TCB Writer Roundtable Spring Training 2013 - the answers to thehot topics of #Astros Spring Training. http://sbn.to/Yhes6f
POP QUIZ HOT SHOT! - Bob Levey
With the Astros about to start Spring Training games I decided to gather the writers of TCB for a little Q&A
Feel free to add your own answers to these questions in the comment section below.
Lets get right into it:
What player are you going to be paying particular attention to this Spring Training?
Glenn (wgr56):
While a lot of focus will be on the other corner infield spot, I'm going to be paying attention toMatt Dominguez over at third base. He's got some holes in his game, but he still feels like a fit to me at the hot corner, and I want to see if he can continue to develop and maybe start to show some plate discipline to go along with the good defense. If he could learn to take some walks, I think we'll have a more-than-serviceable player at third base.
Clack:
Josh Fields. And I'll expand that to everybody in the bullpen. Relief pitchers are so volatile that you never really know what you've got in the bullpen. The Astros are banking on a lot of guys without a lot of ML experience stepping up. I'm not expecting Fields to become a closer candidate, but it would be nice if he can be a reliable, hard throwing arm for the 6th and 7th inning.
Anthony:
Jarred Cosart. I'm still having a little bit of difficulty figuring him out, and I've begun to wonder if he's emotionally ready to be a big leaguer. There's still some question about whether he ends up a reliever or a starter, or whether he puts it all together at all, and every time he's faced with adversity, his reaction just seems a bit... "off." So I'm curious to see how he responds, now that he has a chance to prove himself.
Chris (CRPerry13):
My attention will be on Brett Wallace. I still believe in his bat and think he could end up seeing a lot of playing time at first base, designated hitter, left field, and third base. In my opinion there are questions surrounding Dominguez' bat and the shortstop position. As much as we joke about it, if Wallace is in shape he could be an answer at those positions...as weird as that may sound.
Robert (astrosblogger):
Jimmy Parades - Parades reminds me a lot of Chris Burke in the sense that he is a player without a position, but has his athleticism and power potential as a switch hitter keep him on the roster. The best case scenario for Parades is he out plays the Martinii enough to take an outfield spot. I believe he has the ability to, it's just a matter of whether he is able to put it all together.
Spencer (kyuss94):
I’ll go with Nate Freiman- I like his upside, and hope he does enough to cement his spot on the roster. Playing time at first base and designated hitter will likely be divvied up based on spring performance, so Freiman has a chance to really carve out a nice role for himself as a rookie if he plays well in Florida. His combination of power, patience and underrated contact ability could make him an offensive threat if he takes well to the big leagues.
Brooks (Subber10):
I am torn between Brett Wallace and Jordan Lyles. Lyles started to do some really nice things toward the end of the season last year and I want to see if he continues to get stronger and build on that. He's not guaranteed a spot, according to Porter, and he needs to solidify himself as a long-term contributor to this team in the rotation. Wallace supposedly has revamped his swing (sounds familiar to last Spring Training) and uses his legs more. Let's see if that's true.
Jesse (conroestro):
Alex White. In the minors White was a groundball pitcher while also showing swing and miss stuff. His control has evaded him in the majors up to this point, but if he can show a little of what put him on the map then there might be something to look forward to there.
Curtis:
I'll mention two guys for this one. I'm interested to see what Matt Dominguez can do offensively, as he's already the leader for the third base job. Hopefully his bat shows some progression like it did in the last few weeks of 2012. Second is Brett Wallace. I'm intrigued by the changes he's supposedly made to his swing, hopefully he shows the coaching staff some progression of his own.
Ryan (d_more55):
My focus will be squarely on Brett Wallace. We all know Wallace’s history as a hot potato prospect. He has been unable to hold onto a starting spot on a team that has lost 100 games the past two seasons. The prospect of new hitting mechanics and another possible position at designated hitter makes Wallace anintriguing man to follow in Kissimmee this spring.
David:
I'm going to keep my answers brief, since some of the writers on here just went on and on and on!Jose Veras isn't the most intriguing story of camp, nor is he a guy who will be on the bubble and needs a good spring to break with the team. But, if the Astros want to turn him into a closer they can flip at the deadline, it'd be nice to see him dealing this spring. With a guy like him, I'm less worried with spring training stats and more worried about his control. Is he hitting his spots? Does he look locked in? What kinds of hits is he giving up?
Getting Veras out to a hot start this year would be huge for the team come July.
Sean (native_astro):
Jake Elmore. While Marwin Gonzalez and Tyler Greene will get most of the attention for the shortstop job in spring, it could be Jake Elmore that steals the show. People tend to forget how well he hit in the PCL, a .344/.442/.465 line with 32 SB, 74 BB, and only 54 SO is pretty impressive even in a hitters league.
