Castro didn’t always suck you know. I believe he was an All-Star that year and he was certainly a top 10 catcher for a chunk of his career . He slowed down the last few years but overall had a decent career
There are only 7 guys in the bullpen in a 6-man rotation that is generally going to pitch 5 or 6 innings. Using off days to get a starter in the pen won't decrease the rest to 4 days, but it will give most of the pen 2 days off in a row. I want both starters and the high leverage guys to be fresh for the postseason, and I see 2 rest days for the high leverage guys as more important than getting a 6th rest day for a starter. The Astros weren't the only team that ran a 6-man rotation. While I think it helps health a lot, it isn't a guarantee. If there was a guarantee or evidence that 6 days of rest caused by off days greatly reduces risk or injury, I would probably be for keeping a 6-man rotation all the time. If a guy needs more than 5 rest days, I'd prefer they send him to the IL and use a spot starter and a off day to keep others at 5 days rest.
Yeah your recollection of Jason Castro's career is way off. 2013 was it for him. We thought we had something special in Castro after that season but it just went downhill from there.
I think starters keeping in a routine is even more effective than extra rest. Every few decades, rotations expand and starters have more rest but it diesn't prevent injuries. There are likely even more. In the 19th century each team had a main starter who threw over 400 innings, a #2 who usually was at or close to 300 innings, a #3 who was over 250 innings, and a swing man or 2 who were likely to get 150-200 innings. By 1950 teams generally had 4 main starters then a swing man. The #1 and #2 still pitched well over 250 innings and all 4 pitched over 200. By 2000 most teams had a 5 man rotation with the best starters getting 225 innings, #2 and #3 usually getting 200 or so, and a noticeable step down for the #4 and #5 starter. In 2022 only 8 starters had 200 IP and only 1 had 206+. As often as not a starter goes less than 6 innings and many teams have experimented with a 6 man rotation. I believe it's all about routine and preparedness. The human body can take the innings as long as it's used to them. I hope the Astros identify 4 starters to pitch consistently with 4 days rest every turn and then identify 2-3 guys who will start the 5th game in a row when there is no off day. Rotate and piggy back them so they stay stretched out. If the team goes to a flat 6 man rotation the starters would inconsistently get 5-7 days off depending on the schedule. I think this could cause injury concerns when the team moves to a 3 or 4 man rotation for the playoffs.
Catching is rough. There just aren't that many catchers that are consistent year to year. There's a big drop from the great catchers to Castro, but there probably aren't that many catchers lately that had a better 5-year span than the one Castro had from 2013 to 2017 (though the ones that did, typically had a much better run).
And that is why it's so hard to try and force a talented hitter who has no desire to catch into that position.
The beauty of a six man rotation is when someone does get injured. They can go to a 5 man rotation with taxing the remaining pitchers.
The original post doesn't really fit my point. My point was that catchers have short careers, don't hit consistently, and likely have more post career physical issues than other position players. Castro had a 12 yr career but only 500 PA once and was physically unable to play by the time he was 35. I think Joe Mauer is a good comp for Yainer Diaz. Obviously we all HOPE he has the career that Mauer had but . . . By age 30, Mauer had 5 seasons of 5+ WAR, 4 silver slugger awards, winning an MVP and finishing in the top 10 3 other times. After that he could no longer physically catch and played 5 more seasons as a below average hitting* 1B never again getting 4+WAR, or over 11 HR or 71RBI. * FTR I say below average hitting 1B because while his OPS+ stayed in the 98-115 range, this is below average for a bat and power first position.
You can't compare the innings thrown in the 19th century to the 1950s, and you cant compare those guys to current pitching staffs. That's old man, "in my day" kind of thinking. "If only we had guys used to pitching more innings, they could do it." Back in the day you'd go to the bullpen to get the guy throwing gas who could light up the radar gun at 95-97 mph. Starters threw low 90s. A lot of them paced themselves, pitched to contact. It's a different game now. Every inning is much more high stress. The pitches being thrown are all more stressful on the arm. You're not going to "routine and preparedness" Lance McCullers into being a 200 IP starter. He's going to get hurt again if you do that to him. Same for some of the younger guys. Dusty used to ruin young pitchers on the Cubs by overtaxing them. I'm so glad we're past those days.
Work your magic, Dana. I was leaning a little towards Harris among the mentioned candidates for the job, but I do like Brown a lot. I also like how direct, assertive, and self assured he comes across in interviews.
My money would be on Javier being extended. I would consider Hunter Brown to be next most likely followed by Pena. I will be surprised if Tucker or Valdez is extended. If Tucker is extended it means that (for better or worse) Brown has convinced Jim Crane to abandon one of his guiding principles of team ownership.
