The Astros have been connected to various catchers this offseason. They had reported interest in free agents Willson Contreras, Christian Vázquez and Tucker Barnhart and also contacted the A’s to explore a trade of Sean Murphy. However, they missed on all of those targets, as those free agents have since found new teams and Murphy was dealt to the Braves.
Things have been fairly quiet for a while now, as their interest in Barnhart was reported back on December 7 and little mention of their plans behind the plate since. It would stand to reason that they still need to be on the lookout for upgrades, however, as their current catching corps is noticeably weaker than last year.
In 2022, the Astros began the season with Jason Castro as the backup to Martín Maldonado. Castro got into 34 games by the end of June but hit the injured list in early July with knee discomfort. He would later require season-ending surgery and then announced his retirement in December. The Astros acquired Vázquez at the deadline to help them down the stretch, though he reached free agency at season’s end and has since signed with the Twins.
With Castro and Vázquez out of the picture, that leaves Maldonado as the clear top option on the depth chart. He’s now 36 years old, turning 37 in August, and just underwent sports hernia surgery in November. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training, but there’s obviously risk with a club’s primary catcher being on the older side. Though Maldonado is well regarded as a game-caller and leader of a pitching staff, he doesn’t rank very well in objective statistical measures. He’s been a below-average hitter in each season of his career apart from the shortened 2020 campaign, leading to an overall batting line of .209/.285/.349. That production has been about 28% below league average, with his wRC+ coming in at 72. However, the Astros seem to be perfectly comfortable living with that tepid offense in order to get Maldonado’s other qualities in the dugout and clubhouse.
In July, there was a one-month period where Castro was out and Vázquez had not yet been acquired. In that window, the club promoted prospect Korey Lee. Going into 2022, Lee was considered the club’s top prospect, with shortstop Jeremy Peña coming in second. That high ranking came on the heels of a strong 2021 that saw Lee go from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A in his age-22 season.
Unfortunately, 2022 didn’t go as smooth for Lee. He got into 12 MLB games in the month of July but hit just .160/.192/.240. That’s a tiny sample and he was still quite young, turning 24 years old that month. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, where he did hit 25 home runs, but in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His .238/.307/.483 batting line was actually 10% below league average in that environment, with his wRC+ finishing at 90. Perhaps most concerning is that he struck out in 28.5% of his plate appearances, a huge jump from his previous stops in the minors. Baseball America dropped him to #6 on their most recent list of Houston prospects. It’s still possible that he’s the club’s catcher of the future, as he won’t turn 25 until July, but he might still need a bit more time in the minors to continue developing.
The only other catcher on the club’s 40-man roster is Yainer Díaz, who’s 2022 was essentially the inverse of Lee’s. Díaz went from being considered by BA to be the club’s #16 prospect at the beginning of the year to #2 by midseason. With a bat-first reputation, Díaz put that on display last year. Beginning 2022 in Double-A, he hit .316/.367/.504 for a wRC+ of 121 in 57 games and got promoted to Triple-A. At that new level, he hit .294/.342/.587 in 48 games for yet another wRC+ of 121. He was able to make his major league debut late in the year but didn’t hit much in just six games. That offensive production is certainly encouraging, but his defense isn’t as highly rated. He spent some significant time at first base and in the outfield corners in order to get his bat into the lineup last year. It’s arguable that he doesn’t need much more time in the minors from an offensive perspective, but he’s also only played 48 Triple-A games. Since he’s still just 24 and his defense is a work in progress, more time in the minors wouldn’t be a ridiculous proposition either.
The Astros showed last year that they’re not afraid to rely on a young and unproven player on Opening Day. Going into 2022, they replaced Carlos Correa with Jeremy Peña, who had no major league experience yet. That was certainly risky, but it worked out for the club, with Peña having a very good season and eventually winning World Series MVP. However, that kind of rookie breakout isn’t something that can simply be relied upon. As it currently stands, the club has a 36-year-old starter who doesn’t hit much and is coming off surgery, followed by two youngsters who each have tiny bits of MLB experience and arguably still need regular playing time in the minors.
The club is surely aware that it needs to do something, based on their interest in other backstops this winter. But most of the best options are off the board now, which leaves the Astros looking at Gary Sánchez, Roberto Pérez and Jorge Alfaro as some the top names still available. Those players each have their merits but are considered a tier below guys like Contreras, Vázquez or Murphy.
None of those players will likely require more than a one-year deal, so it’s possible that 2023 is sort of a wait-and-see year behind the plate in Houston. Maldonado is also a free agent after the upcoming season, so perhaps the club can ride with him and another veteran for the year, with either Lee or Díaz hopefully taking over and securing the job for 2024. The Astros still have a very strong roster, as they are the defending champions and have added José Abreu to replace Yuli Gurriel in their thunderous lineup. Justin Verlander has departed for the Mets but the rotation should still be in good shape without him. Despite the club’s strengths, their division looks much more challenging than it did a year ago, as the Mariners had a breakout year in 2022 while the Angels and Rangers have each been very active in upgrading their rosters this offseason. For the Astros, the catching corps stands out as the one weak spot on their roster and should still be addressed before they begin their title defense.
Wow!
Reunite Grandal with Jose!!!
The Astros stopped caring about the catching position when they extended Maldy/Castro duo, gifted the Phillies and wasted a 1st round draft pick. Diaz should be given a chance, the clubhouse distraction should stay in MiLB or DFA’d and others in MiLB should be promoted. There is far better lumber in the system then the lion king.
What?
I think saying they wasted a first rd pick on Lee is harsh. He is 24 and got a cup of coffee last yr. No clue what you are talking about “gifted the Phillies”
Im assuming he means garrett stubbs. Astros are fine with Lee as a backup. They cut an under slot deal with him and spread that money to the rest of the draft. And hes still a very viable prospect.
Garrett Stubbs was the Philly gift. He’s has done quite well as their backup.
Stubbs was fine, in very limited action. Being the backup to JTR means not playing much. Not sure how much he would be exposed if he had to take over for a couple of months due to injury. The backup catcher to JTR is not all that important…until it is. Donny Sands, however, took a real set of steps last year in AAA and will be in the mix in ST for the role as well.
Stubbs was also loved in the clubhouse, but I gotta’ say that since he was the guy that put together their clubhouse mix-tapes much of the time, his taste in music was abominable.and took at least one or two WAR away from the metrics.
I think they are holding out to get one of these scrubs on a minor league contract for spring competition/options. I would love to see yanier get a shot. Perhaps maldy would be more open to sharing his secrets with a Latin player since it’s his last year. Or maybe he’ll just bite his ear off too.
Huh?!
No the Astros did not stop caring about the catching position.
They have been to the ALCS 6 years in a row with 4 WS appearances and 2 wins in that time.
You can’t do that by “punting” ANY position.
They simply consider catching part of pitching staff and not hitting.
Most fans don’t understand that and it makes them nuts.
They should sign Roberto Perez to a 1 year deal.
This article makes no sense. Where the rumor? Are you actually writing opinion pieces now? Any catcher you list will prob hit about .200 so why not let Lee or Diaz hit .200 in place of them?
I think they have been doing more analysis and opinion pieces recently. Over the past few days, they’ve looked at the Blue Jays’ second base options, the Twins’ outfield depth, the Mariners’ payroll, and the Angels’ pitching staff. This just kind of falls into these other articles.
Enjoy the free content bro.
Martin is a clubhouse glue. They got that Korey kid who had a cup of coffee but they want to emerge. Wouldn’t be all that surprised if they stand pat or just pick up and extra backup
Martín Maldonado was one of the most valuable players on the 2022 Astros championship team. Everyone associated with that team knew it. FO, manager, coaches, trainers, broadcasters, fans and anyone I left out.
If the statistics don’t reflect his value – then there’s something
wrong with the statistics…..and that doesn’t only apply to Martín Maldonado.
I expect:
1. Maldonado will be the primary catcher in 2023 (if healthy) and hopefully a catching coach/instructor after that.
2. Spring Training will determine if Lee or Diaz is the backup catcher on opening day.
3. The Astros will sign a veteran catcher to a one-year, minor league contract for insurance. This may be closer to the season opening to see who gets DFAed.
Alfaro can at least play some LF and get some DH AB’s and hit with some pop. Perez may not be ready to start the season and offers basically the same skill set as Maldonado. I cannot imagine the Astros would subject their pitching staff to the “night and day” game calling/defensive differential of pairing Maldonado with Gary Sanchez
Get d’Arnard from the Braves
They really don’t need to add. They’ve made it clear they do not care about offense at that position. Maldonado and Lee are both excellent defensively. And I’m not sure why the author thinks Diaz isn’t highly rated defensively. That’s not what I’ve heard or seen, about his receiving or his throwing. I believe he caught around 35% of attempted thieves, in fact.
If it were a real upgrade over Maldonado as a starter, that’s one thing. But they don’t need to sign some has-been to steal playing time away from their top prospects. Maldonado is ancient and this is the last season of his contract, they need to give the kids a look now for the sake of the future.
BKS1110;
The Astros will be contending in 2023 for the 9th straight year in a row. They’ve made the playoffs in each of the last 6 years and won 2 World Series. A major reason for that is because they are constantly allowing older (and often expensive) veterans to leave, and either brining up players from the minors or giving their younger players more playing time. They train their minor league players to play fundamental baseball, and their ML coaches build on that with them to make adjustments to the major leagues. The trades they make are primarily to bring in veteran players that they can reworked some.
Whereas I believe Perez would fit that team perfectly, the only way I see them bringing him in is if Maldonado suffers a major injury early in the season and Perez is still available. I don’t see any way they push Lee and Diaz aside anymore then they did last year when there were articles like this talking about their need for a SS with Correa leaving and making the point that Jeremy Peña had some shortcomings that might hurt the Astros in the competitive NL West.
It’s deja vu all over again.
NL West?
Thomas E Snyder;
I’ve only been following the sport for 60-some years.
Thanks for straightening me out!
The AL West wasn’t competitive last season and won’t be this season. Again, it will be one of the first divisions locked up.
I hope so, but I doubt it. The Rangers and Angels got better. The Mariners should be better as they enter their window.
I like the Astros, but they have competition.
No, they do not need to add. They have 2 rookies they can ride with at C2. They can also trade for another backstop, if needed, at the deadline as they’ve done in the past.
If they think there’s any chance that Diaz has the potential to be a viable defensive catcher, they should just go with him as the backup so he can spend as much time as possible learning from Maldy, especially considering he doesn’t have much left to prove as a hitter in the minors. Lee on the other hand would be better served with getting daily reps at the plate.
I believe the organization likes both Diaz and Lee, though it’s uncertain how they feel about their progress at this point. I believe either one of these young guys can out hit Maldonado easily. Defensively, they both have decent reviews so far
Remember that Castro and Vasquez combined for only 14 runs scored and 13 RBIs.
That should be replaceable even with youngsters filling in behind Maldonado.
If it is a problem they can always chase a catcher at the deadline when there may be some better choices out there.
The Astros value leadership, experience, game planning, pitch calling, and being able to keep a pitcher focused/refocus above everything else in a catcher.
They consider catcher more of an extension of the pitching staff than a position player.
They will not go into the season with 2 rookies with less than 70 MLB PA between them as the only catchers behind Maldonado.
They will sign or trade for a veteran even if it’s just to park in Sugar Land in case Maldy gets Hurt.
Lee has promise and despite strikeout numbers, will play quite a bit in 2023 and may be the starter in 24 if he can learn/develop the skills the Astros value.
Diaz is a hitter who has played catcher. He has the ability to be a good catcher but not the desire. He does not like to catch and wants to be a hitter not a baseball player. Fortunately for everyone he has the bat to have a chance for that to work.
It still puzzles me as to why folks judge catchers based solely on BA or a slash line.
Generally, every position other than the pitcher is expected to hit. You have to be a good defender, sure, but hitting is valued more.
Catchers are different. They don’t spend the afternoon in the cage, working with hitting coach or breaking down their mechanics trying to become a better hitter. They’re studying the opposing line up, seeing how their starter matches up, looking at tendencies. They spend their afternoon with the starting pitcher and pitching coach developing a game plan.
Here’s what I need from a catcher, 1. Manage the pitching staff, study and call a good game. 2) Control the other team’s running game. 3) Get a hit or two and drive in a couple runs through out the season. The first one can’t be measured in a stat. But, that’s the one thing I need you to be good at. The rest is gravy.
The problem is, as a fan, number 1 isn’t tangible. We can’t measure it and it frustrates us.
As an aside, we seem to put an enormous amount of emphasis on framing. Why? Because it’s something in a catcher we can measure. Quality pitch framing is important, sure. Martin Maldonado isn’t the greatest framer of all time, got it. But number 1 above gets you to the post season not hitting or framing.
The Astros get that which is why they went after him at the deadline twice.
I agree with all this. But, I’m curious, where did you get that Diaz doesn’t want to catch?
Not questioning or arguing, just wondering where that came from.
Must be taken with a grain of salt. All internet communication.
But I have read message board posts from a guy who claims to be an Astros insider.
I can’t confirm anything but the things I have read from him several times per week for over a year are very compelling. He sure fakes it well if he is making it up.
He says that Diaz has every physical ability to ge a good starting MLB catcher but is trying to force the Astros hands and let him DH or play 1B.
He says the Astros were very disappointed in his all but refusal to study pitchers and work on that aspect of the game when he was promoted to AAA. Even so far as to not even try to throw runners out. He threw out 33% of runners in AA then only 2 of 32 base stealers in AAA.
He says the Organizations opinion is that Duaz knows his bat is goid enough for MLB and good enough to get him out of catching.
If this is true it definitely makes some sense out of why they called him up and never played him. I always suspected that they were more interested in giving him time with Maldy and Christian to work on his defense and that seems even more to be the case. So I’m very curious what he got out of that experience and if it might change his attitude going forward.
Again I have no verification that it’s true.
I also heard that the Astros were not impressed with Lee’s work during his call up last year.
But they were very impressed with his work after he was sent back down and how he finished the season.
That may be why they have not felt the need to get a better veteran (yet?) This offseason.
Interesting opinion by the writer, but it seems the Stros brass is not bothered with having Maldonado as the primary catcher with either Lee or Diaz as backup. Lee is only 24 years old, was a first-round draft pick, and hit 25 HRs in AAA, most of those after he got sent down. He changed his stroke and his luck. Diaz is a hitting machine; the question is whether his defense can catch up with his hitting. Probably the Stros will sign a veteran to a minor league deal as insurance. I think they swung for the fences with Contreras and when that did not happen, they didn’t think the alternatives were worth heavily going after.
I don’t think they were ever serious about Contreras as a catcher. I think they wanted him as a DH who could catch once a week and weren’t willing to go to such a long deal for that. They clearly aren’t impressed with his work behind the plate and they value Maldy’s impact on the pitching staff to much to make that tradeoff. I agree now that if they plan on Maldy being the primary catcher, they should stick with one of the young guys as his understudy so they can learn from him. Robby Chirinos or Sandy Leon or Roberto Perez on a minor league deal with a camp invite as insurance.
Think the Stros could use more cowbell. Too quiet when they’re up to bat
Maldy is still good defensively but yes want something too offensively from spot. Vazquez had nothing. But he wanted to be starter. Not go with one pitcher on a Sunday or such. I do think we need to see what Lee and Diaz have during ST but we do need experience at positioning case Maldy goes down. Maldy works well with Framber of our pitching staff. Yanier or Lee could work with Hunter if either make team. Doubt either become runaways like Peña did this past season.
Jorge Alfaro had a decent season, some big hits. Not the greatest arm, but calls a good game