Scout’s review of Astros prospect will put Yainer Diaz trade talk on hold (for now)

Should the Houston Astros look to trade Yainer Diaz this offseason? Some Astros fans are sure to recoil at the very thought of Houston trading away a player like Diaz. After all, wasn't just a year ago that there was talk of extending the young backstop beyond his arbitration window?

Unfortunately for Diaz, a lot has changed in that one year. The Astros starting catcher had an up-and-down campaign in 2025, and depending on who you talk to, there was a lot more down than up. Diaz hit .256/.284/.417 last season.

Perhaps most concerning was Diaz's chase rate (44.3%) which was among the worst in Major League Baseball. Strangely, however, the Astros backstop was still able to maintain a respectable 16.8% strikeout rate. Diaz is a free-swinger in every sense of the word.

This undisciplined approached has led some to speculate that Diaz may in fact be dealt this offseason. Obviously securing Victor Caratini's services would be a must before Houston moved on from Diaz, and then there's the question of who'd been the Astros' backup.

Walker Janek, who currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, is the choice among many to be the Astros' catcher of the future. Selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Janek put together a solid season at High-A Asheville this season, prompting some of the Houston faithful to believe he could be fast tracked through the farm system and make his big league debut some time next season.

Astros prospect Walker Janek has struggled defensively, and that should put Yainer Diaz trade rumors on hold

But don't count The Athletic's Keith Law among them. The long time scout and talent evaluator headed out to the desert recently and was able to observe Janek's performance. His latest column (subscription required) suggests the young backstop needs more seasoning behind the dish.

Though Law admitted that catchers usually underperform in AFL, he seemed somewhat impressed with his bat. The young Astros prospect has displayed some power during the first few weeks in Arizona, but there's been a good deal of swing and miss too. More concerning for Law, however, is the defensive aspect of Janek's game. Law observed Janek's receiving to be well below what he expected.

Being a big-league backstop means more than launching homers and loud contact. Though many think Janek has the chops to be part of the Astros roster in 2026, given his defensive shortcomings, perhaps the Astros should shelve talk of Diaz trade for the time being.