You are looking way too high. I remember reading some article talking about Lucas Duda. That is the range where the Astros are going to shop. Decent bat who can play some field and otherwise DH for cheap. The Astros don't need to get a big name. They just need to improve on the margins and get some insurance against injuries.
Noooo!!! I mentioned Duda like 2 weeks ago and everyone argued about it for two weeks. I bailed after two pages and just came back to CF to visit today. Glad nobody died.
Oh, sorry, didn't see it just hidden at the end of that paragraph, thought you were talking about comps. lol I don't know who the Astros are going for but I'm going to assume it's going to be a "leftover" guy who got squeezed out of the market and wants a pillow deal. Duda fits that given how poorly he hit with the Rays. Fits the bargain bin profile.
I'm going to laugh my ass off if/when they actually sign Lucas Duda. Seems to be the bleacher favorite. I will still call it stupid unless they jettison Gattis.
I would not be opposed to jettisoning Gattis and getting Duda. I doubt Duda would play OF when he would be the best guy for the DH.
Still see Lucroy as the most talented player at a position of need that can be had at a reasonable price.
I couldn’t see him catching more than 30-40 games, as the coaching staff and starters credit McCann more than anyone that helped take the big step forward. It would be tough convincing him too sign and probably miss out on another 300 AB’s next season. Astros probably have too deal Gattis if they add another bat. I’m not sold on Lucroy, CarGo, Duda, etc being anything close to the production that Gattis will produce, even if he’s in his final year, will probably walk and could probably fetch a top 10 franchise prospect
McCann only caught 95 games last season. So getting Lucroy 70 games and 300 pa is no problem at all. Lucroy is used to getting 400+ pa and 100+g, so he may not be cool with playing 25% less than he has the last 2 seasons and 1/2 as much as he did at his peak. But if he could be sold on playing less as a way to preserve his body and put him in the best chance to win and put up good stats, it would be great. Plus, I don’t think they sign Lucroy unless it’s to a multi year deal, so he’d only be a part time player for 1 year.
If any of y'all have some free time today you MUST watch this Q&A with Hinch from last night. Some really funny/great stories about Morton, Bregman, McCullers and some of the other guys from last season and the playoffs. Really worth the watch.
Jonathan Lucroy seems like he'll get a big offer eventually. But if he doesn't a cheap deal would be a steal for the champs. If the Astros want to upgrade at catcher the real prize would be to trade for J.T. Realmuto. he's entering his prime (27 this season), under club control until 2021, should be about 3 million this year with arbitration. I know the Astros think pretty highly of Max Stassi and when I watched him in Corpus a few years ago he looked really good so maybe they are right and he is ready to step up. But if Max isn't preforming early maybe a mid season trade for JT could be the answer they need for 2018 and beyond.
As much as I'd love JT Realmuto on this team, the Marlins are holding him ransom. I doubt they would part with him unless we included Whitley or Tucker in the deal and the Astros are not trading Whitley or Tucker for JT... Our catching situation in 2019 could be ugly unless McCann can go another year or Stassi shows a meaningful step forward with more big league time this season. That's a problem for another day though... McCann/Stassi/Gattis will be more than sufficient for 2018.
I just assume we play out with the roster as constructed unless a deal to good to pass up comes upon us. Catcher doesn't concern me with McCann, Gattis, & Stassi. We can go after Yasmani Grandal next offseason to replace McCann.
Stassi has been good in what time he has gotten in the majors. It isn't as if he has come up and looked overmatched. A respectable 723 OPS in 89 PA across 5 seasons. Let Stassi have a go this year, see how Stubbs does in AAA. If none of our young guys are handling business, we can always trade for or sign a competent starter like we did with McCann. I do not believe this team should invest any significant resources in a catcher.
I think that is basically the reason why the team hasn't aggressively gone after Lucroy. Stassi looks to have a fair shot at doing everything Lucroy might do for the Astros, and then some. I'll be eager to see how Chuckie Robinson progresses as a catcher in the lower minors this season. Catching runs in his blood (father and grandfather were both pro catchers) so perhaps he could be a solution by 2020.
