Dude's gonna be batting w/ a single digit avg w/ the way he's struggling. Yet Dusty keeps trotting his old ass out there almost every game
Not denying anything, but why wouldn't you let him take over Urquidy's starts, along with Brown's already, where he's had success, and work him in? Eventually let him catch one of the other guys once a bit (like he's not doing it in the bullpen sessions?), and work it in? The pitcher himself has a lot of say about this, so there's always that.
I beg to differ. I have heard some version of this for years and his production has gone down as age and injuries pile up. I think the #1 thing to get him out of the line up is a major injury - one bad enough where he can’t hold a bat. Last year he played through several severe injuries…. His pull was strong enough to get the manager and owner to talk the GM out of getting a top end offensive catcher (Contreras). The pitchers want Maldonado out there - the manager wants him out there and he wants out there. So unless injury or Brown steps in - I don’t see the catching situation changing.
I understand. I’m not in the clubhouse obviously - but it seems to me that Diaz should start 40-50% of the time and pinch hit for Maldonado but that isn’t happening. Maldonado has had a level of respect and admiration that is really rare. Listening to grown men, many with a sabermetric background gush about a catcher’s game preparation is weird after awhile. You would think with so many bats out of the line up that Diaz would make even more sense.
He takes for granted that we will win the division and thinks these games don't really matter Hopefully we will get healthy and be talented enough to make him right again He don't do this crap in the playoffs, but one of these days we won't just roll through the regular season doing whatever he wants and still win the division. Hopefully this isn't that year
But I don't think what you said is really different from what I was saying When I said he "can't" I mean we are pushing the ability to continue to win the division by putting him out there everyday I won't pretend to know what all of our starters want, but it would seem suspect to me that Brown didn't want him catching him, and Urquidy also. Urquidy has had one outstanding outing this year and Diaz was behind the plate. I'm not saying Urquidy don't like Maldanado catching him, but if he is insisting on not having Diaz catch him then he might need to reevaluate. Agree fully that his manager wants him out there as much as possible, and that injury or Brown stepping in will be the only thing stopping it, in fact I asked several pages back how much longer Brown was gonna hold off before insisting on a little more Diaz, or Salazar. Hell I have no idea who you are Nook, but i'd be fine with you starting back there tomorrow if the other choice is Maldanado
The GM has more of a say on lineups etc. come playoff time. I’m sure Brown will have that same thumb nudge on the scale. I also think Dusty knows he’s got to put away the odd ball management of the line up.
Letting Maldy hit late in games when losing just doesn’t make sense to me. And early in games when the 8th hitter gets on base with no outs, I wish they’d play small ball or something (yes, there was a disastrous bunt a few games ago, but still). Last season’s version of Maldy was a downright dangerous hitter compared to the 2023 version so far… And I think Diaz has shown a better arm behind the plate. I trust Dusty a lot, but I don’t think he can keep keep giving a free out every time through the lineup. I have no illusion of Diaz getting more reps, though. Maldy is like top 3 in games played for a catcher this season.
