HOUSTON -- Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow made it a point this offseason to add a few veteran players to the mix, whether that be on a major league contract or a minor league deal.
With 61 players (21 non-roster invitees) scheduled to attend Major League camp this spring, Luhnow attained his goal of creating depth and generating plenty of options for manager Brad Mills.
Luhnow and Mills expect a tremendous amount of competition to take place over the course of Spring Training at virtually all positions.
Although the majority of the Astros' Opening Day roster will be filled with youngsters, Luhnow intends to utilize some veterans that won't stunt the growth of those ready to start contributing in the majors.
Outfielder Jack Cust, catcher Chris Snyder and pitchers Zach Duke and Livan Hernandez represent a few of the veterans that will be expected to bring leadership and balance to the group of young players this spring and throughout the 2012 season.
Luhnow targeted these free-agent veterans this offseason for the purpose of bringing their strong presence into the Astros' clubhouse.
Plus, Luhnow wants to see them take care of business on the field.
"Adding players that have a performance history where they have done things in the past, and can help us now, was part of the equation," Luhnow said. "Players, such as Jack Cust, Livan Hernandez, Zach Duke and Jed Lowrie, for that matter, have done it at the big league level and proven they can play. We wanted to make sure that we added depth in every area, whether that's starting pitching, infield, outfield, etc. That was part of it.
"The other part of it was making sure we had enough choices, so that come late March, we are making decisions on who will be on that 25-man roster to start the year. We want a group that can help us get off to a good start, yet doesn't block our prospects or the players that are ready to start contributing in a meaningful way. It's really a balance. We want options and choices. We want to allow our young players to continue their development.
"There's a lot of value that veterans bring to our organization. Guys, like Livan, Jack Cust and so forth, have been in various organizations. They've seen young kids come and go. We like their presence and the way they go about their business. We had around 21 rookies play at some point last year, which is an incredibly high number. When you have that many young players on your roster, it's important to have some veterans surrounding them.
"That balance is something we're trying to get."
For the latest Astros news, click on the Subscribe button at the top of the page. Also, be sure to follow Houston Astros Examiner Stephen Goff on Facebook and Twitter, or email sgoff80@yahoo.com.
Comments