Report: Houston Astros and Jason Castro haven’t discussed contract extension
By Brad Rowland
If there was a solitary bright spot for the 2013 Houston Astros, it was unquestionably the work of Jason Castro. However, one report is indicating that Houston hasn’t been as aggressive in locking down their prized asset as the rest of the industry may have expected.
Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish is reporting that, while many have thought that the Astros and Castro would secure a long-term agreement, no talks have come together at this time. Of course, this doesn’t mean that discussions won’t begin at some point, but by mid-January, it is a bit of a surprise that the two sides haven’t talked.
The 26-year-old Castro was one of the best catchers in all of Major League Baseball, posting a 4.3 fWAR (4th among all catchers) in less than 500 plate appearances. Castro’s offense was lights-out for the majority of the season, finishing with a .276/.350/.485 slash line and 18 home runs, and because of his age, he would be an incredibly hot commodity if he ever found his way to the market.
Houston’s “new regime” in the front office has done a great job at identifying future assets, and locking down their best (and maybe only) primetime MLB option would seem to be the next step. It’s unclear if Houston wants to tie themselves down to any long-term commitments at this stage, but if they were going to secure one player, it would seem that Castro is the best candidate.