Only issue is that when verlander pitches, lots of fly balls, so don’t really want yordan in LF.. That being said, screw these pitchers, none of them save Verlander should get a say, their numbers aren’t good enough, and hell, their numbers are better this season when Diaz catches them. Diaz is better than Maldonado as a DH, Diaz is better than 90% of the MLB when he’s also playing the field. He hit a homer, had 2 rbis out of 4 runs, caught 2 runners stealing and a runner trying to tag up. It’s ridiculous he is being sat for someone who might as well be me out there.
I expect Yainer will get better at hitting while not in the field, but short term I'd be leary of just putting him at DH most games because the other catcher and other 1B have to play.
Tricking the umpire and being able to hit as a DH on days away from behind the plate are important skills for a catcher. Take away framing and looking at just PAs while a catcher, there isn't a catcher better than Yainer on a rate basis this season (it isn't even close).
Alvarez isn't great in coverage, but there is nothing that has shown me he's terrible at it. I just don't want him diving for any balls and getting injured.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=8c3230ac-652e-461b-8dce-81752338473f https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=51446a87-1c92-47ac-a50c-de54d95a82e6 https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=114be725-d3c6-4929-8859-c6a6514c60c8
The way I see it, they are pretty similar quality hitters and defenders although they get their value in different ways. On defense, as you note, Adley is a good framer but has a noodle arm while Yanier has a cannon but is raw and poor at framing. I would think Yanier is more likely to improve moving forward at framing than Adley is at throwing out runners so if I had my druthers I would prefer Yanier over Adley moving forward. With that in mind, imagine if the Orioles only allowed Adley to catch once or maybe twice a week while some bum like Zunino caught the vast bulk of the innings. That would be crazy right? lmao.
Yanier... the kid has insane potential when his plate discipline improves. That oppo power paired with his super quick hands. What a trade to grab that kiddo.
I know the Orioles owner has gotten dumped on a lot lately, but I don't have enough imagination to think they would hire Dusty.
While true, it could keep the Orioles or Rangers (especially them) from getting an extra pick. Wouldn't mind keeping extra resources from the Rangers.
Do we know how Diaz's defense is at 1B? Is it so bad that platooning him with Abreu when he doesn't catch would compromise our defense? I wish Dusty would try that out from time to time, just to see what we have, but they probably already know based on practices. But man, it's really hard to have Maldy, Abreu and Peña at the same time in the lineup, looking like little leaguers with the bat, while Yainer (and Chas) rot away at the bench. Peña's glove warrants his playing time, but Abreu is not a good enough defensive first baseman to put up with his weak bat, so what gives? Is it just because we need Yainer ready as the backup catcher in case of injury?
At this point, I’m sick of the small sample size argument. If he’s this good in a small sample size and you don’t trust it, then him being bad against LHP is also small sample. Play him every day. He’s literally a contender for ROY sitting on the bench 70% of the time while, not an incumbent all star takes the place, but an incompetent incumbent Instead… it’s ridiculous how much he proves dusty wrong EVERY. SINGLE. GAME. Screw the pitchers. Take your damn near 4 ERA somewhere else then if you think only Maldy can catch you. Him, meyers, Abreu, dubon is too much of an empty pit for the other half of the lineup to handle. And the fact that we have all-star caliber replacements on the bench rather than just “a little better” guys is downright maddening.
He is also getting better vs LHP and if he is going to become every day player he needs the experience to continue to develop. -56 wRC+ before 6/1/23 +65 wRC+ since. Certainly not good, but better. And better than Bregman (64) or Julks (53)
So FanGraphs updated their stats today so one can see a player's WAR at a position easily without having to do the math one's self. At C Yainer 1.8 fWAR in 131 PAs Maldy -1.3 fWAR in 303 PAs For a total of 0.5 WAR at catcher. Basically this says that however many games the Astros are above 0.500 with Maldy at catcher, the Astros should be that + 3 games with Diaz at catcher (Astros are +6 with Diaz over Maldy so a little luck in there magnifying the difference in the standings). Assuming the Astros had a replacement C instead of Maldy and Yainer got Maldy's PT instead of his at catcher... Yainer 4.2 fWAR in 303 PAs Replacement 0.0 fWAR in 131 PAs For a total of 4.2 WAR at catcher. So basically the Astros are punting 3.7 wins by having Maldy at catcher without taking into account intangibles. Even keeping Maldy, that would be 3.6 fWAR total at C or punting about 3.1 wins.
Diaz accounts for 22% of the starts at catcher. 75% of the Astros games above 0.500 are due to the games that Diaz starts at catcher.
Just to say, I think there has been a lot of luck when Diaz catches, but even based on just tangible skills, the Astros are likely on the outside looking in on the postseason hunt at the moment if it wasn't for Diaz's play as backup catcher so far.
Astros are just a Team only 10 Games over .500 Team. It is even worse trading away RF Drew Gilbert and 1B Ryan Clifford will come back to bite them. Two Lefty Bats in the Lineup would've been Huge. 1B Jose Abreu Declining CF Jake Myers Down Year in Avg Chas McCormick might struggle next year because of Scouting and Dusty Baker
