Houston Astros: Time to Rethink Carlos Beltran at DH?

Money Changes Everything….But Should It?!

I reiterate all of the things I said before about Carlos Beltran. He’s a sheer veteran presence, a future inductee into the baseball Hall of Fame, and just the right mentor to the young core of players.

And yes, the team did pay all that money to sign him. How else would you be able to get a player like him? It’s not everyday a switch hitting outfielder and DH comes at his price tag.

But should that be the end all be all in lineup decisions? Evidence would say otherwise.

At the end of the day, Hinch makes the final call in lineup decisions. So far this season, his judgement has proved vital in getting the team to where it is right now. All in all, the process can be trusted, as it stands right now.

While Beltran has done his part in mentoring and taking the team under his wing, his own stats still leave way too much to be desired. So much so, in fact, that Hinch will want to consider making some changes.

Sharing the Wealth….of Playing Time!

If at home in Houston, Beltran can take a start in left field one game each series to help in getting Evan Gattis some more DH starts. Something in the vicinity of Beltran starting 2 games at DH with 1 day off, or 3 DH starts and 1 day off for 4 game sets.

Moreover, Gattis can also do 1 catching and 1 DH start in 3 game sets, and 2 catching and 1 DH start in 4 game sets. If Hinch were to follow the formula I just outlined, both of these players can play 4-5 games a week with 1-2 days off plus any travel or off days between series.

What ends up happening remains to be seen. But the DH situation can use some upkeep. Hopefully, this happens sooner rather than later!

GO HOUSTON ASTROS!!!!