What Should The Astros Do At The Catcher Position?

For the second straight year, Astros fans are wondering if the Astros will make a change at the catcher position.

Jason Castro had been the team’s starting catcher for several years as they entered the 2015 season. To help shoulder the load, the Astros traded for Hank Conger, hoping to form a solid 1-2 punch behind the plate giving the Astros both solid defense and good at-bats throughout the season.

2015 came and went and the Astros did see that solid defense they were looking for in the offseason. Not only was the defense solid, it was actually quite impressive for Castro. The 2008 1st-round pick finished with a 1.2 dWAR according to Baseball Reference. For comparison, the highly-regarded Yadier Molina finished with a 1.6 dWAR and Salvador Perez finished with a 1.5 dWAR. Castro also threw out an impressive 36 percent of base runners this season.

Though his defense improved this season, his bat continued to falter. The 2013 All-Star’s bat has yet to rebound from his 2013 season which saw him hit .276 with 18 home runs and an .835 OPS. Fans have grown increasingly frustrated with Castro’s lack of a bat, almost relegating him to a no-bat, above-average defensive catcher. Castro hit just .211 this season, including an abysmal .146 with runners in scoring position.

Castro’s teammate, Hank Conger, didn’t fare much better as a hitter but did bring the power to the plate. Conger smacked 11 home runs in just 201 at-bats, but finished the season with a .229 average. The former Angels catcher did hit much better against righties, batting .279 with an .888 OPS.

The problem for Conger wasn’t necessarily his offense but it was his drop in defense that has many confused. After posting positive defensive WAR’s in 2013 and 2014, Conger registered a -0.2 dWAR this past season. Amongst the most glaring issues with Conger was his inability to throw out base runners, throwing out just one base runner in 43 attempts. He was a huge liability behind the plate against any team with speed and would often need to be replaced late into games for a defensive replacement.

The Astros also have Max Stassi on the 40-man roster but they have yet to show they would commit to him as the team’s #2 catcher. The 24-year old hit .211 in 84 games at the Triple-A level.

Looking at all three catchers, the Astros do have some interesting options. Castro is in the last year of his contract and the Astros could look to trade him this offseason if they deem his offensive performance to poor. As putrid as his bat has been the last two years, the strides he’s made on defense have been noticed around the league. Castro is already considered one of the best pitch-framers in baseball and he’s highly-regarded as a great handler of the pitching staff. It’s possible a young team looking for a veteran catcher could have interest in his services.

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