HOUSTON — When veteran catcher Jason Castro’s season ended with knee surgery, the Houston Astros had two talented prospects ready to step into the backup role and one telling concern.
They weren’t sure, general manager James Click said, if turning to inexperienced catchers at that vital position was wise for a World Series contender, so Houston went shopping. They reached out to acquire at the trade deadline an established starter, Boston’s Christian Vazquez, to serve as a backup — or more, if needed.
“That’s a lot to ask of those young guys at this point in their careers, so we wanted a level of depth just in case something happened in the last two months of the season,” Click told the Post-Dispatch this past week.