Jason Castro

[ChiSoxFanMike]

Problem with that idea is Sanchez. He might be the most useful piece from that list, but the Stros are already sitting on an all star 2b in Altuve. I'd be interested in Sanchez as a team with a hole at 2b where putting a decent player in there would be an upgrade and that isn't the Astros.

 

Do you think Sanchez could be an everyday MLB shortstop? If so, the Astros might have a use for him. Otherwise, I'd have to agree. I didn't think of Altuve. He's one of the best around.

[GGajewski18]

I think we can possibly build a deal around Viciedo too and Astros can have Gattis catch. I don't know about that but it is an option.

 

I would offer Chris Beck, Erik Johnson, Trayce Thompson, and Dayan Viciedo for Jason Castro and Michael Feliz

[Balta1701]

Do you think Sanchez could be an everyday MLB shortstop? If so, the Astros might have a use for him. Otherwise, I'd have to agree. I didn't think of Altuve. He's one of the best around.

If the A's think Semien can be an MLB Shortstop I guess anything is possible, but man, Sanchez seems to scream 2b to me. Not incredible on defense, puts the ball in play, not a lot of power but could hit for a decent average and maybe fill that "classic #2 hitter role" for some team. IIRC his arm wasn't quite strong enough for 3b so his arm wouldn't be a plus at SS either.

[Balta1701]

I think we can possibly build a deal around Viciedo too and Astros can have Gattis catch. I don't know about that but it is an option.

 

I would offer Chris Beck, Erik Johnson, Trayce Thompson, and Dayan Viciedo for Jason Castro and Michael Feliz

Dayan Viciedo continues to have virtually zero value. There's a reason why no one has traded for him. The only guy from that list with any value to me is Chris Beck. Chris Beck and 3 likely busts, one of whom is paid $4.4 million already, for Castro? I mean, Castro was bad last year but he at least has been a positive player in the past.

[Bob Sacamano]

I would target Stassi first. I think Castro and his salary can be moved as more of a dump so the Astros can make a run at either Shields or Scherzer (an ESPN article earlier said they could be a sleeper for the latter)

[Jose Abreu]

I think of possibly getting Castro makes this line up obviously much more dangerous.

Didn't he hit something like .220 last year? That's even worse than Flowers. Yes, obviously batting average isn't everything, but Castro only had one decent hitting season.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Didn't he hit something like .220 last year? That's even worse than Flowers. Yes, obviously batting average isn't everything, but Castro only had one decent hitting season.

 

The reason I take Castro over Flowers is because Castro had a fantastic 2013. His walk rate was good, his K rate was decent, 18 HR, hit for decent average, he was a 4.3 WAR guy. We KNOW he is capable of that kind of season. We've never seen that out of Flowers before. This was the first time Flowers hit above .213, and his K rate is astronomical. I'd say Castro is the better bet going forward, even if he had a down year.

 

Also, since catcher framing has been mentioned a lot recently, Castro was 15th best last year, out of 113 catchers.

[Eminor3rd]

Didn't he hit something like .220 last year? That's even worse than Flowers. Yes, obviously batting average isn't everything, but Castro only had one decent hitting season.

 

Which is one more than Flowers, who has had none ever.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Eminor3rd

[Dick Allen]

Castro is obviously better than Flowers, but is he enough of an upgrade to give up what you would have to give up to get him? The Astros aren't going to trade him for Jordan Danks and the rights to Brian Anderson.

 

I don't like Flowers, and I realize he hit a "lucky" .230 or whatever he hit last year, and it probably "should" have been .185. But it's not unreasonable to think he could hit .220-.230 without being lucky. It's not that much.

 

Frankly, I think the Sox should have gone after Cervelli, now with Pittsburgh. He didn't cost much, and IMO he is better than either Flowers or Castro.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Dick Allen

[Eminor3rd]

Castro is obviously better than Flowers, but is he enough of an upgrade to give up what you would have to give up to get him? The Astros aren't going to trade him for Jordan Danks and the rights to Brian Anderson.

 

I don't like Flowers, and I realize he hit a "lucky" .230 or whatever he hit last year, and it probably "should" have been .185. But it's not unreasonable to think he could hit .220-.230 without being lucky. It's not that much.

 

Frankly, I think the Sox should have gone after Cervelli, now with Pittsburgh. He didn't cost much, and IMO he is better than either Flowers or Castro.

 

Based on what the rumored prices were in November, absolutely not. However, I have to think he's still an Astro for a reason. No one would pay what they asked before, so if he's popping up in rumors again, maybe the price is dropping.

[Dunt]

I'd rather trade for Max Stassi

[Buehrlesque]

What about Dioner Navarro? No one seems to mention him. No place for him in Toronto. .274/.317/.395 with 12 HRs last year, will be age 31 this season. Minimal $5 mil salary.

[GreenSox]

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/451...or-jason-castro

 

how is a kid who hit .222 last season with 151 in 465 ABs any type of improvement over Flowers? because of his age?

 

not the type of news that WOWs me. :/

He's not.

But he plays on another team, and the other team's grass is ALWAYS greener in these parts.

To real use assets for him would be mad.

[coco1997]

Look at what the Cubs just gave up to get Dexter Fowler from Houston.

 

Are you meaning to tell me Hahn couldn't match that to get Castro?

[LDF]

Look at what the Cubs just gave up to get Dexter Fowler from Houston.

 

Are you meaning to tell me Hahn couldn't match that to get Castro?

 

i am kind of lost here. so here is my response, "and why should the sox do that"

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/...traderumors.com

[Dick Allen]

Look at what the Cubs just gave up to get Dexter Fowler from Houston.

 

Are you meaning to tell me Hahn couldn't match that to get Castro?

Fowler will probably wind up close to $10 million and is a rental.

[witesoxfan]

Look at what the Cubs just gave up to get Dexter Fowler from Houston.

 

Are you meaning to tell me Hahn couldn't match that to get Castro?

 

Luis Valbuena put up 2.7 fWAR last year and has 2 years of control remaining. They also gave up Dan Straily.

 

If we related that to the Sox, it would probably be Gillaspie and Beck at the very minimum, and those guys really don't have the same value that Valbuena and Straily have.

[Bob Sacamano]

I kinda think they might move Castro to clear some more salary to sign Shields (or deal for Hamelsl/Zimmermann) whether it is White Sox or not

[GreenSox]

Look at what the Cubs just gave up to get Dexter Fowler from Houston.

 

Are you meaning to tell me Hahn couldn't match that to get Castro?

and the White Sox should trade assets for a .650 OPS for, uh, why exactly?

 

 

 

 

As for Fowler, he does one thing: he walks. That's it. Otherwise, he's terrible in the field and has no power.

 

Now the board is becoming fascinated with Astros players. Good lord, does it ever end?

Edited January 19, 2015 by GreenSox

[witesoxfan]

and the White Sox should trade assets for a .650 OPS for, uh, why exactly?

 

 

 

 

As for Fowler, he does one thing: he walks. That's it. Otherwise, he's terrible in the field and has no power.

 

Now the board is becoming fascinated with Astros players. Good lord, does it ever end?

 

Well Castro has been a guy Soxtalk has liked for a while, and if he came cheaply, I wouldn't mind it. He's not going to be cheap though, which is why no move has been made. There have been reports that Hahn really likes Castro.

[oldsox]

and the White Sox should trade assets for a .650 OPS for, uh, why exactly?

 

 

 

 

As for Fowler, he does one thing: he walks. That's it. Otherwise, he's terrible in the field and has no power.

 

Now the board is becoming fascinated with Astros players. Good lord, does it ever end?

Not true. He became a switch hitter late in life; he has power from right side, IIRC. Should be a good trade for the Scrubs, opening up third base for you know who.

[witesoxfan]

Not true. He became a switch hitter late in life; he has power from right side, IIRC. Should be a good trade for the Scrubs, opening up third base for you know who.

 

Fowler is weird, because both UZR and DRS show him as a very bad fielder, but a few of the other statistics show that he's OK in the field, nothing special but nothing terrible either.

 

I think he'd be better served in LF personally.

[Balta1701]

and the White Sox should trade assets for a .650 OPS for, uh, why exactly?

Obviously the motivation for doing that would be in part that he put up a .731 OPS in 2012 and a .835 OPS in 2013, so you're hoping he's closer to that player than what he did last year.

 

Also worth noting that post-steroid-era we've seen several of these catchers have up and down seasons in their 20s before they really get the knack of dealing with all the stuff they're going through, from pitch calling to the physical beating they take. Russell Martin comes to mind there - couple of >.800 OPS seasons around age 25, couple .680 OPS seasons in his 26-28 years that should have been his "physical prime", bounced around a couple years and then put up really good numbers in his early 30s. That could be something relevant to Castro as well.

 

Of course, could be relevant to Flowers too.

[Eminor3rd]

Fowler is weird, because both UZR and DRS show him as a very bad fielder, but a few of the other statistics show that he's OK in the field, nothing special but nothing terrible either.

 

I think he'd be better served in LF personally.

 

Fowler has become sort of the poster child for the "wow, we thought he was good because he's so fast but he sure doesn't actually catch a whole lot" awakening that the defensive metrics are just now starting to unearth. The opposite can be said for slow guys that get good jumps -- in a way, this is our first taste of measuring "instincts," albeit in a very heavy-handed, results-based way.

[witesoxfan]

Fowler has become sort of the poster child for the "wow, we thought he was good because he's so fast but he sure doesn't actually catch a whole lot" awakening that the defensive metrics are just now starting to unearth. The opposite can be said for slow guys that get good jumps -- in a way, this is our first taste of measuring "instincts," albeit in a very heavy-handed, results-based way.

 

I get the same impression too, and it's similar to Podsednik and Pierre in CF. Podsednik also struggled in LF to some extent, but Pierre actually showed really good range, despite having a noodle for an arm. That's why I think Fowler can make it work in LF, but we'll see if his reputation precedes him and he ends up there.