a strong 2024 season.