I would have preferred protecting either Papierski or Yainer Diaz over keeping Seth Martinez or Garrett Stubbs. However, another move is required to make room for Verlander so someone else has to go.
Click really delivered in a similar trade last year in Perez for Berryhill. Let's hope for the same result.
Likely Mike Papierski unless he’s picked in the Rule 5 draft. He spent time with the big league team throughout the last 2 seasons as part of the remote site in 2020 and taxi squad this season. He will be a fine 3rd catcher if one is needed before Korey Lee is ready. He walks a ton and is a good defensive catcher, and pitchers love him; his lone weakness is that he doesn’t hit for power, which is odd since he is a pretty big dude. That said, Lee will be the primary catcher in AAA and should be ready by the latter part of next season. If Papierski is taken and Lee isn’t ready they’d just sign a veteran AAAA guy like they did with Drew Butera toward the end of this season. The Astros are extremely deep at catcher right now.
I think they just roll with Maldy and Castro until Lee is ready. Wish they added Papierski to protect him. He seems like a very smart player who will stick in the big leagues for a long time in some way. Probably not as anyone's starting catcher but at least as a backup, probably even has a future in coaching/managing. I fully expect someone to take him. In other news, I saw that the Yankees DFA’d Tyler Wade. Lefty hitting shortstop, possible utility candidate? Since all our starting infielders hit right handed, having a left-handed backup would be cool.
If I had to bet my money is on him and France being taken. Diaz I think they're gambling on his inexperience past A+ and his relative age but he's someone people have begun to notice. And I think the trade gave him even more exposure. Still a decent chance he's taken.
I really don't like Diaz being unprotected. Ignoring anything else, he's hit .335 since he was brought to the US, his offensive production didn't appear out of thin air last season. Not that offensive production at low levels is some huge guarantee, but it's enough for me to not want to lose him. He likely would have started the year at AA, which is means he could have been MLB ready this season. The fact that he can be somewhat hidden as a backup catcher makes him a prime target for a rebuilding AL club. Worst case you simply send him back.
JJ Matijevic is another guy I don't like being unprotected. Took a step forward last year, has some serious 30+ HR pop if he can clean up the Ks a little bit more. Spent much of the year in AAA so he should be ready next year. Could at least be a good power lefty bat off the bench, possible Gurriel successor in 2023, too.
