Who's on third? Astros not sure
Bregman and Gurriel will split time at DH, in left field and infield.
Jeff Luhnow offers two answers when asked about a resolution to the Houston Astros’ logjam at third base.
In the general manager’s view, there is one answer for this season’s final games, during which manager A.J. Hinch will mix and match top prospect Alex Bregman and $47.5 million Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel.
And there is another answer for the long-term outlook of the organization, one that requires a decision the GM is not ready to make.
The Astros say they will map out their third base situation in the offseason and will have ample time to prepareBregman or Gurriel for a more permanent position change in 2017.
But even now, the answer appears obvious: Bregman looks
like the Astros’ third baseman of the future.
Not only has the 22-yearold rookie been a force in the No. 2 spot in the batting order after a brutal start, but as a natural shortstop he has played better defense at third than anyone could have anticipated. Luhnow described Bregman’s play at the hot corner as “exceptional.”
“For him to move to a new position and be that good that quickly, yeah, it’s surprised me,” Luhnow said. “He’s made some plays that very few third basemen in the big leagues with five years’ experience can make.”
Bregman started each of the Astros’ three games in Pittsburgh at third base this week while Gurriel, with no designated hitter spot available, was relegated to the bench.
What’s up for interpretation is how much of that configuration was related to Gurriel’s hamstring problem as opposed to Bregman making it increasingly difficult to play anyone but him at third.
Where to play Gurriel?
Beginning last month when the Astros made Gurriel the highest-paid player in Jim Crane’s ownership tenure, the expectation was that the 32-year-old with the vast pedigree would man third and that Bregman would move to left field and fill in on occasion at shortstop and second.
But Bregman’s performance has begun to force the front office’s hand, first evident when Gurriel appeared in left field during a minor league stint in which he had been expected to play only third base and DH.
A month after his celebrated big league debut, Bregman has yet to start in left field, appearing in the outfield only once as part of an in-game substitution.
The question, then, is where to play Gurriel, a 15-year veteran of professional baseball in Cuba and Japan who has played third and second base almost exclusively?
There is no doubt DH will be a part of his future, but limiting him to that wastes his ability to play the field.
Perhaps a left field/DH combo will work. First base is another option, but what then of A.J. Reed? Reed has struggled in the majors this season, but 101 at-bats is too small a sample size to write off a player who came into this season regarded as the best minor league prospect at his position.
For the rest of this season, Gurriel is likely to start mostly at DH with a few games at third.
Playing the natural infielder in left field for the first time in the middle of a wild-card race is risky, and Gurriel has never played first.
Hinch insisted Wednesday there will be games this season in which Gurriel plays third and Bregman outfield.
The manager also acknowledged that Bregman has “made a strong case for us to consider multiple options, not just the assumed option of Gurriel at third and Bregman moving around the field.”
Smooth transition
Bregman’s swift adjustment to third base is remarkable when considering the 2015 No. 2 overall draft pick logged only 11 games at the position in Double-A and two in Triple-A.
But given Carlos Correa’s presence at shortstop, Bregman prepared mentally and physically for such a move.
While back in his hometown of Albuquerque, N.M., for his first professional offseason, Bregman fielded ground balls at third every day.
Once this season began, he worked with coaches Adam Everett and Rodney Linares in Double-A and Morgan Ensberg in Triple-A, a trio he credited for helping him make a smooth transition.
“I feel comfortable over there; I really do,” Bregman said. “I feel just as good there as I did at shortstop ever, and I like playing there.”
The Astros’ brass has no incentive to commit to a longterm plan at third base before the offseason.
But if Bregman continues on his current trajectory, it won’t be much of a decision at all.