I’m completely fine with Castro returning at a reasonable salary. He can do well in a backup/platoon role. A lot of fans have a sour taste, but we’re not signing him to be our front-line, ~450 AB, starting catcher, and that’s not what we need him to be in order to succeed. He’s still a solid defender and good veteran presence for the pitching staff. Like others have said, he should platoon well with Machete. We’re not winning or losing the season on our backup catcher...let’s see how the rest of the offseason plays out...
More and more I think the Astros offseason purely revolves on what they do in CF. Finding a cheap veteran pitcher to eat innings, a decent bat who can play corner outfield, and a late inning reliever are givens. But finding somebody who can play a decent CF while also being able to hit in the top or middle of a contending lineup is gonna be tricky on their budget. I am not much of a fan of Bradley.
Agree with Snake Diggit, it’s all about who is the CF. Still holding out a small amount of hope Springer comes back.
McTaggert made a comment on Twitter pretty recently when someone asked why the Astros haven’t made any significant moves, he replied that they are basically awaiting Springer’s decision.... if that’s the case it makes me wonder if the Astros feel like they’re making Springer a competitive offer to return. I believe he’s likely gone... and hope we’re able to fill our rosters holes instead of letting guys sign elsewhere while being held hostage by a springer decision that doesn’t end up in our favor.
Nats paid a high price. Two of their top 10 prospects for a guy who was a pretty awful hitter in 2020 and whose entire value is tied to his bat. Equivalent for Houston would be something like Bryan Abreu and Hunter Brown.
Yeah. Makes you wonder how much stock the analytics folks are putting into 2020. Such an obscure season with woefully inadequate prep. The list of great hitters who hovered the Mendoza line is pretty crazy.
Yeah there’s a ton of evidence teams are willing to ignore 2020. Gurriel’s extension is another example.
The only hope I have regarding Springer is that the two teams showing the most interest in him are the Mets and Toronto. Those cities have significantly higher taxes than Houston. We can offer about 10% less and still have the bigger net contract.
I still have high hopes for Click’s ability to make a move to steal a young CF who blossoms for the Astros. Austin Hays or Yusniel Diaz from the Orioles seem like good targets to me.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I think this take is a bit premature until the terms of the deal come out. If they spend anything north of 5 mil, yeah I’d be a bit taken back. But based on the market, I would anticipate Castro’s deal being close to the vet min (or maybe a few mil). Again, my take is that it’s not a bad signing so long as the salary is reasonable, but that’s the 3-5 million dollar question. We wouldn’t ink Castro to a deal that prohibits us from signing more crucial players; I think the likliest outcome is that he can be had for the amount Crane et al have alotted for a backup C type slot. Plus, Castro can be a perfectly capable platoon catcher especially when surveying other available options.
Astros likely have the money for Brantley if they want him. A deal for a catcher other than for Realmuto or a large overpay should not affect if Astros keep Brantley. Regarding Brantley, I think Astros try to go younger for more years, but it is risky trying to wait out the market.
Any interest in giving Nick Williams an OF shot? Local kid, former top prospect, still just 27 years old, has shown some MLB ability in the past. It’s make or break for him at this point, but the talent is there. He hasn’t lived up to his potential, and he probably never will, but you never know...
Would be very interested if he could play center. But either way I think he’s an interesting player. I’m hoping they add a more proven bat for the corner (Schwarber or Rosario) then take a higher risk/reward guy for CF.