Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball Rebound Hitters & Astros Preview w/Chandler Rome
16 snips
Feb 24, 2026 Chandler Rome, The Athletic’s Astros beat writer who covers Houston roster, health, and spring developments, joins to break down Astros roster construction, DH/logjam dilemmas, outfield experiments, rotation depth and a likely six-man plan. Hosts also dig into rebound hitters with discounted draft-day prices and discuss which bats could bounce back in 2026.
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Astros Lack Five Clear Everyday Position Players
- Astros roster construction currently lacks five lock-in everyday players because of overlapping roles at DH/first base/outfield.
- Isak Paredes remains on the roster as a valuable but logjammed piece because Christian Walker holds first base role and salary.
Alvarez Is Primarily A DH Not A Left Fielder
- Joe Espada plans Jordan Alvarez as primary DH and Jose Altuve as primary second baseman, limiting spots to fit Isak Paredes.
- Alvarez is a poor defensive left fielder in big parks, complicating the lineup late-game decisions.
Astros Outfield Is Dangerously Inexperienced
- Astros outfield depth is inexperienced (Zach Cole, Cam Smith, Joey Loperfido) and the team clearly seeks an upgrade; Paredes is available as trade chip.
- Combined MLB PA for the three likely outfielders is only 911, underscoring risk.