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With the Houston Astros set on moving Jose Altuve to a position he's never played after being a second baseman his entire career, it's led to some uncertainty on who will take his spot. Altuve is supposed to start Opening Day in left field against the New York Mets, which will be the first time in his 14-year career where he's played in the outfield.
The move has led Joe Espada to find who will be the starter at second baseman, and though he has an answer, that answer might not be the long-term solution.
“Brendan Rodgers is starting today. That doesn’t mean he’s the starting second baseman,” Espada said via The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
The Astros recently selected Brendan Rogers on the major league roster after signing a minor league deal last month. He's a former third overall pick who spent four seasons as Colorado's main second baseman. He may have had an up-and-down career so far, but the Astros must believe he can get the job done for them on Opening Day.
The Astros have other options that they can throw out at second base, such as Mauricio Dubon and Issac Paredes, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade.
Jose Altuve moving to left field for Astros
Altuve has not played his best in left field in Spring Training, but it seems like a move that they look to be committed to for the time being. Weeks ago, general manager Dana Brown shared his thoughts on the move, and he made it sound as if this won't be a permanent change for Altuve.
“I don’t think we’re committing to it yet, I think the energy is there,” Brown said via Foul Territory. “Yeah he’s going to have to play some infield. At some point he’s going to have to go back to 2nd. It’s the first utility thing where we want to have certain bats in the lineup. We could put Altuve back at 2nd. I don’t think we’re fully committed to it.
“I think that we are excited about it. We like the path that we’re taking. The trajectory is good, he’s taken well to it. He’s actually running balls down in the gaps. Sometimes you forget how fast he is, until he went into the outfield and like man he’s got pretty good foot speed.”
As time goes on, Altuve should get better at his new position, but if need be, they should allow him to go back to second base where he's been successful his entire career.
