Will the Houston Astros Drop the Ball on Catchers? Chris Coste Now a Free Agent

If you're a veteran catcher, have your agent give the Houston Astros a phone call. The 'Stros just might need your services. That's because 36-year-old Chris Coste, acquired by Houston earlier this year after the Philadelphia Phillies had placed him on waivers, has rejected the team's outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and is now a free agent. Some believe the stat sheets define a player in strictly black-and-white terms, and they'd no doubt think this was a great move: Coste hit .224 this year with two home runs and 18 RBIs. With Houston, he hit .204 with 10 RBIs in 43 games. Coste is somewhat of a late bloomer to the MLB, having spent four seasons in the bigs. (No, that Disney movie The Rookie wasn't about Coste.) Let's face it—Coste's no Johnny Bench, but neither are the two catchers currently on Houston's roster: Humberto Quintero (who's 29) and J.R. Towles (who's 25). Neither is particularly great with the bat. Houston must be thinking that a 36-year-old man with four years of ... (link)