When the Houston Astros announced they were moving Jose Altuve to left field, they may have had to try to sell the change as a means to tighten up their defense. While that may have been a side benefit that kept them on the course, the decision was really made as a convoluted gambit to try and woo Alex Bregman back while making the pieces of Altuve, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, and Bregman all fit together.
When it was decided that Brendan Rodgers, a player who struggled to hit in the league's most hitter-friendly environment, would be Altuve's successor at second, it became clear that the plan was doomed to fail.