Houston Astros Rumors: Four key storylines to follow in Spring Training

Which outfielder gets the short end of the stick?

This is the part of Spring Training that no one likes. Guys are going to inevitably lose jobs in Spring Training and the Houston Astros are going to have some difficult decisions to make, especially in regards to the outfield.

When the Astros signed Brantley, the locked in the left field spot in a way they haven’t in years. 2017 and 2018 saw a rotation of players fill the role but Brantley will get the majority of the innings there this year. The other two spots will be manned by Springer and Josh Reddick.

Typically, the Astros like to keep 12 position players in order to keep 13 pitchers, 5 in the rotation and 8 in the bullpen. With two catchers, six infielders, and the three starting outfielders, that leaves only one bench spot available for the outfield.

Tony Kemp and Jake Marisnick are the two men battling for that final roster spot in Spring Training. Derek Fisher and Myles Straw are also battling for it but to a lesser extent. So, between Kemp and Marisnick, the decision will be tough.

Marisnick is the Houston Astros best defensive outfielder when healthy and on the field. But, his impact is limited by what he can do with a bat. Kemp’s ceiling isn’t as high as Marisnick’s but his floor is higher. He’s a solid fielder and pretty good with the bat.

Kemp has no more minor league options left and Marisnick only has 40 days until he has no more options. So, the team could lose Kemp if Marisnick beats him out and Marisnick would have to stay on the roster all year or else he could get snatched up as well. Of course, the team could circumvent this problem and keep 13 position players to 12 pitchers but that opens up a whole other can of worms.