The Drive's Clint Stoerner and Ron Hughley are skeptical of the idea of Jose Altuve at left field. They hear from him for the first time at Astros spring training.
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00:00Jose Altuve speaks and as the as the fellas are kicking things off he's
00:08reported to spring training in West Palm Beach. Check out the fellas from the
00:13morning show Pain and Pendergast they will be heading down there soon later
00:17on this month to bring us great coverage and we will talk to those guys down
00:22there when that occurs coming up soon but a couple of things here with Jose
00:28Altuve is he is in West Palm getting getting ready for the season and a
00:34couple of things he had to say one this is a this is Altuve speaking speaking
00:41of when when the thought of playing left field occurred when that topic started
00:48when did you guys start having like the conversation in earnest that this could
00:52happen after the season after after the season then he he kind of elaborate a
01:01little bit more talking about I'll come from Alex Bregman and potentially being
01:09able to keep him here no in the beginning was for Bragi and then you
01:12know just keep the plan I guess I mean I'm trying not to make this a big deal
01:17of focus go somewhere else and prepare for the season and win so I think that's
01:23the main thing you know I want to get rid of this left field conversation try
01:28to answer every question possible and then just move on and start preparing
01:31for what we all cared about which is you know preparing for the season to start
01:37winning I agree with you Jose I would like to get rid of the left field
01:41conversation as well yes and just stop doing it but now Clint they're dead-ass
01:46serious there's videos of it I've watched multiple videos of him catching
01:51catching fly balls doing work in in the outfield and it feels like this thing is
01:59is serious and it's continuing even though Bregman has already signed in
02:04Boston that's the part that get me it got real for me last week wrong when you
02:09were out we had a conversation Robert Flores of MLB Network came on the show
02:12and Robert was uncomfortable with the conversation as well by the way he was
02:16like oh I don't know about a left field man I don't know but but he did say
02:20something that caught my eye he did elude to and I don't put words in his
02:24mouth but I'm like some paraphrasing a little bit but he alluded to the fact
02:28that he knows the Astros are concerned with his inability ultimately to play
02:33second base at a high enough level like they're concerned about his his play at
02:37second base Brandon Scott who was in your chair goes in did does some digging
02:41he finds several stats where I mean he was at second base and so while again
02:49not that I agree but it's one of those I don't need to agree I just need to see
02:53your method to the madness now if this is a we got to upgrade our defensive
02:58second base and we're trying to find a way to keep our two-base bat in the game
03:01in the regular season because in the postseason you always DH him and put
03:05you're not in left field you know that part of it but they're trying to keep
03:08his bat in the game and have some fluidity to the DH position then that
03:13makes sense but but Robert Flores got me thinking Ron of at least I can see now
03:17where the thought of hey put him under let's see what he can do is at least an
03:22except when I first heard it I was like you gotta be kidding me this is just
03:25this is silly this is peewee league stuff and hell it may still be but if
03:29second base is that big of a trigger you know a problem for him then maybe maybe
03:35that's that's to to to blame for what's going on yeah I listen they know they
03:40know better than we do as they're there I I don't know you watch every Astros
03:46game Chris you watch every Astros game you all did like I didn't I think I
03:52never came came away from things like man out to vase plants so poorly at
03:56second baseman this is costing them games I mean I like I like it just I
04:02just never watched it thinking like it's it's and again they know better
04:07than we do to where it's like a man we got move this Joker cuz cuz cuz who
04:12would be put who is the person jumping in to play second base do bond like who
04:17I don't know I don't know like who is now the thing's not another infielder
04:21right like I mean I think do bond is a really good
04:26defendant as well but I mean I just like that that part like I don't know like
04:32someone just texted why do you care run let him play left field I don't know I
04:36just I guess I did the Bregman thing made sense all right maybe maybe we'll
04:42slap parades over there and Bregman will play third and you're just trying to get
04:46the best lineup and and try to see if you can find a way to slide him in and
04:50he's gonna be the one to sacrifice for the lineup now that he's gone to me DH
04:56in second base like that like you got like all right like to me it's like
05:03all right man if you want to get him some rest he'll let him DH and puts
05:06your time in left field ever ever so often then it's just saying man we're
05:10gonna run him out there and left field have the bond play second like I don't I
05:16don't know I don't I don't know I don't but this thing is dead this is damn this
05:20is damn serious like if you're looking at my mind I'm like yeah I'd rather have
05:24you're not out there in left field and then if he needs a day off or needs a
05:30rest off to let him DH I'd much rather have yeah then to have him go and play
05:36in left field I a similar thing Tony Gwynn said it may lengthen his his
05:40career and save his legs from playing second base but I don't know man I since
05:48when Bregman was potentially getting himself in the lineup I don't know about
05:52it now yeah look I mean to be honest with you the defense stuff is blown out
05:57of proportion the only way I for me personally the only way I can look at it
06:00is is okay if you want to talk defense whether it's a two-base elite glove in
06:07centerfield whatever you want whatever however you want to couch it right the
06:11conversation there is is not boy it's throughout the regular season it's gonna
06:15it's gonna save you this many games or this many runs the the conversation
06:19there is when you get into a playoff run does it end up costing you game can
06:24it can it save you a run here there does it does it how much of a risk are you
06:28taking trying to mitigate as much risk as we possibly can by making sure guys
06:31are in the right position look at you you know where I am with this defense
06:38stuff I think it's all over it it's all over time like I think we're gonna miss
06:41Bregman at third base I don't think the Astros aren't gonna make another run to
06:45an ALCS or World Series because of Bregman's glove is in Boston rolled in
06:49Pete Rose did it help I help Craig BGO caught let him catch that let's have some
07:02fun with it like why not no it's just it's it's an interesting thing we'll see
07:08what uh what happens I do I do think they're serious and I think there's a
07:13chance we see Jose Altuve play games in in in the outfield