Front-runner emerges to be Astros' next clubhouse DJ

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Astros clubhouse inside CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches has been eerily quiet in the first week of Spring Training. Sure, there’s the din of players going about their business and talking in groups in different corners, but one thing that’s normally a staple has been missing: music.

For years, it was George Springer who filled the Astros' clubhouse with sound, turning it into “Club Astros,” complete with smoke and strobe lights after games. Alex Bregman took it from there, but when he left the same song playing on repeat for an hour, his DJ days were done. Enter Kyle Tucker, who hooked up his iPad to the clubhouse audio system and let the music flow. But when he was traded to the Cubs, his playlist went with him.

So as the Astros spend the next four-plus weeks trying to determine whether Jose Altuve is a viable option in left field and which pitchers will step up in the bullpen, the process of identifying who will take over as clubhouse DJ is a looming question.

“We got to pick a new one,” Altuve said. “We’ll see. It won’t be me, but maybe [Mauricio] Dubón or Jake [Meyers]. Not Chas [McCormick], for sure.”

Altuve said having a good mixture of music is the key to keeping a clubhouse that has players from the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras and South America entertained.

“They need to play some Latin music, some country music, some rap -- everything, depending on the day,” he said. “That’s what makes it good, so hopefully we can pick a guy who can mix it up for everybody.”

The next DJ must be chosen carefully. When asked whether he was ready to assume the role, second-year pitcher Spencer Arrighetti said, “Absolutely not. That’s not my job! I’m waiting for somebody else to do that, to be honest. I’ve been asking that question, ‘Hey man, who’s the music guy now?’ Maybe Dubón, maybe Yordan [Alvarez]. Who knows? Tuck was the vibes guy, for sure. He was a lot of things, but he was the vibe guy, for sure.”

Veteran first baseman and first-year Astro Christian Walker, who was a leader in the Arizona clubhouse, said he would be more willing to put in his playlist if he’s asked. But he warned that his library is a vast one.

“It can get weird if we’re not careful,” he said. “I’m down. I like that stuff, for sure.”

Astros manager Joe Espada, a music fan himself, said he would step in and help the players make a decision if he was forced to, but one name keeps emerging as the right choice.

“I like Dubón,” he said. “Dubón’s playlist is pretty solid. I’m voting for Dubón. I think I have a little bit of weight I can throw in there.”

Dubón, the Honduras native who spent his teenage years in Sacramento, Calif., appears to be the favorite to assume the duties, but the sound of silence remained Tuesday morning.

Tucker had a knack for striking the proper tone of the day, whether it was a Latin mix before a Wednesday game against the Padres, hip-hop on a Friday in Seattle or country prior to a Sunday against Texas. Few things can get players going like a hyped pregame playlist.

“I got a good mix in Spotify,” Dubón said. “I’ll try it and hopefully I make everybody happy.”

There is no doubt in the mind of shortstop Jeremy Pe?a that Dubón is the man for the job.

“I think Dubón’s the clear choice,” he said. “Dubón’s a very outgoing person and he has a great mix. He hits every culture, he hits every genre of music. He listens to everything, so I think Dubón’s the clear pick for DJ.”