Chas McCormick's roster spot is in danger after Astros' latest addition

Will the Houston Astros finally do the right thing and send Chas McCormick to Triple-A Sugar Land? Probably not, but the Astros' latest addition certainly makes that a viable option (as if they didn't have the ability to make the move already).

The Astros plucked longtime major league outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from the New York Mets on Tuesday. Gamel was designated for assignment over the weekend after the Mets activated Starling Marte off the injured list.

Gamel is expected to join the Astros during their upcoming series against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, but Houston will need to make a corresponding move in order to add the outfielder to the 26-man roster. Will McCormick be optioned back to the minors?

Chas McCormick's roster spot is in danger after Astros add Ben Gamel off waivers from NY Mets

Gamel is not an All-Star caliber player, but he's had measured success in the big leagues over a nine-year career. The 32-year-old appeared in just 18 games for the Mets this season and hit .217/.400/.261 with a double, seven strikeouts, and seven walks in 30 trips to the plate. But for his career, Gamel owns a .252/.333/.382 slash line. Gamel, who can also play first base, rarely chases pitches outside the strike zone and maintains a consist walk rate above 10%.

The same cannot be said for McCormick. The Astros outfielder has a 34% chase rate on the season and his walk rate is less than 7%. While McCormick plays above average defense, his bat has been a blackhole almost all season. Since July 1st, McCormick is hitting .160/.241/.200 with a wRC+ of 32 according to FanGraphs. He's also struck out nearly 30% of the time during that span.

McCormick is not the only Astros player in jeopardy of losing his roster spot when Gamel is called up. Shay Whitcomb, Zach Dezenzo, and Trey Cabbage all have minor league options as well. But a hard reset down at Triple-A Sugar Land might do the Astros' outfielder some good, and perhaps he could rejoin the team after a brief respite in the minors.

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