Hensley also has options, and the team doesn't have enough guys with options who can be sent down in the event of an emergency where you need another pitcher for a game or two. I think he is fairly closed to being locked in due to his versatility and the fact that he has options. I think the roster is fairly set at this point. My only beef with the roster is that I do think we're going to have to trade for another veteran catcher at the deadline. I wish they would have signed Vasquez and told him he would split starts this year with Maldy, then be the starter the next couple years.
What did other CFs do to prove they deserved time over Chas? If it is performance based, Chas should have been the CF througout the postseason and been a starting OF after Brantley was hurt. From anyone watching the games, Chas was vastly superior to Dubon in nearly every way except in throwing and vastly superior to 2022 Meyers (this isn't that high of a bar, but Chas cleared it by a wide margin). To me, it looks like it was either personal with Chas (or with Click) or Dusty made a snap judgement on Chas and it took way too much superior performance vs Dubon/Meyers for Dusty (or FO overriding Dusty) to get Chas in CF for most of the postseason. If Chas wasn't starting due to performance over time without it being personal or without it being a snap judgement, that says a lot about Dusty's ability to judge performance.
I think there is no way a veteran catcher is not signed before spring training. It may be a minor league deal with an invite but no way they hand the job to either Lee or Diaz, or even make them think it's between only them. This team NEEDS veteran catching depth.
I think it was a combo of Dusty deferring to the FO to start Siri and Meyers over Chas, and when the choice was Dubon or Chas, Dusty’s personal relationship with Dubon came into play. I agree with Nook in the sense that I don’t think Dusty has anything against Chas and that all of that was only because none of the guys were “proven” veterans. At this point Chas has a much better argument that he is a proven player and should probably be an everyday player until he struggles or there’s overwhelming evidence that another guy like Meyers or Leon is very likely to perform at a much higher level.
Here's a prediction. The Twins suck this year and it gets to the trade deadline and the Stros trade for Vazquez again. If Vazquez has a no trade clause in his contract he signs off on it because he wants to be in the playoffs and at that juncture it's only a couple of months of platooning with Maldy and he's the probable starter in '24 + '25.
This seems presumptive and very fantasy-baseball-like. Dusty's known strengths are his people skills. Maybe he saw something in Chas that said not handing him the job would get the best out of him? Maybe it would push his work ethic and improve him as a player? Maybe playing him against righties instead of lefties would help make him stronger in the long-run? None of that makes it personal or a snap-judgment - it would make it just the opposite in taking a longer term view of how to get the best out of a player. I have no idea if any of these things are true - but nor do you. You only see performance should equal playing time, and nothing more. But Dusty (and really the Astros as a whole since 2017) has repeatedly shown that the regular season is not their priority - it's sort of their time to experiment and dabble with things. At the end of the day, Chas was a big contributor when they needed him to be, and he did it against righties. Maybe instead of just automatically deciding "Manager doesn't do what I would do = bad", people should at some point realize maybe they see things you don't. This isn't Dusty-specific either.
That sounds like decision was personal and not performance based. All I know is that Chas out-played Dubon by a lot. If it was performance-based, Chas should have been playing. I don't know if those other things are true. It takes a hell of a lot fantasy speculation to assume things off the field outweigh how much Chas outplayed Meyers and Dubon last year. Maybe instead of just automatically deciding manager is always right, people should at some point realize maybe they should trust what they see on the field. What does Chas have to do on the field to warrant playing over people that play a lot worse than him? Caveat: I'm not sure if Chas will outplay Meyers and Leon this year.
That would not shock me. In fact, I recall that the Astros did that with Maldonado in years past, where they didn't sign him as a free agent, then ended up trading for him anyway at the trade deadline.
Another reason to pretend he's retired and forget him. Seriously though. I really liked him and thought he was a great fit but he's just 1 of about 15 catchers who all offer the same thing and are indistinguishable. And every pitcher on the staff, and informed, educated person who wants the Astros to win will mourn the day Maldy is no longer on the team.
Yes, my point in that part of my comment was that it was personal more in favor to Dubon (who is friends with Baker’s son) than against Chas.
Unfortunately, as big a fan as I want to be for León, I don't think it's happening this year: https://www-ligapr-com.translate.go..._sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp - batting .202, .631 OPS, 36% SO rate three fourths into the Puerto Rico Winter League, sigh
Maldy is gone after this yr. I have no problem with him and love what he brings to the table. That said they still need another catcher this yr and I'd have no problem with Vazquez being the starter going into next yr. He signed with MINN. Doesn't mean they can't revisit trying to trade for him again.
I did not know Dubon and Baker's son was friend. Though, it does lead to the same result if it was pro in favor of Dubon. Do you think it feels any less personal to be passed over because boss likes someone more (than it being directed at you) that is less qualified?
The post showing his most recent HR says he has been dealing with an injury. Who knows what or how that has effected him. I'll just ignore winter ball performance where Ronel Blanco is CY Young 2021: 30.6% K and 13.0% BB 2022: 28.8% K and 14 1% BB These are much more important to me. Now I'm not saying Leon is guaranteed to be a star. He is actually looking like more of a system depth AAAA piece. Like Siri with a lesser glove. But I am saying he took a step in 2022 and a similar step in 2023 could get him to starting CF status. He's too young and inexperienced for us to expect him to be a finished product.
