The Astros keep inventing new ways to not score. According to the broadcast they are last in batting average, OPS, and runs scored among all teams so far.

I was going to say I know it's spring, but this has not been an encouraging start offensively

Where is this game being played? Is that West Palm Beach?

100mph pitch for a base hit. Okay Walker….

3rd base coach in mid season form

Astros prospect Alex Santos is pitching for Venezuela and wearing 1980s-era stirrups. Respect. pic.twitter.com/ENx76GL6Oz

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 4, 2026

Astros v Astros

Mathguy64 said:

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AggiEE said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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I'm going on record right now.

If Paredes becomes the new Dubon (plays everyday everywhere) it will be a defensive disaster the likes of which we have not seen in a very long time. He will make Altuve look like a Gold Glove candidate.

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Nah, it should be fine

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I know you are set on this path but this has defensive hot mess written all over it. You are asking a guy who is not a good defensive player to play not one but two new positions, one of which requires a lot of skill. If he's playing 2B it's a third new position and that also is a skilled position. Just the footwork alone at 1B and 2B is hard. And you are asking him to change what he does daily.

There is no chance this ends well. He's going to hemorrhage runs.

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He is perfectly fine at 3B, and can easily adapt to 1B. He's played 2B before and while not best suited for it, is likely not any worse than Altuve.

Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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AggiEE said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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I'm going on record right now.

If Paredes becomes the new Dubon (plays everyday everywhere) it will be a defensive disaster the likes of which we have not seen in a very long time. He will make Altuve look like a Gold Glove candidate.

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Nah, it should be fine

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I know you are set on this path but this has defensive hot mess written all over it. You are asking a guy who is not a good defensive player to play not one but two new positions, one of which requires a lot of skill. If he's playing 2B it's a third new position and that also is a skilled position. Just the footwork alone at 1B and 2B is hard. And you are asking him to change what he does daily.

There is no chance this ends well. He's going to hemorrhage runs.

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I agree he will be a problem defensively. But he does have experience at these positions. It's not completely new.

However, I still think we're going to run into issues in the clubhouse. These guys don't want to platoon and take lots of extra rest. Guys are going to get sick of it. Paredes is going to not be happy how he's being used, especially if he's an issue defensively. I like Espada, but I'm not sure he's the big balls manager to handle this situation well when vets are complaining.

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Paredes does not seem like a head case prima donna. He said he's willing to play multiple positions.

Walker seems to be less of a team player in this regard, and he's not earned that attitude despite the amount he's making for his contract.

If Walker ends up playing poorly, he should not be an assumed everyday player like he wants to be. Which is a big risk, and a big reason why keeping Paredes makes sense; Walker is by no means guaranteed to be good. He was downright awful most of last season.

Profar tested positive for Exogenous Testosterone. He has received a 162-game suspension without pay, effective on Friday.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 4, 2026

JP3!!!’ pic.twitter.com/wNhrxYTJlZ

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) March 4, 2026

Astros take the lead vs Venezuela pic.twitter.com/uGGQBD27qC

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) March 4, 2026

This sums up the Astros offense perfectly. Hit a home run, turn around and try to run back to the dugout rather than circling the bases

Farmer1906 said:

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What an absolutely terribly designed stadium.

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Well there no accounting for taste with Grok lol

jja79 said:

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Are you counting on Yordan for 150?

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at-bats?

I'll be that guy. Shamelessly looking for one decently priced ticket for the US/Mexico game next week if anyone has an extra they need to unload.

We can hope. I was replying to the guy penciling him in for 150 games.

jja79 said:

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We can hope. I was replying to the guy penciling him in for 150 games.

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I did not pencil him in for 150. I actually said I hope he can play 140. That was in response to a scenario where it is manageable to play Paredes and Walker sufficient time. The assumption is there will be injury, which there probably will be, but if there is no significant injury, it's almost impossible to play Paredes and Walker sufficient time where no issues pop up.

In reality, Yordan probably plays 120-135 games this season.

AggiEE said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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AggiEE said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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I'm going on record right now.

If Paredes becomes the new Dubon (plays everyday everywhere) it will be a defensive disaster the likes of which we have not seen in a very long time. He will make Altuve look like a Gold Glove candidate.

---

Nah, it should be fine

---

I know you are set on this path but this has defensive hot mess written all over it. You are asking a guy who is not a good defensive player to play not one but two new positions, one of which requires a lot of skill. If he's playing 2B it's a third new position and that also is a skilled position. Just the footwork alone at 1B and 2B is hard. And you are asking him to change what he does daily.

There is no chance this ends well. He's going to hemorrhage runs.

---

I agree he will be a problem defensively. But he does have experience at these positions. It's not completely new.

However, I still think we're going to run into issues in the clubhouse. These guys don't want to platoon and take lots of extra rest. Guys are going to get sick of it. Paredes is going to not be happy how he's being used, especially if he's an issue defensively. I like Espada, but I'm not sure he's the big balls manager to handle this situation well when vets are complaining.

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Paredes does not seem like a head case prima donna. He said he's willing to play multiple positions.

Walker seems to be less of a team player in this regard, and he's not earned that attitude despite the amount he's making for his contract.

If Walker ends up playing poorly, he should not be an assumed everyday player like he wants to be. Which is a big risk, and a big reason why keeping Paredes makes sense; Walker is by no means guaranteed to be good. He was downright awful most of last season.

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It's not that Paredes isn't willing it's that he should play 150 games, and quite frankly, he shouldn't be a utility player.

Walker's history has provided him the leeway to this point in his career. He's earned the right to be an everyday plater until he is not. I get you disagree with that based on one year he's played with the Astros.

Treat Walker and Paredes the way you want to treat him and see how the vets in the clubhouse respond. Hell, even Crane wasn't willing to cut Abreu in his second year with the Astros until every avenue was taken to prove he wasn't a good player anymore, much less an everyday player. You think Crane is ok with his $20M sitting on the bench for 40-50 games? There is more than just Paredes and Walker. You refuse to engage in that part of the conversation.

I'm not opposed to keeping both because there is a world where injury does happen. But there is absolutely clubhouse risk in keeping both if no injury occurs.

This could all work out great. It all could blow up too. I lean toward it ends in one of them getting traded at the deadline.

I will say this - if both stay on this team and they make it to the post season, and there are no behind the scenes clubhouse issues that come out during the season, give Espada a 2 or 3 year extension on the spot because it will be a hell of a managerial job.

I just reread your post saying Yordan 150..I hope you're right.

Yordan 140-150 games?

I'm just hoping for 120 at this point. We know he will have a 2 week IL stint at some point in the year for something totally random.

jja79 said:

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We can hope. I was replying to the guy penciling him in for 150 games.

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I was being sarcastic. It's kind of my thing. I vacillate between that and telling stories about the good old days of Astro baseball in Morgan Freeman's voice from Shawshank.

Andy Stankiewicz came to the Houston Astros in the cold winter of '93. Sent south into the Texas frontier alongside Domingo Jean, he briefly crossed paths with Xavier Hernandez headed in the other direction., Ol' Andy found himself among legends on the infield down there in Houston, it would have been easy for any man to feel small. But on the night of April 25, 1994, he unleashed a powerful swing off Pittsburgh's Denny Neagle, clearing the fence on a home run that plated Gonzalez and Servais and sent the Astros on to victory. I tell you, that ball soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little stadium and made that roof dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last fan in the Astrodome was free.

Here are the Astros' 2026 Top 30 prospects

I agree with the top 4. Not sure I would have Janek that high - I'm pretty low on him.

Cole all the way down at 11 is interesting but the strikeouts are a very legitimate concern.

We have 30 top prospects?

Let's see him somewhere other than the dugout steps before making predictions

30 tallest midgets.

Ag_07 said:

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We have 30 top prospects?

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In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.

Mentioned it on premium but if you are a YTTV customer check your account for a potential credit. Its not showing up for everybody, but some accounts it is.

I'll have an extra for USA vs Italy Tuesday night if anybody wants to join

Section 253 row 4

Cole seems like a high ceiling, low floor guy, so probably appropriate to keep him outside of the top 10.

Yeah - depends on what you're basing your rankings on.

I've been told he has one of the widest ranges of outcomes of any prospect we've had in the system in a long time in terms of floor and ceiling.

Is Blubaugh expected to be a part of the MLB roster?

I would guess, depending on health, he'll start in AAA since he has options. But be one of the first call ups.

Yeah, I expect him to make the team out of camp.

The Astros just got a 2 RBI strikeout

A lineup regular featuring Walker, Loperfido, Cole and/or Cam Smith is going to set some strikeout records, but not the good kind.

Small sample, but Caleb Durbin is hitting well early in ST for Boston. Any shot to trade Paredes there continues to shrink.

.417 BA
.500 OBP
.583 SLG
1.083 OPS

Chandler mentioned the Orioles and Pirates are potential options still. The Pirates have Jared Triolo at 3B. They don't have a package that makes sense for Paredes unless they're ready to give up on Oniel Cruz. Maybe something like Reynolds, Bart, and a prospect. That addresses all our needs if we're willing to take on some money and trust Reynold is going to bounce back. The Orioles don't really make any sense to me. I don't think they would give up any of their young starters for Paredes.