With a dismal 41-83 record on the season, it has been a nightmare in terms of on-field product for the 2013 Houston Astros. However, it was well known before the season that Houston was “bottoming out” as part of their plan to rebuild, and one of their prized prospects is arriving on Tuesday to try to brighten things for a struggling fan base.
According to Brian McTaggert of MLB.com, the Astros are set to call up their top catching prospect, Max Stassi, to replace the newly-injured Carlos Corporan as their backup catcher. Stassi has a .277/.333/.529 slash line with 17 home runs in 323 plate appearances at double-A this season, and he has been praised for defensive prowess throughout the minor leagues.
Fortunately for Houston, they won’t be in dire need of immediate production from Stassi, as they have unearthed one of the pleasant surprises in all of baseball with starting catcher Jason Castro this year. Castro was Houston’s lone All-Star representative (of course, they had to have one), and we have to presume that he’ll remain the primary catcher thanks to a .801 OPS for the season. With that said, Stassi seems to be in the plans for the future, whether as a prime trade chip or Castro insurance.
It doesn’t take a lot to bring a hint of brightness to an otherwise dismal season, but Stassi’s arrival can signal a bit of the future for Houston. As long as fans understand the rebuilding effort, it makes the losing a bit easier, and with a new regime in the front office, the plan seems to be taking shape.