Roster juggling: A fun and therapeutic experiment

Six weeks ago, Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh were after thoughts for an Astros’ rotation that had high hopes with Scott Feldman, Jarred Cosart and Brett Oberholtzer at the top.

Now, Keuchel and McHugh are the hottest Astros’ pitchers, Saturday’s crazy game notwithstanding.

Six weeks ago, if someone had told you the Astros would be hitting .213 as a team with an OBP of .286, you’d probably have not believed them. But it’s true, and, in fact, only one player (Jose Altuve) has a respectable batting average (.289). Morever, his BA is higher than five players’ OBP.

So, as it’s obviously clear the Astros’ roster will undergo more changes along the way, I thought it might be fun, interesting and even therapeutic to experiment with what the Astros’ lineup and rotation could — perhaps even should — look like by the end of the summer.

There’s nothing scientific about this exercise, just looking at the inevitability of Bo Porter and Jeff Luhnow running out of patience with players like Marc Krauss, Jesus Guzman and others.

The only rule is that you must use players within the organization. No hypothetical trades or other acquisitions. Here goes.

And, your rotation:

If the Astros have any luck this season, both Asher Wojciechowski and Alex White should also be a factor before the summer is over. Both could start in the bullpen, depending on their progress and the timing of their returns. But they could also push McHugh back to OKC and somewhat block Folty from moving up.

Regardless, this roster juggling should be enough to provide some light to the end of the tunnel.

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13 responses to “Roster juggling: A fun and therapeutic experiment”

  3. After the horrible 7th. inning I thought about turning off my radio. Man what a come back!! Even though they lost the boys kept it interesting until the last out! You wanna know how many triples Carter has hit in the majors……*3* and that’s counting today!! The big guy can move it when he has too! Chip, I’m not giving up on Obie, I know he is going through a rough spot, and I think they will give him one more start to make any moves. Porter left Keuchel in there too long today, that’s a fact.

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  4. Hey Chip
    Not sure I could change much up from your lineup – as a potential – it will be interesting if players like Aplin, Tucker, Shirley and Cruz get mid-season promotions to AAA and then show they are big show ready by the end of the season.
    If they were going to bring up a starter from OKC at this point based on merit – it would be Tropeano in place of Folty – though Folty is improving after a terrible start.

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  5. That’s pretty much the lineup I’d use, but I’d give Santana more time. I’d like to see him get the OPS up over .900 and cut down on the K”s. I would also move Shirley up to AAA now. I can’t really hold last nights debacle against Porter. Keuchel only threw 92 pitches and clearly Porter feared using Luhnow’s bullpen.

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  7. Hacks you off that they go so many games with no hitting – now the hitters are warming up the pitchers are killing them.

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  8. This team is like last year’s team, with a better shortstop and a worse RF and a worse hitting catcher, an equal bullpen and an equal starting rotation. They hit when it doesn’t matter and don’t hit when it does. They pitch when it doesn’t matter and they don’t when it does.

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  9. I want to take responsibility for Saturday’s debacle. I hadn’t started watching until the 7th…..as soon as I tuned in, the announce stated that Keuchel had no walks today. I said to my wife: “Watch—he’ll walk the bases full now that it’s been pointed out”. TaDa—–thats what happened. Sorry everyone.

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  10. Or one can just juggle the Lastros roster out altogether, and root for the Cubs, or Reds, or Rangers.

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