Houston’s plans to move ahead in the post-José Abreu era: 3 Astros takeaways

HOUSTON — Until the end, teammates and coaches lauded José Abreu’s selflessness and work ethic, but the Houston Astros had no choice but to release him Friday afternoon. His .361 OPS is evidence 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 that ails this club, but it represents the start of better equipping the roster for a serious playoff pursuit. Houston gave Abreu ample time to salvage his tenure, but realized the runway to save its season is rapidly shortening.

The depth of Abreu’s anemia made him a public face for Houston’s brutal start. Continuing to carry him on the active roster concealed other flaws that can no longer be hidden. Here are three takeaways on the Astros’ plans to move ahead without Abreu:

Who’s on first?

Houston still does not have a viable, long-term solution at first base, a fact that would’ve been true even if Abreu survived this whole season. The team ended Abreu’s everyday playing days in mid-April and, still, could not find any production from those who started in place of him.

According to FanGraphs, the Astros awoke on Sunday extracting negative-1.4 wins above replacement from their first basemen. Abreu started 31 of the 71 games reflected in that number.

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

Abreu agreed to a minor-league demotion on April 30 and Singleton took 94 plate appearances during his absence. All five of Singleton’s home runs and every one of his 14 RBIs this season arrived 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 in his time as the Astros’ first baseman. (Erik Williams / USA Today)

Perhaps that success prompted curiosity of 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, will platoon with utilityman Mauricio Dubón at first base in the wake of Abreu’s release.

Singleton has a .569 OPS during his last 95 at-bats. The Astros viewed Abreu as a better defender than Singleton who, according to Sports Info Solutions, is worth negative-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 had not played first base since high school.

Platooning him with Singleton is not a legitimate, season-long solution, but it’s what Espada will do for at least the immediate future. The skipper did not completely rule out either Yainer Diaz or Victor Caratini contributing at first base, but would prefer both of them stay behind the plate.

The team’s reluctance to play prospect Joey Loperfido at first base only furthers a dilemma Brown may be forced to address at the trade deadline — perhaps for a player with more than one year of team control. Abreu was under contract through 2025 and, if it isn’t already obvious, Houston has no first baseman begging for a call-up in the upper minor leagues.

“Ultimately, if Jon Singleton can step up, if he grabs the bull by the horns and he takes off, we won’t have to address that at first base,” Brown said Friday. “I would like to get a bat anyway if we could — if it makes sense for the organization and we don’t have to mortgage the farm, it would be nice.”

The Loperfido quandary

An ill-timed foul tip last weekend in Anaheim threw the Astros’ roster into further upheaval. The foul ball injured Diaz’s right index finger enough to keep him from catching in five consecutive games.

Houston called up César Salazar on Tuesday to have adequate coverage behind Caratini, but because Diaz didn’t need a stint on the injured list, had to demote Loperfido as a corresponding move.

Position players optioned to the minor leagues must stay down for 10 days before their next call-up, unless they’re replacing someone going on the injured list. Loperfido, then, is eligible to be called back up June 21.

Brown mentioned that date without prompt Friday, a clear indication that Houston may finally have a plan to incorporate their tantalizing outfield prospect in a more regular role. Loperfido’s athleticism, speed and power potential are attributes this club needs, even if his big-league playing time hasn’t reflected it.

Loperfido’s first promotion coincided with wonderful offensive stretches from Singleton and Jake Meyers, limiting his at-bats. Loperfido didn’t take an at-bat during his second stint.

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

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

Meyers’ magnificent defense may keep him entrenched in center field, but Loperfido is more than capable of contributing there or in either corner outfield spot. That Kyle Tucker is still absent from any baseball activities doesn’t portend well for an activation off the injured list this week, making right field another place Loperfido can contribute.

First base, however, still feels far off. Loperfido has started 10 games there at Triple A, but neither Brown nor Espada seems eager to test him at the major-league level — even with Abreu gone.

“There will be some at-bats for him somewhere here, but I’m not saying Loperfido is going to come and a rookie player is going to be the savior at first base for us,” Brown said.

The ramifications of a razor thin rotation

Starts like Spencer Arrighetti had Saturday versus the Detroit Tigers are bound to happen. Arrighetti is a rookie learning the rigors of major-league life on the fly, thrust into a starting rotation ravaged by injuries and not reinforced by any depth. Only five starters on Houston’s 40-man roster have meaningful major-league experience.

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

Arrighetti has impressed the major-league team and staff with his mettle. One awful start shouldn’t sink him, but it does illustrate the tightrope Houston is walking with its threadbare rotation.

Roadblocks are always around the corner for unproven rookies or pitchers with minimal major-league experience. Arrighetti encountered one Saturday. Hunter Brown’s entire April counts as another — and he’s authored an amazing turnaround since.

That Ronel Blanco hasn’t navigated one is this rotation’s lone saving grace. He is the breakout star of an otherwise subpar season. Blanco spun seven no-hit innings on Sunday and, if not for the heavy workload he’s already shouldered, could’ve gone out for the eighth.

Instead, Espada chose the prudent path. Blanco’s 94 pitches Sunday were his fewest in any full start since May 3. Houston has asked him to throw at least 98 pitches in six of his first 13 starts. Blanco was supposed to benefit from an extra day of rest during this turn in the rotation, but got bumped up to Sunday after the team scratched Justin Verlander on Saturday.

Arrighetti pitched in Verlander’s place. A spot starter could have thrown on either day, but it’s clear the Astros believe the two rookies are better options than anything down in Triple A.

Neither Arrighetti nor Blanco have thrown more than 125 innings in any professional season. Blanco threw his 77th frame on Sunday. Arrighetti has thrown 62 across both Triple A and the big 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. That Houston apparently has no one it trusts in Triple A to help only complicates it.

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