2K21 - Houston Astros

[SlideRule]

OK, I'm an AL-onlyer for the past several years, so my player universe has not included these guys and consequently I know nothing about them. Granted, most fantasy players have not had to worry about them either because they are so terrible, but surely there are some guys I should know about from a fantasy perspective. My league is 10-team, so who should I care about from the below list (MLBDepthCharts) and why?

Projected 'Go-To' Starting Lineup (Click HERE to see last 7 lineups)
1 2B Jose Altuve
2 SS Jed Lowrie**
3 1B Brett Wallace*
4 DH Carlos Peņa*
5 CF Justin Maxwell
6 RF Fernando Martinez*
7 C Jason Castro*
8 LF J.D. Martinez
9 3B Matt Dominguez BA#4-MIA BP#6-MIA

Projected Bench
C Carlos Corporan**
1B Nathan Freiman AFL RULE 5
IF Tyler Greene
OF Rick Ankiel*

Projected Starting Rotation
1 RHP Bud Norris
2 RHP Lucas Harrell
3 RHP Jordan Lyles
4 RHP Phil Humber
5 LHP Erik Bedard

Projected Bullpen
CL RHP Jose Veras
SU LHP Wesley Wright
SU RHP Hector Ambriz
MID LHP Xavier Cedeņo
MID RHP Fernando Rodriguez
MID RHP Josh Fields RULE 5
LR RHP John Ely

[Kevin Seitzer]

Lowrie, Altuve, Maxwell are probably the best players from the offensive side. Lowrie and Maxwell will hit some home runs and Altuve will steal some bags. Harrell and Norris are pretty good pitchers, and I like Lyles to improve from last year. He had pretty awful defense behind him last year, and that should be better, as well as him just improving as he learns how to pitch in the big leagues.

There are some battles for starting spots and bullpen jobs, but the depth chart you list above is a pretty good guess at how it could shake out.

[revo]

Lowrie, Altuve, Maxwell are probably the best players from the offensive side. Lowrie and Maxwell will hit some home runs and Altuve will steal some bags. Harrell and Norris are pretty good pitchers, and I like Lyles to improve from last year. He had pretty awful defense behind him last year, and that should be better, as well as him just improving as he learns how to pitch in the big leagues.

There are some battles for starting spots and bullpen jobs, but the depth chart you list above is a pretty good guess at how it could shake out.

What about JD Martinez? He mashed minor league pitching and seemed to get off to a great start last season before faltering badly. Is he a short-timer or will you guys give him a chance to mature?

[Kevin Seitzer]

The question with JD is how much of his struggles last season were due to his hand injury. If he hits like he did in 2011, he'll get playing time. He's still young, which is also on his side. But you can't play corner OF if you can't hit.

[SlideRule]

Two things that I find amusing:

1) The 2k13 thread on the Astros (this one) prior to this post had 3 replies. The 2k14 Astros thread has 30 posts.

2) Stark's ESPN column today has this bit about the anonymity of Astros players:

"Here's the ultimate measure of how witness-protection-program-esque this team has become: We asked one NL executive to name six Astros off the top of his head. Here was his response: "[Jose] Altuve, Chris Carter [traded to Houston literally the day before] annnnnnd & ummmmmmm. I'm stumped." True story. So who are these guys? That's possibly the most challenging question you can ask anyone roaming around any park in spring training 2013."

My question is - seriously? Someone who can actually be called a NL EXECUTIVE honestly can't name more than Altuve? Can this possibly be true?

[revo]

Two things that I find amusing:

1) The 2k13 thread on the Astros (this one) prior to this post had 3 replies. The 2k14 Astros thread has 30 posts.

2) Stark's ESPN column today has this bit about the anonymity of Astros players:

"Here's the ultimate measure of how witness-protection-program-esque this team has become: We asked one NL executive to name six Astros off the top of his head. Here was his response: "[Jose] Altuve, Chris Carter [traded to Houston literally the day before] annnnnnd & ummmmmmm. I'm stumped." True story. So who are these guys? That's possibly the most challenging question you can ask anyone roaming around any park in spring training 2013."

My question is - seriously? Someone who can actually be called a NL EXECUTIVE honestly can't name more than Altuve? Can this possibly be true?

Besides being mostly irrelevant, maybe they're no longer concerned with the Astros since they moved to the AL?

[Kevin Seitzer]

My question is - seriously? Someone who can actually be called a NL EXECUTIVE honestly can't name more than Altuve? Can this possibly be true?

That's extremely poor, unless he's stretching the definition of executive to someone who doesn't have responsibilities for the major-league team, e.g., an amateur scouting director or player development director might not keep tabs on that kind of thing at more than a cursory level.

But someone with major-league responsibilities should absolutely know the players on the 40-man rosters of all the other teams. I wouldn't expect them to be able to name all 40 of them off the top of their head, but you've got to know the basic depth chart of all the other teams so that you know how to handle roster moves and anticipate trade possibilities, etc.

[TranaGreg]

... My question is - seriously? Someone who can actually be called a NL EXECUTIVE honestly can't name more than Altuve? Can this possibly be true?

context is everything - for all we know they asked a Director of Travel, Facilities, & Accomodations.

[Kevin Seitzer]

context is everything - for all we know they asked a Director of Travel, Facilities, & Accomodations.

Typically, "executive" is code for a GM or an assistant GM or maybe if you stretch it a bit, a director of baseball ops, all of whom should definitely have a far better answer to that question. However, I have seen people stretch that term to mean anyone above the level of intern within a baseball ops organization.

[heyelander]

Typically, "executive" is code for a GM or an assistant GM or maybe if you stretch it a bit, a director of baseball ops, all of whom should definitely have a far better answer to that question. However, I have seen people stretch that term to mean anyone above the level of intern within a baseball ops organization.

Just because your mom introduces you to her friends as an Executive with a Major League Baseball team doesn't mean it's a common practice.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Just because your mom introduces you to her friends as an Executive with a Major League Baseball team doesn't mean it's a common practice.

Ha! We're doing good if my mom remembers that the team is named the Astros.

[revo]

Bo Porter said Chris Carter is the likely starter in LF, replacing JD Martinez, who will now serve as the "roaming 4th OFer."

[SlideRule]

Here's another reason to root for the 'Stros this year:

ESPN: ARod will make more than all Astros combined

Hah. That makes me laugh/barf at the same time.

[cavebird]

Question for the Astros: Why is retreat Ankiel supposedly getting the starting gig in right? I understand carrying him as an experienced fourth OF, but it seems silly to have the Martinezes (J.D. and Fernando) sit on the bench or in AAA for Ankiel. Maybe the plan was to play F-Mart most of the time except that he, as usual, can't even make it to opening day without getting hurt. Still, it would make more sense to give the majority of the time to J.D. in that situation, no? Or is that the plan?

[revo]

Brett Wallace demoted to AAA today. Can you say Buuuuuuuuuuuust?