In August 2023, Dubón hit for a .339 AVG and an .925 OPS. In September 2023, Dubón hit for a .308 AVG and an .861 OPS.
Regardless of why Baker chose to start playing him regularly in August, Dubón earned the right to stay in the lineup everyday those two months, and it was understandable that Baker called on him instead of Jake Meyers in the postseason.
100% Agree. I also believe the team would have fared much better with anyone other than Dusty Baker managing.
You crack me up, Hudson!
From the Athletic’s Chandler Rome, a discussion of internal 3b options re Bregman’s contract
My “friend” is reporting the Astros are currently talking to Angels about Mickey Moniak and it has progressed to the point that Astros players are being discussed.
Why do the Astros need another OF?
I really don’t know why, unless someone’s hurt or they’ve decided Chas shouldn’t be playing any CF at all.
But in a vacuum Moniak is a fine reserve I guess, and maybe even a platoon partner for Jake.
Thanks for the heads up. Very interesting. Don’t know what to think of Moniak. He played well for 3 months last season then numbers took a major dive in August.
He and Jake would make great platoon partners if you look at the splits (at least in '23).
Because they want to be able to use Yordan Alvarez at DH when they want, and they view Moniak as better than Jake Meyers? Moniak was the first overall draft pick in 2016 and viewed as a top prospect for awhile. Perhaps they think he could be a diamond in the rough they can fix?
It’s not uncommon for a fringe outfielder got a spring training look as a potential 5th OFer.
That’s true, too. But, the Astros are trying are trade for Moniak from the Angels, and I’m sure the Angels aren’t giving a young player like him away for nothing. That’s why I think the Astros’ front office and development must see correctable things they could fix to help Moniak live up to some of his past draft and prospect status at the MLB level.
Ah, good point. I missed that it was a trade in my scrolling. I wrongly assumed it was an NRI or some sort of flyer.
A post from “my friend”
New Per Astros player development employee…
Players to watch, that are possible break out candidates.
Nehomar Ochoa - Has played against men his entire life and the raw skills are really good. Keeps asking when they will let him start pitching as well.
Kenni Gomez - If all his personal issues are behind him, he can really play.
Miguel Palma - does he want to catch?
Alimber Santa - last time the Astros saw him throw, he was hitting 102 on the gun free and easy at well under 6’0". They are trying to figure out what to do with him.
er…
He is from Galena Park…
If he’s hitting 102, I say let him pitch.
Potential high upside, back-end of the bullpen arm if he has easy gas like that, at a minimum.
“My friend” when asked about his Palma comment
Some of these guys are weird in the minor leagues - you take 18-25 year old man-children and you put them in an extremely competitive environment and hope they make adult and mature decisions, when a lot of men don’t fully become adults until decades later.
So you get some really weird outcomes.
Some guys think they are so good they can play anywhere, some guys lack the common sense, some guys lack concentration… so guys have off the field issues.
Francis Martes refused to make the adjustments to his mechanics - and refused to have a strength building regime - it cost him at least tens of millions of dollars and now he is getting crushed in the Mexican League, and still is difficult to coach.
Look at Whitley … Tim Redding… James Mouton…
If Palma were 40 years old and driving an Uber for a living, I am sure his ass would be sleeping in his catching gear and dreaming about the spray chart for the Rangers back up catcher.
Santa is a guy I have been tracking. Seems to have a few minor injuries every year. Hopefully the “free and easy” is a good sign. I expect the “what to do with him” applies to the level he will start at this year. He was only at Fayetteville last year, but he easily has AA “stuff” – I would not be surprised to see him start the year at Corpus and perhaps even advance from there.
Ochoa played a lot in the FCL last year, and he is another one I expect to jump a level or two – at least to Asheville.
Gomez seemed to be on a fast track going into last year, and then wasn’t. I’m not sure what the personal issues are, but if they are truly behind him, he still has plenty of time to develop. If he starts at Fayetteville, that will be a good sign.
Didn’t he just get drafted out of HS in last June’s draft?