Bryan Abreu is what we all hoped James would be.
James will get looks from other teams. Hope he does well.
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So don’t throw stones…just thinking out loud here.
Anyhow, we haven’t discussed the catching position much. Maldonado is now 36. Is being the primary catcher (100+ games behind the plate) on this club set in stone or does he start to transition to more of a backup role while still helping the air apparent understand how to do their homework and form game plans for each club we roll in to town to face?
I’m asking bc if the answer is yes then it’s Korey Lee coming in or maybe the club looks at a guy like Murphy from Oakland who is absolutely being made available in the trade market and still has 3 years of control left if memory serves?
people keep talking lee. We have 2 minor league options. One ranked higher, but based on his bat. Supposed to be ok in defense. Catcher is your captain, IMHO. guess ask coach.
I see 2 options.
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the Astros sign a veteran AAAA type catcher to compete w/ Lee in spring training hoping he wins and can transition into the starter while working with Maldy all year
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the Astros bring in a veteran back up who is likely to make the team as a true back up and they look for their future starting catcher during the season.
So much of this depends on Lee and how impressed/not impressed they are with his 2022 season.
After all I have read I don’t view Diaz as a catcher.
See Carlos Santana
Apparently he does not LIKE catching or putting in the work required to be the type of catcher the Astros want.
This is despite having the physical tools.
If you get a guy like Murphy then I would still look at keeping Maldonado past the 2023 season. Sign him to another 1-2 year extension to continue to be the backup and give leadership.
I don’t see them bringing in another starting catcher until the trade deadline if at all.
With Maldy under contract and the regard and respect he has on the team and in the organization, I expect him to remain the starter for all of 2023 with the possibility of a reduced role to Lee or another up and Comer as the season moves on.
If he gets injured or for some reason has a bad first half regarding fielding/intangibles then the team coikd look to replace him for the second half and playoffs.
Otherwise I think Maldy is starting catcher for 2023.
Other than Contreras any starting level catcher they bring in would take away from Maldy’s role or be a DH that does not move the needle.
Fuck, no. Machete will tell you when he is done.
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On the catching side of things, if the in-house options aren’t ripe for MLB, the Blue Jays have a surplus and I think Danny Jansen is an intriguing trade target.
If I was to put money on it though, I’d bet that Yainer Diaz is your opening day backup backstop.
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I would not bet against you just because Maldy is the starter and Diaz is a better hitter than Lee.
But I would bet that 2023 is the last season that Diaz is listed as a catcher and catches more than a handful of games.
I bet by 2024 he never puts on catcher’s gear again.
Fair enough. I figured that might be the consensus.
If Maldonado was willing to take a reduced role, which I doubt, the obvious answer would be to sign Christian Vazquez to be the primary catcher.
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If Diaz is a solution at 1b, how critical is Yuli’s retention? If Yuli remains, Diaz takes over in '23 or '24 at the latest. And if Brantley can dh, is that issue solved? Alvarez is perfectly fine in lf. Maybe Nimmo is a target to fill out the lineup flexibility.
The rumor I read is Vasquez to StL. I see no good additions unless we target Vasquez for the short term
I wonder what else Oakland would require in addition to Korey Lee in a trade for Murphy. Won’t happen anyway if Maldy is still viewed as the primary catcher, but I’m curious.
They have a couple of young catchers who are ready, so I’d think it would be several things not including Lee.
Ahh, makes sense, that’s why they’re willing to dangle Murphy. Thanks for the info.
I would expect it to be something like:
Pedro Leon, Yainer Diaz or David Hensley, and Jaimie Melendez
They tend to like prospects and young MLB players that are ready or very close to ready for MLB.
Their #1 prospect (Soderstrom) is a bat-first catcher who will be moved to 1B because their #2 prospect (Langeliers) is an excellent defender behind the plate who can also hit.
I would love to see Murphy as an Astro, just not sure how/ever that would work out trade-wise.
Yep. I would think it would be a controllable SP like Garcia plus a prospect or two.
I suspect Garcia orUrquidy will move for a CF