Houston Astros: The best approach to constructing the postseason roster

It’s almost time for the postseason and the Houston Astros have a chance to clinch a playoff spot this week. How should the roster be constructed? Look.

Injuries have opened key opportunities for Houston Astros prospects and adding them would make this roster a lot stronger in the postseason but will it make the decision on who makes the cut tougher?

Through this historic season from your Houston Astros, an unfortunate theme has been injuries.

Whether that be injuries to the pitching staff or the hitters, this team has had to use quite a few players this season. Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Yuli Gurriel, Brad Peacock, Ryan Pressly, Josh James, Collin McHugh, Joe Smith, and Aaron Sanchez have all missed extended periods this season. But with those key injuries come key opportunities.

The biggest contributor in spite of those injuries is from rookie phenom Yordan Alvarez. Other players that were promoted to the big league club and have chipped in as well are Myles Straw, Abraham Toro, Kyle Tucker, Cy Sneed, and Jose Urquidy. I bring up these names because there are a few spots that are open going into the postseason here in a couple of weeks.

I hope that Tucker, Toro, and Straw will make it. Straw will be vital on the base paths, Toro has been solid since he was promoted, batting .255 with two home runs and five runs batted in.

Outside of those three, I believe, along with Alvarez, will be grouped with the presumptive nominees to make the cut. He will be in this lineup for years to come barring any injuries. However, I think the bullpen is where things can get a bit dicey on who will make the roster.

In the 2017 World Series season, the team’s weakness was the bullpen. It was so weak that Charlie Morton had to close the series. The guys that represent the bullpen for this season aren’t as bad but the unit still has its issues. The biggest question mark for this bullpen is Joe Biagini.

Biagini was acquired at the trade deadline that netted the team Aaron Sanchez. The 29-year-old right-hander was brought to Houston to be a quality piece in the bullpen but has done the exact opposite. In 13.2 innings, Biagini has posted a 7.90 ERA and has been shuttling between Houston and Triple-A Round Rock.

Who would take Biagini’s place?

The Houston Astros could go about this in two ways.

They could add an extra bat or could use McHugh once he comes off the injured list.

The team also has the opportunity to adjust the roster after the first round — likely the American

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League Division Series — if they do happen to advance. It would be interesting to see if they happen to bring Biagini back up, or add a long reliever such as a Framber Valdez, Urquidy, or Sneed if the bullpen happens to get taxed in the first round. Biagini’s performance speaks for itself. I think the Houston Astros should sit him this postseason, work on developing him more this offseason, and see how he responds to that approach next season.

Another question for the team would be if they go with a three or four-man rotation with depending on how the series is set up. With the day off after two games, you have that extra time of rest with your starters. I hope the Houston Astros go with a four-man rotation in the ALDS, but if they advance to the ALCS, they should shrink it down to their big three-man rotation.

Next. Astros notch a record that's been intact since 1939. dark

It’ll be interesting to see the guys that the Houston Astros carry into the postseason but while we think about these moves, let us enjoy the fight for the best record in the American League.

Feel free to sound off in the comments section below Houston Astros fans and tell me how you feel the team should structure the postseason roster this season!

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