The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Brian McTaggart on Astros Lineup Decisions as Opening Day Nears

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

Brian McTaggart on Astros Lineup Decisions as Opening Day Nears

You loved it last week of Brian McTagher made his season debut with us, and now he's with us every Thursday again right now. Joining us from the West Palm Beach metropolitan area. Brian McTaggart, first of all, first good morning to you. Secondly, how bad was those for those field conditions yesterday in Jupiter? Yeah, I don't think they were super terrible. I mean, it was just sort of, it's right here for a couple of days, pretty much nonstop.

And so there was a drizzle during the game, so I just don't think they wanted to take any. chances. I mean, look at the lineup they had out there. I mean, they had pretty much their opening day lineup out there except for Jeremy Pena. So they just wanted to take zero chances. And when I saw Paredes come off the field in the middle of the third, I was like,

okay, I think I see what's going on here. And then Alvarez left and then Altuve and yeah, they just he wanted those guys, I think, to get four, five, three, four bats. They ended up getting just two, but they just didn't want to take any chances. So ironically enough, all the

Twitter nervousness is It was nothing, correct? Everybody's doing okay, no injuries report of as of this morning? Yeah, no injuries. Yeah, everybody. I mean, the Astros play a night game, so none of the players are here yet. They do have the spring breakout prospect game's about to start, but, yeah, the Major League Club hasn't even reported yet.

All right, before we get to the big picture on the current 26, tell me about Walter Yonick, and tell me where he is, where he's going to be, and is he slow to move up the Astros' organizational chart? Well, he probably opened more eyes here in this camp than anybody else, especially when it came to prospects. I mean, he really came in here and did a really good job. I think everybody knew what he could do defensively, the elite pop time, the arm strength. He showed all that, throwing behind runners at first base, showing off the arm. I mean, it's all there.

I think he's got major league ready defensive skills. Handled the pitchers pretty well. So they were really, really pleased with what he did. And then he swung the bat, too. Hit a home run, made more contact, just looked very comfortable up here against the pitching. So, you know, he's a guy that has spent pretty much the last two years, ever since he got drafted at high A. And so, yeah, he's going to start the season.

I would say at AAA Corpus Christi. He's from Corpus Christi, his hometown, so some home cooking. But I could see him in AAA by the end of the year. And, you know, who knows? I mean, we all know the Astros have a little bit of a. drop off in catching depth after Yiner but we could we could, I wouldn't rule out seeing him in the big leagues by the end of the year but I think

certainly next year he's in the big leagues. All right. Staying with the catcher's spot is Vasquez the leader in the clubhouse in your mind to be the number two catcher behind Yonnier? I wouldn't necessarily say that Matt I mean I think the fact that Salazar's been here all camp and he's

so he's so widely respected in the clubhouse by you know he's worked with these pitchers all spring you know he does swing a left-handed bat, although, you know, he hasn't swung much of a bat. I'm not ready to say this is Baskas' job to lose, so, you know, Christian's first game, I think, was over in Brayton the other day. He did pretty well. So I think right now it's a coin toss. It's 50-50, depending what they're looking for, but I'm not ready to rule out Salazar making

the opening day roster. Yeah, but either way, Brian, it just doesn't seem like a great option. I mean, Yiner Diaz came into camp with that foot sprain. Your one aggravation or any kind of injury away from having to put Salazar or even a Vasquez, who hasn't put up good numbers in a couple of years, out there every single day. I mean, how much of a lot, should alarm bells be going off? I mean, it feels like it's not necessarily something we're talking about every day, but you could be in a bad situation here with just one injury. Yeah, you could. I mean, they do have some depth with the position. You know, they got Carlos Perez, who's been in the big leagues, but I get it.

I mean, it's not, the drop off after Diaz is there's nobody. you'd feel comfortable with getting the everyday starts. But, you know, I'll keep an eye over the next week. Some guys are going to be getting cut from camps right at the end of camp. You know, maybe if there's a catcher that they like, who they feel maybe is a better option for their backup catcher. They can go and try to nab somebody off waivers or make a trade or whatever. But, yeah, it is a concern, but you're right.

They have to hope YonR. DS stays healthy at a position that's very demanding and you're one foul tip away from going on the IL. So I think it's something they're going to be keeping an eye on other team's rosters here for the next few days. Brian McTaggart with us here on a Sports Talk 790 covering the Astros for MLB.com. Tell me what you're seeing, hearing everything about Bryce Matthews in terms of his work in the field, at the plate, and what type of role he could possibly carve out. I know you had him making the roster in your projection. Yeah, I had him making the roster if Pena starts the season on the,

the IL, which I think right now, again, is probably a 50-50 proposition. He's supposed to grab a bat and start swinging this weekend, which leads me to believe that he might be ready for the start of the season. But, you know, Bryce has had a pretty good spring. You know, he's got a Homer driven in some runs. He's stolen some bases and drawn some watch, which they really like. If he makes this club, it'll be, obviously, is kind of a last guy off the bench. He can play some second if they have to, you know, maybe put Altuvae in D8.

He can certainly play center field as well. So I don't think he would get a ton of the bats. He's probably a better serve to go to AAA and then be ready for a call-up. They don't seem really motivated to play him at shortstop going forward, the position he was drafted at. But he's looked pretty good in the outfield. I mean, he's very athletic. We know he was a stark quarterback at a Tascata.

So he can certainly, he certainly has the athleticism to handle center field. Ryan McTaggart with us from West Palm Beach, our MLB. be Astros Insider with us every Thursday at 11 o'clock here on Sports Talk 790. Is Tedder Tremel fighting for a spot, or am I just looking at March numbers and going, man, a nice camp, but we know who he is ultimately. I think he's got a really good shot to make the team. He's not on the 40 man, so they have to create a spot for him. But if you look at the guys that are battling for those four outfield spots, I mean,

Jake Myers, of course, has made the team. I think Cam Smith has made the team at this point. He's had a pretty good spring, 871 OPS. Joey Loparfitos had a great spring. So I think he's a lot. So I think it'll come down to Tremel or Zach Cole. They both hit left-handed. Both have a little bit of pop.

Can both play all three outfield positions. But Cole just has not swung the bat very well this spring. He's six for 32 with 16 strikeouts, which I think is a big concern. So he hasn't even played a AAA yet very much. So I think Cole right now begins the season in AAA, and I think Tremel makes this team because he has had a solid camp. You do know what you're getting, but you also know what you're getting, and you know you can put him in any of those outfield spots.

He's going to give you some good defense, and he will give you a good at bat off the bench from the left side. When you said 16 strikeouts, my jaw drop. Brian, that's a terrible. That's a terrible number. It's 50%. I mean, and that was the thing on him coming up is he's very aggressive at the plate. You know, he swings hard, and when he makes contact, he hits the ball hard.

And he has hit the ball hard this spring, but he's hit the ball hard on the ground. But there's just too much swing and miss yet. So I know it's something that they're working on with him, but that's just a lot of swinging miss. So, yeah, I think he'll be in AAA, and they'll try to get that ironed out before we see him back up here. staying with the outfield Yordon's been pulled twice because of weather to play the outfield. How anxious

when you walk around the clubhouse is he's like, man, I got this glove, I want to use it. Is he getting enough working left field for his satisfaction? My guess is probably the answer is no to that. Yeah, I mean, he's done a lot of work on the backfields too. So Yoran likes to play outfield. I mean,

he would like to be out there a couple of times a week. When they sign him to that big contract. They didn't sign them as a DAs. They signed him as an outfielder. And, you know, he really likes to do it. Is he a great outfielder? No. Is he a butcher? No. But I think the Astros know

that they would like to get a little more athletic out there, which is, you know, kind of their goal with the way their outfield is configured right now. So we can still see him out here next few games. We only have, what, four games left here, a couple of Dikin Park. So he is going to play outfield this year, not a ton, but

yeah, we will see him out there. And he wants to do it. And I think Joe's going to keep them out there enough to keep them fresh in left field. You mentioned, or we were talking about Jake Myers and we were talking about the outfield earlier. It's funny to me, it was all offseason. It just seemed like an eventuality that he was going to be traded away. And then, of course, on the ESOC Paredes thing, I mean, is that, are we just assuming that neither or either of those trades are just not going to be made? Yeah, I mean, I thought all off season that Myers would get traded, and I wrote that several times.

I mean, I wasn't guessing. You know, these are things I was being told. I mean, they obviously were shipping him around. It didn't happen. You know, obviously they've tried to trade Paredes this spring as well. You know, the chances I keep getting told are slim is just, there's just a fine margin with what the Astros want in return. So, yeah, I mean, it looks like unless something happens,

we're a week from opening day, but this next week, like I said, is going to be, rosters are going to be changing here left and right. Some guys are going to get cut from teams. some teams are going to get desperate. You know, maybe somebody needs a center fielder and wants to make a deal with the Astros or maybe the Red Sox say, hey, we would like Paredes after all,

so maybe they can make a deal. So I would say more likely than not just because where we're at in the calendar that both Myers and Paredes are on the opening day roster, but some things could happen here in the next few days with other teams that could force the Astros maybe to make a deal and change their roster up a little bit as well.

Brian, final question. Any clarity to the back end of the Astros rotation? I think I've got a pretty good feel of one through three. How's my four, five, and potentially six look at this point? Well, what are your one through three? I'd probably go Hunter Brown, Javier, Emi, Burroughs makes four, so maybe I could go five, six. Help me out with five, six.

Yeah, I mean, Lance McCullough, Jr. is in this rotation. I mean, he's throwing the ball pretty well this spring. So I think he's in there. That's five, and then it comes down to Araggetti in that six spot. And I guess it comes, it's a question of whether do they open the season in a five-man rotation or a six-man rotation. And even if it's a five-man rotation, maybe Araggetti makes it in the bullpen. He throws a couple of times in long relief, and then it's put in the rotation.

but I think it's pretty clear who their five rotation guys are going to be with Erigeti being that six guy if they choose to go to a six-man rotation right now. So that gives them some pretty good options down in AAA after the season starts. I mean, they have Alexander down there, Colton Gordon's down there, J.P. France will probably be in that AAA rotation. So they've built this pitching depth. And so far it looks like it's done pretty well because the guys like Burroughs and E.E.P. my the additions to the rotation have been terrific and gratefully play. Could you see a scenario? I only said one question.

I'm giving you one more. Could you see a piggyback between McCullors and Erigating is maybe your first two guys on a night where those two guys are ready to throw and go in the same game? Yeah, I could definitely see that. Yeah, I think that's a real distinct possibility. And they're going to have a couple of guys in the bullpen, I think, that are going to be capable of doing those multiple innings. there's a guy starting tomorrow.

Peter Lambert, he's going to start the game tomorrow against the Marlins, who who is a non-rister guy, has big league time with the Rockies, but he's throwing the ball really, really well, nine innings. I think he might have given up one run and throwing the ball hard. So he's a guy that could give him multiple innings out of the bullpen. If Kay Wang Tang next the team, you know,

he started a game down here. He could also pitch behind another starter, throw two or three innings. So their goal is to have two or three of those multi-inning got. Ryan Wise is another one. Another guy who's thrown the ball really well. Another newcomer, a guy who wants to be a starter, but it looks like he'll be long relief from the pen. So, yeah, I don't think they'll call it a piggyback, but they have

lots of options where they can, if the starter comes out after five innings, they feel pretty comfortable about the guys coming behind them to get the ball to the ninth inning.