Astros Opening Day roster projection 2.0: Top reliever absent, new starter emerging?

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Houston Astros manager Joe Espada is going to have some difficult decisions in the coming days. While several players are all but assured to be part of the team's Opening Day roster, there are still a handful of spots remaining and less than three weeks left until the New York Yankees come to H-Town.

The Astros have done a good job during the offseason to shore up the back end of the bullpen, but a number of innings will be left to cover after the departures of Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek, and Phil Maton.

Justin Verlander's eventual placement on the injured list will force Espada to find a new Opening Day starter and fill that spot in the rotation. The Astros skipper also has an opening in the bullpen due to a forgotten suspension that was handed down last fall. How is the Astros Opening Day roster shaping up with a few weeks left until the start of the 2024 season?

Astros Opening Day roster projection 2.0: Surprise name replaces Justin Verlander

Astros Opening Day infield (9)

Jose Altuve
Alex Bregman
Jeremy Peña
Jose Abreu
Mauricio Dubón
Victor Caratini
Grae Kessinger
Yainer Diaz
David Hensley

The starting lineup is set, right? Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Jeremy Peña, and Jose Abreu will be lining up on the infield dirt to start the season on March 28. Behind the plate, the duo of Victor Caratini and Yainer Diaz will be splitting time with the latter working as the Astros' primary backstop in 2024.

But the bench is where the question marks come into play. Mauricio Dubón is a lock to occupy a myriad of spots on the diamond. The Astros' top utility player, who won a Gold Glove last season, will see time on the infield dirt and the outfield grass in 2024.

Trey Cabbage was a nice pickup this spring, but the former Los Angeles Angels slugger has looked abysmal at the plate and will need to go back to the minors to start the 2024 season. Grae Kessinger hasn't looked great either, but the 26-year-old has routinely displayed a patient approach at the dish, and will be in line to grab one of the final bench spots.

David Hensley and Jon Singleton will be fighting for a spot on the Astros bench as well. Singleton is limited defensively and has struggled this spring, while Hensley can play multiple positions. A slight edge goes to Hensley, but aside from Dubón, it's anyone's guess as to how the final two bench spots are handed out.

Astros Opening Day outfield (4)

Yordan Alvarez
Jake Meyers
Kyle Tucker
Chas McCormick

For all intents and purposes, the Astros Opening Day outfield is set. Though it's probably unfair to call Yordan Alvarez an outfielder, the Houston slugger will see some time in left field. But the majority of his starts will come as the 'Stros DH. Alvarez is primed for an MVP-type season.

Alvarez's closest competition may come from one of his teammates. Kyle Tucker, who's yet to agree to contract extension, will be looking to duplicate his All-Star season from a year ago and is a sure bet to be Houston's Opening Day right fielder.

Chas McCormick will get the lion's share of the starts in left field. The 28-year-old has hit well this spring and is looking to build on an impressive 2023 campaign. McCormick owned a 133 wRC+ last season and slugged nearly .500 in 115 games.

Finally, Astros fans will have to see whether or not Jake Meyers can take that next step. Defensively, Meyers is top-notch. But the bat leaves a lot to be desired. So far this spring, Meyers has looked terrific in the batters' box. If that carries over to the regular season, Houston could have the best outfield in the game.

Astros Opening Day starting rotation (5)

Framber Valdez
Christian Javier
Jose Urquidy
Hunter Brown
Ronel Blanco

The Astros starting rotation is not what fans envisioned upon the close of the 2023 season. Several starters, including Verlander, are headed for the IL, and what was once a strength of the team has more questions than answers heading into 2024.

Valdez is likely to be named the Astros Opening Day starter in the coming days, and he'll surely be followed by Christian Javier and Hunter Brown. Jose Urquidy has done enough this spring to prove that he belongs in the Astros starting rotation, and will likely slot in as the team's No. 3 or 4 starter.

With Verlander out of commission to begin the season, there are questions surrounding the final spot in Houston's rotation. Forrest Whitley has moved into a relief role, so that leaves Ronel Blanco and J.P. France to battle it out for the last spot.

France has been unable to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring, and with only one off day on the schedule during the first three weeks of the 2024 season, Houston's going to need all hands on deck. With France having not been stretch out yet this spring, don't be surprised to see Blanco grab that final spot in the Astros rotation.

France and Blanco will be battling over the final few weeks of spring to see who gets the nod. There's a chance that the loser could wind up in the bullpen, but there's also the possibility Houston decides to option either pitcher back to Triple-A.

Astros Opening Day bullpen (8)

Josh Hader
Rafael Montero
Seth Martinez
Brandon Bielak
Ryan Pressly
Bennett Sousa
Parker Mushinski
Joel Kuhnel (NRI)

The Astros bullpen will be missing top reliever Bryan Abreu on Opening Day. For those who've forgotten, MLB handed down a two-game suspension after Abreu hit Texas Rangers slugger Adolis Garcia during last year's ALCS. Rather that suspend Abreu during the postseason, his punishment was deferred until the regular season.

But the back end of the bullpen should be able to hold up until he returns. While the Astros will be without Kendall Graveman, Houston is now home to one of the best relievers in the game after inking Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract this offseason. He'll be joined by Ryan Pressly, who'll now operate in the eighth inning as Houston's setup man.

Montero is looking to bounce back after a rough go of it last season. He's likely to be joined by the left-handed duo of Bennett Sousa and Seth Martinez. Both southpaws have performed well this spring.

The final few spots in the bullpen are up for grabs. Mushinski has looked good so far, and Kuhnel continually pounds the strike zone with 95-plus. Both pitchers have an inside track to find a home in the Houston bullpen heading into Opening Day.

Look for the Astros to give that final spot to Bielak. The right-hander is out of minor-league options and could act as the long man with Houston set to play 20 games in 21 days to begin the 2024 season.

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