Astros have arrived as true contender,
Young stars abound for team fresh off postseason berth
The Houston Astros have been criticized in some baseball circles as being too cold and calculating, relying too much on sabermetrics and not enough of the human element in rebuilding their organization.
Yet when Jeff Luhnow reflects on the 2015 season, when the Astros followed up four horrendous seasons with their first playoff trip since losing in the 2005 World Series, he gives a very human answer to what was most memorable.
“It was really great to see our fans and the people of Houston so excited about baseball again,” Luhnow says. “When you keep losing, you risk losing an entire generation of baseball fans. It was great to see a lot of young fans come to the games. It was very special to see the effect winning can have on everybody.”
The Astros went 86-76, finishing two games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West but earning a wildcard playoff berth. They beat the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the AL wildcard game before falling to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals in a five-game AL Division Series. That came after blowing a four-run lead in the eighth inning of Game 4, when they had a chance to clinch the series.
The Astros had to do a whole lot of losing before they started winning, though. They had six consecutive losing seasons from 2009 to 2014, including dropping 106 games in 2011, 107 in 2012 and 111 in 2013.
Talking before the start of the World Series about how many franchises had experienced turnarounds in recent seasons, Commissioner Rob Manfred said the common theme was that all implemented solid rebuilding plans.
Luhnow did that when he was hired by the Astros following the 2011 season after serving as the St. Louis Cardinals’ scouting director. Luhnow stuck with the plan, even through the Astros lost more than 100 games in his first two seasons on the job.
“It’s not important just to have a plan but to have the right plan,” Luhnow says. “We strongly felt we had put the right plan in place and that it would eventually pay off in us being a contending team again.
“Being patient through all the losing wasn’t easy, but it was something we had to do.”
The Astros are seemingly in position to continue to contend, as they won’t have anyone older than 30 in the lineup. That lineup will include such dynamic players as 21-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa, 25year-old second baseman Jose Altuve and 26-year-old right fielder George Springer.
Left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who won the AL Cy Young Award last season, is 28.
“We’re not going to sneak up on anybody,” manager A.J. Hinch says. “I can’t play the disrespect card, so to speak, of being a team that’s not expected to win. I’m sure we’re going to have some expectations on us.”
Where the Astros stand at each position (*prospect):
Catcher: The Astros’ first-round draft pick in 2008, Jason Castro has had ups and downs since reaching the major leagues two years later. He has been a below-average offensive player except for 2013, a season in which he was selected to the All-Star Game. But his defense improved markedly last season after his 11 passed balls led the AL in 2014. Castro could be entering his last season in Houston as he is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. The Astros are hopeful Max Stassi, who has seen limited major league action in each of the last three seasons, could be ready to take over the starting job in 2017 after serving an apprenticeship to Castro this season.
Depth chart: Castro, Stassi, *Alfredo Gonzalez, *Tyler Heineman, *Roberto Pena.
First base: The Astros cut ties with slugger Chris Carter in December, opting to not tender him a contract over going to a potential arbitration hearing. Jon Singleton will get first crack at the starting job in spring training. Entering the third year of a five-year, $10 million contract, the 24-yearold has hit .171 in 114 major league games but has 14 home runs. Right-handed-hitting rookie Matt Duffy likely will be a platoon partner with Singleton after winning Pacific Coast League MVP honors last season when he batted .294 with 20 home runs and 104 RBI in 127 games at Class AAA Fresno. In the wings at Fresno will be A.J. Reed, who has hit 46 homers in 203 professional games.
Depth chart: Singleton, *Duffy, Marwin Gonzalez, *Reed, *Conrad Gregor.
Second base: Altuve, who’s 5-6 and a fan favorite, had another fine season in 2015 as he led the AL with 200 hits and 38 stolen bases — though he also was caught stealing a league-high 13 times — while batting .313. That came a year after he won the batting title with a .341 mark. The three-time All-Star is under contract through 2017, and the Astros also hold affordable club options for $6 million in 2018 and $6.5 million in 2019.
Depth chart: Altuve, Gonzalez, *Tony Kemp, *Joe Sclafani, *Chan Moon.
Third base: Luis Valbuena belted
25 home runs in 132 games but also struck out 106 times after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Chicago Cubs. The Astros were second to the Toronto Blue Jays in home runs in the major leagues in 2015 with 230 but also led the AL with 1,392 strikeouts. Versatile Gonzalez, a switch-hitter coming off a career-high 12 home runs and capable of playing all four infield positions as well as the corner-outfield spots, likely will platoon with Valbuena. Duffy also could be in the mix, and the Astros are hopeful of a breakout from Colin Moran, the sixth overall draft pick by the Miami Marlins in 2013 who will start the season at Fresno. Tyler White hit .325 with 99 RBI in 2015 in the minors and will begin at Class AA Corpus Christi (Texas).
Depth chart: Valbuena, Gonzalez, Duffy, *Moran, *White.
Shortstop: Correa didn’t make his big-league debut until June 8 and appeared in 99 games yet won AL rookie of the year honors by a comfortable margin. Expectations will be great for Correa in the upcoming season . The Astros were criticized for drafting on the cheap when they chose Correa, a native of Puerto Rico, with the first overall selection in the 2012 draft because many analysts thought signability was the biggest factor in the decision. But he has proved to be a wise pick.
Depth chart: Correa, Gonzalez, *Nolan Fontana, *Alex Bregman, *Jack Mayfield.
Left field: Colby Rasmus became the first free agent to accept a qualifying offer from his team since the system was put into place after the 2012 season, effectively agreeing to a one-year, $15.8 million contract. Rasmus, who has good power — he hit four homers in six postseason games last year — but strikes out a lot. Luhnow drafted Rasmus for the Cardinals in the first round in 2005, but he had an up-anddown four-season stint after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Right-handedhitting Jake Marisnick, an outstanding fielder who is inconsistent offensively, likely will spell Rasmus against most lefties. Preston Tucker shined as a rookie but likely will start the season at Fresno unless the Astros carry a fifth outfielder.
Depth chart: Rasmus, Evan Gattis, Marisnick, Tucker, *Danry Vasquez.
Center field: The Astros were leading the AL West when they made a splash move by acquiring Carlos Gomez from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30. However, save for a two-week hot stretch in late August into September, the two-time All-Star was a disappointment as he was slowed by an ankle injury. In the final year of his contract, he should be motivated to have a big season. Prospect Derek Fisher, a supplemental first-round draft pick in 2014, could be ready to step in by 2017.
Depth chart: Gomez, Marisnick, *Andrew Aplin, Eury Perez, *Fisher.
Right field: Springer has a chance to be one of the top offensive players in the game with his blend of power and speed, but he needs to stay on the field. Because of injuries, he has played in just 180 of a possible 324 games over the past two seasons. Springer has time to blossom into a su---
perstar but his durability has understandably become a concern for the Astros.
Depth chart: Springer, Marisnick, *Jon Kemmer, *Ronnie Mitchell, *Sean McMullen.
Designated hitter: Gattis has hit 70home runs in his first three major league seasons, including a career-high 27 last year after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves in a trade the previous offseason. Gattis will start to become expensive as he is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this winter. This could be his last season with the Astros, considering the number of power-hitting prospects in their farm system.
Depth chart: Gattis, Singleton, Valbuena, Altuve, Tucker.
Starting pitchers: Keuchel has seemingly come out of nowhere to become one of the top left-handed pitchers in the game as he improved from a combined 9-18 with a 5.20 ERA in his first two major league seasons in 2012 and 2013 to a combined 32-17 with a 2.69 ERA in 2014 and 2015. Collin McHugh has turned out to be a real find, going a combined 30-16 with a 3.39 ERA in two seasons since being claimed off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. Mike Fiers also came from the Brewers in the Gomez trade and not only settled into the middle of the rotation but also threw a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Veteran right-hander Scott Feldman has been solid in his two seasons since being signed as a free agent, and 22-year-old righty Lance McCullers showed signs of being a future staff ace. Dan Straily, Brad Peacock — expected to be healthy for spring training after missing most of last season because of back surgery — and Asher Wojciechowski provide depth.
Depth chart: LHP Keuchel, RHP McHugh, RHP Fiers, RHP Feldman, RHP McCullers, RHP Straily, RHP Peacock, RHP Wojciechowski, LHP Wandy Rodriguez, *RHP Brady Rodgers, *RHP Michael Feliz, *RHP Joe Musgrove.
Bullpen: After the late-inning melt- down in Kansas City, the Astros landed Ken Giles in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. Giles, 25, has a 1.56 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 1152⁄ career innings and is
3 under club control through 2021. Luke Gregerson converted 31 of 36 save opportunities last year in his first season as a closer after being signed as a free agent but moves back to his familiar setup role. Will Harris wound up shining in high-leverage situations last year after being claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tony Sipp will again be the primary left-hander after being re-signed.
Depth chart: RHP Giles, RHP Gregerson, RHP Harris, LHP Sipp, RHP Josh Fields, RHP Pat Neshek, LHP Kevin Chapman, *LHP Juan Minaya.