Wallace to try out 3B

Now this is interesting. Brett Wallace will go into Spring Training trying to earn a spot at 3B.

Since the Astros can't get rid of Carlos Lee, and Carlos Lee is like the Kool-Aid Man in Left Field (OHHHH YEAH), and the Astros are light on 3B, Brett Wallace will head back to the position he played at Arizona State, and to begin his pro career.

Wallace:
"I've been happy with how quickly I've been able to get in a rhythm over there and feel comfortable again."

Luhnow:
"Wallace needs to get back to the swing and offensive production we know he's capable of, and whether that ends up at third base or first base, the offensive production is what we need him to do."

Wallace played 3B in 2008-09, getting 164 games at the hot corner, and posting a .943 Fld% (whatever that means to you). For comparison purposes, Chris Johnson posted a .925 Fld% at 3B from 2009-11, albeit at the Major-League level. Still, in parts of six minor-league seasons at 3B, Johnson had a .938 Fld%.

So this would allow Paredes to get another year in the minors for seasoning, and if Wallace can hit, he could slide back over to 1B in 2013. Ideally, the Astros would be able to see exactly what they have in Wallace and give him a fair shot with 500-600 PAs, while allowing their best OFs to do their thing, and minimize Carlos Lee's fielding nightmare, trying to get their $19m worth.

That's a big Ideal Situation, but it's at least worth a shot.

Chris Johnson's future, for at least 2010

Richard Justice offers a little analysis on what the Pedro Feliz signing means for Chris Johnson, 2009's 3B1-to-be.

Chris Johnson will still be given every opportunity to win the third-base position this spring. Remember that he was so highly regarded last spring that the Astros figured he'd spend a few weeks at Round Rock, then become the everyday third baseman.

Wade:
"Chris will certainly get a chance to compete and we think he has a solid big league future. But we believe Feliz brings, at the very least, some short-term certainty to the position. Chris won't be the first prospect who was given more time to develop, if necessary."

So Blum will hit against lefties, which he did to a tune of:
.345/.424/.483. Sounds awesome, right? Hold on. Blum did this in 29ABs. That's right. Cecil Cooper had Blum take 92.3% (394 of 427) of his plate appearances against righties, against whom he hit .239/.305/.358.

Pedro Feliz will hit against righties, which in 2009 he hit:
.282/.317/.387 in 450 plate appearances.

Wade, on what to address next

Short version: Third base.

Long version:

Wade:
“We're leaving here with some pieces in place and some flexibility remaining. It was conceivable when we made it here on Sunday night that we would have been leaving here with one or two pieces in place and no flexibility and (some) needs remaining. So I think in that regard we're better off. Now, from a performance standpoint, replacing Valverde and Hawkins and (Miguel) Tejada and all those other guys we're going to have to prove it on the field. But from the standpoint knowing that we had some things we needed to address I think we've done a good job."

On Third Base:
“You got Feliz and Uribe and a couple of other guys out there in a free agent environment that would fit the need at third base. There are some trade possibilities as well. We've had some conversations with some clubs where we might be able to do something. Again, we think Blum's done a terrific job for us and Geoff will get a lot of playing time whether it's being earmarked as the front-line third baseman or getting a lot of playing time at a several different positions. We think he'll get his at-bats and at the same time we think that we can probably do something that will either augment what he does or give us somebody that can step in on a more front-line basis and be a more prototypical third base bat...

...I'd still like to bump the offense a little bit if we could. We know we have potential needs in the outfield, backup outfielders. That particular issue we'll let drift down the road. If something falls on our laps sooner rather than later we'll move on it, but I think having a few dollars to spend and patience could reap some benefits later in December or January. There's a lot of players who are still out there. I'm sure there'll be more players over the weekend with the non-tenders. The market will increase over the weekend.”

No. There aren't needs with backup outfielders. There are a couple of options in Triple-A. Bring them up. Whether it's Abercrombie or Bogusevic, they will suffice as 4th/5th outfielders. Pardon, they will suffice at replacing Darin Erstad as a 4th/5th outfielder.

Wade backing off Chris Johnson?

It's something we've had an idea about, what with the re-signing of Geoff Blum and the active rumors that Easy Eddie is looking to upgrade at 3B, but McTaggart McTaggart has new words from Ed Wade indicating that he is backing away from Chris Johnson like a robber easing out of a bank:

"We like the job Geoff Blum has done us the last two years or we wouldn't have signed him. Geoff did a tremendous job for us defensively and has done a pretty good job overall. We just look at our situation, and if there's a way to tweak the offense a little bit, we'll try to do something like that. Keppinger can play over there, and [Blum and Keppinger] did a good job for us. Both can play around in the infield and help us. Keppinger's a very professional hitter and did a good job after he came over here. We've got Chris Johnson, and we still think he had a chance to be an outstanding big league player, whether that happens on Opening Day this year or down the road remains to be seen."

Recap: Blum Blum Blum, Keppinger Keppinger, Blum, oh yeah, we've got Chris Johnson.

Zach Levine blinds us with science

Or math. Whatever. Levine's new blog post details the problem of OPS among Astros 3Bs - namely, it was .664, 14th in the NL. Only St. Louis (.661) and Florida (.629) were worse.

Blum struggled after having an outstanding 2008 against right-handed pitching and became primarily responsible for the 14th place finish in the chart at the top. The Astros would need a bounceback (from Blum) even to have a true platoon with Chris Johnson to come out anywhere near average.

Johnson hit .281/.323/.461 in Class AAA last year and finally saw a reversal of his minor league career reverse split. He had an OPS 123 points higher against lefties than against righties, meaning he'd be a decent platoon candidate with Blum whom the Astros tried hard to keep away from left-handed pitching.

If Tejada commands something on the high side of the mid-seven figures, the prudent move might be to spend the money to replace the question mark at the end of their pitching rotation. But no matter which direction they go including external free agent, the production from the third base position looms as a huge mystery facing the 2010 Astros.

Justice lobbies for Chris Johnson

In a blog post this morning, Richard Justice takes on the task of making a case for Chris Johnson at 3B1 come 2010:

Tejada made $14.8 million in 2009. He's a great, great guy, a great clubhouse presence, a great teammate. Unfortunately, the Astros can't afford him unless he's willing to play for something like $2 million. He may not be worth it at that price, either.

Baseball is about power and pitching, and Tejada doesn't provide either. He did hit .313, but walked just 19 times and hit only 14 home runs. I have to think that rookie Chris Johnson would do better than that, and there's a chance he'll get better. Tejada is headed the other way...

...Would you rather have pitching or a old third baseman? I'd rather have pitching, but that's just me.

Tejada willing to move to stay in brick red

Missed this on my internet struggles over the weekend, but Miguel Tejada is willing to move in order to stay in Houston beyond 2009.

Tejada said, even though he hasn't been asked, that he would be willing to move to third base (which I'm sure makes Blum/Keppinger/Chris Johnson real happy).

"They've never asked me. One thing that I always say is that I want to stay on this team. I don't want to go anywhere else. If the Astros let me [go], I definitely have to go. There's nothing I can do. For me, the change of position is not that big of a deal. I've been playing for a long, long time at shortstop, and if the Astros decide to move me [to third base] I'll be honored to do it. I know there's going to be somebody that's a younger shortstop, and probably the team can be better if I move to third base. I always say, the door is open for anything. I'm a free agent this year, and I can play third base and I can play short. I just want to win, and if somebody thinks they can win with me at third base, I'm very honored to move to third and work hard.

If they want me to stay here, I'll definitely stay here. We have to work out something. Like I've always said, I think all the support the team has given to me in the offseason and all the response I got from the fans and the players and the organization means a lot to me. And I want to give a championship to the Astros. That's why I want to stay here and win here. When I see the team win the trophy, I want to be part of it."

McTaggart is quick to point out the Astros already have third-basemen in Blum, Keppinger, and the impending return of Aaron Boone at the Major-League level, and Chris Johnson at Triple-A.

McTaggart:
Houston will be looking to upgrade at third base in the offseason, and re-signing Tejada as a third baseman could open the door for defensive wizard Tommy Manzella, currently at Triple-A Round Rock, to get his turn at shortstop.

Third base is one of the positions Wade will be evaluating in the off-season, and I have absolutely no idea what will happen.

Who is this Jeff Keppinger?

Alright. I've done some scouting and a friend from work is a hard-core Reds fan. This is what he had to say:

Keppinger as an everyday starter is a stretch. After he hit that ball off his knee last year and fractured his knee cap he hasn't been he same. Keppinger was never meant to be an everyday guy, the injuries to Phillips, Encarnacion, and Gonzalez put him in that spot.

Hmmm. So what shall we see from this Jeff Keppinger?
He was the Pirates 4th round draft pick in 2001 and will be 29 on April 21. He was traded by the Pirates with Kris Benson to the Mets for Jose Bautista, Ty Wigginton and minor-leaguer Matt Peterson at the deadline in 2004. Then he was traded in July 2006 by the Mets to the Royals for Ruben Gotay. Then he was traded before 2007 to the Reds for minor-leaguer Russ Haltiwanger. So that's how he got here.

What will he do for the Astros? Provide patience at the plate.
Remember, the Astros swung at 28% of pitches thrown outside of the strike zone in 2008. Keppinger in 2008 swung at 19.8% of those pitches. He struck out once for every 20.9 ABs, the best ratio in the majors.

What will he (probably) not do? Hit for power. Projections at FanGraphs have Keppinger (any thoughts as to his nickname? Kep? Keppy?) hitting between 5 and 7 home runs with 24-28 doubles. However, at a projected 430-480 ABs, Bill James has his average sitting nicely at .305/.359/.403.

Let's be clear, Keppinger was signed to replace Aaron Boone, whom Bill James projected to hit .240/.317/.377 with 10 doubles and 6 home runs. And he's only 28. And will platoon with Geoff Blum. Tags reports Keppinger will play against lefties, against whom in 139 ABs Keppinger hit .360/.412/.489 with 50 hits, 12 for extra-base hits.

This is my favorite quote of the article: “I'm just glad they didn't release me,” Keppinger said. “I was going to ask if they were releasing me because of my spring numbers (.140 batting average).”

Only on the 2009 Astros can you worry about getting released from one team in your division, and start on another.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporting Keppinger traded to Astros, Reds fans mourn

Well, I'm glad Geoff Blum gave a tacit approval this morning. It's a very short post, but John Fay is reporting the Reds have traded third baseman Jeff Keppinger to the Astros for a PTBNL. There's your 3B1.

More analysis later, but here's a sampling of comments from the Enquirer's site...

-Keppinger was beginning to be well liked by Cincy fans... good thing we got rid of him now... so we don't get too attached...

-Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

-first Hamilton, Cantu,..now Keppinger...one mistake after another, team will finish 20 games back..Baker will be history, we lack an outfield, have no healthy shortstop, a marginal catcher and 2 starters Harang and Arroyo that are about finished

That guy (SportsGod is his handle) wins the Eeyore Award. I'm guessing the ellipses

Why make decisions now when you can make them later?

Because I'm sure the stress of being a Major League Baseball player isn't enough. Why don't we make them sweat for a few more days? That's the mindset of Easy Eddie.

“I’m a believer, particularly in major decisions, you use as much time as you have to make the right decision,” general manager Ed Wade said. “I can see us breaking here (Thursday) with more than 25 players and still a couple of decisions left to make.”

Well, when you put it like that... but what are these decisions?

SP5:
“I think Capellan has thrown well and has put his best foot forward in every outing he’s had down here, as has Ortiz. Russ’ innings have been cleaner than Capellan, but Jose has done a nice job.”
That's the "you're a nice girl, and all..." line. I've used it once or twice - okay, once - in my life. Expect Capellan at The Rock.

IF5:
“You kind of want more defense, but one guy kind of carries that tag of being a good offensive player (Smith), and the younger guy carries a tag of being a more defensive player (Maysonet),” Cooper said. “I think they both have done pretty well on both ends. They’ve both swung it good and played good defense. Ideally you want a guy who can catch the ball. More times than not, he’s going to play second, short and maybe third base, maybe even the outfield. He’ll pinch run. He’s got to be able to do all those things and do them well.”
Just to be clear, The Kid is Chris Johnson. The Younger Guy is Edwin Maysonet. This one really will come down to the weekend.

3B1:
And Chris Johnson can keep his fingernails squarely between his teeth. Regard:
“If he’s with us, he’s not going to sit on the bench, that’s for sure,” Cooper said. “I don’t think that’s what you do with a young kid.”
Indicating that Johnson is either going to start, or he's going to The Rock.

More third base rumors!

From Alyson Footer's mailbag, where she addresses a cornucopia of subjects, including the possibilities for the Astros at third base. Here are the names with which she comes up:

-Tigers' Mike Hessman, 31
-Reds' Jeff Keppinger, 28
-Rangers' Travis Metcalf, 26
-Angels' Matt Brown, 26
-Giants' Juan Uribe, 29
-Rockies' Jeff Baker, 27

Interestingly enough, Jayson Stark mentions in his blog today that the Astros have "kicked the tires" on Keppinger and, of course, Baker. In a little ding on the Credibility Scale, Stark also notes that Chris Johnson looks like he'll be 3B1 if the Astros don't make the deal for Baker. Whereas Footer flat-out says he's headed for Round Rock.

More possible 3Bs

According to Jayson Stark, he's going along with the thought that 3B1 is Chris Johnson's/Geoff Blum's to lose. However, should both of them lose it, Stark is tossing out some more possible names:

Juan Uribe (Giants) - 30-year old career .253/.295/.423 and K:BB ratio is about 3:1.
Jose Bautista (Blue Jays) - 28, .239/.324/.398 last year for the Pirates
Jeff Baker (Rockies) - 27, utility infielder, hit .268/.322/.468 in 299 ABs last year.

Neyer takes a shot at the mystery third baseman, and says mean things about our hot corner

Rob Neyer took a shot at who may be the mystery third baseman. But then he realized it could be anybody, and then threw these names out there:

I realized it could be just about anyone, including (but not limited to) Mark Teahen, Adrian Beltre, Chone Figgins, Melvin Mora and Dallas McPherson.

I'll give the edge to Melvin Mora, because he's an Oriole, and Wade and MacPhail are working on trading the entire organizations to each other by Opening Day 2012.

Ha. Teahen is interesting, because he's 27 and 3B2 on the Royals' depth chart behind Alex Gordon. Figgins is 31, but is currently the Angels' 3B1 with Brandon Wood breathing down his neck. Dallas McPherson is a 28-year old lefty, but is 3B2 with the Marlins behind Jorge Cantu.

Then this parting shot:
I'm not wild about the Astros' chances this season. Too many out-makers in the lineup, not enough sure things in the rotation. But it seems to me if you're going to bring Pudge Rodriguez aboard, you might as well try to find a third baseman who can actually hit.

Can someone please stick to a story

So disregard this entire story, where the idea of platooning Johnson and Blum is discounted.

This is the latest info from JJO:
The Astros might search the trade market to replace Boone, but prospect Chris Johnson also will be given the opportunity to at least see if he can platoon with Geoff Blum.

Meanwhile, Tags says this:
Johnson, one of the club's top prospects, was a longshot to make the club with Boone and Geoff Blum splitting time at third base, but things have changed. Johnson has been impressive this spring and could wind up as the starter, with Blum serving in the super sub role he held last year.

So who knows?

Tejada blessed with the gift of complication

In a psychotic statement, Tejada mentioned being willing to play third base, if that's what the Astros need.

Problem is, the Astros have too many 3Bs as it is, and not enough SSs. Tommy Manzella probably isn't quite ready yet, and if one minor leaguer looks like he's ready to contribute now, it's Chris Johnson. Who plays...guess freaking what! Third base. Thanks, Miggs. Now shut up and play shortstop for one more year and then go sign with the Yankees.

Now maybe, with this quote, we get a better glimpse at the motivation for an out-of-nowhere guano crazy idea:

"Wherever they want me, I'll be there 100 percent," Tejada said. "If they want me to move to third, I'll do it. I just want to be here. I'm a free agent after this year, and the No. 1 thing for me is that I want to be here."

Ah ha! So Tejada is realizing he doesn't have the range or stats to be somebody else's SS, so if he lets it be known that he will move to 3B, it makes him more marketable as he looks for that 2010 contract. The best thing that Tejada can do for the Astros is be the Clubhouse Leader and put up some decent numbers - at short - and call it a year.

Chris Johnson has "an extreme outside shot"

That's according to JJO, however.

Johnson has an extreme outside shot of breaking camp with the Astros. If anything happens to Geoff Blum or Aaron Boone, he would be a serious candidate to be called up if he’s performing well at Class AAA Round Rock.

I would agree. If Johnson does well at Round Rock and one of the Old New Killer Bs struggles, gets hurt, or flat out sucks at 3rd, Johnson could get a look.

How Did We Get Here? 3rd base

The second in a series on How Did We Get Here? This time, 3rd base (over the last 20 years)

Buddy Bell - 1988
-Traded by Cincinnati to Houston for a player to be named later
-Released, December 1988

Kan Caminiti - 1989-1994
-Selected in 3rd round of 1984 draft
-Traded by Houston with Andujar Cedeno, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine, Brian
Williams and a player to be named later to San Diego Padres in exchange for Derek
Bell, Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro Martinez, Phil Plantier and Craig Shipley, December 1994.

Dave Magadan - 1995
-Signed as free agent, April 1995
-Granted free agency, October 1995

Sean Berry - 1996-1998
-Traded to Houston by Montreal for Dave Veres and Raul Chavez, December 1995
-Granted free agency, October 1998

Bill Spiers - 1997-1998
-Signed as free agent, January 1996

Ken Caminiti - 1999
-Signed as free agent, November 1998
-Granted free agency, October 2000

Chris Truby - 2000
-Signed as undrafted free agent, August 1992
-Traded to Montral for Geoff Blum, March 2002

Vinny Castilla - 2001
-Signed as a free agent, May 2001
-Granted free agency, October 2001

Geoff Blum - 2002-2003
-Traded to Montreal for Chris Truby, March 2002
-Traded to Tampa Bay for Brandon Backe, December 2003

Morgan Ensberg - 2003-2007
-Drafted in 9th round of 1998 draft
-Traded to San Diego for future considerations, July 2007

Ty Wigginton - 2007-2008
-Traded by Tampa Bay for Dan Wheeler, July 2007
-Non-tendered by Houston, December 2008