Houston Astros have questions to consider at catcher

Roster tweaking doesn’t stop once Spring Training gets underway, and it appears the Houston Astros have at least one area they still might try to address. According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the ‘Stros held discussions with the Brewers last month about catcher Jonathan Lucroy:

It makes sense that Houston would consider upgrading its backstop situation. As Rosenthal notes, current starter Jason Castro is due to become a free agent after the season. Not only that, but the five-year MLB veteran didn’t exactly put together a year to remember in 2015.

The 28-year-old Castro slashed .211/.283/.365 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 104 games last season. He’s declined steadily since an All-Star 2013 in which he posted a .276/.350/.485 line while swatting 18 homers and plating 56 runs. The 2014 campaign featured 14 more long balls and another 56 RBIs, but the line sagged to .222/.286/.366.

Despite his struggles at the plate, Castro still contributed defensive value to the club, producing a career-best 1.2 dWAR (defensive wins above replacement) last year.

Nevertheless, the Astros might consider alternative options at the position, and Lucroy is an intriguing possibility. He too is a free agent after 2016, meaning Houston would need to re-sign him if they wanted him around long-term.

Of course, Lucroy endured challenges of his own last season. In 2014 he enjoyed arguably the best season by a catcher that year, posting a 6.7 WAR (7th overall in MLB). He slashed .301/.373/.465 with 13 homers, 69 RBIs and a league-leading 53 doubles (a record for catchers).

2015 contained a very different narrative, as Lucroy put up an inferior .264/.326/.391 line along with seven home runs and 43 RBIs. His WAR crashed from the prior year’s lofty mark to a far more modest 1.0. His defensive performance slipped as well, as his dWAR fell from 2.0 to 0.3. He also missed time due to a broken toe.

At age 29, Lucroy obviously wants to get back on track, and he apparently envisions that happening away from Milwaukee. He wasn’t exactly shy over the winter in expressing his feelings about the direction of the franchise: “Rebuilding is not a lot of fun for any veteran guy.”

A move to a postseason-contending team like the Astros may be just what Lucroy needs to revitalize himself, but should Houston pay the prospect cost for a player who will either be a rental or require an extension into what will likely be his decline years?

The ‘Stros have some other options that might be safer bets than a Lucroy deal. The Padres currently have a surplus of catchers from which they could trade. 27-year-old Derek Norris slashed .250/.305/.404 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs last season and still has two arbitration years left. Rosenthal recently speculated that San Diego might prefer to go with youngsters Christian Bethancourt and Austin Hedges behind the plate instead.

Houston’s solution could also come from within. 24-year-old Max Stassi is expected to secure the backup catcher job this spring, but if he keeps improving he could gradually take more and more at-bats away from Castro. In 45 major league plate appearances, Stassi owns a .357/.386/.476 line. That’s a small sample size and his minor league numbers aren’t nearly as good (.245/.312/.414 over seven seasons) but he’s certainly a player worth watching.  The Astros also have Tyler Heineman, Alfredo Gonzalez and Roberto Pena in camp.

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The Astros aren’t exactly in a rush to solidify the catcher position before the start of the season, but it should remain a topic of interest throughout the year.