Houston Astros Boss Still Confident Demoted Slugger Can Turn Things Around
The Houston Astros officially optioned Jose Abreu to West Palm Beach today.
It was shocking when that news was announced because it was reported that the former MVP was in agreement that he needed to spend some time away from Major League Baseball after his brutal stretch to start the year.
Both Abreu and the Astros are hoping this allows him to find his swing while not being under the spotlight that the MLB provides, especially for struggling players on a team who has vastly underachieved.
Manager Joe Espada was highly complimentary of how the slugger handled this situation, telling Chandler Rome of The Athletic, "he's a true professional, and the fact that he took that option to get his game back, I'm glad that we're highlighting that because it meant a lot when he took that option."
Again, Abreu could have declined to do something like this and it really would have forced the team's hand, but he recognized that this was needed and told his manager, "Joe, I have to do what's best for the team, and I want to do what's best for me."
Many people think this might be the end of the slugger's tenure with Houston.
After all, he is 37 years old and is already coming off the worst hitting season he had in his career.
But, it sounds like general manager Dana Brown thinks Abreu still has something left in the tank if he can figure out his swing and get back to being comfortable at the plate.
"He has the bat speed — the bat speed is still pretty good — we just have to get his timing right and have to get his rhythm right so he can consistently do it. I still feel really optimistic about it. If the bat was slower, I would be less optimistic," he said.
The GM also said that he might take a personal trip down to Florida to check in on the progress of their high-priced slugger.
That suggests the Astros might still think he can be a contributor for this team later on in the year.
Of course, that will only come if Abreu is able to get things right.
Whether he can accomplish that or not will be seen.
BRAD WAKAI
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai