One of my first articles that was featured on MLBTradeRumors.com was my “Astros Fooled By Pudge” post. Here is what is I wrote back last March in regards to the Houston Astros signing Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez.
“The Astros need to get younger not older. I understand that J.R. Towles hit only .137/4/16 in 54 games last season and he has looked terrible this spring hitting .153/1/1 in 13 AB’s.
However, he was ranked the Astros No. 1 best prospect by Baseball Prospectus in 2008 and he is only 25-years-old. According to Baseball Prospectus, Towles “should hit .280-.300 annually with 10-15 home runs.”
Why not give Towles a shot to play everyday? If he fails, the Astros know they will need to address the catcher situation in 2010. If he succeeds, the Astros will have their catcher of the future.
Now if Pudge hits his .260/7/58 like he probably will, then the Astros are in the same place at the end of the season that they were yesterday. It just doesn’t make sense.”
I got a lot and I mean a lot of heat from Astro fans that day. However, flash forward almost a year later and like I said, the Astros are in the same spot they were a year ago.
Their catcher situation is unsettled.
Towles only played in 16 games last year and it is still unclear whether or not he can be a full-time starting catcher in the major leagues. Humberto Quintero, the other catcher on the roster, does not even play the position everyday.
So that leaves top prospect Jason Castro to perhaps steal the starting catcher's job this spring. GM Ed Wade has already gone on record in saying that Castro will be given every opportunity to win the starting job during spring training.
Since being drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft, Castro has hit at every level in the minor leagues. If he has a killer spring, he could find himself behind the plate catching Roy Oswalt in Houston.
Here are some other facts about Castro:
Age: 22
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
College: Stanford University
Drafted: 10th pick of the first round of the 2008 draft
Minor League Stats
2008 Low Single A: .275 average with two home runs, 12 RBI, and a .383 OBP in 39 games
2009 High Single A & Double A: .300 average with 10 home runs, 73 RBI, and a .380 OBP in 119 games.
Keith Law Ranking and Analysis
Ranking: No. 65 out of 100 best prospects in baseball in 2010
Analysis: “Castro doesn’t have much star potential but does project as a solid everyday catcher if he can answer some lingering questions about his defense, which has a few teams questioning whether he will be able to play the position in the big leagues. I think he can, since he has the arm strength and enough athleticism to learn the position with more instruction and reps.
His swing is very simple, with a short path to the ball and some loft, and he keeps his weight back well. But because he’s not a big guy and lacks great bat speed, he probably projects to have only average power. Still, he should hit for average and get on base.
His defense is probably adequate now to play in the big leagues, especially with nothing blocking him in Houston, and with some improvement he could be an average regular for an organization that hasn’t had that behind the plate in a decade.”
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