2015 TCB Astros March Madness: Jed Lowrie vs. Joe Sclafani

Just a reminder; voting will stay open for 24 hours for each of these match-ups, and there will be two match-ups per day. For a complete breakdown, check out the introductory post if you haven't already. Here's a link to the first round's wrap up post (wherein you'll find the updated bracket) if you need it. Get those votes in while you can!

Round Two, Match Four

Jed Lowrie, SS

Lowrie is a common face for the Astros after taking a short leave of absence to join the Athletics and allow Trogdor to come into the Astros fold. Lowrie signed this off-season on a 3 year deal to bridge the gap between the current era and the Captain Correa era. Lowrie's defense at short stop may lack somewhat, but he allows the Astros to not have to rely on a repeat career year of Marwin or the infuriatingly inconsistent Villar. He also offers some competition for Matty D to contend with at 3rd base. This flexibility will allow the Astros to keep the left side of the infield productive. He also sports a great walk to strikeout ratio to help with the "K-Stros" not be so strikeout prone. I tried to secure a quote from Paul Clemens, in regards to Lowrie's bunting ability, but he could not or would not be reached. -- IrishPete

VS.

Joe Sclafani, 2B/3B/SS/LF/RF/DH

This is an aggressive ranking for a utility infielder, to be sure, but for those who give significant weight to a player’s floor and major league readiness, Sclafani delivers. Drafted in the 14th round in 2012 as a shortstop out of Dartmouth, Sclafani provides versatility in addition to a well-rounded skill-set that makes him a very strong utility infielder candidate in the majors - perhaps as early as 2015. -- Anthony Boyer