With Brandon Barnes' "Yes. No. Oh, yes." callup today, a corresponding move will have to be made. What will it be?
A lot of guys probably deserve to not have a major-league job, I'm of the opinion that Jordan Schafer should move on to a farm in Connecticut.
I don't have to tell you that Jordan Schafer hasn't played well this season. His .606 OPS is worst among all MLB outfielders - and that's with a .308 BABIP. His .302 SLG is 25 points worse than next-worst, Cameron Maybin. Also, keep in mind that the Astros currently officially have six outfielders on the roster (even though Matt Downs has been playing mostly infield). Adding Barnes, yet another outfielder, would leave at least six, potentially seven, outfielders on the active roster. Why bring the guy up if you're just going to sit him?
At this point, Schafer has 885 career MLB plate appearances, with a .224/.308/.304 line in those plate appearances. So his dismal season - worst among MLB outfielders - is only six points lower than his career line.
A similar case can be made for J.D. Martinez, Brian Bogusevic, and Ben Francisco. Maybe they'll be the ones on the move. But after 885 plate appearances, you should start to know what you have on your hands. Schafer has - by all accounts - been healthy for the first time this year. And, as the centerpiece in the Bourn deal, he may stick around to see if he can turn it around and act as the actual face of the franchise. Not the best face, but the most representative face, of the franchise.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
