ASTROS SPRING TRAINING
How Astros hope to have exciting answer to a few lingering questions
Mar 15, 2021, 6:39 pm
As Houston Astros Spring Training kicks into gear, all eyes are on Yordan Alvarez. The 2019 Rookie of the Year hopes to rebound from an injury-plagued 2020 season. ESPN Houston's Charlie Pallilo explains how Yordan Alvarez can fill George Springer's shoes offensively.
In the above video we discuss:
- The loss of George Springer makes Yordan Alvarez all the more valuable to the offense. If Alvarez can repeat his production from his rookie season, he'll more than make up for Springer's departure.
- One of the big question marks is whether Alvarez can play defense or, with 2 questionable knees, whether the Astros would even want to use him in the outfield.
- Questions surrounding Yuli Gurriel could make Alvarez playing first an interesting option, but the position requires an incredible amount of skilled footwork and agility that Yordan has yet to show.
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In this episode, we break down the decision to bring rookie Cam Smith up to the Houston Astros big league roster — just 96 plate appearances into his major league journey.
Was it the right call, or a move made out of desperation due to the early-season outfield situation? We dive into the context of the Kyle Tucker trade, the uncertainty surrounding the outfield to start the year, and whether Cam Smith was truly ready — or if the Astros may have rushed a top prospect before he was fully developed.
Don't miss the video below as ESPN Houston's Jeremy Branham and Joel Blank break it all down!