Houston Astros Rumors: Three players with the most to lose in Spring Training
By T.A. Mock
Jake Marisnick and Tony Kemp, OF
I’ll admit, this one is hard to write. I love watching Jake Marisnick and Tony Kemp play baseball. Marisnick is one of the best defenders I’ve seen. Arm, glove, speed, he’s got it all. He is full of highlight reel catches. Kemp is just fun to watch whether he is at the plate or in the field. His effort is non-stop and he is about as clutch and reliable as they come.
However, what we’ve seen from both Marisnick and Kemp is likely their peak. Not to say they’re about to decline, but they’ve peaked and will plateau as an above average MLB player. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to be enough to cut it on this Houston Astros team.
You see, Kemp is already out of minor league options which means that he can deny being optioned to the minors and would force the team to place him on waivers first and a guy like Kemp isn’t likely to go unclaimed on waivers. Marisnick is in a similar boat, he is about 40 days from reaching five years of service in the MLB and is able to deny options at that point as well.
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That’s why these two Houston Astros players have a lot to lose this Spring Training. There just simply aren’t enough spots for everyone who is worthy of a roster spot to make it. Which is a bummer and the curse of a good, stacked team.
In all likelihood, one or both of these guys would be traded during Spring Training, prior to the start of the regular season. These guys are too good to give away for nothing and they deserve a shot to crack another MLB roster. But as it stands, these two guys have a lot to lose as Astros since they may not have a spot down the stretch.