Siri returns with playing time in doubt
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jose Siri does not lack conviction. He foresaw his demotion to Class AAA Sugar Land before it came late last month. When it arrived, Siri did not sulk or wonder why. He is far too familiar with the minor league grind, perhaps one that suited him better than his predicament on the big league team.
“Really for anybody, it’s tough to make adjustments in the cage,” Siri said Tuesday through an interpreter. “I’m the type of guy that needs to play every day to continue to see those pitches and make the adjustments I need to make.”
Siri played 10 games for Class AAA Sugar Land. He struck five home runs and slashed .311/ .373/.867 over 45 at-bats. If any animosity over the Astros’ decision existed, Siri did not display it.
“I took it like nothing happened. Just chilling,” Siri said. “I’ve always been motivated, so I didn’t need any extra motivation out of it.”
Yordan Alvarez’s hand injury allowed Siri back onto the major league roster after those 10 games at Class AAA. His success there is a microcosm of the dilemma facing him and Chas McCormick now that Jake Meyers is back as the starting center fielder.
Tuesday perhaps further enforced it. Alvarez and Michael Brantley both remained sidelined with their injuries. Neither McCormick nor Siri could crack manager Dusty Baker’s starting lineup. Aledmys Díaz played left field, and rookie J.J. Matijevic started at designated hitter.
The team is committed to Meyers as its full-time center fielder. Finding a place for McCormick and Siri on a semi-regular basis is difficult. Neither needs more seasoning in the minor leagues. Neither has distinguished himself this season or last to warrant a permanent major league roster spot, either.
It leaves the outfielders in limbo, perhaps until the Aug. 2 trade deadline. McCormick would at least appear to be a more desirable choice if teams are choosing between them.
Siri is 26, a two-time waiver claim playing for his fourth organization. This is his last minor league option year. So starting next season, Siri could not be demoted to the minor leagues without being exposed to waivers.
McCormick, on the other hand, will have two option years remaining. Even though he is a year older than Siri, teams constructing a roster value the sort of flexibility McCormick’s situation provides.
McCormick is a far more consistent player, but Siri’s upside is unmistakably higher. Despite his demotion last month, Siri still awoke Tuesday worth seven defensive runs saved in center field, according to Sports Info Solutions. Only one major league center fielder was worth more. Only Trea Turner and Bobby Witt Jr. averaged a faster sprint speed than Siri’s 30.2 feet per second.
The tantalizing tools — coupled with Siri’s cunning aggression — are what endeared him to Baker. The manager does not hide his affinity for Siri, but it could not save the outfielder from his fate last month at Yankee Stadium.
The Astros kept McCormick over Siri on the day Meyers returned. Two days later, they demoted McCormick when shortstop Jeremy Peña returned from his thumb injury. Both actions spoke far louder than any words, illustrating the organization’s view and a new plight both men face.
Both are back on the major league roster due to injuries. During his first stint in the majors, Siri showed some improvements in underlying metrics. He chased outside the strike zone 36.4 percent of the time — down nearly 10 percent from last season but still well above major league average. He swung and missed at a 36.5 percent clip. Big league average is 24.6 percent.
Until he can curtail both numbers more, Siri might not present an everyday option on a contending team. Yet he said playing every day is a key to improvement.
Does he envision a place in this organization where he can play every day?
“It’s not my place to say that. It’s hard to say,” Siri said. “But I still have confidence in myself that I’m the type of player that can become an everyday player, a superstar player.”