After the official announcement Christian Walker Signed earlier today, Astros designated infielder Gray Kessinger Clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Walker (per Chandler Roman of The Athletic).
Kessinger, 27, was Houston’s second-round pick in the 2019 draft. Grandson of six-time All-Star Don Kessinger showed great hitting skills in college, hitting with a .330 OPS as a junior However, evaluators expressed concerns about his ability to keep up with major league pitching. There are also rumors that he won’t be able to play shortstop. In fact, Kessinger struggled at the plate in his first few years in the Astros farm system, and he played all over the infield as the organization looked to maximize his versatility.
After being promoted to Triple-A in 2023, Kessinger appears to be taking another step forward. He improved his walk-strikeout rate and posted an .832 OPS and 107 wRC+. That was enough to earn him a call-up to a major league club that summer. However, he failed to make an offensive impact at the major league level, going 8-for-40 with 12 strikeouts for a .614 OPS and 73 wRC+ in 26 games.
Despite his poor showing in the majors in 2023, Kessinger made the 2024 Astros Opening Day roster. He didn’t have a hit in 25 games. He reached base three times, batted once and struck out seven. To make matters worse, he also regressed at the Triple-A level. His OPS dropped more than 100 points from the year before, while his wRC+ dropped to a well-below-average 83 points.
Considering his struggles at the plate, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kessinger get a DFA. However, he can still provide value with his versatility — he’s played all four infield positions at the MLB level — and there’s bound to be a team that sees enough potential in the former second-round pick, thereby requiring him to be exempted from giving up. If not, the Astros will have the option of sending him straight to the minors and keeping him in the organization.
