The Astros have designated first baseman/DH Tyler White for assignment, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com tweets. Right-hander Jose Urquidy will come up from Triple-A Round Rock to take White’s 25-man roster spot.
An Astro since they chose him in the 33rd round of the 2013 draft, White made his major league debut in 2016, during which he struggled in a small sample of work. However, White showed flashes of excellence from 2017-18 – a 304-plate appearance span in which he slashed .277/.349/.531 (140 wRC+) with 15 home runs.
Houston’s hope was that White would carry that production over to this season in a larger role, but the 28-year-old has instead been one of the worst regulars in its lineup. Prior to his designation, White hit .225/.320/.330 (81 wRC+) with three homers in 253 trips to the plate. Most of the right-handed White’s struggles have come against opposite-handed pitchers, who have held him to an unplayable .162/.267/.243 line in 86 PA.
White has seen a significant amount of action at first and DH this year, but he ran out of rope with the Astros having begun to get injured players back recently. A healthy Astros club will boast Yuli Gurriel at first, Yordan Alvarez at DH, Jose Altuve at second, Carlos Correa at shortstop and Alex Bregman at third. Correa has been out since late May with a fractured rib, while backup infielder Aledmys Diaz has been down for the same amount of time on account of a strained hamstring. Their absences have led the Astros to often deploy Gurriel at third and Bregman at short. However, both Correa and Diaz should return to Houston’s roster soon. Meanwhile, reserves Myles Straw and Tony Kemp have fared much better than White this season.
White could land with another team via trade or waivers within the next week, but the fact that he’s out of minor league options might work against him. If White passes through waivers, the Astros will have an opportunity to outright him to the minors. Should Houston lose White, though, he’d become the second once-promising first baseman/DH to exit the organization this month. The Astros previously designated AJ Reed, whom the White Sox claimed.
Many many weeks overdue.
Weeks? More like Months over due
Many, many weeks is also months
Many weeks could also mean a score.
This reply is pure gold
Indeed
I want to celebrate, but then they said Jose Urquidy was taking his roster spot…
Jose Urquidy is actually decent though
If only they had one of the top prospects in baseball they could bring him up.
When?? He’s been terrible thus far.
Tucker got off to a rough start but has been alright.
Tucker is not a pitcher. Whitley is, and has struggled
Tucker has been great this year, Alvarez was having a monster year though in AAA. Wish Tucker had been getting reps at 1B earlier in the season, he’s been getting some time over there the past couple weeks finally.
Tucker has no place to play.
When he comes up, it will be to play everyday just like Alvarez.
As long as Brantley and Reddick are on the roster and healthy Tucker has no place to place.
I like Reddick but he is just average on the baseball field. It would be great if the Astros traded him for a midlevel prospect or inning later bullpen help.
Reddick is blocking Tucker now and next year, unless he is traded.
But the team loves his intangibles so will not trade him.
Reddick is actually a well above average fielder with a very above average arm. Now he is blocking Tucker for the next 1 1/2 years, but Tucker holds a higher trade value as well.
You are absolutely right.
And despite that and playing everyday is 15th on the Team in WAR.
His OPS+ is 98, just like it was last year. 100 is average.
Really–since when is hitting 269 at AAA
considered great?
Bregman is hitting .268 and he has been great.
Batting average is an outdated stat that nobody cares about anymore.
Tucker got off to a very poor start, but since May 1st (over 2 1/2 months- or 1/2 the season) he has been great.
If AVG is your stat of choice, that is .306.
If you prefer stats that matter- 40 extra base hits, including 20 homeruns.
17 stolen bases at 89% success.
.394 OB%, .637 SLG =1.031 OPS
1-2 BB/K ratio and 28% K rate.
That is great
Tucker has already proven he can’t play in the majors he may do well in the minors but he’s no big leaguer so the Astros should trade him now before his value goes down when the rest of the teams figure it out. He’s not better than any outfielder we have at the moment.
Our long national nightmare is over.
Maybe next week will help.
I was hoping for a new pitcher to be named…
Maybe him for Harvey or Bumgarner/Smith along with Whitley/Fisher or Tucker and so on.
Smith and Bumgarner for Kyle Tucker? No thanks. Maybe for Smith alone. And no way anyone trades for Harvey. No one will pick up his salary. They’ll have to wait til he clears, then sign him, but he’s compete trash.
Astros would probably have to include Bregman for Bumgarner huh?
Astros wouldn’t trade Tucker for Bumgardner straight up, much less Smith. He’s a top 3 prospect in all of baseball.
I don’t understand why everyone is so high on tucker he’s already proven he can’t play with the big boys he may do well in the minors but that’s exactly where he belongs. Astros should trade him for another arm
If the Giants get offered Tucker for Smith and Bumgarner Zaidi would take it and run
Apparently you totally missed where the original poster sought Harvey, and that somehow white could be a trade piece. If Giants do trade Smith and Bumgarner, it’ll be for nothing less than 2 top ten prospects for those teams and 2 more top 20 prospects.
I agree, unless an elite level prospect like Tucker is the center piece of the trade and then the return won’t be that generous. If the Astros do trade Tucker, they could get a better return themselves than Bumgardner/Smith.
Yes but Angels don’t need a 1B.
White isn’t a 1B, maybe a 2B at best.
I wasnt repying to that. It was to your notion of no thanks to Tucker for the Giants pitchers. With how barren the Giants OF is getting Tucker for 2 soon to be free agents would be a massive win for their rebuild. SF is not getting that much for rentals
A three way trade solves this discussion…
Houston receives:
Will Smith
Pablo Sandoval
Matt Harvey
Angels receives:
Tyler White
Madison Bumgarner
San Fran receives:
Yordan Alvarez
Kyle Tucker
Forrest Whitley
Mike Trout
No way this trade happens without SF also receiving Hank Aaron and Lou Gherig.
LOL yah you need to balance out that 3-way trade with Bregmann, Altuve, Correa, and Cole going to SF too.
San Fran probably will have to take Harden too
And DHop.
In what world is he a 2nd baseman?
He’s not, but he’s also not a 1B. I guess ideally he’s a DH, but he’s a DH that can’t hit.
Houston’s side looks right. I think that if Anaheim was going to trade Trout, they’d want a reliever too. Maybe Sam Dyson. They can probably get him if they send a throw in to SF, such as Shohei Ohtani… Much better.
Yeah, you’ll get Lindor and Kluber.
The Angels cut Harvey Loose–why would the Astros want him?????
Hahahahaha… they don’t!
Jd Davis was the right one to keep in that role.
JD Davis was a spare part of a very talented team. Astros can easily trade for a productive 1b.
J.D needed regular playing time. and hes getting it with the mets, as an Astros fan I was very happy when it was announced the Mets got him. because I liked the guy and knew he was getting a real chance.
I agree completely.
JD looked like a AAAA player prior to this year. it was a tough call for a deep team, but probably only the right one in hindsight.
Please Tigers, it can’t get any worse.
Oh but it can…
Slash line of .225 /.320 /.330… he’d be the tigers new cleanup hitter.
I’d like to see the Blue Jays give him a shot. They don’t have any big 1B prospect he’d be blocking, and a little competition for Rowdy Tellez wouldn’t hurt. Plus, Smoak will probably be traded within the next week and a half or so anyway.
Maybe Stroman or Sanchez going back in deal.
I see a cycle of Grichuk, Teoscar and McKinney playing 2 OF positions plus DH with the odd Brandon Drury sprinkle. Unless traded.
Will be interesting to see who takes Smoak or if he’s traded. Plummeting stock unfortunately.
I’d like to see WeightWatchers give him a shot. The guy is lazy and could lose 30lbs to become a productive pro
Can I get an amen.
I agree. I see Blue Jays taking a shot. Especially with the likelihood of Smoke being traded. I see a Smoke to Boston trade honestly.
I was never down on White, he kinda proved he could hit last year. He needs to lose weight, and find his power swing, or really, any swing at this point.
Everyone knew it was coming. Can’t say that the Astros didn’t give him every opportunity.
this guy does have talent. hopefully getting some more starts in a team like DET or MIA can put him back on track.
I have a feeling if he goes to Detroit he is going to become that guy that the White Sox can never get out. Like he could be in a 3-27 slump and have 3 straight 3+ hit games against them.
The guy has a conditioning problem which has affected his game. He is easily 20-30 lbs heavier this season versus last, and he can’t seem to get his bat around quickly anymore. When you have access to first class fitness facilities, dieticians, etc., there is zero reason to be obese. He is a paid professional athlete and his clear lack of desire to be fit has led to his current situation.
20-30? I’d say 50
I was trying to be nice, for once. It’s frustrating to see someone with invaluable resources (dieticians, fitness gurus, world class fitness centers, etc) completely waste it. And worse, let his career suffer/end because of it.
Blue Jays need him so they can replace Justin Smoke after Smoke gets traded to the Red Sox.
That makes no sense. The Sox have Chavis and Travis. Pearce and Moreland will be back eventually.
Travis is solid as a platoon first baseman vs lefties. And Chavis plays first vs righties allowing the Sox to keep his bat in the order while allowing left handed hitters Marco Hernandez and Brock Holt to play second. Smoak would take a roster spot thatand not be an upgrade. He Would also take away their bench because when he takes a roster spot, he us limited to DH and first.
He would also put the sox over the luxury tax… Finally, the Sox offense has not been the problem. The pitching has been the problem. Smoak does not solve the issue.
About time. Diaz at first until Correa gets back. Taylor Jones looks good at AAA.
Jones is quietly having a great season. It would be nice if he develops into a legit prospect as Gurriel is 35 and only under contract I believe for one more year.
Gurriel is still the first baseman
What this does is change the infield dynamic and depth
Instead of Gurriel having to play third, because Bregman has to play short, Diaz can play short allowing Gurriel and Bregman to play the corners
Although Diaz playing first, Gurriel third, and Bregman short might be a better defensive alignment
Would rather see Gurriel to first keeping Straw at short full time until Correa returns. He’s got the tools, he’s only missing the reps. If memory serves, Diaz is on a 1 yr. Could run with a utility combo of Straw taking left side while Kemp man’s the right and both helping in outfield.
Diaz still has 3 arbitration years. Free agent in 2023.
Damn you memory!!
Do you think Tyler White may be deemed the most unattractive player… The player most likely to remain in the system and not be picked up by other teams or major trade bait…
Yes.
it’s telling when my wife, whose only exposure to baseball is when I’m watching it, gasped at the sight of his physique and said something to the effect of “don’t professional athletes exercise?”
The successful ones do.
Sabathia.
Dom smith Noah Syndergaard for Whitley and tucker
Astros don’t have a need for Dom Smith, and that is an unfair trade on the Astros side. Trade has to really hurt BOTH sides to be equitable.
Syndergaard is having an average season and Gurriel is considerably better than Smith. Tucker is an elite prospect and Whitley is a year removed from the same status.
Tucker and Whitley are both off the plate regarding trades but that does not mean the stros do not have talent in the farm or sitting on the bench that cannot help another team and who knows the law of averages has to sit in and at some point a couple may become all stars at some point. Two of the position young players traded in previous year or so are producing like Moran for the Pirates etc. I think everyone focuses on the rankings and miss the diamonds in the rough. Thereis no doubt a tony Kemp and a Fisher cannot be very productive and successful on another team. They are bottle necked here. There are pitchers as well other position players in the farm that can help another ball club and develop into stars in this league the stros have a deep farm.
I wouldn’t count out a trade of Tucker, but Whitley is currently untradable. The Astros definitely have a good system of prospects to offer in trade should there be a good fit for a starter arise.
I don’t think Tucker is off the table any more. Whitley probably still is, particularly with his drop in value. They’ll hope to turn him around.
I have had 1st base angst all season but what helps is looking at Corpus. Beer can’t be far off. Besides a strong potential solution on the field he has unlimited potential for beverage humor.
“Come to Minute Maid to watch Beer”
They really need to give Beer #30. I’d buy that jersey.
Excellent
I think Jose Urquidy will eventually be one of the best RPs in MLB.