MLB Team Report – Houston Astros – INSIDE PITCH
A rebuilding Houston club will be weak in many areas when the 2013 season begins. The middle of the Astros’ infield should be an exception.
Second baseman Jose Altuve is coming off an All-Star campaign. Shortstop Jed Lowrie is fully healthy and put up All-Star-caliber numbers last season before being sidelined by a right ankle injury. Together, the young duo should give Houston key assets it lacks — experience, solid fielding, strong hitting — at two important positions.
Altuve spent the offseason playing winter ball in Venezuela, teaming with San Francisco’s Pablo Sandoval and the Rangers’ Elvis Andrus. The Astros’ second baseman hit .336 with 27 RBI and an .847 on-base plus slugging percentage in 35 games. A minor hand injury made news during Altuve’s winter run, but he recently said he’s fully healthy and there are no concerns about his hand heading into spring training.
“It was just a little pain — about two days,” said Altuve, who focused on improving his baserunning and fielding during the offseason. “Nothing to worry about. … Now, everything is really good.”
Altuve is shooting for a Feb. 10 arrival date in Kissimmee, Fla. He’s eager to pair up with Lowrie, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.4 million deal.
“I know him from last year. He’s a really good guy, a smart guy,” Altuve said.
The Astros are young, the organization is rebuilding and little is expected of the American League West-bound club that has combined for 213 losses the last two seasons.
In short, Houston needs a leader. Lowrie’s open to the role.
The sixth-year shortstop must stay healthy to truly contribute. Lowrie, 28, hasn’t played in more than 97 games during a season since debuting for Boston in 2008. But his 16 home runs and 42 RBI in just 387 at-bats last year highlighted his potential, and Lowrie will enter spring training as one of Houston’s most experienced and proven athletes.
With manager Bo Porter pushing for Houston to be a more energetic, confident and driven team this year, Lowrie’s willing to assume a leading role on a club whose only other proven everyday veteran is Carlos Pena.
“I definitely look at it that way. … Hopefully we can provide a veteran leadership stance,” Lowrie said. “My personal style: I like to lead by example. I know that I have a strong work ethic and that’s something that, more than anything else, guys can learn from.”
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MLB Team Report – Houston Astros – NOTES, QUOTES
–LHP Erik Bedard signed a minor-league deal with a spring training invite. The 33-year-old left-hander has pitched for Baltimore, Seattle, Boston and Pittsburgh during his up-and-down nine-year career. In 2006 and 2007, Bedard combined for 28 wins with the Orioles and struck out 392 batters in 378 1/3 innings. He hasn’t won more than seven games since ’07, though, journeying to three teams while struggling with injuries. Bedard posted a 7-14 record with a 5.01 ERA in 24 starts last season for the Pirates.
–2B Jose Altuve was expected to miss about three weeks of camp, since he was listed on Venezuela’s initial World Baseball Classic roster and appeared to be a strong candidate to make the team. “When they made the final roster, they took me off,” Altuve said. “I would like to play for them, but I know we have a lot of good players in front of me right now.”
–SS Jed Lowrie was often mentioned in trade rumors during the offseason and his name was recently linked to Oakland. The sixth-year shortstop said he learned to ignore rumors during his early days in Boston and he’s realistic about the long road Houston faces in 2013. “We’ve got a bunch of young guys that are going to be playing to learn the game,” Lowrie said. “This is a competitive game. You have to stay on top of everything every single day. If you don’t, the game will catch up with you.”
–Bedard’s signing pushed the Astros’ number of roster and non-roster spring training players to 59. Houston could still add a few more veterans before arriving in Kissimmee — outfield and relief remain as “need” position.
–Lowrie recently met Bo Porter for the first time. The Houston shortstop was immediately impressed. Few expect the Astros to be competitive. Porter doesn’t care; he fully believes in his players and the organization’s top-to-bottom rebuild. The first-year manager wants only Astros who share his passion.
“He seems like everything that I’ve heard,” Lowrie said. “Tons of energy, has a clear direction, has high expectations, which, ultimately, I think is the most important thing. You can’t settle. He’s going to have to push a lot of guys to make sure that nobody kind of lulls back into habits.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 2 — 33-year-old veterans the Astros have recently signed: Rick Ankiel and Erik Bedard.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I laugh about it and then it motivates me. There (are) people that told me I can’t since I was a little kid. People told me I couldn’t hit in high school. So, I wanted to make sure I could. I know I can hit. I know I can pitch. I know the level I’m capable of playing at. All that adds fuel to the fire.” — Pitching prospect Jarred Cosart, discussing his sometimes fiery interaction with fans on Twitter.
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MLB Team Report – Houston Astros – ROSTER REPORT
The Astros’ roster is at 40 after DH/1B Carlos Pena was signed and Houston acquired RHP John Ely from Los Angeles in a trade that sent Rob Rasmussen to the Dodgers. Houston designated RHP Mickey Storey and OF Che-Hsuan Lin for assignment in coordination with the deals.
ARRIVALS: RHP Sam Demel (waiver claim from Diamondbacks), INF Jake Elmore (waiver claim from Diamondbacks), RHP Alex White (trade with Rockies), RHP Josh Fields (Rule 5 draft pick from Red Sox), INF Nate Freiman (Rule 5 draft pick from Padres), 1B Carlos Pena (free agent from Rays), RHP Jose Veras (free agent from Brewers).
DEPARTURES: OF Jordan Schafer (claimed off waivers by Braves), RHP Wilton Lopez (traded to Rockies), OF Jonny Gomes (free agent, signed with Red Sox).
BIGGEST NEEDS: The lack depth in all areas, especially the outfield and bullpen. With mid-tier players such as Bud Norris and Lowrie under affordable one-year deals, Houston could make a spring training trade in an effort to add more talent to its gradually improving farm system. The Astros also aren’t set at the back end of the rotation, with at least five pitchers competing for two spots.
FREE AGENTS: C Chris Snyder, OF Brian Bogusevic, OF J.B. Shuck, RHP Jorge De Leon.
A $4 million, one-year mutual option made Snyder’s return unlikely, and the Astros agreed to part ways with the nine-year vet whose production has significantly declined. The others were outrighted.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: None.
MEDICAL WATCH:
–OF J.D. Martinez (left hand surgery in September 2012) has made progress during rehabilitation and will be ready for spring training.
–SS Jed Lowrie (sore right knee) is fully healthy and cleared for full participation in spring training. He played the final two weeks of the season with a leg brace and needed late-game defensive replacements because of lateral movement problems.
–LHP Sergio Escalona (Tommy John surgery in April 2012) could be ready for the start of the 2013 season.
