FALCON POINT
Fred Faour: Draft week lacks intrigue for Texans, but there is still much to be accomplished
Apr 23, 2018, 6:00 am
Deshaun Watson essentially is this year's No. 1 pick. Jim Rogash/Getty Images
With the fourth pick in the 2018 draft, the Houston Texans select…
Deshaun Watson.
Draft week is upon us, and it understandably lacks the usual anticipation in Houston, as the Texans -- barring a deal -- will not pick until the third round. They traded what became the fourth overall pick this year in order to move up and select Watson last year.
Lance Zierlein wrote last week about what the Texans would do if they still had their 2018 pick. The reality is the Texans would have likely been picking second had they not made the trade for Watson. Tom Savage won all of one game as a starter.
Meanwhile, assuming he stays healthy, the Texans have a franchise quarterback for years to come, one that looks better than anything they could have drafted this year. The negative? The interest in the draft is way down.
Ordinarily, fans would be excited, hoping for an impact player who could step right in. While that conceivably could happen, it’s more likely they will add some depth players who might eventually become productive.
The obvious need is for offensive line help, but whoever they draft is unlikely to be a contributor right away. The most likely position where the Texans could get someone who could make an impact on the field next season is running back. D’Onta Foreman showed promise last year before his injury, and the Texans could easily find a player who will have similar production.
The secondary will also need to be addressed, and whatever player they get could see significant time before season’s end.
It will GM Brian Gaine’s first draft as the main man in Houston, and one can presume there will be a heavy Bill O’Brien influence as well. If Gaine and the Texans have a good draft, it will build on last year’s, which is looking very solid.
Besides offensive line, secondary and perhaps running back, the Texans could also look to tight end as well as interior defensive linemen. A project backup quarterback would not be a bad idea, either. Also, keep an eye on undrafted free agents; the Texans have historically found players there.
So while the draft itself might lack the drama of past versions, the biggest impact has already happened: Deshaun Watson. Later this week, the Texans just hope to add a few more pieces.
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After finishing up with the Guardians the Astros have a rather important series for early May with the Seattle Mariners heading to town for the weekend. While it’s still too early to be an absolute must-win series for the Astros, losing the series to drop seven or eight games off the division lead would make successfully defending their American League West title that much more unlikely.
Since their own stumble out of the gate to a 6-10 record the Mariners have been racking up series wins, including one this week over the Atlanta Braves. The M’s offense is largely Mmm Mmm Bad, but their pitching is sensational. In 18 games after the 6-10 start, the Mariners gave up five runs in a game once. In the other 17 games they only gave up four runs once. Over the 18 games their starting pitchers gave up 18 earned runs total with a 1.44 earned run average. That’s absurd. Coming into the season Seattle’s starting rotation was clearly better on paper than those of the Astros and Texas Rangers, and it has crystal clearly played out as such into the second month of the schedule.
While it’s natural to focus on and fret over one’s own team's woes when they are plentiful as they have been for the Astros, a reminder that not all grass is greener elsewhere. Alex Bregman has been awful so far. So has young Mariners’ superstar Julio Rodriguez. A meager four extra base hits over his first 30 games were all Julio produced down at the ballyard. That the Mariners are well ahead of the Astros with J-Rod significantly underperforming is good news for Seattle.
Caratini comes through!
So it turns out the Astros are allowed to have a Puerto Rican-born catcher who can hit a little bit. Victor Caratini’s pedigree is not that of a quality offensive player, but he has swung the bat well thus far in his limited playing time and provided the most exciting moment of the Astros’ season with his two-out two-run 10th inning game winning home run Tuesday night. I grant that one could certainly say “Hey! Ronel Blanco finishing off his no-hitter has been the most exciting moment.” I opt for the suddenness of Caratini’s blow turning near defeat into instant victory for a team that has been lousy overall to this point. Frittering away a game the Astros had led 8-3 would have been another blow. Instead, to the Victor belong the spoils.
Pudge Rodriguez is the greatest native Puerto Rican catcher, but he was no longer a good hitter when with the Astros for the majority of the 2009 season. Then there’s Martin Maldonado.
Maldonado’s hitting stats with the Astros look Mike Piazza-ian compared to what Jose Abreu was doing this season. Finally, mercifully for all, Abreu is off the roster as he accepts a stint at rookie-level ball in Florida to see if he can perform baseball-CPR on his swing and career. Until or unless he proves otherwise, Abreu is washed up and at some point the Astros will have to accept it and swallow whatever is left on his contract that runs through next season. For now Abreu makes over $120,000 per game to not be on the roster. At his level of performance, that’s a better deal than paying him that money to be on the roster.
Abreu’s seven hits in 71 at bats for an .099 batting average with a .269 OPS is a humiliating stat line. In 2018 George Springer went to sleep the night of June 13 batting .293 after going hitless in his last four at bats in a 13-5 Astros’ win over Oakland. At the time no one could have ever envisioned that Springer had started a deep, deep funk which would have him endure a nightmarish six for 78 stretch at the plate (.077 batting average). Springer then hit .293 the rest of the season.
Abreu’s exile opened the door for Joey Loperfido to begin his Major League career. Very cool for Loperfido to smack a two-run single in his first game. He also struck out twice. Loperfido will amass whiffs by the bushel, he had 37 strikeouts in 101 at bats at AAA Sugar Land. Still, if he can hit .225 with some walks mixed in (he drew 16 with the Space Cowboys) and deliver some of his obvious power (13 homers in 25 games for the ex-Skeeters) that’s an upgrade over Abreu/Jon Singleton, as well as over Jake Meyers and the awful showing Chas McCormick has posted so far. Frankly, it seems unwise that the Astros only had Loperfido play seven games at first base in the minors this year. If McCormick doesn’t pick it up soon and with Meyers displaying limited offensive upside, the next guy worth a call-up is outfielder Pedro Leon. In January 2021 the Astros gave Leon four million dollars to sign out of Cuba and called him a “rapid mover to the Major Leagues.” Well…
Over his first three minor league seasons Leon flashed tools but definitely underwhelmed. He has been substantially better so far this year. He turns 26 May 28. Just maybe the Astros offense could be the cause of fewer Ls with Loperfido at first and Leon in center field.
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via YouTube: stone cold stros - YouTube with the complete audio available via Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.