The Astros’ latest waiver move looks an awful lot like more of the same.
On Monday, Houston claimed outfielder Jorge Barrosa off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, adding a 25-year-old who can handle all three outfield spots and has earned a reputation for a solid glove and a weak bat. That combination is exactly what has made this move so hard to square.
For a club that has spent much of the season - and really the past two seasons - dealing with glove-first outfielders who don’t bring much offense, the fit feels redundant. The Astros already have plenty of players who can chase balls down in the grass.
What they’ve lacked is an outfield bat that can actually move the lineup. That’s why the earlier deal for Daulton Varsho drew so much criticism: he brought the same profile the roster already had instead of solving the problem.
Barrosa’s numbers don’t offer much reason to think this is changing. In 222 career major league at-bats, he has hit .180 with a .241 OBP and a .543 OPS.
This season, he has been a little better, but only a little: .201/.285/.628 in 134 at-bats. And those numbers came while playing half of his games, presumably, in one of the best hitter’s parks in the majors.
Only Coors Field in Denver is a better hitter’s park than Chase Field in Phoenix.
He is just the latest name Houston has tried in this same search for offense. This season, the Astros have already picked up LaMonte Wade Jr.
(.211/.323/.662), Nelson Velazquez (.100/.136/.386), Dustin Harris (.226/.286/.576), and Daniel Johnson (.143/.294/.437), all with the hope that a fresh start might unlock something better. So far, it hasn’t.
And while the Astros keep digging through that pile, Joey Loperfido is still sitting at Triple-A.
That’s the part that stands out. Houston traded a legitimate big league outfielder in Jesus Sanchez to get Loperfido, and he continues to hit well at Sugar Land without getting the call.
He’s at .286 with a .378 OBP and a .776 OPS there, which is better than what Zach Dezenzo (.238/.384/.740) and Zach Cole (.195/.294/.651) have done in Triple-A. If the Astros were drawn to Loperfido because of the swing adjustments that helped him hit .333 with an .879 OPS, 4 HR and 4 2B in 96 at-bats, then that argument still ought to matter now.
It also matters because the return Houston got in Sanchez was a player who, at the time, was a legitimate league-average major leaguer: .260/.319/.738, 103 OPS+.
Loperfido’s brief time with the Astros this season didn’t exactly announce a breakout. In 102 at-bats across 39 games, he hit .216 with a .314 OBP and .647 OPS. But that line is basically in the same neighborhood as Barrosa’s, and the difference is that Loperfido then went back down, made adjustments, and produced.
He’s not the only Triple-A player who has made a case for a look. Cavan Biggio has put up 18 home runs and an .821 OPS while playing 1B/2B/3B/LF/RF.
CJ Alexander has hit 21 homers with an .868 OPS at 1B/3B/LF/RF. Pascanel Ferreras has barely played the outfield, but his .320 average, .383 OBP and .883 OPS would put him in the conversation if he had more experience there; most of his work has come at 2B, SS and 3B.
Still, Loperfido is the clearest answer because he’s already on the 40-man roster, he can play all three outfield spots, and the Astros know him. More importantly, he has actually done the thing Houston keeps hoping some new pickup will suddenly do.
At some point, it starts to feel pointless to keep pulling from the same recycling bin. The Astros have tried Taylor Trammell, Brice Matthews, Lucas Spence, Jake Meyers, Harris, Johnson, Cole, Dezenzo, Wade Jr., Shay Whitcomb, Varsho and Velazquez. None of them has claimed the job outright.
That’s why the Barrosa claim lands so strangely. Houston keeps taking chances on outfielders who look like what it already has, while the player who has already shown he can adjust and hit keeps waiting for a real opportunity.
Occasional starts and pinch-hit chances aren’t that. If the Astros are serious about finding out what they have, Loperfido deserves more than that.
In Other News...
Former Astros Pitching Bets Just Took Another Rough Turn
The churn on the pitching market has reached two more familiar names for Astros fans, as the Padres moved on from right-handers J.P. France and Jos Leclerc after short stays on minor league deals. France logged 10 2/3 innings for San Diegos Triple-A club and struggled to get much going, while Leclerc worked 24 1/3 innings in the minors with an ERA that reflected a difficult run.
For Houston followers, it is another reminder of how quickly a once-promising comeback or depth signing can change shape. Both pitchers are expected to become minor league free agents, and the next stop in either case will likely depend on whether another club thinks there is still something to uncover before the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Astros First Round Pick Is Already Forcing A New Debate
Logan Hughes was the kind of first-round pick the Astros could sell with conviction. The former Texas Tech outfielder went 17th overall in the MLB Draft, and Houstons scouting and personnel group, including Jim Stevenson, spent plenty of time on his profile before making the call. They liked the bat, the power ceiling and the defensive value, which made him an appealing fit for a front office that tends to trust its evaluations and back them with patience.
Now Hughes has only added to the conversation with a strong start in pro ball at Single-A Fayetteville, where he has hit consistently and handled the adjustment well despite a recent lower-body injury. That kind of immediate production is exactly what can sharpen the debate around a first-rounder, especially one whose all-around game already had evaluators divided between upside and certainty. For Houston, the interesting part may be less about whether Hughes belongs in the system and more about how quickly he changes the timeline around him. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Still Face One Huge Injury Question For The Stretch Run
The Astros are still juggling a crowded injured list as the stretch run comes into focus, and the picture is more encouraging for some names than others. Carlos Correa has started fielding and hitting drills in his recovery from ankle surgery, while Steven Okert appears close to returning from a right hamstring strain and Brice Matthews is also making progress after a knee sprain.
Even so, Houston is still waiting on a clearer answer on one of the biggest health questions in the room. Correa has more steps left before he can get back into game action, and the clubs other injury updates only add to the uncertainty, with Mike Burrows shifted to the 60-day injured list because of shoulder inflammation and Brandon Walter out for the year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. [Read more 🡒]