The 2012 3b situation should be something worth tracking. Let's take a look at how it fleshes out in 2012.

At the AAA level, let's assume that one of three things happen: 1) C Johnson is forced to toil there; 2) CJ outperforms Paredes, who is sent back to AAA to work on things; 3) Paredes wins the job, but CJ refuses assignment, or some such thing, and we have an AAAA 3b at OKC. Where it gets interesting is at the AA level, given our top three 3b's not yet in the majors: Jonathan Meyer, Mike Kvasnicka, and Matt Duffy.

Let's look at their vitals:  Meyer:  DOB: 11/1990; Level: A+; OPS; .734 (.797 home; .675 road) ; ABs 468; BBs: 56; Ks: 122; HRs: 13 (6 home, 7 road) 

                                             Kvas: DOB: 12/1988; Level A; OPS: .716; ABs: 464; BBs: 44; Ks: 102; HR: 4: 

                                            Duffy:   DOB: 2/1989 : Level: A- OPS: .787; ABs: 235; BBs: 15 K's 41 HR: 2

None of these players have really distinguished themselves. Kvas, given how high he was drafted, has to be looked at as a looming disaster. Meyer is obviously the most promising because he's almost two years younger and already at a higher level. I don't think Kvas is going back behind the plate, given how many college bats we have behind the plate in the system, and that he'd probably block Pena.

Assuming that none of them go backwards, who do you put at AA? Meyer? Or do you keep Meyer at A+, and jump Kvas to AA? Meyer is supposed to be the best defensive player. The other two players supposedly have bats ahead of their gloves. What surprises me most about Kvas is how much he strikes out given how rarely he gets the ball out of the ballpark.

At any rate, lets hope Paredes can stick at 3b for the long haul, because the best of the three seems to be Meyer, who's still only 20, and whose growth and nurturing the Astros should treat as their top priority at this position. Let's hope that Kvas was Tal Smith's last black mark on the franchise.