Q update

[JaneDoe]

Q went 2-5 with an RBI double in a rehab start in Corpus last night. 

So, Coop, what are your thoughts?  "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

That bridge is on the horizon.

[matadorph]

And from where Q sat last night, it's in RF.

[Mr. Happy]

Q went 2-5 with an RBI double in a rehab start in Corpus last night. 

So, Coop, what are your thoughts?  "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

That bridge is on the horizon.

No. I want to see more buck-forty-five rook play.

[David in Jackson]

Here's a question I'd like to get responses: Will Towles be a productive major leaguer or not?  I haven't seen him play enough this season to know if he's just had a bad run in his first extended major league time, or if he really stinks.

[Duman]

Here's a question I'd like to get responses: Will Towles be a productive major leaguer or not?  I haven't seen him play enough this season to know if he's just had a bad run in his first extended major league time, or if he really stinks.

IMO - he has what it takes to be a serviceable MLB catcher.  He was rushed this year and simply not ready for full time MLB

[HudsonHawk]

Here's a question I'd like to get responses: Will Towles be a productive major leaguer or not?  I haven't seen him play enough this season to know if he's just had a bad run in his first extended major league time, or if he really stinks.

Personally, I think Towles will always be a marginal Major Leaguer.  His defense will be average and his bat will be decidely below.  He's a poor man's Scott Servais.

[JackAstro]

Personally, I think Towles will always be a marginal Major Leaguer.  His defense will be average and his bat will be decidely below.  He's a poor man's Scott Servais.

Oh, that's fucking disheartening. No offense, but I truly hope you're wrong, because I need to believe the organization would never push a player whose ceiling exists somewhere beneath an average year of Scott Servais.

[JimR]

Oh, that's fucking disheartening. No offense, but I truly hope you're wrong, because I need to believe the organization would never push a player whose ceiling exists somewhere beneath an average year of Scott Servais.

HH's comparison may wind up being an insult to Servais.

[strosrays]

Personally, I think Towles will always be a marginal Major Leaguer.  His defense will be average and his bat will be decidely below.  He's a poor man's Scott Servais.

Wow, and I always thought Scott Servais was a poor man's somebody.  Whoever owns Towles must have sunk a big chunk of his wad into the mortgage futures market recently.

[Mr. Happy]

Towles's lack of batting prowess is reminiscent of Luis Pujols, although, in fairness, Towles does have more power.

[strosrays]

Towles's lack of batting prowess is reminiscent of Luis Pujols, although, in fairness, Towles does have more power.

Wow.  I had him more as a Skip Jutze type, or maybe Dave Adlesh or John Mizerock when he is really going good.

[HudsonHawk]

Oh, that's fucking disheartening. No offense, but I truly hope you're wrong, because I need to believe the organization would never push a player whose ceiling exists somewhere beneath an average year of Scott Servais.

I hope I'm wrong too.  I hope Towles hits .300, 30 dingers and plays great defense for the next 12 years.  I just don't think he will.  I think he'll be a 50-70 games a year guy, hit about .220, with a handful of HRs.  His career year, I think he can hit .265 with 20 HRs.  He seems to keep himself in good shape and doesn't clog up the bases, so I think he can stick around as a backup for nice 10 year career.  But that's his ceiling, as I see it.

[Gizzmonic]

He just needs a little seasoning and he'll be fine. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berbere" target="blank">Berbere[/url], perhaps?

[Noe]

A catcher can carve out a good major league career for himself if defense is the first order of business.  Forget what media and fans say, they have exhibited a huge lack of understanding and knowledge of the position any way, so let them pronounce whatever judgment they want.  They don't know squat... literally.

That being said, Towles lack of good defense is disconcerting.  At least Yadier Molina's 2006 campaign of suckitude with a bat was not a hinderance to the team that won a World Championship.  Molina helped shut down the other team's running game, blocked the plate well and called an extremely good game (and even if he did not, Dave Duncan did!).

Houston needs to continue to push a good game calling catcher to the forefront, especially if attracting a Free Agent pitcher is an order of business.  If they continue to seek offense from catcher and will sacrifice defense for it, it will not bode well for those pitchers who know what they want from a team.

[Kent's Moustache]

The Rangers currently have a glut of relatively young catchers (Laird, Salty, Ramirez, and Teagarden).

Anyone interested in casting for one of those fish?

[MusicMan]

Given that Salty and Ramirez have both been projected as "maybe we'll move him to 1b", and Teagarden's shoulder injury made his throwing a question mark, I'm going to say no.

[MusicMan]

I will not be surprised if the Stros make a run at Pudge as a FA.

[geezerdonk]

Wow.  I had him more as a Skip Jutze type, or maybe Dave Adlesh or John Mizerock when he is really going good.

He's no Dog.

[Mr. Happy]

Wow.  I had him more as a Skip Jutze type, or maybe Dave Adlesh or John Mizerock when he is really going good.

He's no John Bateman.

[Noe]

I will not be surprised if the Stros make a run at Pudge as a FA.

After acquiring Miguel Tejada this year, the Astros talking to Pudge would not surprise me one bit.

[David in Jackson]

After acquiring Miguel Tejada this year, the Astros talking to Pudge would not surprise me one bit.

Me neither, which is why the team has been in decline since 2004.

[JimR]

Me neither, which is why the team has been in decline since 2004.

WFW

[Kent's Moustache]

After acquiring Miguel Tejada this year, the Astros talking to Pudge would not surprise me one bit.

That's what happens when your front office is more concerned with the PR splash of its transactions than their baseball soundness...

[JimR]

That's what happens when your front office is more concerned with the PR splash of its transactions than their baseball soundness...

oh, BS.

[Noe]

That's what happens when your front office is more concerned with the PR splash of its transactions than their baseball soundness...

Actually, the baseball operations side is very concerned with baseball soundness.  But they have to pick and choose their battles with the other side of the fence where McLane sits comfortably in a lead chair.

[Andyzipp]

Any catchers (besides Jason LaRue) own land in Texas?

[austro]

Any catchers (besides Jason LaRue) own land in Texas?

Or pitchers?

[Andyzipp]

Or pitchers?

For that purpose, Louisiana will suffice.

[Kent's Moustache]

Given that Salty and Ramirez have both been projected as "maybe we'll move him to 1b", and Teagarden's shoulder injury made his throwing a question mark, I'm going to say no.

I'll agree that Salty and Ramirez are hitters first and backstops second (perhaps, a distant second).  However, both Laird and Teagarden seem cut more from the Ausmus cloth, in terms of their ability to handle a staff and their work behind the plate.

Teagarden had a bum shoulder in the past, but he threw out the only attempted base-stealer he's seen in the Show thus far, and his shoulder is apparently healthy enough to earn him a spot on the Olympic team.

[Noe]

I'll agree that Salty and Ramirez are hitters first and backstops second (perhaps, a distant second).  However, both Laird and Teagarden seem cut more from the Ausmus cloth, in terms of their ability to handle a staff and their work behind the plate.

Teagarden had a bum shoulder in the past, but he threw out the only attempted base-stealer he's seen in the Show thus far, and his shoulder is apparently healthy enough to earn him a spot on the Olympic team.

He is hoping somebody up North gets ideas that a Gerald Laird is expendable and makes him available.  That is one very good backstop indeed.

[Matt]

Teagarden has to be a fake alias.