Insider Makes Interesting Prediction On Who Will Make Houston Astros Roster
With the roster pretty much known for who is going to fill out the Houston Astros' starting spots, there was still a competition to see who was going to be in the bullpen and fill out their bench roles.
Despite not having a strong pipeline, there were some top prospects in contention for earning a place with a strong showing throughout spring.
The Astros have demonstrated that once their younger players reach the MLB, they have a good chance of turning into impact pieces.
Newly acquired infielder Trey Cabbage and their No. 6 overall prospect Joey Loperfido were expected to have a real shot at making the Opening Day roster.
However, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com doesn't think that either one is going to start their year in the bigs.
"Prospect Joey Loperfido has some inside the organization pushing for him to make the club, and Corey Julks has swung the bat well this spring. They're likely to begin the season at Triple-A Sugar Land, along with Trey Cabbage, who hasn't swung the bat very well this spring while striking out a lot," he writes.
Instead, the insider believes that the bench roles will be given to reigning AL Gold Glove-winning utilityman Mauricio Dubon, former top prospect Jon Singleton, and infielder Grae Kessinger.
It should come as no surprise that Dubon is going to make the team.
Not only did he prove to be a valuable piece in 2023, but he's expected to have a much larger role on and off the field this season.
Singleton was seemingly battling it out for the backup first base role behind Jose Abreu with Loperfido and Cabbage.
Loperfido fits more of the utility type of role since he rotates between the outfield and infield, but to date, he's gotten more work across the three different spots in the outfield in the minors.
Cabbage could have been the left-handed batting option behind Abreu, but only recording three hits in 25 at-bats with 11 strikeouts this spring did not help his case.
Kessinger is the thought-provoking prediction.
He can rotate across multiple infield spots, but his performance at the plate in spring has also not been anything to write home about either. Pair that with his slash line of .200/.289/.325 with one homer and RBI across 26 games and 40 at-bats with Houston in 2023, including him would be interesting.
The final decision has not been made for the Astros yet, but it's telling that an insider covering the team is leaning towards this being what the final roster looks like.
