Smith to get reps in RF in effort to make Opening Day roster
This browser does not support the video element.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Cam Smith, the Astros top prospect who¡¯s impressed the club this spring with how well he¡¯s swung the bat, will get some games at right field in Grapefruit League action sooner rather than later, manager Joe Espada said Tuesday morning.
¡°It¡¯s going to happen fast,¡± Espada said.
So much so that Smith said he was scheduled to play five innings in right field on the back fields Tuesday at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, where his work was monitored by former Astros outfielder Michael Brantley, who is helping out for a time at camp. Smith said he¡¯s been practicing in right for the past few days in anticipation of getting to play in games. He is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut at the position on Thursday during one of Houston's split-squad games against the Cardinals and Marlins.
¡°Honestly, it¡¯s fun,¡± Smith said. ¡°Learning something new is always fun and I think this is a whole other opportunity for me, opening a whole new door for me. It¡¯s good to learn something new every day, honestly, because that¡¯s the goal as ballplayers, to get at least one thing you can go home and say, ¡®Hey, I learned something new today.¡¯¡±
Smith, a third baseman, is 9-for-17 with two homers and five walks this spring and has made such a strong impression that the Astros are trying to find ways to carry him on the Opening Day roster if he keeps producing. With Isaac Paredes as the starter at third base, Smith¡¯s avenue to the roster could be in right field.
¡°He¡¯s looked good in the drills,¡± Espada said. ¡°Again, the big test will be once we put him in the game and get him around the elements -- getting base runners running around the bases and now he has to make decisions. We¡¯ll see how that goes.¡±
This browser does not support the video element.
Smith has only 19 professional at-bats above High-A ball, so putting him on the Opening Day roster would be a remarkable leap for a player who turned 22 years old last month. Many in the Houston organization believe he has the makeup and the skills to make that jump. What¡¯s more, general manager Dana Brown likes to push prospects quickly.
¡°I¡¯m going to try to do anything I can to be in that position, but I really can¡¯t control that,¡± Smith said.
Smith (ranked as the No. 58 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline) was the No. 14 overall pick in last year¡¯s MLB Draft by the Cubs, who dealt him and two other players to Houston in December for outfielder Kyle Tucker. Smith performed well in his professional debut, slashing .313/.396/.609 in 32 games combined between Single-A Myrtle Beach, High-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee. He only saw time defensively at third base, while also starting eight games at DH.
This browser does not support the video element.
Tucker was the Astros¡¯ starting right fielder last year, and his departure meant Chas McCormick was set to take over as the starter in right. McCormick had a down season at the plate last year, slashing .211/.271/.306 with five homers and 27 RBIs in 94 games at all three outfield spots. He was on the injured list twice last year and was briefly optioned to Triple-A in August.
McCormick was 2-for-13 with six walks in Grapefruit League action entering Tuesday¡¯s game against the Mets at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Smith, meanwhile, walked in his first two spring plate appearances before hitting a pair of home runs Feb. 25 against the Mets, marking his introduction to Astros fans. He had a three-run triple March 3 against the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla., and was 1-for-4 in his most recent spring game Monday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.
¡°I think competition creates opportunities and he¡¯s taken advantage of the opportunities and things have changed,¡± Espada said.
This browser does not support the video element.
Smith said last month the trade took him by surprise, but it meant he would get to spend Spring Training living at home with his parents. He went to Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington, Fla., which is about 20 miles from the Astros¡¯ training facility.
If Smith makes the Opening Day roster, all three players the Astros received for Tucker -- Smith, Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski -- would make the club out of camp. Those three players have 14 years of team control remaining, whereas Tucker is set to become a free agent after this season.