The Astros signed an infielder Zack Short on a minor league deal, according to his MLB.com tracker. Chandler Rome of The Athletic confirmed the ACES client deal and that it comes with an invitation to major league camp.
Shorty, who turns 30 in May, has appeared in parts of four major league seasons. He worked as a shortstop, mostly for the Tigers. He was released by Detroit last winter and eventually bounced around the Mets, Red Sox and Atlanta, with the latter team cutting him from their roster in July.
He has played 538 major league games so far in his career. He drew walks in 12.3% of those but also struck out at a 28.6% clip. He hit 13 home runs but produced a .167/.269/.287 slash line for a 57 wRC+, which is 43% worse than the overall league average.
As one would expect, his minor league production was much better. He has pitched 966 times at the Triple-A level over the past four years. His 26.4% strikeout rate in that sample is still high but he also has a 16.4% walk rate and 25 home runs, leading to a combined .225/.361/383 batting line and 102 wRC+.
If Short could hit like that if he were to play in the big leagues, it would make him a useful player, because he already provides defensive options. He has more than 300 innings of major league career in three infield positions to the left of first base, as well as occasional appearances in the outfield. Bridging the gap between his big league offense and his minor league production could make him a solid bench/utility guy.
The Astros are currently a project to have left field to right field Isaac Paredes, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve again Christian Walker. They could have Mauricio Dubón in a relief role, but he may need to spend more time on the field, depending on how the club attacks that part of the roster in the coming weeks. Shay Whitcomb again Zach Dezenzo other options on the 40-man roster.
Short burned his last year in 2023, which is why he ended up in the league last year. That will make it difficult for him to focus on the list position or find it. But he’s still three years shy of using the term, meaning he could be kept out through the 2025 season if he’s able to finish the year on the roster.
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