Or Dana Brown not happy with the discrepant reports he's getting saying a player is "ready"... and then they bring him up and he's most certainly not ready.
I am in support of a revamping of the position player side of development, which seems way behind our pitching side of development. Dezenzo, Whitcomb, Leon, all looked lost/bad at times when they came up.
Definitely the infielder's we have brought up lately, don't seem to know how to field their positions. Outfielders seem okay.
I think this looks bad for Brown. That said, when you are looking at a person who's contract is up, it is up to the person to re-sign if offered a contract or leave. If the person decides not to do so, it is up to the boss to make/get the decision. If an employee doesn't like the offer and complains abiout the pressure, it is likely because they feel the offer is below what they are worth, have not found another offer that is better, and want more time in hopes to find a better offer. I expect the Astros want coaches and don't want to hang in the wind while coaches make up their mind.
You act like they can easily find another young, good defensive catcher that can hit like Diaz. There are very few. Diaz is most valuable to the Astros as the starting catcher, not the first baseman. I’m sorry but your idea just makes zero sense. You said they should make Diaz the primary 1st baseman and move him to 3rd on the catching depth chart. That’s just ridiculous.
That is true for a club or mutual option, but not a player option. A player's option is essentially an opt out, or at least works the same. The player has 100% control over it so it counts. That is how Click fit Odorizzi's contract under the CBT.
I disagree that it is ridiculous. It's a legitimate, reasonable idea and plan. I think it's premature, but I think ANY catcher that has a special bat should have a timetable to move to a different position. Catcher is simply a grueling position. He WILL eventually have back and/or knee issues and/or injury(ies) that reduce his overall performance and availability. He will also be worn down and tired in September/October when his performance is the most important. There is no doubt that as a catcher, he has the most value and is All Star caliber overall. That is a big advantage to the team. But the team should decide if they want that advantage at the expense of his performance in the playoffs and in, say, 2027-? I am in favor of letting him be the primary catcher and get plenty of reps to have significant muscle memory and experience. Then, maybe in 2026 or 2027 start reducing his starts at catcher and increase 1b/LF/ DH (Whichever is viable based on his history). Catch him enough that he stays ready and able to catch everyday in the playoffs if that is still an advantage. Much of this will be determined by Janek and/or other prospects that become options for the Astros. It will also be determined by whether the Astros expect him to be here beyond 2028.
Well I disagree 100%. We have an all star level catcher. Those are hard to find. Diaz is not a 1st baseman. Diaz is a young and durable player who is best right where he is, at catcher. He should start 120 games there. Move him to another position when he’s in his 30’s, not when he’s 26 or 27. He is an advantage for us at catcher, not 1st base. For some reason, and I usually chalk it up to blind Dusty love, there are fans here that just don’t want Diaz at catcher. He loses value at any other position.
Diaz isn't an everyday 1st baseman defensively. If you want to play Diaz in the field then LF is where he should play. I prefer he catch for the foreseeable future, or until Janek is ready.
Well, I liked Dusty the person and story teller - and those wristbands and toothpicks were cool. But I was ready for Dusty the manager to move on after 2020 and 2021 and 2022. . . My belief was triggered in 1992 w/ Biggio and over the years watching catchers move off of the position- Mauer, Santana, Harper, Schwarber, Delgado - there are tons of them. If a catcher is good enough to be an all star for his catching alone, then you leave him there. If a catcher has an average bat, you leave him there. If a catcher has an average glove but a special bat, you find a way to get the bat in the lineup without the position taking its toll on his production as he gets into September or late 20s. But I absolutely agree and understand that having a special bat and usable glove at catcher is a huge advantage. It's about whether you are looking at 3-5 years, or 6-10 years because eventually the offensive skills will get eroded by all the catching.
Biggio is a much different player than Diaz. So is everyone else you listed. Schwarber was a terrible catcher, Diaz isn’t. Mauer was injury prone no matter where he played and he was a full time catcher much longer than Diaz has been, plus they are completely different players. So, that’s a bad comparison and it’s the same with Santana. Don’t just throw names at the wall. Diaz is a special player at catcher and he loses value, probably for at least the next 5 years, at any other position.
Spoiler The Orioles are parting ways with three coaches. Co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller, bench coach Fredi González and major league coach José Hernández will not return to the club in 2025. The Braves have fired three coaches. The three coaches are hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes and catching coach Sal Fasano. The Red Sox are moving on from six coaches. The departures from Alex Cora’s staff include first base coach Andy Fox, bullpen coach Kevin Walker, assistant hitting coach Luis Ortiz, mental skills coach Rey Fuentes, trainer Ben Chadwick and bullpen catcher Mani Martinez. Astros? Cintron? Snitker?
I wasn't throwing names at a wall. I listed players who were catchers in the minors then switched to other positions in the bigs. And all had significant MLB careers because of their bats Sure there were different reasons they moved on, but the common denominator is that their bat kept them in MLB not their glove. Mauer may not fit with the rest because he was a great catcher who only moved due to injury, but it emphasizes my point about the hazards of the position. YES, the Astros have an advantage at catcher with Diaz back there- for now. All I'm saying is that Diaz's bat is special. His glove isn't bad, but it's not special. Keeping him at catcher helps the team in the short term. Moving him helps the team in the long term. And, as I said, I'm thinking about keeping him as a FT catcher for at least 2025 and gradually moving on where he still catches more than 50% in 2026 or 2027, and catches at least 10-20% forever.
As I said, and as you’ve agreed, he’s more valuable as a catcher. That really should be the end of it. Trying to predict how long he will withstand the rigors of the position is silly, especially when it weakens the lineup to put someone else at catcher. Diaz is already a good defensive catcher and getting better.
We can agree on the majority of this. I don't see any scenario where I would want more than, say 25-30% of the catcher starts to go to Caratini, or anyone else next year. And I'm fine with less. I still worry that BECAUSE of all the games at catcher, he ends up either hurt and not playing in September/October or just worn down and unable to perform, but at this point based on his age and the options, you roll with him. But longterm there should be a plan that includes getting him out from behind the plate the majority of the time.
You have to wonder if his bat improves more taking the grind and mental aspects of catching off his plate... I would want someone who is a long term fit there, not just anyone. Braves have a catcher who is blocked behind a couple of guys. Worth seeing what it costs to me...
At this point, catcher is not an issue. This team has many holes to fill before opening day. They should just work on those.
