Just when you think there are no more moves for the Houston Astros to make, they find a way to prove you wrong.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, catcher Jason Castro could be a prime trade candidate as a first-time arbitration-eligible player and the fact that the Astros have another young catcher in the big leagues they are high on in Max Stassi.
Rival teams have inquired on Castro, according to major league sources. If the Astros cannot sign him to an extension, he could become the team’s best trade chip. The ‘Stros also could move him to first base.
Unless you paid close attention to the Astros last year, which would be a new kind of torture I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, Castro’s performance went largely unnoticed in national circles. He hit .276/.350/.485 with 54 extra-base hits in 120 games last season. His 4.3 Fangraphs‘ Wins Above Replacement trailed only Yadier Molina, Joe Mauer and Buster Posey in 2013.
At just 26 years old, Castro still has some upside left. He may not be able to duplicate that 2013 performance again, which was aided largely by a career-high .351 batting average on balls in play, but he’s also not going to cost much and won’t hit free agency until after 2016.
If the Astros do decide to move Castro, here are a list of suitors and potential trade packages that could be put together to make it happen.
Note: All stats courtesy of Fangraphs and Baseball Reference.