HOUSTON -- We’re barely a week into the regular season, but let’s open the mailbag and see what’s on your mind when it comes to the Astros. How long do the Astros give Cam Smith to figure things out? -- @AstrosKnower Smith, the Astros’ top prospect who won the Opening Day starting right field job with a great spring, is off to a 2-for-14 start at the plate with six strikeouts. But it’s not like he’s alone in his struggles. Christian Walker is 5-for-27, Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Peña are 3-for-23, Yordan Alvarez is 3-for-24 and Yainer Diaz is 2-for-18. But I get your point. He’s the only rookie of the group and has played only 10 games above the Double-A level in his career, so there’s going to be growing pains. He’s handled himself well in right field and I believe the club will give him a long runway to make adjustments and get more comfortable at the plate. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to send him to Triple-A Sugar Land if he continues to struggle, but the club isn’t thinking like that at this point. |
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How likely would the Astros be to trade Framber Valdez if they are playing well and in contention for the division at the Deadline? -- @houstonorbits The Astros wouldn’t trade Valdez -- their best starting pitcher the last two years -- at the Trade Deadline if they’re in contention. The club believes it can still contend for a playoff spot in the American League West this year and they’ll need an effective Valdez to reach the postseason again. It wouldn’t make sense to trade him in that scenario. Sure, they traded Kyle Tucker prior to this season while adding some other pieces, but trading Valdez in-season while in contention would be like waving the white flag. I don’t see that happening. Was moving Jose Altuve to LF always a part of the plan or was that to help entice Alex Bregman to stay post-Tucker trade to move Paredes to 2nd? -- @ACallDay1 No, I think you’re trying to connect dots that aren’t there. The Astros had been trying to get Altuve off the infield for a while because of his declining defense, and the decision to give Alvarez most of his at-bats at DH helped create an opportunity for them to finally do that. Altuve did say he’d be willing to move to left field to entice Bregman to stay, yes. And they could have moved Paredes to second base, but Altuve was going to left field regardless of whether Bregman re-signed with the Astros or not. Credit to him for being willing to try a new position after 14 years at second. |
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Do you see the Astros offering any extension or long-term contract to some of the young core (Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti, Smith or Peña)? -- @VegaBlu1980 General manager Dana Brown was quick to sign pitcher Cristian Javier to a five-year, $64 million extension in his first spring on the job in 2023 and said at the time he was going to be aggressive in locking up the team’s younger players, such as Tucker. It hasn’t happened. First, it takes two to consummate a deal and the Astros are in a bit of a penny-pinching mode this season with so much dead money on the books. I think they’ll certainly try to sign Arrighetti and Smith, but Peña (under control through 2027) and Brown (through 2028) might be harder, especially with Brown recently hiring Scott Boras to represent him. How many Houston Cougars have played for the Astros in their history? I can only name 4 off the top of my head -- Doug Drabek, Woody Williams, Michael Bourn, Corey Julks -- @IveyLeagueDude That’s a great list, but you’re missing a few. Reliever Nick Hernandez pitched for the Astros last season and is in the bullpen at Triple-A. Reliever Anthony Young pitched for the Astros in 1996 but is known mostly for losing 27 consecutive decisions for the Mets from 1992-93. Other Cougars are infielder Glenn Vaughan (1963), catcher Chris Tremie (2004), catcher Chris Snyder (2012) and outfielder/first baseman John Paciorek, who was 3-for-3 with four runs scored for the Colt .45s in his only big league game as an 18-year-old at the end of the 1963 season. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Monday will mark the 25th anniversary of the first regular-season game played at Enron Field, which later became known as Minute Maid Park and this year was rebranded at Daikin Field. Which Astros player hit the first home run at the ballpark on April 7, 2000? A. Jeff Bagwell B. Richard Hidalgo C. Lance Berkman D. Craig Biggio |
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• With the Minor League season opening in earnest this week -- Double-A Corpus Christi, High-A Asheville and Single-A Fayetteville had their season-openers on Friday -- MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis had a breakdown of where each of the Astros’ Top 30 prospects will begin their seasons. • Meanwhile, the Pipeline crew also had one prospect prediction for each team, including No. 2 prospect Brice Matthews shifting to second base to create a clear path to the big leagues. He’s off to a 3-for-23 start at Sugar Land but has four stolen bases in the last five games entering Friday. • Friday marked the Corpus Christi managerial debut for Ricky Rivera, who took over as manager of the Hooks after managing the previous two seasons at Fayetteville. Rivera joined the Astros organization in 2020 and spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons managing the Florida Complex League Astros. Meanwhile, Nate Shaver began his first season managing at Asheville and Carlos Lugo replaced Rivera as manager at Fayetteville. |
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B. Hidalgo He homered in the seventh inning off Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf with former President George Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush watching from behind home plate. Hidalgo wound up with 44 homers in 2000, second only to Jeff Bagwell with 47, which still stands as the club single-season record. |
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