Houston Astros: 5 blockbusting free agency moves to make this offseason
By T.A. Mock
Michael Brantley, OF
Michael Brantley has been a hot name in the MLB for a long time. He was the headlining name back into 2008 in the deal that sent CC Sabathia from the Indians to the Brewers. He made his debut for the Indians less than a year later in 2009.
It took a few years for Brantley to fully adjust and adapt to the MLB level. But, by the time he took over the full-time role in the outfield for the Indian in 2012, his bat was alive and beginning to rake.
By 2014, Brantley was verging on full-blown superstardom. He was becoming a household name and had the stats and defensive prowess to back it up. That year he hit .327, blasted twenty homers, drove in 97 RBIs, and swiped 23 bases. He garnered a lot of MVP considered and wound up finishing third in the voting.
2015 was much more of the same though he did suffer a slight dip in overall production. But, he was still a guy that had 20-20 potential to go along with a high average and a low strikeout number. Unfortunately, Brantley injured his should late in the 2015 campaign which ended his season early and caused him to miss almost all of the 2016 season.
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Many questioned whether or not he would be the same player ever again. He missed a good chunk of 2017 as he was still working his way back from that injury. However, he was able to string together back to back All-Star seasons in 2017 and 2018 while swinging for a good average raising his power numbers this past season.
Brantley would be the perfect addition to the Houston Astros outfield. He hasn’t played another position besides left field since 2015 so he would immediately slot in there. He also would add a very capable lefty bat to a righty-heavy lineup. The Astros should jump at the opportunity to add Brantley and make the defense and offense far more potent.
Another option: AJ Pollock
AJ Pollock, like Brantley, was on the verge of bonafide superstardom before an injury completely derailed that trajectory. Unlike Brantley, Pollock has struggled to bounce back to his pre-injury form. However, he still his intriguing upside and is a potential buy-low candidate this offseason and the Astros have a history of getting the most out of players.