texasaggie2015 said:

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I'll chime in with what I know.

Dusty is a super old school guy and he has a super old school approach to managing. If you don't do things his way, he's not going to like you.

The Astros have a ton of gym rats on the team. Altuve, Bregman, Brantley, Yordan, Dubon, Peña are all known for their work ethics. They fit well with Dusty's approach. Chas is a little different. He's a good dude and he's liked in the clubhouse but he doesn't have the same mentality those other guys have. But hey… he still performs. Some guys just have different approaches and that's fine. But when you have an old school skipper like Dusty, it may rub him the wrong way.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong. It's just how it is. It's the same reason it took Yainer a while to crack the lineup.

There may be more to the story here, but that's about all I know/am willing to put out on a message board. Bottom line… I think Dusty needs to get over it.

And this could ultimately be the deciding factor on which OF gets moved. Time will tell.

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Marvin said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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tjack16 said:

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So does that mean Diaz will lose DH at bats in order to preserve Dusty's backup catcher role?

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It would be right on brand for Dusty to do that. Maybe Dusty thinks since we're going to a few NL parks, he is gonna forfeit the DH a few more times just for the fun of it.

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The only problem with having Diaz at DH without a third catcher is if Maldy gets hurt. When has he left a game, if ever? The risk is miniscule. If it happens, have Diaz take the field as catcher and insert the pitcher into the lineup in the #9 spot- where Maldy always bats. Dusty can then either let the pitcher bat or play the old NL double switch / pinch hitter game.

It's such a low odds proposition, and probably not a huge negative impact given Maldy's production vs a pitcher batting a time or two, that Dusty really has no valid excuse for keeping Diaz on the bench. It's non-zero, but damn close to zero.

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In the extra inning game vs the Reds, Dusty pulled Diaz from DH (forfeiting the DH) to catch after pinch hitting Altuve for Maldy in the 8th...when he had a perfectly good 3rd catcher sitting on the bench. The move completely defies logic, so I wouldn't put it past him to do it again. His dementia might kick in and think there's no DH in an NL park.

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redline248 said:

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CFTXAG10 said:

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We found something with Diaz at DH. He should be in the lineup every day even if it means my eyes have to bleed watching Maldy catch

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No, he should catch every day and someone like Dubon or Julks should DH with Maldy on the bench.

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redline248 said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Marvin said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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tjack16 said:

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So does that mean Diaz will lose DH at bats in order to preserve Dusty's backup catcher role?

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It would be right on brand for Dusty to do that. Maybe Dusty thinks since we're going to a few NL parks, he is gonna forfeit the DH a few more times just for the fun of it.

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The only problem with having Diaz at DH without a third catcher is if Maldy gets hurt. When has he left a game, if ever? The risk is miniscule. If it happens, have Diaz take the field as catcher and insert the pitcher into the lineup in the #9 spot- where Maldy always bats. Dusty can then either let the pitcher bat or play the old NL double switch / pinch hitter game.

It's such a low odds proposition, and probably not a huge negative impact given Maldy's production vs a pitcher batting a time or two, that Dusty really has no valid excuse for keeping Diaz on the bench. It's non-zero, but damn close to zero.

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In the extra inning game vs the Reds, Dusty pulled Diaz from DH (forfeiting the DH) to catch after pinch hitting Altuve for Maldy in the 8th...when he had a perfectly good 3rd catcher sitting on the bench. The move completely defies logic, so I wouldn't put it past him to do it again. His dementia might kick in and think there's no DH in an NL park.

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Then didn't he double down by not doing the old switcharoo and left the pitchers spot due up the next inning?

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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Marvin said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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tjack16 said:

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So does that mean Diaz will lose DH at bats in order to preserve Dusty's backup catcher role?

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It would be right on brand for Dusty to do that. Maybe Dusty thinks since we're going to a few NL parks, he is gonna forfeit the DH a few more times just for the fun of it.

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The only problem with having Diaz at DH without a third catcher is if Maldy gets hurt. When has he left a game, if ever? The risk is miniscule. If it happens, have Diaz take the field as catcher and insert the pitcher into the lineup in the #9 spot- where Maldy always bats. Dusty can then either let the pitcher bat or play the old NL double switch / pinch hitter game.

It's such a low odds proposition, and probably not a huge negative impact given Maldy's production vs a pitcher batting a time or two, that Dusty really has no valid excuse for keeping Diaz on the bench. It's non-zero, but damn close to zero.

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The biggest issue being if that happens early the SP is burned when you put the DH in at Catcher. So say Maldonado was injured in the second inning while Framber is pitching. We know just lost our ace and have to burn the bullpen and that is then going to effect the next 2-3 games. It's actually a much bigger deal that just "put Diaz a catcher and move on"

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SIGNED: #MNTwins have signed LHP Dallas Keuchel to a minor-league contract.

— MLB Transaction Tracker (@MLBMovesTracker) June 22, 2023

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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You're missing that if Diaz is at DH and gets inserted in a catcher the pitcher that he is DHing for is out of the game. That is a major issue if it happens early. It's more than just having the pitchers spot hit the rest of the game.

And the answer is to just play Diaz at catcher and sit maldy then when Diaz needs a rest once a week let maldy catch framber if he insists on it.

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Marvin said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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You're missing that if Diaz is at DH and gets inserted in a catcher the pitcher that he is DHing for is out of the game. That is a major issue if it happens early. It's more than just having the pitchers spot hit the rest of the game.

And the answer is to just play Diaz at catcher and sit maldy then when Diaz needs a rest once a week let maldy catch framber if he insists on it.

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I do not think that is a true statement. Diaz would remain in the same spot on the card and enter the game defensively. Maldy would exit the game and also the lineup card. The pitcher of record would be inserted into the lineup in place of Maldy (#9 spot) and remain in the game.

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texasaggie2015 said:

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Most guys on the pitching staff have actually been really vocal with their desire to have Maldy behind the plate. No idea what it is exactly but they strongly prefer him.

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Beat40 said:

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No. We NEED a closer.

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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The Astros aren't gonna have pitchers bat. Ya'll do remember that's how Lance tore his UCL in 2018 against the Dodgers, right?

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