Clint Barmes was dubbed the starting shortstop nearly five months ago. He and Bill Hall were supposed to revamp Houston's middle infield, or at least create a facade to investors to cover up last year's train wreck.
↵And while Barmes recovers from his wrist injury, Angel Sanchez will once again try to prove his worth to this ball club.
↵Sure, Clint Barmes is an improvement when it comes to name value, but you've got to wonder which shortstop gives the Astros a better chance at winning.
↵Angel Sanchez held more than his own this weekend in Philadelphia, batting .333 against the deadliest three-man rotation this league has to offer. And of the eleven runs the Astros scored this weekend, Sanchez scored four times and knocked in another run. Only Carlos Lee was accountable for more runs.
↵A three game series is an awfully small sample size, so I'm not fretting yet. But let's not throw away Sanchez's last year, either.
↵No, Sanchez won't bring power to the plate, and yes Clint Barmes did hit 23 dingers back in 2009. But in 2010, Sanchez hit .280 as opposed to Barmes .235, and had an OBP of .316 as opposed to Barmes .305. Barmes may be the sexier pick, and who knows, hopefully he can return to his 2009 form.
↵But I wouldn't remove Sanchez from the lineup just yet.
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