Houston Astros Franchise Legend Confident Jose Altuve Will Thrive in Outfield

One of the past Houston Astros franchise legends thinks Jose Altuve will be able to handle a switch to the outfield.

Sep 20, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Jack Lopez (10) attempts to steal second base as Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) fields a throw during the third inning at Minute Maid Park / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are weighing the possibility of moving Jose Altuve to left field.

It's pretty remarkable how it's even gotten to this point, but with the potential to reunite with Alex Bregman and the front office not addressing the clear hole present at that position, the franchise great is willing to make that defensive change.

At this point, it feels like the Astros are all in to sign Bregman.

While there's been no indication the organization is willing to increase the financial compensation from their original offer, now that Jorge Polanco is no longer a contingency option if the star third baseman were to leave, Houston seems focused on bringing him back.

If they're able to accomplish that, Altuve will move into the outfield for the first time in his career.

It's something that I found completely laughable when it was first floated as a possibility, going so far as to say it wouldn't happen.

But if Bregman is re-signed this offseason, it appears like that is exactly going to happen.

I have my reservations if it will work.

At 34 years old and already declining defensively at second base, the thought that he would be able to cover ground at a level where he's close to a solid defender at a new position seems optimistic to say the least.

However, a franchise legend is confident Altuve can make it work.

"He'll be fine. He's a tremendous athlete and he'll have enough time in Spring Training to figure it out and get through it," Craig Biggio said per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

If anyone would know it's him.

Biggio made the transition from second base to the outfield during the latter stages of his own career, taking over center field in 2003 when the Astros signed second baseman Jeff Kent.

Perhaps it's shortsighted to just assume declining defense in the infield also means that's going to occur in the outfield. After all, they are two completely different positions that require different things to be effective.

"When you're playing the infield, it's short spurts. When you're playing the outfield, it's a lot of long-distance running. In the infield you might have five, six, seven steps of short spurts, and the outfield you might have 30, 40 steps. It's a totally different running program, at least it was for me," Biggio provided as some insight.

Altuve has already started taking some fly balls to prepare himself if that move does come.

Hopefully he will prove Biggio right and seamlessly adjust to the outfield.