Before Spring Training 2013, the Houston Astros traded shortstop Jed Lowrie to the Oakland Athletics for a package of three players headlined by Chris Carter, who has launched 66 homers in two seasons with the club. Today, Houston brought the 30-year old Lowrie back on a three-year deal that also contains a club option for the 2018 season. The contract is worth $23 million over three seasons, and can max out at $28 million if the option is exercised.
#Astros agree to terms on a 3-year contract with free agent SS/IF Jed Lowrie, General Manager Jeff Luhnow announced today.
— Houston Astros (@astros) December 15, 2014
Source: $23 million over three years for Jed Lowrie, with a team option that could bring it to $28 million.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) December 15, 2014
The team apparently intends to run Lowrie out as their every day shortstop, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Consider this – Houston’s third basemen cumulatively hit .212/.255/.321 in 2014, the worst mark in the majors. The team’s shortstops were downright competent in comparison, hitting .258/.302/.398, the seventh-best mark in baseball.
Yes, 23-year old Jonathan Villar has struggled in 145 major league games, hitting .224/.291/.338. But 25-year old Matt Dominguez hasn’t been much better in 357 career games – he’s hit .233/.275/.374, though has a pronounced power advantage over Villar.
Even after hitting a disappointing .249/.321/.355 with just six homers in 2014, Lowrie would be an upgrade over either player. Dominguez won’t be arb-eligible until after the 2015 season, so if he continues to disappoint, I’d be reasonably sure that the Astros would simply non-tender him and move in a different direction at the position. It’s looking like 2015 will be his last chance to establish value for Houston, and if he fails, Houston’s already got an in-house replacement before the beginning of the Carlos Correa era begins at short.
