SPORTSMAP ROUNDTABLE
Bill O'Brien shocked a lot of Texans fans when he spoke at the NFL Combine and said OC Tim Kelly will be taking over the play-calling duties.
ESPN 97.5's A.J. Hoffman, Joel Blank, and Raheel Ramzanali discuss if O'Brien's decision to allow Tim Kelly to call plays is just a PR move, or if O'Brien legitimately believes delegating the play-calling is what's best for the team.
The Houston Astros haven't counted on their catchers to deliver much offensive production in recent years, with defensive specialist Martin Maldonado being their primary catcher for the last few seasons. But top hitting prospect Yainer Diaz is making a case to get more playing time behind the plate and at first, based on his ability to swing the bat.
Until recently, he hasn't been able to get any meaningful playing time. Even David Hensley, who was optioned to Sugar Land a few weeks ago, has more plate appearances than Diaz this season.
So how does manager Dusty Baker find more opportunities for Diaz? Should he use him more often as a DH, along with getting time at first base and catcher?
And what does that mean for Jose Abreu, Martin Maldonado, and to a lesser extent, former first round pick and Sugar Land Space Cowboy catcher, Korey Lee?
Plus, considering how good the Astros outfielders have been this year, does the team need to grab another bat before the trade deadline?
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