Houston Astros: Khris Davis is the only position player worth targeting

The Houston Astros appear well on their way to another playoff run. While the team is already loaded, there may be a position player that can help out.

At the time of this writing, the Houston Astros are riding an eleven-game win streak. The final ten all coming on the road. On this win streak, the Astros have regained the division lead over the Mariners.

It is easy to say that the team is riding hot. The bats have officially woken up. Evan Gattis and Marwin Gonzalez have clawed their way out of early season slumps. Most everyone else is hitting their strides as well.

The pitching has cooled off ever so slightly but, it is still among the league’s elite. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are still Cy Young candidates. The bullpen has been on fire as well.

That being said, not every man on the roster has been phenomenal. Typically, teams don’t need them to be either. However, when you are the defending World Champs the target on your back is bigger than most. Teams are out to get you so, you need more phenomenal players than usual. And, as we know, GM Jeff Luhnow is always on the look out to improve the roster.

One of the only spots that can be considered “weak” is left field. Now, I know I just said Marwin was finding his stroke but, he is better utilized as a super utility. That leaves the trio of Tony Kemp, Jake Marisnick, and Derek Fisher as guys that have filled that role consistently.

Kemp has done admirably thus far but, is it sustainable? Could he end up as a trade piece in the coming weeks? There are just too many questions surrounding him at this point. The team also wants to keep Kyle Tucker in minors for now, as well.

Enter Khris Davis.

Davis is a guy that can come in and absolutely rake. The Houston Astros know this better than most, currently. In the last series with Oakland, Houston swept it 3-0. However, Davis left the series adding three more homeruns to his stat sheet.

That brought Davis’ stat line to 20 homers, 49 RBIs, a .241 average and a .860 OPS. That is an absolutely elite homerun rate through 62 games. That’s about one homerun every three games, putting him on pace for 52 homers. This would obliterate his career mark of 43 set last year.

During his tenure in Oakland, Davis has turned into one of the best power bats in the game. He has 40+ homers and 100+ RBIs the past two years. Both of those would consistently be at the top or be the top numbers for the Houston Astros.

While Davis has spent most of his time at DH this year, he’s not a bad fielder. He only committed one error while primarily playing left field. Sure, he’ll probably never go down as an elite defender but, the Houston Astros have the Crawford Boxes and a stable of elite defenders in the outfield.

So, the short left field fence and elite outfield mates could help mitigate any defensive deficiencies he might run into. Because let’s be real, right now, he’s not going to usurp Gattis at DH.

How does he fit in?

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Davis will without a doubt help solidify the Houston Astros outfield. He’s got enough defensive chops to get by in the left field. His bat instantly rivals Gattis, Carlos Correa, and George Springer for the most boom. I have full confidence that AJ Hinch could figure out the rotation of players. Even if, and I hope so, all the players stay healthy.

Sure, adding Davis may block Tucker from joining the organization this season. It could still be possible depending on the health, performance, and availability of the rest of the guys. But, another full year in the minors couldn’t possibly hurt the kid.

However, looking toward the future, both guys could contribute every day in the 2019 season. With Marwin and Gattis slated for free agency, there are potentially a couple spots up for grabs if they depart.

Davis is on the books for $10.5 million this year and is set to enter his final year of arbitration next year. So, if Gattis does walk, Davis could transition back to DH in 2019. If Marwin walks as well, an outfield spot will be up for grabs and Tucker will take it.

Davis will likely cost a lower tier top prospect like Yordan Alvarez and an MLB ready talent. Kemp could be in play here due to his versatility in the outfield and at second. But, a year and a half of Davis would be more than worth it.

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Luckily, the Houston Astros don’t have any glaring holes to fill. Luhnow and the gang have the luxury of adding, well, luxury pieces. Davis falls into that category. He could help catapult this offense into another dimension and ultimately thrust the team towards repeating as champs.

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