Jose Altuve in LF? He speaks from Astros spring training

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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.

Transcript

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

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