The Houston Astros have an infield logjam to figure out this offseason, and while there's been speculation over whether a player like Christian Walker or Isaac Paredes could get traded, neither seems likely to be traded.
Dana Brown instead will look to other areas of the roster as expendable pieces this offseason. While someone like Jake Meyers could be traded, he isn't the top trade candidate on the Astros for MLB.com writer Mark Feinsand.
That player is the Astros' 27-year-old catcher, Yanier Diaz. Despite being under control for the next three seasons, Houston has reason to move on from the 20-homer catcher. That reason? Diaz's poor defense.
Why Astros could trade Yanier Diaz despite 20-homer season
"Diaz remains one of the better offensive catchers in the league, but his defense continues to be an issue for the Astros." Feinsand writes. "Diaz ranked low in both Blocks Above Average (28th percentile) and Framing (18th percentile)..."
With Diaz struggling behind the plate so much in two key metrics, which determine the catcher's ability to block any wild pitches and his ability to get strikes on borderline pitches, the Astros need to figure out a way to improve.
Even though Diaz is a quality hitter, slugging 20 home runs this past season with a.701 OPS, there's no real reason to accept the poor defensive metrics if his offense isn't going to be more impactful than it is.
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Under control for three more years, a team could eye Diaz as a quality offensive upgrade to their lineup at a position with a lack of such good-hitting options.
There are a few teams in need of catcher help, and Diaz, who is one of the best power-hitting catchers in baseball, could be a very appealing trade target.
Houston could move on from Diaz this offseason, thanks to his poor defensive metrics. While there's no need to force a trade, Dana Brown and the Astros should entertain trade offers for their 27-year-old power-hitting catcher.
Some teams might be willing to spend a decent amount of prospect capital to land him, which would help the Astros' lackluster farm system going forward.
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