Author Topic: Kory Casto  (Read 8623 times)

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Offline hammondsnats

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Kory Casto
« Topic Start: June 24, 2006, 03:35:10 PM »
This guy continues to impress...

And why isn't this guy up in the Majors w/ us???  He was named Player of the Week last week.  Can play most of the infield and I think we're trying to get him to play some outfield.

12 HRs -> tied for fourth best in league

51 RBIs -> tied for best in league

.305 AVG -> 8th best AVG

48 Runs -> 2nd best in league

17 Doubles -> 9th best in league

54 Walks -> leads league (42 is next closest)

.429 OBP -> 2nd best in league

.547 SLG -> 3rd best in league

.976 OPS -> 2nd in league

Offline UMDNats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #1: June 24, 2006, 04:27:21 PM »
I think he's a third baseman, and well all know that ours is here to stay. I could see him moving to 2nd base or Short to get to the big leagues.

Offline Kenz aFan

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Kory Casto
« Reply #2: June 24, 2006, 08:30:41 PM »
Like Nats19 said, Casto is currently a third baseman, also for hitters, it's a pretty big jump from AA to the bigs. Until Casto masters another position, he's not going to be a regular in Washington, not as long as RZ is there.

Offline hammondsnats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #3: June 24, 2006, 09:34:36 PM »
that's why we move him to the outfield

CHIP72

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Kory Casto
« Reply #4: June 24, 2006, 11:15:06 PM »
To my knowledge, Kory (with a "K") Casto has never played 2nd base.  It isn't so easy to convert to 2nd base if you haven't played there before.

I'm pretty confident that Casto can be a productive hitter in the majors at some point in the not-too-distant future.  Obviously the question is where he'll play in the field, considering Ryan Zimmerman looks like he'll be an All-Star caliber 3rd baseman with the glove and possibly with the bat for many years.  Casto is solid defensively at 3rd himself (though definitely not at Zimm's level - very few guys are), so that gives the Nationals many possible options.  IMO, those options are (in no particular order):

1) Move Casto to the outfield or possibly 2nd base.  Casto is a converted outfielder and obviously could move back there if necessary, especially depending on what happens with the Nationals' major league outfield over the next 1 1/2 seasons.  The issue with moving Casto to the outfield is whether his good offense would still be good enough playing LF or RF.  As it is now, Casto stands out offensively at 3rd base but may be near average or somewhat better than average offensively in the outfield in the majors, making him a less valuable player to the Nationals.  Casto could also be tried at 2nd base, but that could delay his progress to the majors.  Jose Vidro, still a fine player, also plays 2nd for the Washington nine.  If the Nats want to try Casto at 2nd in the long-term, they should try playing him there in the minors in the VERY near future.

2) Keep Casto at 3rd base and move Ryan Zimmerman to shortstop.  This idea probably makes some Nats fans break out in hives, but it could potentially provide long-term solutions at 2 positions for the Nationals.  Zimmerman did play SS in both high school and in college and has shown enough ability at 3rd base to give reason to think he could be at least solid at SS.  On the other hand, Zimm's struggled somewhat in both the minors and in spring training playing at SS.  Obviously the big concern over this idea is possibly weakening the defense at 2 positions.

3) Trade Casto for a player or players at a position or positions of need.  IMO, this idea makes the least sense, mainly because Casto is a good hitter and the Nationals lack good young players, so it would probably be counterproductive for them to trade one of their best position-player prospects.  Having said that, as noted above it is possible Casto may not be productive enough for a corner outfielder and may not have another good position on the Nationals.  It should also be kept in mind that Casto is relatively old for Double A (24 years old) and probably closer to his ceiling than is ideal for a Double A prospect.  His productivity may be less likely to translate to the majors.

Offline UMDNats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #5: June 26, 2006, 12:17:25 AM »
I don't see why we should have to move RZ because of Kory Casto, who isn't as talented as RZ. RZ is a gold-glove caliber 3B and has been outstanding. Caston on the other hand has never even played in AAA, let alone the MLB, so why should he get precedence over RZ? Just because RZ played SS in HS and college doesnt mean that we should move him there.

The only solution should be to trade Casto or move him. He souns like a good player and we could use him. Move him to 2nd base, SS, or OF.

Offline hammondsnats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #6: June 26, 2006, 05:11:07 PM »
Casto hit another HR today...He has 13 on the year.  Stud.

CHIP72

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Kory Casto
« Reply #7: June 26, 2006, 07:34:30 PM »
Quote from: "Nats19"
I don't see why we should have to move RZ because of Kory Casto, who isn't as talented as RZ. RZ is a gold-glove caliber 3B and has been outstanding. Caston on the other hand has never even played in AAA, let alone the MLB, so why should he get precedence over RZ? Just because RZ played SS in HS and college doesnt mean that we should move him there.

The only solution should be to trade Casto or move him. He souns like a good player and we could use him. Move him to 2nd base, SS, or OF.


The issue isn't whether Kory Casto is better than Ryan Zimmerman (he definitely isn't), the issue is filling the hole at SS in the long-term.  Royce Clayton has done a nice job at SS for the Nationals this year, but you can't expect him to play there for an extended period of time.  Zimmerman MAY be a good defensive shortstop in the mold of Cal Ripken if he's given the chance, and having both Zimmerman and Casto in the lineup (if Casto shows he can be productive in the majors) would benefit the Nationals offensively.

It should also be noted that shortstop is considered the most difficult defensive position, excluding the unique cases of pitcher and catcher.  You want your best defender at SS if possible, so that's why Zimmerman, not Casto, would be the one to move to SS.  Also, 2nd base is considered to be a more demanding position than 3rd base defensively (mainly because a lot more balls are hit to the 2nd baseman and he often needs to make difficult plays/pivots on 6-4-3 or 5-4-3 double plays), so that's why it's not a slam dunk that Casto could succeed defensively at 2nd base.

Offline The Chief

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Kory Casto
« Reply #8: June 26, 2006, 08:09:02 PM »
I'm not saying Zimmerman wouldn't make a great SS, but I'd much rather have him at 3rd making those momentum-changing stops that he's capable of making.  Sure SS might be harder to play, but if a ball gets by the SS, odds are it's not gonna score as many runs as a liner that gets by the 3rd baseman.  It's for this exact reason that I'd prefer to keep Zimmerman at 3rd.

Also, we've still got 2 more years of Guzman and there's practically no way he's gonna get traded or benched next spring with the money we're paying him.  If he bombs again like he did last year, then maybe someone else plays SS, but I honestly don't see Guzman having that terrible of a year again in 2007.  He showed very promising signs of life last September, and I think that's the Guz we can look forward to in '07 and '08.

As for Kasto, I don't know much about him, but I don't see him playing 3rd or SS any time soon.

Offline JMW IV

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Kory Casto
« Reply #9: June 26, 2006, 08:59:01 PM »
Quote from: "Kenz aFan"
Like Nats19 said, Casto is currently a third baseman, also for hitters, it's a pretty big jump from AA to the bigs. Until Casto masters another position, he's not going to be a regular in Washington, not as long as RZ is there.


exactly.

I wonder what happened to moving him to 2nd Base...

I could sworn that was the Plan during the Offseason.....

Offline JMW IV

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Kory Casto
« Reply #10: June 26, 2006, 08:59:50 PM »
Quote from: "The Chief"
I'm not saying Zimmerman wouldn't make a great SS, but I'd much rather have him at 3rd making those momentum-changing stops that he's capable of making.  Sure SS might be harder to play, but if a ball gets by the SS, odds are it's not gonna score as many runs as a liner that gets by the 3rd baseman.  It's for this exact reason that I'd prefer to keep Zimmerman at 3rd.

Also, we've still got 2 more years of Guzman and there's practically no way he's gonna get traded or benched next spring with the money we're paying him.  If he bombs again like he did last year(and this year too), then maybe someone else plays SS, but I honestly don't see Guzman having that terrible of a year again in 2007.  He showed very promising signs of life last September, and I think that's the Guz we can look forward to in '07 and '08.

As for Kasto, I don't know much about him, but I don't see him playing 3rd or SS any time soon.


fixed.  :D

Offline The Chief

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Kory Casto
« Reply #11: June 26, 2006, 09:05:27 PM »
Well you can't really help being injured.  It is really crappy luck for the team, but whaddya gonna do?

Offline Kenz aFan

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Kory Casto
« Reply #12: June 26, 2006, 09:23:33 PM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
I wonder what happened to moving him to 2nd Base...

I could sworn that was the Plan during the Offseason.....

There was talk of moving him back to the outfield as well. If the Nats keep moving him around, he will be just another utility player. He has to much talent to be jerked all over the field that way they've been doing. Put him in one spot, leave him there to learn and get used to the position, and either bring him up next season (only an idiot would call him up this year) ot trade him for a position the Nats need.

gozimm

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Kory Casto
« Reply #13: June 26, 2006, 11:53:32 PM »
Looks like they are getting Casto ready to replace Soriano

Nationals agree to terms with top pick

 
Quote
Decisions, Decisions: The Nationals decided to move Kory Casto from third base to left field. It's the second position switch he has made since being drafted by the Expos in 2003.

Casto was drafted as a corner outfielder and then moved to third base after the '03 season. The switch back to the outfield was made because Ryan Zimmerman is expected to be the team's regular third baseman for the next 15 years, the team wants Casto's value go up in possible trade scenarios and just in case Alfonso Soriano is traded before deadline.

Casto is considered one of the best prospects in the Nationals organization. He was the only person in the entire organization to drive in at least 90 runs last year and was named the team's Minor League Player of the Year for the same season.

This season, Casto is playing for Double-A Harrisburg and was hitting .300 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs entering Monday's action.

nationals111

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Kory Casto
« Reply #14: July 04, 2006, 12:54:28 PM »
can castro catch or play center

Nationals0726

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Kory Casto
« Reply #15: July 14, 2006, 04:38:43 PM »
The only problem with moving Zimmerman to Short Stop is...


1. Its stupid, he is gonna be a top third basemen soon.

2. We have that Gonzalez guy in the Minor leagues so sooner or later were gonna move Ryan back to third base. Then he'll have to relearn third base and Castro will have nowhere to go except back to Double-A.

3. We have Felipe Lopez now and he plays Short stop.

I think the best thing we should do is switch him to outfield or trade him for some minor league prospects or another top minor league prospect.

Offline hammondsnats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #16: August 02, 2006, 03:19:33 AM »
with alfie here (and hopefully here long term) move casto to ss or 2b.  have lopez play the other position.  

this kid is going to be a stud.  not Zimm stud level, but pretty good.

Offline JMW IV

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Kory Casto
« Reply #17: August 02, 2006, 11:47:39 PM »
now Kory Casto is one of the few bright spots in our Minor League system, a young and potentially potent Left-Handed Bat who is NEARLY Major League ready.

He was a Third Baseman. We drafted Zimmerman, he's excelled. Casto's path the Majors is blocked.

So we move Casto to the Outfield, grooming him to take over Left Field in 2007, after Soriano leaves via trade. Soriano doesn't leave, Management is set to pay out the ass for him to stay. We trade for Kearns, who will have Right Field on Lock. Casto's Path to the Majors is Blocked, as he's not really CF material(I don't think).

what's the next move? How can we get him into our lineup in 2007 or 2008?

or do we try to trade Casto, since we did not trade Soriano?

Offline ColtonWillems

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Kory Casto
« Reply #18: August 03, 2006, 12:08:13 AM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
now Kory Casto is one of the few bright spots in our Minor League system, a young and potentially potent Left-Handed Bat who is NEARLY Major League ready.

He was a Third Baseman. We drafted Zimmerman, he's excelled. Casto's path the Majors is blocked.

So we move Casto to the Outfield, grooming him to take over Left Field in 2007, after Soriano leaves via trade. Soriano doesn't leave, Management is set to pay out the ass for him to stay. We trade for Kearns, who will have Right Field on Lock. Casto's Path to the Majors is Blocked, as he's not really CF material(I don't think).

what's the next move? How can we get him into our lineup in 2007 or 2008?

or do we try to trade Casto, since we did not trade Soriano?


We've blocked almost every way for Casto to get into the Majors, except ridding ourselves of Vdiro and converting him to 2B. I just don't want to see another Rick Short scenario. Please management, don't waste Casto, trade him away if he's not in our future plans.

Offline JMW IV

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Kory Casto
« Reply #19: August 03, 2006, 12:13:14 AM »
Quote from: "ColtonWillems"
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
now Kory Casto is one of the few bright spots in our Minor League system, a young and potentially potent Left-Handed Bat who is NEARLY Major League ready.

He was a Third Baseman. We drafted Zimmerman, he's excelled. Casto's path the Majors is blocked.

So we move Casto to the Outfield, grooming him to take over Left Field in 2007, after Soriano leaves via trade. Soriano doesn't leave, Management is set to pay out the ass for him to stay. We trade for Kearns, who will have Right Field on Lock. Casto's Path to the Majors is Blocked, as he's not really CF material(I don't think).

what's the next move? How can we get him into our lineup in 2007 or 2008?

or do we try to trade Casto, since we did not trade Soriano?


We've blocked almost every way for Casto to get into the Majors, except ridding ourselves of Vdiro and converting him to 2B. I just don't want to see another Rick Short scenario. Please management, don't waste Casto, trade him away if he's not in our future plans.


I don't want to see him traded. I want to see him in the Nationals Lineup.

He should be in the Outfield in 2007, if he is ready, and if we are truly committed to rebuilding this Franchise around Young Stars.

if that is the case, then Zimmerman, Johnson, Kearns, and Casto should make up the Nucleus of this team.

a shame that some of our fans (and apparently our GM), cannot see past the last Home Run.

I think the Minute that Soriano signs his contract, Casto should be moved to 2nd Base for the rest of the season, and Vidro's days should be numbered.

Offline hammondsnats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #20: August 03, 2006, 03:16:20 AM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"

I think the Minute that Soriano signs his contract, Casto should be moved to 2nd Base for the rest of the season, and Vidro's days should be numbered.


Exactly.

2007 line-up...
LF Soriano
SS Lopez
1B Johnson
RF Kearns
3B Zimmerman
2B Casto
CF Church/Matos/Escobar/PTBNL
C Schneider
P

Offline Kenz aFan

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Kory Casto
« Reply #21: August 03, 2006, 11:24:23 AM »
Instead of worrying about position players, the Nats should focus their energies on pitching, at the major league level, and in the minors. What they have now is atrocious. The Nats have not even one pitcher projected as a potential number one starter at the major or minor league level right now. That in itself is a very sad indicator of what kind of trouble the entire system is in.

At one time, in MLB, if a team was serious and had a "Five Year Plan" unless they had incompetent people working for them, odds are they were successful. Today with the better Free Agents signing 3 to 5 year contracts, no kind of plan is a guarantee. Building your franchise through the farm system is all well and good, but there too, you need very qualified people doing the work every day, plus you must commit some major dollars to signing the elite amateur players, not just for one or two years, but every year.

With very few exceptions, drafting high school players is a big risk. The odds of those players being successful does not increase because they have more time to develop. In a vast majority of cases, its more a hindrance. Those three extra years means the chances of them advancing fast enough to outrace newly drafted high school kids or college players, in a large percentage of case, isn't very good. Each year a team will add 20+ players to its minor league system, meaning that each year, 20 have been pushed aside, left as minor league free agents, or dealt to another team.

Regarding Kory Casto, if the Nats have any intention at all of trying to sign Soriano, then they should move Casto to second base, to give him as much time as possible to be ready when Vidro is traded, or simply not resigned. Thing is though, do the Nats have any serious plans for Casto, after all he's 24 and still in AA. If the Nats drag their feet, he'll be 26 or 27 by the time he hits the majors, and excuse my being blunt, 26 and 27 year old rookies is a sign of a very bad farm system. What would be best for Casto, is to be traded for a top level AA and younger pitching prospect. He's from Portland, OR, so trade to the Mariners, who are looking for a left fielder.

Offline hammondsnats

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Kory Casto
« Reply #22: August 03, 2006, 01:06:53 PM »
Kenza, we all know we need pitching.  It's fun though to think ahead.  

Casto has been brought up slowly.  The think tank has done a good job in being patient with him.

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Kory Casto
« Reply #23: August 03, 2006, 06:44:00 PM »
Quote from: "Nationals0726"

2. We have that Gonzalez guy in the Minor leagues


  :?:  :?:

Offline Kenz aFan

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Kory Casto
« Reply #24: August 03, 2006, 06:59:11 PM »
Quote from: "Nationals0726"
2. We have that Gonzalez guy in the Minor leagues

If you're talking about the 16 year old SS phenom the Nats signed this summer, then you're wrong. Gonzalez has yet to play in even one game for either of the Nats Dominican teams.