Josh Reddick made it official Wednesday. Via his Instagram, the outfielder bid farewell to Houston, the place he and his young family have called home the past four years.
While Reddick has been a mainstay since signing his four year, $52-million contract back in 2016, he is far from the biggest loss the Houston Astro outfield has suffered this off-season. George Springer seems to be well on his way to the Northwest and Michael Brantley is also headed to free agency. That leaves Houston with many questions needing to be answered. In today's article, We're going to break down the situation and see some possible moves Houston could make to fill those spots.
Returners
Luckily for the Astros, there is an abundance of returning talent in the outfield looking to emerge as contributors and stars.
Kyle Tucker
In the strange, COVID-19 controlled 2020 season, 23-year old Kyle Tucker shined brighter than most Astros. In 209 at-bats, Tucker slashed .268/.325/.765 and led the team in both home runs (9) and RBI (42). Tucker is an above average defender who can play all three positions and is poised to become the star of the outfield for years to come.
Myles Straw
Straw is an intriguing player in that he can change a game in a variety of ways.
Straw has big-time speed and that speed can effect the game both offensively and defensively. Straw can steal bases with the best of them and that speed also translates into superb range in the outfield. While he may profile more as a fourth outfielder, I think giving Straw a shot as an every day lead-off hitter and center fielder would make for great television.
Bring him back?
As much as I’d love this section to be about Mr. October himself, George Springer, I am actually referring to Michael “Uncle Mike” Brantley.
Brantley is a professional in every sense of the term. No player in baseball puts together great at-bats as consistently as Brantley does and in his two years in the orange and blue, Brantley proved to be the clutch and steady presence the organization loves. Reddick filled that role from 2016 to 2018 but ever since Brantley arrived in 2019, he has been Mr. Chill.
In his two years in Houston, Brantley hit over .300 both years and slugged 27 home runs with 112 RBI. He is a more affordable option that can play both left, right and DH and his steady presence is more valuable than any potential home run in the middle of a line-up. Of all the outfielders hitting free agency in 2020, bringing back Brantley makes the most sense to me.
Potential ‘Stros
Jackie Bradley Jr.
I think JBJ makes a lot of sense for the Astros heading into 2021.
At 30 years old, Bradley Jr. is smack in the middle of his prime. While he never became the five-tool superstar the Boston fan base so craved for, JBJ is still an above-average outfielder than can play all three positions.
In the shortened 2020 season, Bradley Jr. hit .283 with 7 home runs and an on-base percentage at .364. While his batting average has not topped .250 since 2016, his on base percentage has stayed in the mid to upper .300 range. Bradley Jr. has the power to back that up as well, slugging 21 homers in 2019. He is capable of stealing bases and can be an above average defender in the outfield.
Albert Almora
For the life of me, I could have sworn Almora was at least 30 years old. For a guy that it seems has been around the league forever, the 26-year old still has his best baseball ahead of him.
Almora was released by the Cubs earlier this week and I immediately knew he would be a great fit in Houston. Not a big power threat, Almora has been a steady on-base bat for several years in Chicago. The trick with Almora is he has never been given the change to be a 162-game player. The closest he came was in 2018 as a 24-year old. Almora hit .286 with five HRs and 41 RBI in 152 games (444 ABs).
Almora could be a cheap option with major upside. If given an every day spot, Almora could be a gem in a stacked outfield free agent class. Keep an eye on the young outfielder as the off-season progresses.
David Dahl
Another guy I think many did not expect to be available, David Dahl is a former Colorado Rockie with major upside.
In 2019, Dahl hit .302 with 15 HRs and 61 RBIs. While those numbers may be a tad inflated due to Coors Field, Dahl would be a welcomed presence in every MLB outfield, including Houston.
When given the chance, Dahl has shown promise at the major league level. At just 26-years old, his best baseball may be yet to come and Houston is in a situation where younger players who you can sign and control through the next few years would be great fits.