Nearly a calendar year ago, the Astros made what felt like an inconsequential trade involving a swap of minor league catcher Michael Papierski for backup infielder Mauricio Dubón. Not surprisingly the day that the Astros acquired Dubón was also the last game for Niko Goodrum, at least in the majors. No offense to Goodrum, but his performance during his brief time in Houston — .116/.156/.163 with an alarming 51.1% strikeout rate — was a prime reason management felt like a change in mid-May was necessary. While Goodrum was never viewed as anything more than a below-average hitter with solid defensive metrics, a team can’t tolerate even a reserve running a strikeout rate that high.
Mauricio Dubón, Now Optimized
