Revisiting the Houston Astros Impact of Offseason Moves

Hank Conger

Apr 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Astros catcher Hank Conger (16) reacts after being splashed with water by him teammates after hitting a home run in the 14th inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Houston won 6-4 in 14 innings. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Then: 

The first thing that Luhnow talked about was the Hank Conger trade and how it was probably a “potentially confusing move” for most fans about why the Astros added the third catcher. “You have to have at least three major league ready catchers in case of injuries.” He stressed “you can’t judge an offseason or understand an offseason until it is over. This move was the first of many moves this offseason.”

The deal happened pretty quickly after the mutual desires came to light. Jeff said that Astros fans will grow to like Hank, not only as a baseball player, but as a person. “He’s a real character.”

The first praise for Conger was that he was one of the best pitch framers in the game. The Astros felt so good about his skills; they gave up Nick Tropeano and Carlos Perez.

Now: 

Conger so far has played in eleven of the Astros 37 games so far the season. His slash line is .185/ .333/ .407/ .741 while hitting two home runs and three RBI’s. He has struck out eleven times in 34 plate appearances, which represents a 32% strikeout percentage. He was walked six times.

The most memorable Hank Conger moment has to be his game-winning home run versus the Rangers. He has made some mistakes behind the plate, which don’t normally show up in the box scores. While he only has one error, he has only caught about 31% of would-be base stealers. (Stats from Baseball-Reference)

Carlos Perez is the biggest loss for the Astros so far, as he has become a semi-regular in the Angels lineup recently, with a slash line of .280/ .269/.440/ .709 in seven games. He was a big factor in the Astros versus Angels series. (Stats from Baseball-Reference)

Nick Tropeano has only pitched in one game for the Angels, but it was a good one. He pitched six innings, giving up zero runs while striking out five batters in the win. (Stats from Baseball-Reference)

Grade:

Could change, but right now I would have to give this transaction an F, even though the Astros still have faith in him.

Next: Will Harris