Not sure how much calling of the game is done by either catcher... especially with runners on base, usually the calls are coming from the dugout. Either way, its very rare that catchers have unilateral control of every pitch that's being decided... its either dugout/pitcher or pitcher/catcher.
You understand that Gattis gets run on the same as Castro, and that they have similar CS% for their careers.
But that AAAA pitch framing?!? How many teams have cut Conger so far this year? 3? You told me I was "biased". I just want a good "catcher". Gattis is a stud with the stick and I hope he can improve with the glove. Get a good backup. How many games can Gattis catch?
That was a Luhnow call. Yes, you are exceedingly pro-Castro. He's doing 2-3/week now.... but he's also routinely DH'ing the games he's not catching. Does getting a better DH change that? I agree, his knees will only take so much before he will break down like he did in ATL.
Hah! Castro at least has some skills behind the plate. I was aggressively anti-Conger from the get-go because he was really, really terrible. Ausmus and AE were great as long as the rest of the lineup did their jobs. I feel the same now with CF and C.
And at the time, Conger was also hitting better than either Gattis or Castro vs. RH pitching. There's also the fact that while Castro's bat remains horrid... his skill behind the plate are starting to erode as well. Sure... either have a pitching staff of Oswalt, Clemens, Pettite... with Lidge as a closer. OR Get a lineup with HOF-caliber Berkman, above-average Bagwell, all-star caliber Ensberg, All-star caliber Jeff Kent, above-average Biggio, all-star caliber Beltran... and certainly you can have a Everett/Ausmus duo (who still were, surprisingly enough, better both offensively and defensively than the two you mention now).
You had to use the guy who plays the CATCHER from the sandlot, didn't you? You're OBSESSED with catchers!!!
Didn't he come into this season much lighter than previous years so that he could catch more? http://m.mlb.com/news/article/162880200/evan-gattis-loses-weight-to-be-more-versatile/ I don't know if he's maintained it or how much it helps, though.
I know, and I said it was a dumbass move within 1 month of watching Conger. I also said at the time he should have DH'd more, because that was all he brought to the table. Pro-Castro in the sense that I'd rather have gonohrrea than herpes.
I doubt they exercise Neshek's option, even though he pitched ok. $6M is a pretty steep amount for a mid market team to pay a righty specialist middle reliever. I will be shocked if they don't pick up Gattis' option.
You don't think Luhnow could get even a bag of peanuts in trade for Neshak (without having to pay any of his 2017 salary)? Because if he can, then it'd be worth picking up Neshak's option. My guess is that Luhnow picks up Neshak's option while continuing to try to trade him. He can probably get either some low-A lottery ticket prospect and/or a little cash for Neshak from SOMEONE.
I would be fine with them calling up Jake Rogers to be their defensive backup catcher. Just because Astros hitters have a tough time cracking .200 doesn't mean a farmhand like Rogers will be a 0.150 hitter or something. I expect anyone with a modicum of experience at the NCAA level to be able to hit better than a pitcher. Rogers should be fine with his bat in a backup role, if his defense is as good as they say it is.
