We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere. To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2013 fantasy baseball questions regarding their team. We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2013 Astros Fantasy Baseball Preview comes courtesy James from Astros County.
1) With the turn to the AL, the Astros got introduced to using the DH full time and it looks like they’re going to give Carlos Pena the job. Are you concerned about the downward trend his career has taken and is there any fantasy relevance left with Carlos for 2013 fantasy baseball?
Will he provide any fantasy relevance? I’m not sure about that, either. He’s likely going to get moved up in the lineup order in Houston, where the Rays had the freedom to hide him a little bit, and the Astros won’t have that luxury. He’ll have his usual HR value, but even that total could easily drop yet again.
2) Jonathan Singleton got busted with his second violation against the minor league drug policy and is now suspended for the first 50 games of the minor league season but not for the major league one. Is there any chance that with this news he has literally weeded his way out of the minors and into the majors for opening day and if so, what are your expectations for him?
3) Brett Wallace came from the same draft as Ike Davis, Brett Lawrie and Lonnie Chisenhall. Somehow, even though the careers of those other 3 have been shaky at best, the fantasy universe still recognizes them but have completely forgotten about Brett. Well, except for Grey who wrote about Brett Wallace as a fantasy sleeper for 2013. With all that said, what are your thoughts for Wallace for 2013 fantasy baseball?
It seems like the Astros just haven’t figured out what to do with Brett Wallace. Brad Mills seemed to go out of his way to sit him against LHPs (even when the Astros were 25 games out). Strange thing is, his OPS against lefty starters is .699, and his OPS is .700 against righty starters. Still, 81% of his plate appearances have been against righties. I do think he’s the Opening Day 1B, but he’s on a very short leash, despite only having started 189 games in the Majors.
4) Overall the Astros are in full rebuild mode. With that in mind, who are you excited to see on the MLB stage this year? Any MILB players or new acquisitions that you’ll have your eye on during Spring Training?
There have been so many acquisitions in the last 12 months that I still have to go back and see where the Astros got a player. Obviously we’re excited about Singleton and Jarred Cosart, but guys like Marc Krauss and Robbie Grossman also could possibly have an impact on the Big League team this season. Overall it’ll be interesting to see how everyone progresses in another minor-league season.
5) What’s the most likely news blurb we’ll see about the Houston Astros in 2013:
A) Jose Altuve punches a carnie when he doesn’t quite reach the ‘you have to be this tall to ride this ride’ line?
B) Chris Carter gets near full-time at-bats and belts 30 HRs?
C) Bud Norris finally has a cage match with Brian Wilson regarding their Taco Bell tiff, only to be forced to face his father Chuck, who hides in Wilson’s beard?
D) Hector Ambriz ends up with the most saves for the Astros by the end of the year?
E) Houston climbs out of the cellar to finish 5th in their division for the first time in two years (watch your step, there’s a math joke in there)
The Astros are only going to be in the news for something non-baseball related. They won’t be on SportsCenter until well after the Friday Funnies, or at :58 of the hour. So I’m going with Carnie Violence or Taco Bell cage match for likelihood. Given that Brian Wilson wants to be in the news more than anything else in the world, I’ll give the nod to the Bud Norris/Brian Wilson Taco Bell Cage Match for “most likely 2013 Astros news blurb.” And that’s a good one about finishing 5th.
