Will the Astros Bring Back Aledmys Díaz?

Aledmys Díaz has become MLB's premier utility man. Should the Houston Astros bring him back for 2023?

Author:
Ben Silver
Publish date:
Nov 13, 2022 4:30 PM EST

In this story:

The Houston Astros still have several positions to fill.

If Yordan Álvarez fills designated hitter instead of left field, Houston still needs a left fielder and first baseman. Astros' free agent Aledmys Díaz fills both of those positions.

Not only does he fill a need where the Astros have holes, he's also perhaps the premier utility man on the market.

Versatility makes teams go from good to great. His presence on the roster allows break and a chance to get regular reps at designated hitter should they be injured or unhealthy.

Díaz played every position but center field, pitcher and catcher during 2022. He's the perfect fit for the Astros, and the club should know this seeing how important he was to their continued success, especially during the regular season, in 2022.

Though he was entirely ineffective during the ALCS and World Series, the Astros are well aware of his true value. Not only was Díaz's 95 OPS+ valuable given his defensive skillset, he was also unlucky in 2022.

Díaz has a career BABIP of .282 but last season that figure was only .256.

In an ideal world, his OPS might sway other teams from pursuing him. The Astros though, have seen how much help defensively he can provide to a team, and they've seen what Díaz can do when he gets hot.

From Jul. 5 through his IL placement on Aug. 16, Díaz slashed .304/.353/.580, his BABIP was only .300.

The groin injury that put him on IL likely plagued him through September and the playoffs, he batted just .151.

If Díaz can come back healthy in 2023, and his market value is diminished by the aforementioned injury and poor luck, the Astros must do everything can to bring their utility man back.