Call to the pen
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Houston Astros Offseason To-Do List

By Jason Burke

Sep 20, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) throws out Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (not pictured) during the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) throws out Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (not pictured) during the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 2, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann (34) hits a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. It was the 20th home run of the season for McCann. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann (34) hits a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. It was the 20th home run of the season for McCann. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports /

Catcher

Of all of the potential additions that the Houston Astros make this winter, who they put behind the plate could be the most exciting move they make, solely because there are a couple of intriguing options to consider.

The first of those options is going to likely be the most talked about free agent catcher this offseason in Matt Wieters. Wieters is a year older than Castro, has had Tommy John surgery, and had an identical wRC+ to Castro’s 88 last season. He has more of a track record at the plate, but most of that track record was before his injury and in the middle of a formidable Oriole lineup. There is upside here, but one of Castro’s biggest strengths is his pitch framing, which netted an additional 96 strike calls for Astros pitching in 2016, which ranked fifth in baseball. Gattis earned another 36. Wieters was responsible for 55 calls going the other way, which is a big drop-off from Castro’s 96, a difference of 151 that could have a large negative effect on the team if they went that route.

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Another option would be Wilson Ramos, who missed the end of the season and the Nationals brief playoff run due to injury. He should be back early on in 2017, and posted a wRC+ of 124 this season. His 3.4 WAR likely would have made him a rich man this winter, but the injury he suffered will likely knock that price down a bit. His pitch framing is still below average, costing his pitchers 14 calls over the course of the season, but that’s still better than Wieters, along with being one year younger and coming off of a more productive year at the dish.

Then there is an option via trade. The New York Yankees have some young hotshot behind the dish named Gary Sanchez who is supposed to be pretty good (spoiler: he is), which will relegate Brian McCann to backup duties. He is signed for at least two more seasons at $17M per year and has a team option for a third season at $15M that can also vest if he reaches certain benchmarks. He is right up there with Gattis in terms of pitch framing, converting 43 balls into strikes and finished 2016 with a wRC+ of 103. Both parties are also very familiar with Carlos Gomez, and they could perhaps bond over that.

McCann is a bit more costly than the other options, both in financial terms and the cost of acquisition, but his experience could prove valuable to the pitching staff while also providing a different voice. None of the options are slam dunks by any means, but each are certainly worth considering if they are looking to go in a different direction.

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