Astros could listen to offers on Jason Castro

After trading for Angels catcher Hank Conger last week, the Astros could be listening to offers on catcher Jason Castro, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cafardo goes on to say that the Red Sox could be a team interested in acquiring Castro.

Castro, who is entering his second arbitration year, is coming off a very disappointing 2014 season. For the year, Castro posted a .222/.286/.366 slash line, with a career-low BB rate and a career-high K rate. The disappointing 2014 season followed up a breakout year in 2013. In 2013, Castro posted a .276/.350/.485 slash line on top of his first career All-Star game appearance. The season was good for a 4.3 WAR, according to Fangraphs.

Although Conger's career OPS of .647 suggests he will not improve the Astros' offensive output, his defense could be a huge addition to the pitching staff. Conger had the 4th best pitch framing skills in all of the MLB in 2014, according to StatCorner.com.

On top of the Red Sox, Castro could draw the interest of several other teams. A key factor will be where Russell Martin ends up. Martin is expected to be mulling offers from the Pirates, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Dodgers this offseason, according to Bruce Levine. Castro could be a nice backup plan for the teams that end up missing out on Martin's services.