Meh. He's doing the job on defense, but he's not exactly blowing anyone's doors off with the bat.

He's batting 0.179 for the Sox. Not sure what constitutes playing well these days, but I'm pretty sure Castro ain't doing it.

“I’m the same Ramon Castro,” he said. “I get along with teammates, I take the time to work on my game. I rape girls. I have a great opportunity here in Chicago, and I’m going to play my best.”

Random association: For some reason, Ramon Castro makes me think of Moe Berg and vice versa - not that they're remotely alike (apart from lack of desire to start).

Odd article. Trading the back up catcher who was going to be an FA anyway is a mistake?

He wasn't going to resign with the Mets. It seems the Mets didn't want him back anyway. He's not a player that you can expect to get better, or play at even an average level.

Next up: Where have you gone, Darren O'Day?

I admit a bit of confusion as well on this one, Howard. He is definitely not playing well and as someone above stated, he was about to be a free agent. I don't understand how the Mets were wrong on this one.

He's batting 0.179 for the Sox. Not sure what constitutes playing well these days, but I'm pretty sure Castro ain't doing it.


On the plus side, he hasn't raped anybody in Chicago.

That we know of, anyway.

O'Day has been really really good for Texas.

The best part of the acquisition of Castro was the reaction here that the White Sox have the least-likable catching tandem, what with Castro's raping and the way AJ has no chin and makes runners step around him to get to home plate.

I admit a bit of confusion as well on this one, Howard. He is definitely not playing well and as someone above stated, he was about to be a free agent. I don't understand how the Mets were wrong on this one.

Well, I would've rather seen Castro than Santos and Schneider the last few months.

Howard also sponsors Castro's B-ref page: "The Mets will rue the day they traded you, Ramon."

Let it go, Howard. He isn't doing much of anything with the Sox.

I admit a bit of confusion as well on this one, Howard. He is definitely not playing well and as someone above stated, he was about to be a free agent. I don't understand how the Mets were wrong on this one.

At the time this deal was made, it was absolutely about 2009. The Mets were using 80 at-bats of Omir Santos to choose a career .652 OPS minor leaguer over a career .727 OPS major leaguer.

They covered themselves by leaking behind-the-scenes rumors about Castro that simply didn't check out- about his fielding, about his handling of pitchers, and so on. Sound familiar? It's happening with Jose Reyes right now...

Ultimately, that's the bigger problem. As for criticisms of Castro's 2009 based on his batting average- never mind the small sample- he's had a ludicrously low BABIP this season with no drop in his line drive percentage. And despite this, his OPS is near-identical to Santos (.705 to .706). Not to mention- think this team needs more of a power threat?

That is to say nothing of Brian Schneider, who looked both done and a significant injury risk at the time of the trade, and- surprise!- has turned out to be both.

At the end of the day, this isn't about the Mets losing out on an early-career Pujols who catches-I certainly don't view Castro as that level of player. I am not claiming that the Mets ruined their season by making this deal- with or without Castro, this team was going to sink given the huge number of injuries.

It's about making the worst possible decision, given the circumstances, based upon a ridiculously small number of at-bats. Add to that the fact that just a year earlier, they'd signed Castro to a two-year deal- and not blind, but after having him for several years- and the combination of poor decision-making and running in circles is devastating.

The column revisits that decision, and that's why I think it mattered. To isolate his batting average is not only beside the point, but surprising from fellow BTFers.

So what you're saying is you'd prefer we point out the 63 OPS+, Howard? You can make all the points you wanted to make without trying to dress up Castro's performance in Chicago. You're criticizing the process, after all, not what Castro has or hasn't done in a small sample size with the Sox.

I hear all that, Howard, and if you're criticizing the process, that's fine, but this is a rather weak case on which to hang that point. Schneider, Santos, and Castro are all equally fungible at this point and were also equally so before the trade.

EDIT: What Eric said.

Also, what kind of black-helicopter dirty tricks am I missing about Reyes?

So what you're saying is you'd prefer we point out the 63 OPS+, Howard?

If the only thing separating his normal performance from his White Sox performance is a drop in BABIP not supported by any corresponding drop in line-drive percentage, that tells you all you need to know about his recent at-bats.


Also, what kind of black-helicopter dirty tricks am I missing about Reyes?

http://www.metsblog.com/2009/08/28/read-questions-about-jose-reyes/

Among others.

If the only thing separating his normal performance from his White Sox performance is a drop in BABIP not supported by any corresponding drop in line-drive percentage, that tells you all you need to know about his recent at-bats.

I've watched almost all his at-bats with the White Sox. Not impressed.

I've watched almost all his at-bats with the White Sox. Not impressed.

Ah, yes, compared to A.J. Compared to Brian and Omir, however...

Speaking of the White Sox, Thome's now with the Dodgers.

Contreras is now a Rockie.

Ramon Castro wasn't going to make a difference for the 2009 Mets. He's good enough to be a starter but he has a hard time staying healthy. I actually don't seem to mind Omir as much as others around here. I am comfortable with him as the backup catcher for next season.

In the amazing bounty of arguments against the Mets this year, how did this ever get to the top of the pile?

This reminds me of the old days of Baseball Weekly, when Paul White would describe his inexplicable love for Hector Villanueva. But further confounded by an "indecent assault" conviction.

If the only thing separating his normal performance from his White Sox performance is a drop in BABIP not supported by any corresponding drop in line-drive percentage, that tells you all you need to know about his recent at-bats.

Regardless, he can't be said to be doing well with the White Sox. There might be reason to say that he will do well (though not really) but he quite clearly has not done well while with the Sox.

I'm sorry but Ramon Castro is a 33 year-old C with a career 88 OPS+ (barely above-average for a C) and has never had more than 240 PA in a season. And that's his only season over 200! He's not even evidence of a process that's out of control.

Note, given his small number of PA, we actually have virtually no clue what Castro's "true talent" is. Over the last 4 seasons (which is all that a projection system will use) he has just 609 PA. We have one season's worth of reliable data on the guy. For his entire career, we have two seasons worth of PA. His "career" line drive rate and his career BABIP are pretty much meaningless.

Howard: Qualifications?
Castro: Rape, murder, arson and rape.
Howard: You said rape twice.
Castro: I like rape.

Once again, Vlad, way to malign a guy based on what you heard from a cop who heard from a girl who knows a guy who saw Ramon Castro at 31 Flavors.

Note, given his small number of PA, we actually have virtually no clue what Castro's "true talent" is.

Walt, Castro has 1380 at-bats in the major leagues, with a .724 OPS. Omir Santos has 2440 minor league at-bats, with a .652 OPS. You can't say with any confidence who is the better hitter?

Man, we're all just in Plato's cave, grasping at scraps of reality.

I'm pretty sure Ty Cobb was better than Carson Bigbee, but how much of that was usage?