Houston’s plans moving forward in the post-José Abreu era: 3 takeaways from the Astros

HOUSTON — To the end, teammates and coaches praised José Abreu’s selflessness and work ethic, but the Houston Astros had no choice but to release him Friday afternoon. His .361 OPS is proof enough, but Abreu’s mere presence on the active roster hamstrung first-year manager Joe Espada, who could no longer mask his marked decline.

Eating $30.8 million won’t cure all of this club’s ills, but it represents the start of a better team for a serious playoff chase. Houston gave Abreu enough time to salvage his tenure, but realized the runway to salvage his season was quickly shortening.

The depth of Abreu’s anemia made him a public face during Houston’s brutal start. Continuing to keep him on the active roster has hidden other flaws that can no longer be hidden. Here are three takeaways about the Astros’ plans moving forward without Abreu:

Who is the first ?

Houston still doesn’t have a viable long-term solution at first base, a fact that would have been true even if Abreu had survived the entire season. The team ended Abreu’s daily playing days in mid-April and still hasn’t found any production from those who started in his place.

According to FanGraphs, the Astros woke up Sunday with a negative 1.4 win above replacement for their first basemen. Abreu started 31 of the 71 games reflected in this number.

Jon Singleton made his 38th start of the season Sunday, leading the team at first base. An 0-for-3 performance lowered his batting average to .217. Singleton’s .646 OPS is fifth lowest among major league first basemen with at least 170 plate appearances.

Abreu accepted a demotion to the minor leagues on April 30, and Singleton made 94 plate appearances during his absence. All five of Singleton’s home runs and all 14 of his RBIs this season came during that span, one in which Singleton sported a .787 OPS.

While he hasn’t been as bad as Abreu, Jon Singleton has also struggled as a first baseman for the Astros. (Erik Williams / USA Today)

Perhaps that success sparked curiosity about what Singleton could do with regular playing time, but even now Houston seems hesitant to give it to him. Espada and general manager Dana Brown said Singleton, a left-handed hitter, would platoon with utilityman Mauricio Dubón at first base following Abreu’s release.

Singleton has a .569 OPS in his last 95 at-bats. The Astros viewed Abreu as a better defender than Singleton who, according to Sports Info Solutions, is worth minus 4 defensive runs saved. Only two qualified first basemen are worse. One of them, Spencer Torkelson, is no longer on Detroit’s major league roster.

Before making two starts there last season, Dubón said he hadn’t played first base since high school.

Platooning him with Singleton isn’t a legitimate solution for the entire season, but that’s what Espada will do for at least the immediate future. The skipper hasn’t completely ruled out either Yainer Diaz or Victor Caratini contributing at first base, but would prefer they both stay behind the plate.

The team’s reluctance to play prospect Joey Loperfido at first base only compounds a dilemma that Brown may be forced to resolve at the trade deadline — perhaps for a player with more than a year left. team control. Abreu was under contract through 2025 and, if it’s not already obvious, Houston doesn’t have a first baseman begging for a call-up to the upper minor leagues.

“At the end of the day, if Jon Singleton can step up, if he grabs the bull by the horns and runs away, we won’t have to deal with this problem at first base,” Brown said Friday. “I’d still like to get a bat if we can. If it makes sense for the organization and we don’t have to mortgage the farm, that would be great.”

Loperfido’s dilemma

An untimely foul last weekend in Anaheim further upset the Astros team. The foul ball injured Diaz’s right index finger enough to prevent him from catching the ball in five straight games.

Houston called up Cesar Salazar on Tuesday to have adequate coverage behind Caratini, but since Diaz did not need to go on the injured list, it had to demote Loperfido accordingly.

Optional players in the minor leagues must remain out for 10 days before their next call-up, unless they are replacing someone on the injured list. Loperfido can therefore be recalled on June 21.

Brown mentioned that date unprompted Friday, a clear indication that Houston might finally have a plan to integrate its enticing outfield prospect into a more regular role. Loperfido’s athleticism, speed and power potential are attributes this club needs, even if his big league playing time doesn’t reflect it.

Loperfido’s early promotion coincided with wonderful offensive stretches from Singleton and Jake Meyers, limiting his at-bats. Loperfido did not take an at-bat in his second stint.

Meyers is 13 for his last 72 games with two extra base hits. Chas McCormick continued his unproductive season with an 0-for-2 performance on Sunday, dropping his OPS to .560 after 124 plate appearances. McCormick is now 6 for 40 with 13 strikeouts since being removed from the injured list late last month.

Houston may be near an inflection point with McCormick, who still has minor league options and could benefit from a mental reset at Triple-A to work on his swing. Brown even mentioned McCormick on Friday as someone who risks losing playing time if and when Loperfido returns to the major league club.

Meyers’ magnificent defense can keep him entrenched in the middle of the field, but Loperfido is more than capable of contributing there or in one of the corners of the outfield. The fact that Kyle Tucker is still absent from all baseball activity does not portend an activation from the injured list this week, making right field another place where Loperfido can contribute.

However, first base still seems far away. Loperfido started 10 games there at Triple-A, but neither Brown nor Espada seem eager to test him at the major league level — even with Abreu gone.

“There’s going to be some hitters for him somewhere in here, but I’m not saying Loperfido is going to come in and a rookie player is going to be our savior at first base,” Brown said.

The ramifications of razor-thin spinning

Departures like Spencer Arrighetti did Saturday against the Detroit Tigers are inevitable. Arrighetti is a rookie learning the rigors of major league life on the fly, thrust into a starting rotation ravaged by injuries and not bolstered by any depth. Only five starters on Houston’s 40-man roster have significant major league experience.

Before Saturday, Arrighetti had acquitted himself well. He had a 3.19 ERA and 2.88 FIP in six previous starts. Then one of the worst lineups in baseball beat him for seven earned runs in 1 ⅓ innings, inflating his season ERA to 6.37.

Arrighetti impressed the major league team and staff with his courage. A poor start shouldn’t sink him, but it illustrates the tightrope Houston is walking with its threadbare rotation.

Hurdles are always around the corner for rookies or unproven pitchers with minimal major league experience. Arrighetti met on a Saturday. Hunter Brown’s entire month of April counts as another – and he has since been the author of an incredible turnaround.

The fact that Ronel Blanco didn’t walk one is the only saving grace of this rotation. He’s the star of an otherwise mediocre season. Blanco went seven hitless innings Sunday and, without the heavy workload he’s already shouldered, he might have gone out for the eighth.

Instead, Espada chose the cautious route. Blanco’s 94 pitches on Sunday were his fewest since May 3. Houston asked him to throw at least 98 pitches in six of his first 13 starts. Blanco was supposed to get an extra day of rest this round of rotation, but was relegated to Sunday after the team cut Justin Verlander on Saturday.

Arrighetti pitched in place of Verlander. A starter could have pitched any day, but it’s clear the Astros think both rookies are better options than anything in Triple A.

Neither Arrighetti nor Blanco has pitched more than 125 innings in a professional season. Blanco threw his 77th frame on Sunday. Arrighetti pitched 62 in Triple A and the major leagues. Finding ways to preserve their arms is almost mandatory, but balancing that with the urgency of a ballclub six games under .500 is difficult. The fact that Houston seemingly has no one they trust in Triple-A to help them only complicates things.

(Top photo by Joey Loperfido: Tim Warner/Getty Images)