Astros’ reunion with utility infielder costs former top prospect his roster spot

While the last couple of weeks of July will really determine how successful the trade deadline will be for the Houston Astros, minor moves earlier in hot stove season can still make a big difference. Right before the All-Star break is when benches and minor league depth can be built up so teams across the league can get a true sense of their needs ahead of the deadline.

The Astros made such a move over the weekend, and as it turns out it involved a familiar face. On Saturday, it was reported that Houston signed veteran utility infielder Aledmys Diaz on a minor league deal. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for Astros infielder Grae Kessinger.

Astros News: Houston brings back Aledmys Diaz on a minor league deal

Diaz was actually a really useful part-time player with the Astros from 2019-2022 as he posted a reasonable .738 OPS while playing kind of all over the place. Unfortunately, Diaz's production dropped off in a hurry after he signed a two-year deal with Oakland and he was basically unplayable as a hitter this year before the Athletics released him earlier this month.

As fun as the idea of a Diaz reunion is in theory, the likelihood that he sees much playing time is pretty small. Since Diaz left in free agency, Mauricio Dubon has more than filled the utility role Diaz once occupied and Dubon is simply the far superior player. Adding Diaz just gives Houston an added option in case of an injury, which is not the worst idea.

However, one player who likely isn't celebrating the Diaz signing is Grae Kessinger, who had been the Astros' default "call up in emergencies" guy, but he has failed to impress at basically any point in the big leagues. After slashing .200/.289/.325 in limited playing time last year, Kessinger has yet to record a big-league hit in 2024 (in just 15 plate appearances to be fair) and has had limited success impacting the ball at Triple-A this year as well.

Signing Diaz likely means that Kessinger has fallen out of favor, and we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of his tenure with Houston.

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