WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — No final decisions are expected until Wednesday, but the Houston Astros’ murky outfield picture grew clearer on Sunday morning.
Perhaps, so did a battle for the final spot on Houston’s Opening Day roster.
Reassigning veteran outfielder Taylor Trammell to the minor leagues should bode well for both Zach Cole and Joey Loperfido’s chances to crack the roster, but Brice Matthews’ emergence as a legitimate outfield option will create a fascinating decision for Houston’s baseball operations staff.
Two factors may determine Matthews’ fate: how much stock the Astros’ braintrust puts into Grapefruit League statistics and the status of injured shortstop Jeremy Peña, who fractured his right ring finger on March 4.
Peña resumed hitting this weekend and has not been ruled out for Opening Day, manager Joe Espada said on Sunday. Peña took just 11 Grapefruit League at-bats before sustaining his injury and has not faced live pitching since.
Earlier this month, Peña said he did not need a specific number of at-bats to deem himself ready for the season. “If I get into a game and I feel like my swing is ready to go, then that’s all I need,” he said. “For me, it’s a feel thing.”
The Astros play two exhibition games against Triple-A Sugar Land at Daikin Park on Monday and Tuesday. It is unclear if Peña will be in the lineup or whether he will even travel back to Houston.
Peña could remain in West Palm Beach and take at-bats in minor-league games, where there is less structure and more ability for him to accumulate as many plate appearances as possible.
If Peña is not ready for Opening Day, carrying Loperfido, Cole and Matthews on the roster is easy. With Peña available, though, only two spots would seem open for those three players. Right fielder Cam Smith and center fielder Jake Meyers are entrenched at their positions.
Each of Loperfido, Cole and Matthews has minor-league options remaining. Loperfido and Cole are left-handed hitters, which Houston’s lineup sorely needs, but Cole has struggled to harness any offensive consistency in Grapefruit League play. Cole entered Sunday’s finale with 19 strikeouts in 37 at-bats, showcasing the swing-and-miss that has long plagued his offensive profile.
Matthews slashed .257/.395/.429 in 35 Grapefruit League at-bats. He stole eight bases, worked eight walks and struck out 12 times. Spring training statistics are often meaningless, but Espada said earlier in camp he would weigh them when making outfield roster decisions. Bear in mind that this is the same braintrust that, last season, carried Smith on its Opening Day roster in large part due to his play in the Grapefruit League.
Matthews has made eight Triple-A starts in center field. Before spring training, Espada vowed to expose Matthews more to center field to increase his versatility. Espada started him in left field earlier this week, accentuating how seriously the Astros are considering deploying him there in some lineup configurations.
Espada has long preached that any prospect on a major-league roster should receive regular playing time. Carrying both Cole and Matthews would run counter to this, especially if Peña is included on the Opening Day roster. There won’t be enough at-bats for both. Loperfido is a 26-year-old veteran of 122 major-league games and should be exempt from this standard.
Facing at least three left-handed starters during the season’s first seven games would afford a runway for Matthews to play consistently. Cole is a more accomplished outfield defender than Matthews, though playing beneath the left-field short porch at Daikin Park should mitigate that worry.
Cole is 25 years old and has taken 61 plate appearances at Triple A. Matthews, the first draft pick of general manager Dana Brown’s tenure, just turned 24 and has 461 Triple-A at-bats, across which he’s posted a .795 OPS.
Choosing which player, if any, could benefit from more minor-league seasoning could soon become the most crucial question in constructing this roster. Asked this week whether he would feel comfortable playing Matthews in the outfield during a major-league game, Espada said he would.
If Matthews makes the roster, that situation could become reality.
