Did Houston Astros Make a Mistake Letting Dustin Harris Go?

San Diego found a use for a player Houston let go after just 11 games.

San Diego Padres left fielder Dustin Harris (29). Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Do you remember Dustin Harris? Yes, he is the same outfielder who is with the San Diego Padres and after being discarded by three teams has become in little more than a month a simplified reincarnation of Luis Arraez.

So forget everything else and slide toward the .322/.364/.422 offensive line with which Harris finished the regular season during his 28 games and 100 plate appearances in San Diego.

So, now you probably start to remember that the guy was in Houston and the Astros ended up discarding him, which makes sense, but we cannot forget that Harris showed a version contrary to everything he is accomplishing in San Diego.

In fact, his improvements in the outfield have placed his defense slightly above average, which makes his profile even more interesting because he remains an excellent baserunner.

The Astros missed what the Padres found in Dustin Harris

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2). Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, it is inevitable to ask what part of this projection did the Astros not see. I don’t know if you are a fan of projections, but I went to FanGraphs and they have Harris with a .246/.314/.374 line, consistent with what his abilities actually show.

So, in part, we would not be fair if we blamed the White Sox and the Astros for not appreciating Harris enough, because the reality was that he never found how to make someone discover his best version.

His story before arriving in San Diego is not difficult to explain, since he played just 38 regular-season games, split between three teams, and this year he has played for three different organizations. Harris started the season with the Chicago White Sox and, for the role the team expected as a backup and utility outfielder, it did not work, although he recorded 0.2 bWAR in just six games.

Houston Astros outfield Dustin Harris (37). Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Five days after the White Sox designated him for assignment on April 15, Harris appeared receiving an opportunity after being claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros. With the Astros he had a brief opportunity due to the team’s emergencies because of injuries. However, Harris’ time was short. He played only 11 games and recorded just a 64 OPS+ with a negative bWAR of –0.2.

So the difference between Harris’ result in San Diego was in patience. The Padres had defensive situations to resolve also in left field, and Harris became a useful player there. I will not tell you that Harris was a solution for the Astros’ outfield in the long term, as I do not think he will be for the Padres. However, it is Houston who was eliminated from the playoffs and returned home with the inability to resolve the situation with its left fielders.