Could the A’s Make a Play for Jason Castro–Or Are They Set at Catcher?
By Jason Burke
With Derek Norris now on the San Diego Padres, the A’s could be on the lookout for another option behind the plate to bolster the offensive prowess of their backstops. One intriguing option for the A’s to consider would be Jason Castro from the Houston Astros. He fits the bill of what Oakland has been looking for: a young, inexpensive player with upside.
Currently, Oakland has John Jaso, Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley as options at catcher, and we don’t know how much playing time Jaso will be able to handle due to his recent concussion history. There is also the chance that Jaso gets traded, which would limit the number of catching options Bob Melvin would have at his disposal.
Jason Castro is 27, which means he may be about to enter his prime. The Astros also have too many catching options currently, with their acquisition of Hank Conger at the start of the offseason. It has been rumored that the Astros are looking to move one of their catchers, with Castro being the one to bring the most in return. In 2013, Castro burst onto the scene, batting .276 with 18 home runs and 56 rbi and a .350 on-base percentage. Last season Castro took a step back, batting just .222 with an OBP of .286, with his power numbers staying pretty consistent.
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The downside of Jason Castro is that he tends to strike out at a high rate. Combining the past two seasons, Castro has punched out 281 times in 900 at-bats, or 31.2% of the time. For the sake of comparison, Vogt struck out 39 times in 269 at-bats last season, or 14.49%. It sounds like we don’t need Castro, and I get that. Yet, Castro has been reliable behind the plate, with 779 of those at-bats coming as a catcher, not as a DH or playing first. With Vogt coming off of a foot injury, how much will he really be able to catch?
We don’t know a lot about Josh Phegley as of yet, but his numbers in the majors suggest that he will not be an offensive juggernaut. Last season in eleven games, Phegley hit .216 with 3 homers and 7 rbi. It’s likely that Phegley will be more of a defensive-minded catcher that provides some pop, but doesn’t hit for a high average. Defensively, Phegley has a career caught stealing percentage of 29% (15 caught in 51 attempts), which is a touch above league average.
There are two questions to be considered. The first is obviously whether or not the A’s need another option at catcher. Castro could cost a young arm or two, depending on what the asking price is.
The other question is whether or not the projected Vogt/Phegley duo signals a change in philosophy. With Derek Norris, the A’s were getting an offensive catcher. While Vogt has shown his offensive abilities, we don’t know how he will perform after surgery, or how he will hold up over 162 game schedule. Could the A’s be going for a more defensive approach behind home plate, and is it one game too late?