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Astros 2024 Opening Day roster projection 1.0: Rookies join Josh Hader in the bullpen
What will the Astros roster look like on March 28th against the Yankees?
The Houston Astros enter the 2024 season with one thing on their mind: another World Series championship. Dusty Baker may be gone, but new skipper Joe Espada returns a roster that made it all the way to the ALCS a season ago.
The Astros lost some key relievers from last year's squad, but added one of the best closers in the game after agreeing to a five-year deal with Josh Hader. Houston also locked up their longtime second baseman, Jose Altuve, with a new contract that will likely allow the former MVP to finish out his career with the only franchise he's ever known.
Still, there are some concerns in West Palm Beach as the Astros ready for the upcoming season. How healthy is Houston's rotation? Who's going to fill the innings left by Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, and Hector Neris? Will Jose Abreu bounce back after a disastrous first year in H-Town? While most of the Astros Opening Day roster is set, there are still some questions ahead of the first game of the 2024 season.
Astros 2024 Opening Day roster projection 1.0: Rookies join Josh Hader in the bullpen
Astros Opening Day Infield (9)
- Jose Altuve
- Alex Bregman
- Jeremy Peña
- Victor Caratini
- Mauricio Dubón
- Jose Abreu
- Yainer Diaz
- Grae Kessinger
- Trey Cabbage
The Astros starting lineup is all but set heading into Opening Day. Around the horn, Joe Espada will be sending out Jose Abreu, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Peña, and Alex Bregman. Without Martin Maldanado on the Astros roster, Yainer Diaz will be hanging the signs on Opening Day.
Victor Caratini will be Houston's backup catcher this season, and Mauricio Dubón will take on the role of super utility player for the Astros in 2024. The big question, or course, comes with the last couple of bench spots on the Astros roster.
The Astros wisely traded for former Los Angeles Angels first baseman Trey Cabbage earlier this offseason. If the slugger cuts down on his swings and misses during Grapefruit League play, look for Cabbage to find a spot on the Astros Opening Day roster.
The battle for the bench will also include Grae Kessinger, David Hensley, Corey Julks, and Jon Singelton. For now, the edge goes to Kessinger, but the next couple of weeks will go a long way toward solidifying who grabs that final roster spot.
Astros Opening Day outfield (4)
- Kyle Tucker
- Yordan Alvarez
- Chas McCormick
- Jake Meyers
Kyle Tucker will look to lead the Astros outfield this season. The All-Star right fielder, who's seeking a new contract, will be looking to add AL MVP to his résumé this season. Tucker finished fifth in the MVP voting last season, but former Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani is now in the National League with the Dodgers.
Yordan Alvarez might be one of Tucker's chief competitors for the MVP Award this season. After missing a good chunk of the 2023 campaign, a healthy Alvarez has the potential to be one of the best players in the American League. Alvarez will see much more time at DH than he will the outfield.
Chas McCormick will get plenty of time in left field this season for the 'Stros. McCormick had his best season in the big leagues a year ago, and will be looking to capitalize on that showing with a strong performance in 2024.
Is Jake Meyers a major league-caliber player? That remains to be seen. Back-to-back seasons of a sub-.300 on-base percentage and wRC+ below 100 suggest that Meyers is not the future in center field. Meyers is all glove and no bat. That worked 20 years ago, but those types of players are becoming fewer and fewer nowadays.
Dubón is not athletic enough to play up the middle, and Kenedy Corona hasn't made it past Double-A. Unless one of the Astros non-roster invitees blows the coaching staff away this spring, Meyers will open the season on the active roster.
Astros Opening Day starting rotation (5)
- Justin Verlander
- Christian Javier
- Framber Valdez
- Hunter Brown
- Jose Urquidy
The Astros have six pitchers (eight when healthy) that could legitimately be part of the Opening Day roster. If healthy, Justin Verlander is a lock to be on the Astros roster and start the opener.
Christian Javier and Framber Valdez have proven themselves to be frontline starters in the big leagues and will likely follow Verlander in the rotation. While there've been some trade whispers surrounding Valdez this offseason, look for the southpaw to remain on the roster heading into the first game of the 2024 season.
Hunter Brown showed enough in 2023 to command a roster spot this season. The right-hander logged over 150 innings, and while Astros fans want to see that 5.09 ERA go down during his 2024 campaign, that 52.4% ground ball-rate is hard to ignore. The Houston infielders will need to be on their toes when Brown is toeing the rubber.
The last spot in the Astros starting rotation will come down to Jose Urquidy and J.P. France. Urquidy gets the nod, while France likely begins the season back in Triple-A as a depth piece. France has dealt with shoulder issues already this spring, and is likely a bit behind the others in camp.
Astros Opening Day bullpen (8)
- Josh Hader
- Ryan Pressly
- Bryan Abreu
- Forrest Whitley
- Rafael Montero
- Bennett Sousa
- Shawn Dubin
- Dylan Coleman
The backend of the Astros bullpen will be one of the best in all of baseball. Josh Hader signed a mega-deal this offseason after the Astros lost Kendall Graveman to a season-ending injury.
Hader will be joined by the Astros' newly-crowned setup man, Ryan Pressly. The right-hander will take a back seat to Hader this season, but it will allow new Astros manager Joe Espada to deploy the best 1-2 punch in the league if Houston takes a lead into the eighth inning.
Obviously, Houston fans can't forget about Bryan Abreu. The right-hander could make the case to be the closer on probably half of the other MLB clubs, but he'll slot nicely into the back of the Astros bullpen alongside Hader and Pressly.
The Astros, however, have some innings to make up. At the moment, the 'Stros are going with a quality over quantity approach, and that may open the door for a pair of rookies to find their way onto the Opening Day roster.
Forrest Whitley has long been one of the most highly-touted prospects in the Astros farm system. Look for Whitley to finally break into the big leagues, provided he's healthy, and make the team's Opening Day roster. Fellow rookie, Shawn Dubin has a shot to make the team out of West Palm Beach as well.
The rest of the Astros relief corps could see left-hander Bennett Sousa join Rafael Montero and offseason acquisition Dylan Coleman on the Opening Day roster. There are still several weeks of spring training left, and an entire Grapefruit League season ahead. So while most of the Astros roster is set in stone, there are still plenty of spots up for grabs this spring.
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