Not necessarily. Crane gets along with some really opinionated and vocal people, it all comes down to respect. Luhnow was very vocal with Crane… Reggie Jackson and Jeff Bagwell are also very vocal and can be combative. It really seem to come down to mutual respect.
There have been three guys who ever signed a $100M contract as a catcher. Mauer, Posey, Realmuto. A "top 10 catcher" hitting FA at 31 is going to collect anywhere close to that much as a FA, no matter how good he plays. The 10th largest catcher contract currently is Omar Narvaez. He's making $15M over two seasons.
I think that’s a reflection how rare it is for a good hitting catcher to hit free agency during their prime years. It’s not like they don’t get paid: Murphy $73M (pre-free agency) Realmuto $116M Grandal $73M Contreras $87M Perez $82M None of those guys projects to hit over .335 wOBA this season. Compare that to 1B who project to be similar quality of hitter. Mancini is the only recent free agent in that range, signing for $14M. 1B who hit .320-.330 wOBA don’t get paid squat. So my point stands and you’re fruitlessly picking nits.
I think you misunderstand the point. Catchers have a shorter shelf life. He’s never going to hit FA as a catcher in his prime, because catchers age in dog years. He may be more valuable to the Astros as a club controlled catcher. But he might preserve his ability to hit in his free agent years by playing a different position.
I don’t agree, and the examples I gave bear that out. But even if it’s true, him playing 1B would only extend his career as a middling player making relative peanuts. Like I said, take a look at the 1B who hit like he projects to; they don’t get paid in free agency. 1B/DH with barely above average bats end up on minor league invites or cheap 1 year deals. Even the top end of the comparison, a guy like Mancini who has a .362 wOBA season on his resume and has significantly higher career numbers than Diaz projects to have, doesn’t get paid. There is almost no financial upside in abandoning a more valuable position even if it extends your career. On top of that, that’s not even the choice. Guys move off of C to extend the second half of their career all the time.
Those aren’t examples, those are the total sum of the high end paid catchers. Those 5 guys. And name me the guys who moved off catcher in the second half of their careers whose bats recovered? It doesn’t happen. The damage is done. You don’t have to be an amazing 1B to get paid. Brandon Belt has made $95M over the course of his career.
Lmfao using Brandon Belt as not amazing and a comp for what you think Diaz will do. Dude has hit for a .351 wOBA over a 12 year career, about as good a hitter as Altuve and Tucker. Diaz projects for a .324, that is a huge difference in offensive production. For a better comp for Diaz as a 1B try guys like Justin Smoak or Rowdy Tellez or Seth Brown or Colin Moran; you know, guys who barely hang on in the majors.
Respect is not given, it is earned. That was Clicks problem. He thought it should have been given. It is the TITLE of GM which was given. It was an opportunity for respect. He was given another chance and he threw a fit for all to see. In the end, Click was his own worst enemy. Nook, you probably know if this outside perspective is close to the truth or not much better than me. I liked his trades and getting the right add ons like Montero and Diaz. But he still works for the owner.
This is the graceful way of candidates saving face when they know (or have already been told) that they aren't getting the role.
Yes, and this is nothing new..... he has been up and down when it comes to performance behind the plate. It has also led some in the organization to believe that it isn't coincidence. No one has ever questioned his intelligence and work ethic with a bat in his hand. I will be curious to see where he goes from here. Despite not having huge homer numbers in the lower minors, he has exceptional power and adjusts really quickly. Reminds me a lot of Carlos Santana.
