If they aren’t gonna carry a 3rd catcher, they need to start Diaz 7 or 8 out of 10 games behind the plate. He can just be off the other 2 or 3 games and get rest. Plus he can replace the starting catcher, without the DH going away, if need be. I don’t think they need to play Yainer at DH more than a handful of times in a season. I think he should actually start 75% of the games behind the plate. That way, most nights, they won’t have a light hitting catcher in the lineup. Someone will inevitably point to Caratini’s or Salazar’s numbers, in their short samples as backups this season, but they are still light hitting catchers.
Dana Brown really isn’t the problem. It’s too early to tell, but he has made very few mistakes. He didn’t sign Abreu, he has said privately he wouldn’t have signed him. He didn’t sign Hader even (who I think will be fine). He brought in Caratini, a few cheap relievers and helped complete the Verlander deal. He drastically improved the scouting department and brought in some very well thought of player development people to work with the guys in the minors to combine with the sabermetrics guys. If I had any criticism of him, it would be that he doesn’t seem to try to stop Crane from doing certain things - but he saw what happened with Click.
So just give the full time LF job to a guy based on his history? Isn't that the definition of "back of the baseball card" thinking? For the season Chas has the lowest wRC+ (70) on the team, and only Loperfido Ks more often. (28.4%) Since 5/1 both those numbers are worse than his season totals. (59 and 29.2%) Since 6/1 he has been better (97 and 28.6%) but still bad. If Chas is the answer, it certainly isn't evety day. I actually prefer Dubon in LF and I never thought I would say that. Cabbage and Loperfido have both shown glimpses and should be given a chance to grow and earn spits next year, but there is no more time for that. And there is no more time for Chas either. This team needs to trade for a LF or DH bat and let Yordan play LF and also a 1b.
When Click interviewed for the job, Crane told him point blank that he didn’t want a GM to come in and change everything, he wanted a GM to come in and oversee what was already in place. Click said he understood - and then when he got the job, he tried to change everything and didn’t work well with people already in house. That is why Click was only offered a one year contract - to show he could work well with others. Instead he went and bad mouthed the organization at the baseball meetings. He thought it would get him a longer deal or sympathy - he did get empathy from some baseball people, but it turned off a lot of baseball people as being unprofessional.
Also, Meyers is down to under .250 and free falling. Chas could take some starts from him soon. Dubon is better as an infielder.
I agree that Diaz should start 75% of the games behind the plate. I also agree that Caratini and Salazar are not above average ML hitters. I disagree about DH though. Losing the DH because he's the only other catcher on the roster hardly ever becomes an issue. Diaz should DH 10% and only need 15% of the games off.
I agree Dubon is better as an infielder. AND better starting no more than 60-65% of games. But playing Chas instead of Meyers because Jake is slumping is like sleeping with your Ex because your wife is cheating. She's your Ex for a reason and making a mistake like that does nothing to fix your current marriage. The last 2 weeks since 6/20= Jake 113 wRC+, Chas 101
Fair enough. I think full days off are good for young catchers. Mental breaks. Plus you really shouldn’t make a habit of putting both catchers in the same lineup
And hopefully they are both 110+ type of players the rest of the season and there is no right or wrong choice.
I think Diaz's bat is special and the Astros should try to get it in the lineup an extra 10% if possible. It's not like the team has 10-12 above average bats and can be confident of scoring 5+ runs w/ him on the bench.
This is true - but he is still really good and an improvement over what we have. He also hits good pitching well.
Yordan using an interpreter is hilarious. He can speak and understand English perfectly. He learned it as a teenager knowing he would need it coming to the USA. I get it - guys speak with what they are most comfortable with … but Altuve and Alvarez both speak English as well as Espada (or better)… they just don’t like speaking to the media in USA.
Brown won’t - he may deal big name prospects but not best prospects, look what he did in ATL and TOR. He dealt two top 75 prospects to NY for Verlander, Gilbert and Clifford and while both remain highly ranked, neither is doing great. Clifford is hitting like 220 and Gilbert is hurt, again.
I would say Blanco has been better and more important than Meyers thus far this season- with Arrighetti and Brown having so many uncompetitive this season, and Javier out and Verlander up and down - Blanco has kept the staff from collapsing. Not really an indictment of Meyers, but more a recognition of how good Blanco has been.
They have a great farm system and some money to spend - they WILL add at least one very good bat and possibly two. Why it’s imperative the Astros make a move for someone like Vlad if it isn’t an overpay.
The only complaint should be he hasn't done enough to help with starting pitching. But it's not an easy task to fix.
