HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 31: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros reacts to hitting a pop fly during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 31, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Astros insider gives update on Jose Altuve’s outfield transition.
What a bold move this would be for Jose Altuve and the Astros.
This offseason, the Houston Astros lost a key long-term part of their infield when third baseman Alex Bregman decided to sign with the Boston Red Sox in free agency. The Astros are a proud franchise that’s looking to continue in their winning ways despite undergoing a few roster transitions, most notably losing Bregman and Kyle Tucker in recent months, and star second baseman Jose Altuve is willing to do whatever it takes, including moving to left field, to accommodate for whatever the team needs.
Altuve has been playing at the keystone for his entire career, save for a few innings here and there where he moved to shortstop. Thus, a move to the outfield will represent quite a major change, especially for someone who’s racked up as much mileage in his MLB career as the 34-year-old has. Nevertheless, in the early days of Spring Training, it’s looking as though Altuve is transitioning quite well to left field.
“I’ve watched him the last four, five days in left field and he is certainly athletic enough to get to any of those balls. He’s been working out of left field for three weeks before we even got down here to Florida,” Brian McTaggart, Astros insider for MLB.com, said in an appearance on MLB Network.
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“I’ve watched him the last four, five days in left field and he is certainly athletic enough.”
@brianmctaggart details how Jose Altuve has fared adjusting to the outfield and how this move impacts Yordan Alvarez. #MLBTonight
5:02 AM · Feb 22, 2025
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McTaggart said that the Astros have been looking at a new positional home for Altuve after defensive metrics frowned upon his performance at the keystone in 2024. While the insider said that the 34-year-old does have the range to keep up, the major question is if his arm and whether it would be enough for him to be a positive performer at his new position.
“The biggest thing is the throws,” McTaggart added. “To his credit, Jose made a couple of really nice throws. A couple weren’t so nice. But he’s still sorted in what Joe Espada calls ‘Phase Two’ of this outfield situation.”
Astros to make Jose Altuve a full-time left fielder?
Oct 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros second base Jose Altuve (27) hits a single in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
It seems a bit odd for Jose Altuve to be making a full-time transition to left field in the 14th full season of his career, but the Astros’ moves seem to indicate that that would be the veteran’s new position for the foreseeable future.
McTaggart indicated that Altuve hasn’t been fielding ground balls in training, and it looks like Houston will be deploying Brendan Rodgers and his top-tier defense at the keystone to bolster that part of the team’s roster.
