Astros draft catcher Jason Castro at #10
by lnewcomer on Jun 5, 2008 2:28 PM CDT
83 comments
Quick reaction around the 'nets seems to be that this was a stretch, possibly because he was the best rated catcher. Consensus that this was not the "best available" talent on the board.
We've drafted catchers in several of the last few drafts, and most of them haven't worked out well so far. I thought Towles was viewed as someone who would solidfy the position for the next few years. He has struggled obviously this year, but I'm surprised the team would give up on him.
I guess the optimistic view is that the Astros' brain trust thinks this guy can be an All Star at a premium position, or has a big enough bat that he can move to one of the corner IF positions w/ tolerable defense.
No idea about signability.
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let's not forget...
we’re not exactly replacing Towles with Castro tomorrow, especially with a tough position like catching. In other words, I don’t think we’ve “given up” on Towles just b/c we drafted another catcher.
Looks like Castro is a polished lefty hitter who could move up quickly. I like to see that more than taking a young HS catcher, as we have in the recent past.
it's hardly a vote of confidence for Towles
I understand that he’s not going to be ready right now. But it’s hard to understand what the strategy is.
Unfortunately, I think I agree that this was a player picked for signability purposes.
this doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy
“Behind the plate, he’s solid-average in all respects: hands, arm, plate-blocking. His upside is as an average regular catcher in the big leagues, unless he develops more power. He has a very high probability of making it as a backup.”
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlbdraft/player?id=18754&draftyear=2008
still, it’s a crap shoot
stanford bio
his cliches are already Major League ready
http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/castro_jason00.html
I hope the Astros know something everybody else doesn't....
The Astros’ selection is getting bashed all over. The Baseball Prospectus chat/blog was full of disbelief and shock that the Astros made the selection. It’s not so much that Castro is a bad player, but rather that he is viewed as a late first round talent, and some highly rated options, both pitching and hitters, were there for the Astros to take. In particular, Smoak, one of the top 2 or 3 college hitters, had fallen into the Astros’ laps, but they didn’t take him. The Rangers did take Smoak with the subsequent pick. Some bloggers speculate that perhaps the Astros felt that they could sign Castro for a lower bonus amount than the higher rated prospects.
lol, Kevin Goldstein's response was a bit over the top
Kevin Goldstein (12:10:37 PM PT): 10. Astros—Jason Castro, C, Stanford.
Are you f-ing kidding me? Words can not describe how dumb this is. They just can’t. I’m utterly speechless. At least I get to rip Houston’s drafts once again. I’m rambling to myslef here it total disbelief.
Keith Law on Castro
from the ESPN live draft comments
Castro didn’t get to catch last year in the Cape Cod League because the team had Posey. Castro was expected to go in the second half of the first round. He’s a contact hitter; he will not hit for a lot of power. He’s an average regular catcher in the big leagues. But I don’t see him as a star. By the way, the next best college catcher in the draft is well below Castro.
and Keith Law on Smoak to Rangers (right after Astros picked)
This is the best pick in the draft so far. Smoak is the third-best player on my board. He’s a switch-hitting Adrian Gonzalez with more power. In the Rangers’ ballpark, he has a good chance to hit 40 home runs, if he develops. There are no major holes in his game. I saw this scenario possibly unfolding last night. A lot of things had to go right for them to get Smoak, and they did.
Really?!
Another catcher? And not even the best one available. I was watching live and I couldn’t believe they passed on Smoak. If they didn’t want to take him because of the money, they at least should of went with a pitcher or something. Garbage, absolute garbage.
Bourn to Run!
I keep torturing myself
The Cards picked a 3B prospect at 13, about whom Law says:
“Wallace has the best pure bat in the college ranks. He will hit for average and power. He draws a ton of walks and is very disciplined. He works the count, not just for walks but also to get good pitches to hit in hitter’s counts. He started to show a lot more power this year. Unlike a lot of lefty hitters, he’s already shown an ability to hit left-handed pitching, which puts him ahead of other left-handed bats. “
this guy looks pretty heavy and maybe he can’t stay at 3B, but don’t the Astros need a power hitting 3B-man? More than another catcher?
quotes from the Astros brain trust
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/5820879.html
"This is an offensive left-handed hitting catcher that we feel has a pretty quick return here," said Astros scouting director Bobby Heck, who is in his first year in Houston after being a prominent part of the Milwaukee Brewers’ scouting department.
"There was pitching on the board," Ed Wade said. "We had a couple of guys that were still active and alive in the draft. Again, in the work that our scouts have done and prioritizing the group that was there, Castro came out on top of the available pitching that was there at 10."
No mention of other hitters
Do we even have one solid hitting prospect in our system right now?
Bourn to Run!
wait and see I guess
the Castro pick at #10 is disappointing from perspective that we seemed to have passed on better talent, at least as ranked by the pundits.
basically, the team is asking us to trust them, but their performance in the draft over the last several years hasn’t earned them any trust. ripping out the whole scouting/drafting apparatus and sticking another one in isn’t a sufficient response without more information about what went wrong in the past and why what we’re doing now is better.
unfortunately, sports media in general and ours in houston in particular seem to be pretty bad at extracting detailed information like that from the team. quotes from Wade and Heck like the ones above are generic platitudes that don’t tell us much.
so we get to wait and see how our other 4 picks in the top 100+ turn out and hope that our guys know something all the supposed experts don’t. given baseball’s crap shoot of a draft, that’s not totally unreasonable.
Baseball America has the most positive comments of the day
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=303
Astros Go Castro
Posted Jun. 5, 2008 2:08 pm by John Manuel
Filed under: Draft Day
We heard it and it happened, with Jason Castro becoming the third catcher in the top 10 picks overall. We’re looking for the last time three catchers went in the first 10 overall picks and not finding it.
In 1975, three of the first 10 picks were catchers: Danny Goodwin at 1/1, Butch Benton to the Mets at 1/6, and Rick Cerone to the Indians at seven. There were five catchers in that first round, matching 1979 with five and surpassing the four we already have found in the first rounds of 1989 and 1994.
I’m a Jason Castro believer, but 10 seems high for him. I don’t think he was the 10th overall talent, and the Astros have a talented young catcher in J.R. Towles, so why the rush? But Castro can hit and if you believe in the bat, then you take him No. 10 overall.
The Rangers need a first baseman and Smoak is staring them in the face. Texas has been linked to Ethan Martin as well, if a college bat they liked wasn’t available.
15 minute break and then the Astros pick @ #38
we actually got a compensation class A pick for Trevor Miller. Go figure. The 16 picks in the compensation round will be broadcast on ESPN and then they’re done for the day.
Shooter Hunt is still available
RHP from Tulane
based on the Best Available Name we should draft him if he’s around.
last pitcher from Tulane didn’t work out so well.
Astros take Jordan Lyles (sp?) RHP HS pitcher from S. Carolina
power arm according to talking heads on ESPN
some local blurbs on Lyles
not very much here. seems to have been a 3 sports star in Hartsville, S.C.(rough pop 35K)
Kevin Goldstein is not a fan of our picks, that's for sure
at this point, it’s kind of funny
Kevin Goldstein (2:26:17 PM PT): 38. Astros—Jordan Lyles, rhp, Hartsville HS
Yet another guy who few others had this high. Boy oh boy.
39. Cardinals—Lance Lynn, rhp, UMiss
He sure is huge! Joking aside, could be a solid innings eater
40. Braves—Brett DeVall, lhp, Niceville HS
So much better than Lyles that it’s not even funny.
Baseball American on Lyles
Sandwich Shocker
Posted Jun. 5, 2008 4:27 pm by John Manuel
Filed under: Draft Day
The Astros are the Astros, and after taking Jason Castro at 10 overall—considered a reach for a late-first-round talent—they went off the board with their supplemental pick, taking 6-foot-4 Jordan Lyles. He didn’t make BA’s Top 200, and ranked seventh in the state of South Carolina, tops among prep players. Here’s Matt Blood’s scouting report on Lyles:
Righthander Jordan Lyles leads the high school ranks. Blessed with a clean and easy delivery, Lyles offers a fastball in the upper 80s and can break 90 mph on occasion. He also has room in his 6-foot-4 frame to add strength and velocity. Lyles also throws a curveball and changeup and can command all three pitches. A three-sport star in high school, Lyles is athletic on the mound. He is committed to South Carolina.
Upper 80s fastball?
This draft is ridiculous. Why do we suck so bad at drafts and everything else for that matter? A depressing day in Astroland. I know that’s a bit of an overreaction, but not one person likes either of our picks it seems. We reached for a catcher and a guy who throws an upper 80s fastball and failed to make Baseball American top 200? Seriously? Why Houston, why?!
Bourn to Run!
6'4 and throws in the high 80's?
HS pitcher, so you would hope that either this scouting report is off, or he is expected to develop more velocity as he ages.
Seems like a strange pick for #2. Wasn’t on any “expert’s” list anywhere near this high, if at all. Will be a real test for the Astros’ commitment to signing players. This guy seems like a prime candidate to go back to school, but we’ll see what the Astros offer him.
I'm not bothered by the velocity reading.
Very few high school pitchers who are drafted consistently throw in the 90’s. At that age, the scouts are projecting whether the pitcher is likely to throw in the 90’s in a couple of years after physical development and mechanical refinement. The fact that the Astros recently worked the kid out and he was hitting 92-93 mph may indicate that the Astros knew something about him that other teams didn’t.
re: Lyles
from Zach Levine at the Chron:
4:20 p.m.: With their compensatory selection for the loss of Trever Miller, the Astros pick Jordan Lyles, a high school right-handed pitcher from South Carolina.
Lyles is a tall hard-thrower, who was a prep football star in South Carolina as a wide receiver.
According to the South Carolina newspaper “The State” he’s considering going the college football route.
he's already signed
for an undisclosed amount, as per the Chronicle.
by littlevisigoth on Jun 6, 2008 8:44 AM CDT up reply actions
more on Lyles
http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/426203.html
guess he was one of the players that played at Minute Maid last Saturday, and the scouts were wowed. he was hitting 93 on the gun and struck out four batters or something like that. the scouting report from other outlets mentioned a nice, smooth delivery, and a frame with potential for an increase in velocity. still seems like he might have been a bit of a stretch, but who cares what the major media outlets say if the guy pans out. It says in the article that he’ll be reporting to Greenville, but it doesn’t say how soon. If he’s already signed, you’d think it’d be as soon as possible.
by littlevisigoth on Jun 6, 2008 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions
lnewcomer
Nice work by the way. I’m glad I can come here and get my info on the ‘stros draft.
Bourn to Run!
had hoped we'd have more to get excited about today
I don’t know how many rounds will be held today vs. tomorrow. these are the astros picks listed on the MLB website so far
2nd round 56<br />3rd round 88
Compensation Round B 109<br />4th round 122
Something's messed up wtih that post
but I saw earlier today we have 6 picks in the top 122. That’s good, but not if we keep picking like we are.
Bourn to Run!
yep
I had some ‘at’ signs in there and I think it thought I was trying to put in some HTML code or something. I don’t think there’s a way to edit a comment you’ve posted.
if memory serves we have these picks
2nd round – 56
3rd round – 88
compensation round b – 109
4th round – 122
I say we draft
4 pitchers who can throw 100 mph. Anything but another Jason Castro and a 19 year old Jamie Moyer.
Bourn to Run!
wow, the Brewers have 6 picks out of the first 62
picked up 4 draft picks for losing FA pitchers Francisco Cordero and Scott Linebrink
Brewers drafted Brett Lawrie, a Canadian high school hitter.
In yesterday’s game thread, I linked to an article about him, and I kind of hoped the Astros might consider drafting Lawrie. He appears to have impressive hitting skills. And the Brewers’ scouts seemed to be good at identifying good young hitters.
baseball prospectus
Kevin Goldstein (3:37:33 PM PT): If you are looking to keep hating on Astros, one insider callled Joe Austin’s scouting bureau video the funniest things he’s ever seen and called it a 20 bat.
at this point in the draft, I think the balance of information definitely shifts from analysts to teams. just the sheer number of bodies makes it much harder to keep track of everyone
he's commited to Southern Cal
I’m pretty sure he can still sign though. Apparently goes by Jay.
http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/hsprospects/2008/college_commitments_08class.aspx?gyear=2008
profile
http://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=52541
Joseph (Jay) Austin is a 2008 OF/P with a 6’1’’, 180 lb. frame from Atlanta, GA who attends North Atlanta HS. Lean greyhound build, world class speed (6.2 60), runs easy. Contact hitter with quick, slashing swing, more power in there. 90 mph arm from the left side with good 76 mph curveball. Athlete who has all the tools, stock will skyrocket with hitting improvements. Good student.
Baseball America
• Toolsy prep outfielders Destin Hood and Jay Austin went back-to-back to the Nationals and Astros. Hood is a typical Jim Bowden organization pick, a prep outfielder with football ties. He’s an Alabama signee but has earned comparisons to Nationals outfielder Lastings Milledge this spring for his wiry body and strength and premium bat speed. Austin ranked No. 99 on BA’s Top 200 but had helium the last two weeks, as his raw power and speed intrigued scouts.
Ortiz w/ various links to local papers on Castro
http://blogs.chron.com/baseballblog/archives/2008/06/astros_go_with_1.html
“First he’s an athletic catcher,” Heck said. “This past year in the Cape he played first base, he played center field. He was on the same club with (Florida State catcher) Buster Posey, so his catching was limited due to a minor injury he had that he’s been slowly cleared from our doctors with.”
from one of the articles:
Castro, who bats left and throws right, is a potential first-round draft pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft.
“I haven’t heard too many specifics about the draft,” said Castro, who is known to teammates as ‘Stro.’ “It’s still a little while from the draft. I’m ready to sign and have the opportunity to start my professional career after this year.”
i guess the nickname fits
wonder if he goes by Chase
there’s a Chase Davidson from Milton, GA, listed as a 1B/OF, who was rated #106 by Baseball America.
if Charles = Chase then
/profile” target=”_blank”>http://www.takkle.com/people/7261745//profile
Has some physical strength on his long and mostly lean 6-foot-5 frame. His raw power is exceptional, thanks to bat speed and the use of his long levers in his left handed stroke. Has room to develop further, both in terms of future added strength and in terms of a more refined offensive approach.
listed on this page as a 1B/OF
more for K. Goldstein
confession: I mainly look at the pecota stuff and read Will Carroll on Baseball Prospectus. I’ve seen this guy’s name on the site a lot, but I can’t remember much of what I’ve read by him before. Usually the stuff on BP is pretty good. He’s really taking out after the Astros on their roundtable today and at this point, my disappointment w/ our first pick has almost been overcome by this guy sounding like a prick and picking on our team. Anyway, FWIW.
Kevin Goldstein (4:29:09 PM PT): Darin (Stupidtown. Home of the Houston Astros): Do you know anything about Chase Davidson?
Huge kid with huge power, but needs work and he’s not an athlete. Maybe they hope he can make up for not getting the big bat in the first.
I guess Charles is Chase
don't understand
why Goldstein says “not an athlete”. he’s a two sport guy that plays 1B and OF and looks like he’s stolen a fair amount of bases in high school. he certainly doesn’t sound like a lumbering oaf of a 1B.
by littlevisigoth on Jun 6, 2008 9:29 AM CDT up reply actions
signed to play baseball w/ Georgia
Release: 11/20/2007
A 6-5, 220-pound left-handed hitting first baseman, Davidson is ranked 71st among Baseball America Top 100 prospects for the class of 2008. Currently a senior at Milton High School, he batted .396 with a team-high seven home runs and 20 RBI last season for the Eagles and coach Joey Ray. The son of Chuck and Judi Davidson, he has earned the Scholar-Athlete Award in baseball and football the past three years. He received the Offensive Player of the Year award at the annual East Cobb Baseball Awards banquet as a member of the East Cobb Braves. In the past two seasons, he has hit more than 30 home runs with 132 RBI.
“I am very excited about attending the University of Georgia, getting the opportunity to play for Coach Perno and to be a part of the Georgia baseball team,” said Davidson.
“Chase is a football/baseball guy who has plenty of toughness and that’s going to help him early in his career,” said Perno. “He carries as much raw power as any hitter that we’ve ever signed. I look for him to hit in the middle of our order and drive in a ton of runs.”
109 - RHP Ross Seaton (high school)
from Second Baptist in Houston
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2008/reports_popup.jsp?popup=yes&content=seaton
Texas isn’t providing the usual supply of fireballing high school arms, but Seaton is trying to represent as best he can. With a good fastball and slider, along with a changeup that should work well in the future, he’s fairly polished for a high schooler. A good athlete, he’s drawn some interest as a hitter as well and if the position or the bonus isn’t right, the bright right-hander could head to Tulane as a two-way player.
he likes one of them
Kevin Goldstein (4:32:23 PM PT): ok, let’s give Astros fans some hope. Ross Seaton is WAY better than the 109th best pick in the draft. If they can sign him away from Tulane, they got a very nice value there.
Seaton
/profile” target=”_blank”>http://www.takkle.com/people/7344967//profile
A long, lean right hander with a fastball in the low to mid 90’s to go with an excellent slider – which he can throw in the low 80’s. He is a fair athlete with potential two-way college ability, thanks mostly to a left handed power bat.
Baseball America
His season’s over, and Seaton ended it as one of the most-improved—and best—prep talents in a down year for the Lone Star State.
looks like we tried to draft him in 2005 out of HS
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/draft/05rounds21-30.htm
674. Houston, Thomas Steele, CF, Canyon del Oro HS, Oro Valley, Ariz
college profile
http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/duncan_david00.html
third player from Georgia
teammate of Derek Dietrich, our famously unsigned 3rd round pick from last year.
Towles Optioned
They optioned Towles down to round rock today.
hmmm... football...
The Astros suck
They can suck #^ $*(&% *^$# and like it. They are a &%#(* joke. For 4 god damn years I have been defending their sorry asses and i wont do it anymore. they are a bush, bullshit, sorry-ass excuse for a franchise. Drayton needs to get out of the baseball business. This makes me crazy. Sorry ass pieces of crap
My first mistake was assuming you knew what I was talking about.
and to be fair
every single thing they have done since has been a negative.
My first mistake was assuming you knew what I was talking about.
Absolutely
just putting the ‘4 years’ comment into perspective.
hmmm... football...
go be a red sox fan then
you could be wearing two world series shirts with the time you’ve wasted on the Astros.
by littlevisigoth on Jun 6, 2008 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
CASTRO ? TRUST ME .........
HAVE WATCHED THIS YOUNG MAN SINCE HE WAS 10 IN LITTLE LEAGUE.
KNOW HIS FAMILY QUITE WELL. GREAT CHARACTER AND WORK ETHIC.
IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND BEYOND, YOU ASTROS FANS WILL BE VERY, VERY GLAD THE TEAM GOT HIM WITH THE 10TH PICK !!!
TRUST ME ON THIS ONE.
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