The Houston Astros missed the postseason entirely this season, a shocking absence especially after the blockbuster move to reacquire Carlos Correa at the trade deadline.
Correa’s return to the Astros saw him man third base. With Jeremy Peña as the everyday shortstop and Jose Altuve playing more second base again at the end of the year, the Astros had a star-studded infield. Altuve, Peña and Correa are everyday players, so there were limited opportunities off the bench for depth pieces.
One of those pieces was veteran shortstop Zack Short. Short was designated for assignment after the Astros acquired Correa. He was sent outright to Triple-A Sugar Land. However, on October 2, he elected free agency.
Short unlikely had a path to a real role on the Astros’ big league team with Correa back in the mix. Short, who has five seasons of big league experience, has also played for the Tigers, Mets, Red Sox and Braves.
Short is a versatile infielder who can play shortstop, second base and third base. He also has limited innings logged in the outfield. He should be able to find a role in another organization where he may be able to play a role in the big leagues.
Short played in 56 games this season for the Astros. He slashed .220/.291/.380 with two home runs and seven RBIs. However, he will now test his chances in free agency.
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