MLB.com Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart took questions from fans in an r/Astros AMA on Friday. The full conversation can be viewed here, but below is a sampling of the best questions and answers, lightly edited for clarity.
How does the infield shake out with Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker?
That's probably the biggest question surrounding this team going into Spring Training, assuming there isn't a trade. They have five starting infielders and four spots. If it's still that way in a few months, I think you'll see Paredes play around the diamond a bit more -- some third, some first. That could mean Walker doesn't play quite as much. Altuve will still get some time in left field, so Nick Allen (traded for Mauricio Dubón) could see some time at second base and shortstop. Correa will continue to be a third baseman, but could fill in at shortstop when Jeremy Peña is out. Allen can play a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. There's a lot of options, which is why I think another trade could still be coming.
How seriously have the Astros taken the observation that many of their pitchers endure season-ending injuries. Is it chalked up to bad luck, or are they looking for anything in their approach to pitching, like an emphasis on generating maximum spin rate, that may be contributing?
They're taking it very seriously and have made changes to their training staff this offseason. The club isn't talking publicly about wholesale changes in their approach to player usage/injuries/return-to-play procedures, but I think there's little doubt they're going to try to do things differently moving forward.
How do you think the Jose Altuve left field experiment panned out? And should they continue it (or are they, if you know)?
It didn't turn out great, but it wasn't a disaster or anything. They wanted to get Altuve off the infield, where his defense had slipped, but he was not a good defensive left fielder, either. And they didn't expect him to be, but they felt they could hide him a bit defensively in left field. Altuve wound up playing more second base than left field last season because of injuries, and it appears he's probably in line to play more second base going forward.
His best position would be designated hitter, but with Yordan Alvarez set to be a full-time DH next year (or close to it), the Astros are stuck playing Altuve on defense for now. You'll still see him in left field a bit, but he'll get the bulk of his time at second.
What should we expect from Ryan Weiss?
That's a good question. He's going to get every chance to win a spot in the rotation, so this is a golden opportunity for him. The Astros were very excited to get him after his success in the KBO, and considering the high price of pitching this winter, he could turn out to be a steal. He throws 94-97 with good secondary stuff, so we'll see how it plays in the big leagues. Weiss has never pitched in the big leagues, so the book is still out on him.
What are your thoughts on Christian Walker coming into season two with the Astros, seeing how he picked up his production in the second half of the season last year?
I think they will have a hard time trading him because of his contract obligations and the Astros' unwillingness to eat another big salary. So, Walker is likely back at first base next year. He wound up leading the team in HRs and RBIs, so take that for what it's worth. That's probably more of a product that he was one of their only main position players that wasn't injured long-term. Walker showed signs of progress later in the season and hit much better on the road than he did at home. If he could just turn around his production at Daikin Park and cut down on strikeouts, he'd be a solid bat in the lineup. Do I have confidence in him being more productive? Impossible to say, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Who is your favorite Astro of all time to interview and chat with?
Lance Berkman. He's smart, available, approachable, funny and a great player and great guy, to boot. There's a ton of good ones, though, including Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.