Houston Astros Seemingly Reducing Playing Time of Star Catcher

If these past few series are any indication of what's to come for the remainder of the year, then the Houston Astros seem to be reducing the playing time of their young catcher.

May 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) in the dugout prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros went into the offseason knowing they were going to make a change at catcher and move on from Martin Maldonado who had been a staple behind the plate for them since 2019.

Never known as a gifted offensive player, what he contributed in the clubhouse and at the position he held was far greater than the negative metrics he produced with the bat in his hand.

But as Maldonado hit 37 years old, the front office knew they would have to make a decision, especially with how their star rookie Yainer Diaz was performing when he was given an opportunity to play by Dusty Baker.

So, they ultimately moved off from the veteran and handed the reins to Diaz for the 2024 season, bringing in Victor Caratini as his backup.

With more at-bats given to the emerging star, the expectation was the Astros' offense would excel without Maldonado pulling them down.

Instead, it's been the opposite.

Houston has struggled to score runs and hit at the same rate they have over the past few years. Compared to his .282/.308/.538 slash line with 23 homers and 60 RBI last season, Diaz looks like a completely different hitter, sitting at .249/.278/.358 with only three homers and 23 RBI in just over half the amount of at-bats he had in 2023.

Based on what manager Joe Espada has done at catcher the past couple series, it also appears like he is reducing Diaz's playing time behind the plate as observed by Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle.

"Diaz started 37 of 58 games at catcher to begin the season, roughly two-thirds of the workload. Caratini drew one start in each of the Astros' first 14 series — a pattern the team has since deviated from slightly, with Caratini starting two of three games against Milwaukee, two of four in Seattle and none in a three-game series in Oakland," he writes.

It also has to be pointed out that the young catcher hasn't had to deal with the same amount of workload he's currently been given.

He caught 399 innings last year. He entered Saturday with 344 innings caught.

Maybe how much he has been utilized behind the plate has affected his performance on offense as he was largely used as the designated hitter when Maldonado was in the lineup.

Espada's comments are also interesting when factoring in that Diaz has never quite been considered a great defensive player, currently rating poorly in pitch framing, average in pop time, and above-average in blocking, per Baseball Savant.

"Caratini, he's just prepared. Diaz prepares himself also. But the experiences for Caratini and how he studies and maybe finds different ways to get through lineups, it's a good mix between the two catchers," the skipper told Kawahara.

There was always some concern that moving away from Maldonado would have a negative impact on the pitching staff, something that seems to have been proven correct through the early portion of the year.

Maybe Espada is noticing that and is starting to put his more experienced pitch caller behind the plate.

This is certainly something to monitor, especially if Diaz isn't able to improve his performance on offense.