How Astros can open roster opportunities with some unconventional tweaks

ROSTER SHUFFLE

Throughout the course of the season, Dusty Baker hasn't been given his full complement of players to manage, with the Astros bitten so hard by the injury bug.

Much has been made of Baker's sometimes head-scratching lineup decisions. But how fair is the criticism, considering the team is 13 games above .500 and Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve have only played in 13 games together this season?

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, many are expecting the Astros to make a splash and upgrade the roster for the playoff push. However, considering Houston's lack of top-end talent in their minor league system to deal away, finding a trade partner could be a challenge.

Perhaps the best plan of action is for the Astros to promote a player or two from Triple-A and see how they perform. Pedro Leon is a name Astros fans have been hearing about for quite a while. Should general manager Dana Brown be looking for some minor league players that can outperform the likes of Jake Meyers, David Hensley, and Bligh Madris?

And does Dusty currently have the best players in the Astros system at his disposal on a daily basis?

Plus, it's worth noting that it's not Baker's fault that Jeremy Pena and Jose Abreu have not played up to expectations.

Be sure to watch the video above as we examine several possibilities to upgrade the roster without looking outside the organization.

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Top prospect Cam Smith put on a show! Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images.

The Astros defeated the Mets 8-5 on Tuesday, in a game that featured several of the club's biggest offseason additions, along with two of their top three prospects (Cam Smith, Brice Matthews).

Below are my brief notes from the game:

Ronel Blanco (1 1/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 K) started the game and allowed 3 runs, one of which was a solo home run to Jose Siri. He allowed a lot of contact, but the changeup looked good, and it's his first appearance of the spring.

Hayden Wesneski (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K) surrendered a solo homer to Brett Baty. He mixed in a curveball to lefties. Wesneski settled down in his second inning.

Mauricio Dubon, Yainer Diaz, and Chas McCormick swung at every pitch in their first at-bats. It may take a while to break these free swinging habits.

Isaac Paredes (0-2, 1 R) worked a full count and walked in his first at-bat. His reputation for being a patient hitter showed.

Christian Walker (1-1, 2B, BB, 2 R) hit a 400-foot double to center on a full count. He also had a nice catch in foul territory and a good scoop.

Victor Caratini (2-3, 2 R) blasted a homer to right field. He made up for a throwing error early in the game.

Dubon (0-3) out on the first pitch in his second at-bat. Only saw two pitches before popping out in his third at-bat. The free swinging continues.

McCormick (0-2, RBI, HBP) and Jake Meyers (0-3) both struck out vs. Chris Devenski. At least McCormick worked a deeper count in this at-bat. Meyers did hit a ball to the warning track in his first trip to the plate. So there's something.

Bennett Sousa (1IP, 1 BB, 0 R) worked out of a jam, Jon Singleton with a good scoop to end the inning. Looks like Sousa's velocity is up a bit.

Brice Matthews (0-1, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 K) walked and struck out. We'll see if he can improve against breaking balls. He looked comfortable at second base.

Cam Smith (2-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR) hammered a first pitch fastball to right field for his first home run.

In his second at-bat, he took a slider and a curve. Then hit another homer off a fastball to right center. Impressive.

Forrest Whitley (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2K) struck out the final batter with a 97 MPH fastball. He looks good. I can see why the Astros are cautiously optimistic.

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