I thought he signed long term with the Blue Jays last offseason. If I'm wrong, I hope we'd go after him.
he has a one year deal with a 2nd year option. he's a good rbi guy (at least from what i remember with the angels. good behind the plate. slow as molases though. )he'd be the only other alternative to ausmus imo ,but i doubt and i wouldn't agree with purpura spending money on a decent hitting catcher vs what ausmus brings. this is the catcher position. being able to hit is the exception not the norm.
First of all, thanks for the info on Benji. I read in the Chronicle today that the Jays re-signed Zaun and he was projected to be their starter. I don't know if they've done it yet (declined Benji's option), but the Chronicle said Benji was a free agent... Second of all, I agree with your take that catchers aren't supposed to hit and that Ausmus has loads of skills that go beyond stats (blocking balls behind the plate, orchestrating the infield defensive alignment, calling games, etc.). BUT, I think we still need to upgrade further offensively. The only positions left to upgrade are short and catcher. The outfield market has dried up unless we can swing a miraculous deal for a centerfielder (Crawford, Wells, A Jones). Third base dried up as soon as the Cubs re-signed Ramirez. So it's Huff/Ensberg at third again. Of course there are like 4 big bat shortstops in baseball..... SO, that leaves Benji @ the catcher spot. So, am I just experiencing a backlash from our lack of offense the past two years? Do we need another bat? Will Luke Scott for a whole season help THAT much? These questions are not rhetorical; am I an idot? anyone agree with me? Damn Astros.... been givin me headaches and joy simultaneosly (sp?) my whole life.
i see your point eric.81. I have the same backlash as you do. I was afraid we weren't gonna step up and sign Lee. We have upgraded with Lee.Will that be enough? i don't know but at least with the catcher position imo we're set. now we have to wait and see, hopefully scott will continue to blossom, taveras will also(i'm not down on him like some) Ensberg will be okay... that's alot of hoping but i'd rather see how that shapes out during the season THEN if it's not working make some midseason trades. I'm more worried about the pitching. We've been almost spoiled with great pitching. That'll get us further than Molasses Molina right now and i'd hope that's where drayton's money goes.
Astros are on the same page. Per Dalati or Tom Franklin on 790 (the actual news guys, non-talking heads), the Stros have contacted Molina's agents, but the first priority is on bolstering the starting rotation. As is should be.
You have got to be kidding me. Do people actually bother to look up facts anymore or just just accept cliches like they're facts? Yes, the catcher position is in general where offense is least necessary. But Ausmus is not your light-hitting catcher, his offense simply SUCKS. He sucks at a level that is astonishing even for a player you don't expect offense from. He sucks no matter what stat(geeky or traditional) you want to use to rate offense. The only thing worse that him sucking is that the Astros let him go to the plate 437 times last season. To get an idea of his suckiness on offense, let's look at the following ranking. I only include catchers with more than 300 at bats, to take out part-time players. This includes 25 players. OPS - Last BA - 2nd to last On base - 6th to last(the only thing he doesn't suck THAT much at) Slugging - Last Even a cursory glance at Ausmus' stats(traditional or sabmetric) shows that he's as even an out as you can find in the majors.
he also has the utmost respect from two of the finest pitchers of this generation. Saying adios to Brad, means giving the finger to Andy and Roger.
Thanks for looking up half the story. Well done, btw, on that half of the story. Your post gets 2½ stars -- half of perfect, for a perfectly done half of the story. Not only have I "looked up facts" about Ausmus's defense, but I've watched it. Have you?
Oh, that's just Roger & Andy "accepting cliches as facts". I wouldn't put too much stock in what they think.
When did I say anything about his game-calling? The post was in response to the idea that since Ausmus is a catcher, his lack of hitting is somehow immaterial. I was pointing out even among catchers, his hitting is atrocious. He might be the best game-caller in MLB. And if Clemens(don't care about Pettite since he's much more replacable), I'd give him a raise if I were Pupura. But that has nothing to do with his value, or lack thereof, on offense.
He calls a good game...but I ask if you've seen him throw out a runner lately. 22% of the time is his current rate...which puts him 3rd to last amongst catchers who are eligible. Include all catchers last year, qualified and unqualified, and there were 57 catchers in the big leagues that threw out runners at a higher rate. I'd say that his game calling isnt nearly worth the rest of the crap he brings to the table. The sooner he gets replaced, the better.
Good grief people, catching is more than throwing runners out and calling pitches! Compare the PB and WP numbers if you want to look at numbers. Watch (and not just the runner moving from 1st to 2nd) his footwork, the position of his mitt, and how steady his hand is when he receives a pitch. That is *often* the difference between a called strike and a ball. Watch these things, and then watch everybody else. Even at his age, Ausmus is still defensively among the best in the game. And if all you can do is make a comment about game-calling (one that betrays you don't understand game-calling) and run out CS numbers, then you don't understand how to measure a catcher defensively.
I think you're slightly overhyping him. He's an average defender...great game caller...horrendous batter.
Sign Molina, and let Ausmus call pitches from the dugout, and be Roger's personal catcher..... But get someone that can throw the ball to 2nd without 2 hops and can hit at least .260... DD
I think I'm dead-on. Everyone I've read in the baseball world agrees with me. I think you're dead wrong about his defense. I've pointed to several factors that *matter*, and I can name people who are professionals who agree. You've offered *nothing* except "he only throws out 22%!!!" He's an elite defensive catcher, great game caller (and I bet you don't know why), and (you're right on this count) a horrendous batter. ___________________________________________________________ I'll say what I said earlier--when factoring in offense, of COURSE there are better catchers. Now, can you name one that is actually an option for the Astros? Because if not, then you're just b****ing and moaning like a crybaby. Bring a solution to the table, or shut up (that's a figurative statement; I respect your right to post your opinions/whinings).
Of course, at the same time, teams didn't even *try* to run against him very much. Unlike, say, a Mike Piazza who everyone feels can't throw runners out and teams run wild on, people still respect Brad's arm and are very selective when they run. The Astros had the 4th fewest successful steals against them in the NL. San Diego had 150 steals against them. The Astros had 78. 12 NL teams had 90 or more.
