Phil Garner was interviewed by Tom Verducci in Sports Illustrated's Baseball Preview this week. When asked to define the perfect number 2 hitter, Garner had this to say: "What I'm looking for in my number 1 and 2 hitters are guys who can get on base. I'm looking for guys at least in the .350 to .360 range for on-base percentage."
This is a good attitude to have. You don't have to be Billy Beane to recognize how important OBP really is. Now let's hope Garner backs up his words by keeping our best hitters toward the top of the lineup. If Everett can't produce at the two-spot, I hope he inserts Ensberg there. Better still, let's hope A.E. can post a .350 OBP so Ensberg can drive in more runs in the five- or six-spot.
Garner also had this to say about the cleanup spot: "You want a guy who'll hit 25 home runs or better. On-base percentage is not as critical. Generally, you get on base to get into scoring position. But the 4 hitter should be in scoring position every time he comes to bat."
I'm not sure if that last sentence makes any sense or not, but Garner isn't saying much here. I wonder if the 25 home runs were any reference to Bagwell's decline. Garner earlier this Spring said he'd be fine if Bags only hit 15 this year, as long as he kept driving in runs. I anticipate at least 25 this year for Bagwell, although I also expect his average to hover in the .270s. I wonder how his new stance is working out?
Jack — I agree that the Astros need to consider the future. Berkman, Oswalt, Lidge, Burke, Taveras, Ensberg, Lane, Everett are a strong starting cast. But what's the big deal about sending Burke back to AAA. We all know he's going to be the second baseman of the future anyway, so why not give him even more time to develop and work out the kinks before he plays full time? (This is more of a Devil's Advocate than a real argument.)
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Baseball Prospectus 2005, my favorite baseball annual, was waiting on my doorstep when I got home yesterday. I flipped to the Astros section, and was not surprised to find that their analysis was not positive. They started by praising the Astros 'going for it' with the Beltran trade, and highlighted our 9th inning comeback against the Expos as a 'turning point' of the season.
Then:
"Now, the Astros are at another turning point. As exhilirating as the 2004 run was, the challenges they face now are much the same as they've faced for the past few offseasons...
The Astros project as clearly inferior to the Cubs and Cards going into 2005, with an aging roster and funneling far too much money to players who won't be productive enough...
One of the hardest things in sports is to let go of the success you've had in the past in order to ensure more success in the future...
This isn't a contending team. The question is whether new GM Tim Purpura can get his hands around that fact early enough to salvage positives from the season...
But if they can use the year to get Chris Burke established at 2nd base and add some talent to the system's upper levels through trades, and then have a strong draft that replenishes the lower levels, they can lessen the time it takes for them to be a factor again...
Most importantly the Astros have to change their identity. The Killer B's aren't killing anyone any longer. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are going to go into the Hall of Fame, quite possibly together. This year, though, has to be the year in which Biggio's role is reduced, creating space for Lane. There's nothing Purpura can do about the money Bagwell is owed, but he can build his team in a way that shifts the focus from him to Berkman and Oswalt...
The hardest thing to do in sports is let go of your success. We'll know very quickly if Purpura is up to the task."
Pretty good stuff. I agree (big surprise) almost completely. The Astros need to realize that they're not likely to contend short of a bunch of miracles, and they need to start looking to rebuild. They've signed Berkman and Oswalt to multi-year deals, which is good; now they need to look to build around their youth: Chris Burke, Adam Everett, and Willy Taveras form an excellent up-the-middle defense (but not-so-great offense), Oswalt and Brandon Backe and Ezequiel Astacio should be a decent front 3, and Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls are solid in the bullpen. We need to build around these players, with some good drafts, smart free agent signings (particularly at catcher, starting pitcher, and bullpen), and occasional trades.
BP2005 then predicts every Astros player (along with a few minor leaguers) and writes a paragraph about them. Some of the highlights:
Brad Ausmus: He's been a .220 EQA hitter since 2000...he allowed the most steals and highest success rate of his career in 2004...with John Buck out of the way and a $3 million salary in '05, he'll be the starter again, but Ausmus may be the worst regular in baseball.
Craig Biggio: He's an enormous liability in center field...add in that he posted the lowest walk rate of his career...the Astros need Willy Taveras to win the CF job to allow Biggio to stay in left, minimizing the damage he does.
Chris Burke: Baseball America named Burke the best defensive 2nd baseman in the PCL in his first season in which he didn't also play SS. The Astros #1 pick in 2001 also had a big power spike, fixing what has been his biggest problem as a pro.
Brooks Conrad: It's worth mentioning that PECOTA sees better things in 2005 for Conrad that it does for Burke, with his power and walks carrying the day.
Jason Lane: Career .280 / .351 / .526 in 263 PA's. He's been a better baseball player than Craig Biggio for three years now. Lane can rake, and would put up All-Star numbers if left alone to play.
Luke Scott: A throw-in in the Willy Taveras trade, Scott gets in here because of a big half-season at Round Rock. He doesn't bring much to the table other than his bat.
Todd Self: Self is just a marginal prospect, but his plate discipline is real and he could be good for 40 doubles and 15 homers through his peak. A Mark Grace / Wally Joyner hitter with average defense will let you spend money elsewhere.
Willy Taveras: One of the fastest players in the game. His '04 was hailed as a breakthrough but it was almost entirely a batting average thing - his power and strike jone judgment is poor. He needs time in Triple-A almost as much as the Astros need him to push Biggio aside.
Ezequiel Astacio: His strikeout rate nearly doubled with a comparable improvement in his stirkeout-to-walk ratio. He'll be in Houston before the year is over, and could have a big role in their bullpen.
Brandon Backe: His future success as a starter will hinge on how effective his change-up is against lefties. A converted outfielder, he's a good hitter to boot.
Taylor Bucholz: His curve is major league ready, and his command was voted best in the PCL. If his change-up comes around, he has a nice future as a starter; if it doesn't, he'll make a nice set-up man.
Mike Gallo: A lefty specialist who can't get out lefties is completely worthless. Purpura should keep an eye on the waiver wire.
Carlos Hernandez: He'll continue to improve at a slow pace, on his way to being a good pitcher again in 2006.
Fernando Nieve: Astacio's live arm gets more play, but Nieve's future could be just as bright.
Roy Oswalt: Through four seasons, his career is a virtual match for Mike Mussina's, except Mussina never took that step forward, staying at his established level for ten more years. Oswalt could; he has everything it takes to make the same leap Greg Maddux did in 1992 that allowed him to become the best pitcher in baseball.
Chad Qualls: His sinker/slider/strikes mix should work well at Minute Maid Park, giving the Astros a cheap, effective reliever.
Dan Wheeler: He's tough on righties, which is particularly useful in a division with lots of righty-heavy lineups.
Whew. So that's about it. Again, I think these guys are spot-on (which again isn't a big surprise, since BP is one of the reasons I first got into baseball statistics, so I tend to be a bit biased). I didn't really learn anything here that I didn't already know, except that they like Conrad a lot. I particularly like the comment on Todd Self - finding young, cheap, league-average players to fill most of your roster spots and spending the big bucks on true superstars like Berkman, Oswalt, and Lidge, is absolutely the way to go.
With that in mind, how's this for a 2007 Astros lineup:
C Humberto Quintero / Hector Gimenez
1B Todd Self
2B Chris Burke / Brooks Conrad
SS Adam Everett / Chris Burke
3B Morgan Ensberg / Mitch Einerston
LF Jason Lane / Luke Scott
CF Willy Taveras
RF Lance Berkman
SP Roy Oswalt
SP Ezequiel Astacio
SP Fernando Nieve
SP Brandon Backe
SP Carlos Hernandez
CL Brad Lidge
RP Chad Qualls
RP Taylor Bucholz
RP Dan Wheeler
You know, that's not bad at all. Our biggest eventual 'holes' (areas in which we could sign an elite free agent who would make the biggest difference) are C, 1B, SS, CF, SP #2-5, and RP. Baseball Prospectus is also fond of saying that you should try and give your biggest contracts to excellent up-the-middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) players since they are also by far the most important defenders and you can often find good-hitting corner outfielders and corner infielders on the waiver wire or throughout the minor leagues. With that in mind, I think C, CF, and an elite SP will be our biggest needs in the coming free agencies.
Then:
"Now, the Astros are at another turning point. As exhilirating as the 2004 run was, the challenges they face now are much the same as they've faced for the past few offseasons...
The Astros project as clearly inferior to the Cubs and Cards going into 2005, with an aging roster and funneling far too much money to players who won't be productive enough...
One of the hardest things in sports is to let go of the success you've had in the past in order to ensure more success in the future...
This isn't a contending team. The question is whether new GM Tim Purpura can get his hands around that fact early enough to salvage positives from the season...
But if they can use the year to get Chris Burke established at 2nd base and add some talent to the system's upper levels through trades, and then have a strong draft that replenishes the lower levels, they can lessen the time it takes for them to be a factor again...
Most importantly the Astros have to change their identity. The Killer B's aren't killing anyone any longer. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are going to go into the Hall of Fame, quite possibly together. This year, though, has to be the year in which Biggio's role is reduced, creating space for Lane. There's nothing Purpura can do about the money Bagwell is owed, but he can build his team in a way that shifts the focus from him to Berkman and Oswalt...
The hardest thing to do in sports is let go of your success. We'll know very quickly if Purpura is up to the task."
Pretty good stuff. I agree (big surprise) almost completely. The Astros need to realize that they're not likely to contend short of a bunch of miracles, and they need to start looking to rebuild. They've signed Berkman and Oswalt to multi-year deals, which is good; now they need to look to build around their youth: Chris Burke, Adam Everett, and Willy Taveras form an excellent up-the-middle defense (but not-so-great offense), Oswalt and Brandon Backe and Ezequiel Astacio should be a decent front 3, and Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls are solid in the bullpen. We need to build around these players, with some good drafts, smart free agent signings (particularly at catcher, starting pitcher, and bullpen), and occasional trades.
BP2005 then predicts every Astros player (along with a few minor leaguers) and writes a paragraph about them. Some of the highlights:
Brad Ausmus: He's been a .220 EQA hitter since 2000...he allowed the most steals and highest success rate of his career in 2004...with John Buck out of the way and a $3 million salary in '05, he'll be the starter again, but Ausmus may be the worst regular in baseball.
Craig Biggio: He's an enormous liability in center field...add in that he posted the lowest walk rate of his career...the Astros need Willy Taveras to win the CF job to allow Biggio to stay in left, minimizing the damage he does.
Chris Burke: Baseball America named Burke the best defensive 2nd baseman in the PCL in his first season in which he didn't also play SS. The Astros #1 pick in 2001 also had a big power spike, fixing what has been his biggest problem as a pro.
Brooks Conrad: It's worth mentioning that PECOTA sees better things in 2005 for Conrad that it does for Burke, with his power and walks carrying the day.
Jason Lane: Career .280 / .351 / .526 in 263 PA's. He's been a better baseball player than Craig Biggio for three years now. Lane can rake, and would put up All-Star numbers if left alone to play.
Luke Scott: A throw-in in the Willy Taveras trade, Scott gets in here because of a big half-season at Round Rock. He doesn't bring much to the table other than his bat.
Todd Self: Self is just a marginal prospect, but his plate discipline is real and he could be good for 40 doubles and 15 homers through his peak. A Mark Grace / Wally Joyner hitter with average defense will let you spend money elsewhere.
Willy Taveras: One of the fastest players in the game. His '04 was hailed as a breakthrough but it was almost entirely a batting average thing - his power and strike jone judgment is poor. He needs time in Triple-A almost as much as the Astros need him to push Biggio aside.
Ezequiel Astacio: His strikeout rate nearly doubled with a comparable improvement in his stirkeout-to-walk ratio. He'll be in Houston before the year is over, and could have a big role in their bullpen.
Brandon Backe: His future success as a starter will hinge on how effective his change-up is against lefties. A converted outfielder, he's a good hitter to boot.
Taylor Bucholz: His curve is major league ready, and his command was voted best in the PCL. If his change-up comes around, he has a nice future as a starter; if it doesn't, he'll make a nice set-up man.
Mike Gallo: A lefty specialist who can't get out lefties is completely worthless. Purpura should keep an eye on the waiver wire.
Carlos Hernandez: He'll continue to improve at a slow pace, on his way to being a good pitcher again in 2006.
Fernando Nieve: Astacio's live arm gets more play, but Nieve's future could be just as bright.
Roy Oswalt: Through four seasons, his career is a virtual match for Mike Mussina's, except Mussina never took that step forward, staying at his established level for ten more years. Oswalt could; he has everything it takes to make the same leap Greg Maddux did in 1992 that allowed him to become the best pitcher in baseball.
Chad Qualls: His sinker/slider/strikes mix should work well at Minute Maid Park, giving the Astros a cheap, effective reliever.
Dan Wheeler: He's tough on righties, which is particularly useful in a division with lots of righty-heavy lineups.
Whew. So that's about it. Again, I think these guys are spot-on (which again isn't a big surprise, since BP is one of the reasons I first got into baseball statistics, so I tend to be a bit biased). I didn't really learn anything here that I didn't already know, except that they like Conrad a lot. I particularly like the comment on Todd Self - finding young, cheap, league-average players to fill most of your roster spots and spending the big bucks on true superstars like Berkman, Oswalt, and Lidge, is absolutely the way to go.
With that in mind, how's this for a 2007 Astros lineup:
C Humberto Quintero / Hector Gimenez
1B Todd Self
2B Chris Burke / Brooks Conrad
SS Adam Everett / Chris Burke
3B Morgan Ensberg / Mitch Einerston
LF Jason Lane / Luke Scott
CF Willy Taveras
RF Lance Berkman
SP Roy Oswalt
SP Ezequiel Astacio
SP Fernando Nieve
SP Brandon Backe
SP Carlos Hernandez
CL Brad Lidge
RP Chad Qualls
RP Taylor Bucholz
RP Dan Wheeler
You know, that's not bad at all. Our biggest eventual 'holes' (areas in which we could sign an elite free agent who would make the biggest difference) are C, 1B, SS, CF, SP #2-5, and RP. Baseball Prospectus is also fond of saying that you should try and give your biggest contracts to excellent up-the-middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) players since they are also by far the most important defenders and you can often find good-hitting corner outfielders and corner infielders on the waiver wire or throughout the minor leagues. With that in mind, I think C, CF, and an elite SP will be our biggest needs in the coming free agencies.
Baseball Prospectus 2005, my favorite baseball annual, was waiting on my doorstep when I got home yesterday. I flipped to the Astros section, and was not surprised to find that their analysis was not positive. They started by praising the Astros 'going for it' with the Beltran trade, and highlighted our 9th inning comeback against the Expos as a 'turning point' of the season.
Then:
"Now, the Astros are at another turning point. As exhilirating as the 2004 run was, the challenges they face now are much the same as they've faced for the past few offseasons...
The Astros project as clearly inferior to the Cubs and Cards going into 2005, with an aging roster and funneling far too much money to players who won't be productive enough...
One of the hardest things in sports is to let go of the success you've had in the past in order to ensure more success in the future...
This isn't a contending team. The question is whether new GM Tim Purpura can get his hands around that fact early enough to salvage positives from the season...
But if they can use the year to get Chris Burke established at 2nd base and add some talent to the system's upper levels through trades, and then have a strong draft that replenishes the lower levels, they can lessen the time it takes for them to be a factor again...
Most importantly the Astros have to change their identity. The Killer B's aren't killing anyone any longer. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are going to go into the Hall of Fame, quite possibly together. This year, though, has to be the year in which Biggio's role is reduced, creating space for Lane. There's nothing Purpura can do about the money Bagwell is owed, but he can build his team in a way that shifts the focus from him to Berkman and Oswalt...
The hardest thing to do in sports is let go of your success. We'll know very quickly if Purpura is up to the task."
Pretty good stuff. I agree (big surprise) almost completely. The Astros need to realize that they're not likely to contend short of a bunch of miracles, and they need to start looking to rebuild. They've signed Berkman and Oswalt to multi-year deals, which is good; now they need to look to build around their youth: Chris Burke, Adam Everett, and Willy Taveras form an excellent up-the-middle defense (but not-so-great offense), Oswalt and Brandon Backe and Ezequiel Astacio should be a decent front 3, and Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls are solid in the bullpen. We need to build around these players, with some good drafts, smart free agent signings (particularly at catcher, starting pitcher, and bullpen), and occasional trades.
BP2005 then predicts every Astros player (along with a few minor leaguers) and writes a paragraph about them. Some of the highlights:
Brad Ausmus: He's been a .220 EQA hitter since 2000...he allowed the most steals and highest success rate of his career in 2004...with John Buck out of the way and a $3 million salary in '05, he'll be the starter again, but Ausmus may be the worst regular in baseball.
Craig Biggio: He's an enormous liability in center field...add in that he posted the lowest walk rate of his career...the Astros need Willy Taveras to win the CF job to allow Biggio to stay in left, minimizing the damage he does.
Chris Burke: Baseball America named Burke the best defensive 2nd baseman in the PCL in his first season in which he didn't also play SS. The Astros #1 pick in 2001 also had a big power spike, fixing what has been his biggest problem as a pro.
* Gotta run - I'll finish later.
Then:
"Now, the Astros are at another turning point. As exhilirating as the 2004 run was, the challenges they face now are much the same as they've faced for the past few offseasons...
The Astros project as clearly inferior to the Cubs and Cards going into 2005, with an aging roster and funneling far too much money to players who won't be productive enough...
One of the hardest things in sports is to let go of the success you've had in the past in order to ensure more success in the future...
This isn't a contending team. The question is whether new GM Tim Purpura can get his hands around that fact early enough to salvage positives from the season...
But if they can use the year to get Chris Burke established at 2nd base and add some talent to the system's upper levels through trades, and then have a strong draft that replenishes the lower levels, they can lessen the time it takes for them to be a factor again...
Most importantly the Astros have to change their identity. The Killer B's aren't killing anyone any longer. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are going to go into the Hall of Fame, quite possibly together. This year, though, has to be the year in which Biggio's role is reduced, creating space for Lane. There's nothing Purpura can do about the money Bagwell is owed, but he can build his team in a way that shifts the focus from him to Berkman and Oswalt...
The hardest thing to do in sports is let go of your success. We'll know very quickly if Purpura is up to the task."
Pretty good stuff. I agree (big surprise) almost completely. The Astros need to realize that they're not likely to contend short of a bunch of miracles, and they need to start looking to rebuild. They've signed Berkman and Oswalt to multi-year deals, which is good; now they need to look to build around their youth: Chris Burke, Adam Everett, and Willy Taveras form an excellent up-the-middle defense (but not-so-great offense), Oswalt and Brandon Backe and Ezequiel Astacio should be a decent front 3, and Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls are solid in the bullpen. We need to build around these players, with some good drafts, smart free agent signings (particularly at catcher, starting pitcher, and bullpen), and occasional trades.
BP2005 then predicts every Astros player (along with a few minor leaguers) and writes a paragraph about them. Some of the highlights:
Brad Ausmus: He's been a .220 EQA hitter since 2000...he allowed the most steals and highest success rate of his career in 2004...with John Buck out of the way and a $3 million salary in '05, he'll be the starter again, but Ausmus may be the worst regular in baseball.
Craig Biggio: He's an enormous liability in center field...add in that he posted the lowest walk rate of his career...the Astros need Willy Taveras to win the CF job to allow Biggio to stay in left, minimizing the damage he does.
Chris Burke: Baseball America named Burke the best defensive 2nd baseman in the PCL in his first season in which he didn't also play SS. The Astros #1 pick in 2001 also had a big power spike, fixing what has been his biggest problem as a pro.
* Gotta run - I'll finish later.
Monday, March 28, 2005
ARGGGGGH...
I made a long post about the Redding trade and my computer glitched AGAIN.
Ok, this time for sure:
I made a long post about the Redding trade and my computer glitched AGAIN.
Ok, this time for sure:
REDDING TRADED
They finally traded him. The Astros traded constantly frustrating Tim Redding and cash considerations to the San Diego Padres for catcher Humberto Quintero. This likely narrows the #5 starter role to Brandon Duckworth or Ezequiel Astacio.
Redding was agonizing to watch. Some days he'd cruise right along; some days he'd put up a
3 IP
10 H
8 ER
3 HR
2 BB
1 K
kind of line. He wasn't well-liked by the players or the fans in Houston, so he really needed to move on.
What about Humberto Quintero? From everything I've read this morning, he's an excellent defensive catcher (we love those, don't we?) with a little pop in his bat. He's only 25, so I'm hoping he can improve the next year or two. At worse, he'll challenge Raul Chavez for the backup catching position. At best, he's an excellent defensive and league-average offensive catcher for a year or two until the Astros find someone better.
Here are Quintero's minor league stats from 2003 and 2004:
2003 - AA - .298 / .343 / .389, 19 BB, 29 XBH, 386 AB
2004 - AAA - .317 / .348 / .471, 8 BB, 30 XBH, 259 AB
So he's a young catcher who doesn't walk but has shown decent power, and he's reportedly got a cannon for an arm. I think he could probably put up a .270 / .310 / .400 line in the majors in '06 and '07, which would make him a perfectly acceptable stopgap until we develop / sign / trade for someone better.
All in all, good trade. We had to get rid of Redding, and everyone knew it, so to get anything in value was a plus. Catcher was also by far the weakest position in our organization. Good job, Purpura.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
* Mike Gallo gives up a leadoff HR to Ruben Sierra in the 8th and goes on to give up 2 more runs, so the Astros lose 7-4. Looks like Gallo will most likely not make the team, since Franco is a better situational lefty and we can't really afford to carry two lefties in the bullpen with Lidge, Qualls, Wheeler, Harville, Burba, and Astacio all in the mix. Our bats went pretty dead after the first two innings. I liked what I saw from Luke Scott, Andy Pettitte, and Chad Qualls.
* After 7 innings it's 4-4. Brad Lidge relieved in the 5th; dominated. Dan Wheeler came in and gave up 2 runs, then Chad Qualls came in and looked great, striking out A-Rod to end the inning. Our offense has been quiet for a while - Chris Tremie had one of the worst AB's I've ever seen (although it was against Mariano Rivera), and Willy Taveras keeps popping up and swinging at a lot.
* Through 3 innings, the Astros lead 3-2. Andy Pettitte was cruising along until have gave up a 2 out triple to Jeter followed by a wind-aided HR by A-Rod. Morgan Ensberg and Chris Burke have made some nice defensive plays at 3rd and 2nd, respectively.
Here's the latest quote from Phil Garner on the 2nd base situation:
"Asked if Burke has done enough this spring to unseat Biggio from the second base position, Garner responded, "Probably not," and emphasised that the question is not whether Biggio will start this year, but rather where he will start, left field or second base.
"Has [Burke] done enough to put Biggio on the bench?" Garner said. "Probably not. Burke will someday be in that same position. It's a difficult situation for a young player to be in. Biggio is showing no signs of slowing down and he had a good year last year. Would this team be better with Burke? That remains to be seen, but Biggio has earned the right to have the opportunity first.
"The decision won't be if Burke has unseated Biggio as much as it is, is the ballclub better with Burke in the lineup at second and Biggio in the lineup in left?"
Here's a paragraph later on in the same article:
"Biggio, who is hitting .243 (9-for-37) with a .243 on-base percentage, one double, one RBI and six strikeouts this spring, has played in the outfield only once this spring, and that was in a minor-league game. Burke is hitting .294 (10-for-34) with a .529 slugging percentage, a .415 on-base percentage and a double, two triples, one home run, six RBIs, five walks and seven strikeouts."
Ouch. That hurts. So Biggio has one walk and one extra base hit in 37 AB's, while Burke has 5 walks and four extra base hits in 34 AB's. So, of course, we're going with Biggio.
I'll be realistic for once - Biggio is going to start somewhere, whether it's LF or 2B. I guess I can't argue that Luke Scott has had a better spring than Chris Burke, but Scott has also never played above AA, while Burke had a great year at AAA last year. However, it looks like Garner is sold on Scott being the starting LF, so let's assume our Opening Day lineup looks like:
Biggio
Everett
Bagwell
Ensberg
Lane
Scott
Taveras
Ausmus
That's not a very inspiring lineup. With Biggio, Everett, Taveras, Ausmus, and the pitcher, we've got 5 very possible slots for a sub-.330 OBP. Only Bagwell and Lane are locks for a .450 SLG. We're probably not going to score very many runs until Lance gets back.
We still have to find a way to get Chris Burke at-bats, though, so I'll go back to my recommended plan of having Burke start when extreme groundballer Andy Pettitte is on the mound. I don't think even Craig Biggio could argue that Burke is better defensively at 2B than he is. If Burke starts at least every 5th day and is our primary RH pinch hitter off the bench, he should get a decent amount of AB's.
Here's the latest quote from Phil Garner on the 2nd base situation:
"Asked if Burke has done enough this spring to unseat Biggio from the second base position, Garner responded, "Probably not," and emphasised that the question is not whether Biggio will start this year, but rather where he will start, left field or second base.
"Has [Burke] done enough to put Biggio on the bench?" Garner said. "Probably not. Burke will someday be in that same position. It's a difficult situation for a young player to be in. Biggio is showing no signs of slowing down and he had a good year last year. Would this team be better with Burke? That remains to be seen, but Biggio has earned the right to have the opportunity first.
"The decision won't be if Burke has unseated Biggio as much as it is, is the ballclub better with Burke in the lineup at second and Biggio in the lineup in left?"
Here's a paragraph later on in the same article:
"Biggio, who is hitting .243 (9-for-37) with a .243 on-base percentage, one double, one RBI and six strikeouts this spring, has played in the outfield only once this spring, and that was in a minor-league game. Burke is hitting .294 (10-for-34) with a .529 slugging percentage, a .415 on-base percentage and a double, two triples, one home run, six RBIs, five walks and seven strikeouts."
Ouch. That hurts. So Biggio has one walk and one extra base hit in 37 AB's, while Burke has 5 walks and four extra base hits in 34 AB's. So, of course, we're going with Biggio.
I'll be realistic for once - Biggio is going to start somewhere, whether it's LF or 2B. I guess I can't argue that Luke Scott has had a better spring than Chris Burke, but Scott has also never played above AA, while Burke had a great year at AAA last year. However, it looks like Garner is sold on Scott being the starting LF, so let's assume our Opening Day lineup looks like:
Biggio
Everett
Bagwell
Ensberg
Lane
Scott
Taveras
Ausmus
That's not a very inspiring lineup. With Biggio, Everett, Taveras, Ausmus, and the pitcher, we've got 5 very possible slots for a sub-.330 OBP. Only Bagwell and Lane are locks for a .450 SLG. We're probably not going to score very many runs until Lance gets back.
We still have to find a way to get Chris Burke at-bats, though, so I'll go back to my recommended plan of having Burke start when extreme groundballer Andy Pettitte is on the mound. I don't think even Craig Biggio could argue that Burke is better defensively at 2B than he is. If Burke starts at least every 5th day and is our primary RH pinch hitter off the bench, he should get a decent amount of AB's.
I'm watching the Astros-Yankees game today on MLB.TV - it's great quality, and we're up 2-0 after Willy Taveras singled, stole 2nd, and was driven in on an opposite-field double by Luke Scott, who was then driven in after a single by Lamb and a sac fly by Jason Lane. Both Taveras and Scott looked great at the plate to me.
I had a great time in Phoenix for a few days. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and met a friend for the Rangers-Royals game at Surprise Stadium. The starting pitchers were Chan Ho Park and Jose Lima - I wish I was sitting in the outfield. Mark Teixeira CRUSHED an early HR nearly out of the stadium, and Alfonso Soriano and Matt Stairs also had HR's. Oh yeah, and my friend is the nephew of Rangers manager Buck Showalter, so we had great seats, and I got to meet Buck himself after the game. He went to Mississippi State and I went to Vanderbilt, so we had some good-natured SEC competitive trash-talking going. He was a heck of a guy - very personable and polite - probably because his team had just won.
Then I crashed on the coach at my roommate's girlfriend's house that night; the next day, I got to the Cubs / Angels game about 3 hours early - no problem getting a ticket, right? Wrong. Cubs fans are EVERYWHERE, and the game was sold out. Quite a few guys were still waiting in line at the ticket counter, and one of them told me that the players usually send back a bunch of tickets before the game starts, so I hopped in line. Almost instantly, about 50 more people got in line right behind me. An elderly couple approached me and asked if I would buy them 2 tickets. I said sure, and after waiting in line for about 45 minutes, I bought 3 tickets at 6 bucks each. They gave me a 20 dollar bill and said "Thanks!" Sweet; free game for me. I got lawn seats, so I was out in left field. It was Kelvim Escobar vs. Carlos Zambrano - a pretty good pitching matchup, but I figured Vladi or Aramis Ramirez might hit one out to me. The first HR hit that day? Carlos Zambrano took Escobar DEEP to right field. D'oh! Then Derrek Lee homered to center, Darin Erstad homered to right, and that was that. K-Rod came on late for the Angels and made a bunch of guys look silly to get the save.
I was then planning on going to the San Diego game, but I was pretty sunburned, so I decided to stop by Casino Arizona and play some poker. They've got a great poker room - 45 tables, tons of big screen TV's, no smoking. I didn't do much for the first hour or two, and then came the hand of my life (so far):
I call with 55 in 1st position.
A few guys limp in middle positions.
The small blind raises. I call, all the limpers call.
The flop comes 3-5-7 rainbow. I check, all the limpers check, the small blind bets, I raise, everyone folds, the small blind calls.
The turn brings another 5! So I've got quads. I bet, the small blind raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, I 5-bet, he calls.
The river is an A. I bet, he raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, I 5-bet, he 6-bets, I 7-bet, he calls, and flips over AA (the 2nd nuts).
So I raked what must have been a 200 dollar pot, almost all heads-up!
Man, my heart was pumping...what an experience. My victim took it pretty well, too - he was way up before that.
The next day I was planning on going to the Giants game, but I felt like coming home to Flagstaff, so I did.
It was a hell of a trip, great weather, good baseball, sleeping on a couch.
I'll post later today with this Astros summary (and more Biggio / Burke comments by Phil Garner).
I had a great time in Phoenix for a few days. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and met a friend for the Rangers-Royals game at Surprise Stadium. The starting pitchers were Chan Ho Park and Jose Lima - I wish I was sitting in the outfield. Mark Teixeira CRUSHED an early HR nearly out of the stadium, and Alfonso Soriano and Matt Stairs also had HR's. Oh yeah, and my friend is the nephew of Rangers manager Buck Showalter, so we had great seats, and I got to meet Buck himself after the game. He went to Mississippi State and I went to Vanderbilt, so we had some good-natured SEC competitive trash-talking going. He was a heck of a guy - very personable and polite - probably because his team had just won.
Then I crashed on the coach at my roommate's girlfriend's house that night; the next day, I got to the Cubs / Angels game about 3 hours early - no problem getting a ticket, right? Wrong. Cubs fans are EVERYWHERE, and the game was sold out. Quite a few guys were still waiting in line at the ticket counter, and one of them told me that the players usually send back a bunch of tickets before the game starts, so I hopped in line. Almost instantly, about 50 more people got in line right behind me. An elderly couple approached me and asked if I would buy them 2 tickets. I said sure, and after waiting in line for about 45 minutes, I bought 3 tickets at 6 bucks each. They gave me a 20 dollar bill and said "Thanks!" Sweet; free game for me. I got lawn seats, so I was out in left field. It was Kelvim Escobar vs. Carlos Zambrano - a pretty good pitching matchup, but I figured Vladi or Aramis Ramirez might hit one out to me. The first HR hit that day? Carlos Zambrano took Escobar DEEP to right field. D'oh! Then Derrek Lee homered to center, Darin Erstad homered to right, and that was that. K-Rod came on late for the Angels and made a bunch of guys look silly to get the save.
I was then planning on going to the San Diego game, but I was pretty sunburned, so I decided to stop by Casino Arizona and play some poker. They've got a great poker room - 45 tables, tons of big screen TV's, no smoking. I didn't do much for the first hour or two, and then came the hand of my life (so far):
I call with 55 in 1st position.
A few guys limp in middle positions.
The small blind raises. I call, all the limpers call.
The flop comes 3-5-7 rainbow. I check, all the limpers check, the small blind bets, I raise, everyone folds, the small blind calls.
The turn brings another 5! So I've got quads. I bet, the small blind raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, I 5-bet, he calls.
The river is an A. I bet, he raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, I 5-bet, he 6-bets, I 7-bet, he calls, and flips over AA (the 2nd nuts).
So I raked what must have been a 200 dollar pot, almost all heads-up!
Man, my heart was pumping...what an experience. My victim took it pretty well, too - he was way up before that.
The next day I was planning on going to the Giants game, but I felt like coming home to Flagstaff, so I did.
It was a hell of a trip, great weather, good baseball, sleeping on a couch.
I'll post later today with this Astros summary (and more Biggio / Burke comments by Phil Garner).
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Computer Glitches, Yesterday's Game, and a Road Trip
I listened to the Astros's 14-8 win over the Phillies yesterday, wrote a long post about it, and my computer immediately glitched. So here it goes again:
Ezequiel Astacio pitched 4 innings, allowed 3 hits, 1 BB, and had 5 K. Another solid outing for 'Zeke', and while I still believe he should be started in the bullpen (because Redding / Duckworth shouldn't just be released), he's looked fantastic this spring, and I'm not sure how long we'll be able to keep him in the pen.
Luke Scott did his usual spring thing, with a single, HR, and 4 RBI. Ho-hum. There's not much more to say about this guy. Pass it off as fluky if you must, but he's earned a chance to prove that it's not a fluke in the Show.
A bunch of other offensive contributions (Chris Burke with a late triple; he's now hitting .296, has drawn 5 walks, and is slugging over .500, while Craig Biggio is hitting .265 and is slugging .294 with 1 extra base hit, but it looks as though he'll be our starting 2B), but our pitching was sketchy: in particular, Dave Burba should start looking for good flight prices, as he got hammered again this spring - he's got a 9.26 ERA in 11.2 innings. He's had a fine career, but it doesn't look like it will continue here.
ESPN SportsCenter reported last night that the Astros are still likely to trade for an outfielder in the next 10 days, with Randy Winn, Mike Cameron, and Eric Byrnes as possible targets. I'm glad to have the Winn rumors start up again, as I think he'd be our best fit (excellent 2nd half last year, no injury concers, younger / cheaper than Mike Cameron). Seattle is also home to one of the less intelligent GM's in the game in Bill Bavasi - this would be a great test to see what kind of deal Purpura can get. You would think the M's would be almost looking to get rid of Winn - they've got Ibanez / Reed / Ichiro! in the OF, and Sexson and Bucky Jacobsen at 1B / DH. But you never know. My task for Purpura is to find a way to trade for Winn without trading Chris Burke, if at all possible. I know I said trade him yesterday, but I was frustrated because of his lack of playing time and clear superiority (this spring, at least) over Craig Biggio. But, as someone reminded me, Biggio is a 39-year old 2nd basemen who gets hit by a lot of pitches; there's a decent chance he could get injured and be Wally Pipp-ed by Burke. We'll see.
Vanderbilt lost to Memphis in the NIT quarterfinals last night - we started off hot, going up 11-2, but then tried to run with Memphis for a while instead of playing halfcourt basketball. By the time we started hitting a few shots again, we were down 10, and Memphis was the better team last night, especially on the boards. Good luck to them.
So I'm finally heading down to Phoenix in a few hours; I'm going to the Rangers - Royals game tonight and hopefully a few others on Friday and Saturday. JT, Andy, it's all yours.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Solid outings by Oswalt and Pettitte the last two games (both wins). I'd still like to see Pettitte wait and start the 4th or 5th game of the season, but I doubt it'll happen. Luke Scott is still the big offensive star; here are his numbers this spring, before today's game (when he went 2-for-2):
26 AB
6 H
3 2B
3 HR
8 RBI
.423 AVG
.885 SLG
I'm beating a dead horse here, but Scott MUST MAKE THE TEAM, at the least while Berkman is hurt.
Richard Justice was on KTRH the other day, and he still believes the Astros will acquire a 'big' bat, possibly (again) Mike Cameron. Chris Burke isn't getting any playing time at 2B; I think it's likely Biggio will start there all year, demoting Burke to backup IF, where the presence of Proven Veteran might even push Burke back to AAA. Much as I like Burke, he needs to play now, so I'd rather trade him than have him spend another year at AAA; I think Brooks Conrad will probably be ready next year anyway. I wonder if we could find a different A's team to try and make a 3-way trade with; the Mets reportedly need a corner OF to replace Cameron. Wily Mo Pena of the Reds? Termel Sledge of the Nats? Raul Ibanez of the Mariners? With Cameron signed for two more years, an OF of Lane / Cameron / Berkman wouldn't be too bad; this would push Scott and Taveras to their rightful places as backup OF's, and an IF (this year) of Ensberg / Everett / Biggio / Bagwell, with Conrad coming up soon. Here's the thing about Burke - he's 25, and he had never displayed power like last year. I think last year may have been a touch fluky. I still want him on my team, but if he doesn't start this year, he might just be blocking Conrad next year, and we probably coudn't get the same value for him in a trade than if we traded him NOW. Just a thought.
26 AB
6 H
3 2B
3 HR
8 RBI
.423 AVG
.885 SLG
I'm beating a dead horse here, but Scott MUST MAKE THE TEAM, at the least while Berkman is hurt.
Richard Justice was on KTRH the other day, and he still believes the Astros will acquire a 'big' bat, possibly (again) Mike Cameron. Chris Burke isn't getting any playing time at 2B; I think it's likely Biggio will start there all year, demoting Burke to backup IF, where the presence of Proven Veteran might even push Burke back to AAA. Much as I like Burke, he needs to play now, so I'd rather trade him than have him spend another year at AAA; I think Brooks Conrad will probably be ready next year anyway. I wonder if we could find a different A's team to try and make a 3-way trade with; the Mets reportedly need a corner OF to replace Cameron. Wily Mo Pena of the Reds? Termel Sledge of the Nats? Raul Ibanez of the Mariners? With Cameron signed for two more years, an OF of Lane / Cameron / Berkman wouldn't be too bad; this would push Scott and Taveras to their rightful places as backup OF's, and an IF (this year) of Ensberg / Everett / Biggio / Bagwell, with Conrad coming up soon. Here's the thing about Burke - he's 25, and he had never displayed power like last year. I think last year may have been a touch fluky. I still want him on my team, but if he doesn't start this year, he might just be blocking Conrad next year, and we probably coudn't get the same value for him in a trade than if we traded him NOW. Just a thought.
Monday, March 21, 2005
The latest Gammons column includes these little tidbits:
The Reds also told the Astros they would move Junior Griffey to Houston – for four top prospects.
Um, four top prospects for The Injury King? No thanks.
• The 'Stros right now plan to open the season with Willy Taveras in center field and Craig Biggio at second base, which means Chris Burke will either go back to the minors or stay in the majors as a utilityman/left fielder.
Yeah, I figured as much. I wonder if Gerry Hunsicker somehow knew that this would happen when he resigned in protest over the Biggio signing. To be fair, Biggio is one of the best Astros of all time, and a Hall of Famer. But to be honest, he's past in prime, is no longer a defensive asset at 2nd, and he's now blocking our top prospect. Burke as a utilityman? Why not Biggio as a utilityman? Lord knows he's played more positions than Burke. You could put Biggio anywhere except 3rd or SS and he wouldn't completely embarrass himself. But instead we're going to put him where he'll prevent our best up-and-coming player from getting AB's. Makes sense to me. Moreover, where does this leave our OF? If it's Lane / Taveras / Scott, I guess I'm all right with it. If it's Lane / Taveras / Palmeiro, I'm pissed - Biggio, Taveras, and Palmeiro getting playing time over Burke and Scott? Urge to kill....rising.....
• The Astros' fifth-starter battle seems to be between Brandon Duckworth and Tim Redding, who are both out of options, but if 25-year-old righty Ezequiel Astacio keeps pitching well he may fill the spot. If Duckworth or Redding doesn't grab the spot, Astacio could go to Triple-A New Orleans for a couple of starts, then be ready when the Astros need a fifth starter sometime after the first week of the regular season.
I'm of the opinion that Redding and Duckworth both have decent enough potential and trade value that simply releasing them wouldn't make sense, so unless we can find trade partners for both of them (unlikely), I'm hoping we can trade one of them, make the other the #5 starter, and send Astacio to the bullpen or AAA. Why are we trying to rush Astacio to the big leagues when he's never thrown a pitch above AA? Work him in slowly....sheesh.
The Reds also told the Astros they would move Junior Griffey to Houston – for four top prospects.
Um, four top prospects for The Injury King? No thanks.
• The 'Stros right now plan to open the season with Willy Taveras in center field and Craig Biggio at second base, which means Chris Burke will either go back to the minors or stay in the majors as a utilityman/left fielder.
Yeah, I figured as much. I wonder if Gerry Hunsicker somehow knew that this would happen when he resigned in protest over the Biggio signing. To be fair, Biggio is one of the best Astros of all time, and a Hall of Famer. But to be honest, he's past in prime, is no longer a defensive asset at 2nd, and he's now blocking our top prospect. Burke as a utilityman? Why not Biggio as a utilityman? Lord knows he's played more positions than Burke. You could put Biggio anywhere except 3rd or SS and he wouldn't completely embarrass himself. But instead we're going to put him where he'll prevent our best up-and-coming player from getting AB's. Makes sense to me. Moreover, where does this leave our OF? If it's Lane / Taveras / Scott, I guess I'm all right with it. If it's Lane / Taveras / Palmeiro, I'm pissed - Biggio, Taveras, and Palmeiro getting playing time over Burke and Scott? Urge to kill....rising.....
• The Astros' fifth-starter battle seems to be between Brandon Duckworth and Tim Redding, who are both out of options, but if 25-year-old righty Ezequiel Astacio keeps pitching well he may fill the spot. If Duckworth or Redding doesn't grab the spot, Astacio could go to Triple-A New Orleans for a couple of starts, then be ready when the Astros need a fifth starter sometime after the first week of the regular season.
I'm of the opinion that Redding and Duckworth both have decent enough potential and trade value that simply releasing them wouldn't make sense, so unless we can find trade partners for both of them (unlikely), I'm hoping we can trade one of them, make the other the #5 starter, and send Astacio to the bullpen or AAA. Why are we trying to rush Astacio to the big leagues when he's never thrown a pitch above AA? Work him in slowly....sheesh.
Vanderiblt plays Wichita St. tonight in Memorial in the 2nd round of the NIT. If we win another game or two I think we might play Texas A&M, which would lead to much trash-talking between JT and I.
A lot of baseball rumors floating around out there...
1. The Devil Rays are interested in Mike Lamb as their DH. Well, great. I'd like to trade Lamb, since I think he had a career year last year, but we do kinda need a backup 3B and a LH bat off the bench. He's a good fit for us right now. Unless the D-Rays want to give up Kazmir or Upton...
2. The Twins are going to release Mike Restovich, since he's out of options. Sign him up! He's no All-Star, but he's 25, can play RF or LF, and mashes lefties (900+ OPS in 60 career AB's). When we lose Biggio and Palmeiro (hopefully) next year, he'd make a fine 4th or 5th OF behind Lane / Taveras / Berkman / Scott.
3. The Washington Nationals are interested in a backup middle infielder. Want some Viz? We have a similar but better player in Eric Bruntlett, and Brooks Conrad waiting in the minors, so how about Viz for some Big League Chew? Well, seriously, how about Viz for some bullpen help? They've got...Chad Cordero, Luis Ayala, Antonio Osuna....alternatively, what about Redding + Viz / Bruntlett for Termel Sledge(Hammer)?
I'm driving down to Phoenix tomorrow. Planning on catching 2 spring training games a day on Wednesday and Thursday. Andy and JT, you guys better post while I'm gone.
A lot of baseball rumors floating around out there...
1. The Devil Rays are interested in Mike Lamb as their DH. Well, great. I'd like to trade Lamb, since I think he had a career year last year, but we do kinda need a backup 3B and a LH bat off the bench. He's a good fit for us right now. Unless the D-Rays want to give up Kazmir or Upton...
2. The Twins are going to release Mike Restovich, since he's out of options. Sign him up! He's no All-Star, but he's 25, can play RF or LF, and mashes lefties (900+ OPS in 60 career AB's). When we lose Biggio and Palmeiro (hopefully) next year, he'd make a fine 4th or 5th OF behind Lane / Taveras / Berkman / Scott.
3. The Washington Nationals are interested in a backup middle infielder. Want some Viz? We have a similar but better player in Eric Bruntlett, and Brooks Conrad waiting in the minors, so how about Viz for some Big League Chew? Well, seriously, how about Viz for some bullpen help? They've got...Chad Cordero, Luis Ayala, Antonio Osuna....alternatively, what about Redding + Viz / Bruntlett for Termel Sledge(Hammer)?
I'm driving down to Phoenix tomorrow. Planning on catching 2 spring training games a day on Wednesday and Thursday. Andy and JT, you guys better post while I'm gone.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Astros won 6-3 today, behind a solid 5 inning / 2 ER / 5K performance from Backe, and Luke Scott going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI's. If Scott doesn't make the team as at least a reserve OF out of spring training, it'll be a travesty.
Other than that, not too much to report. The Kaz Ishii - Jason Phillips trade went through; now that I think about it, Phillips might not be that great: he's 28, already at the age when many catchers start to decline, and Tim Redding still has some potential. I'd like to see them try and trade him for bullpen help now - Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler both pitched well today, but Franco / Harville has sucked, leaving us with 3 solid relievers: Lidge, Qualls, Wheeler. You'd sure like to have more than that. Redding + ? = Urbina? As far as catchers go, I made a post a while back about possible free agents, and the only really good one this coming offseason is Ramon Hernandez, whom the Padres are trying to sign to an extension. Hope they don't, or we may be stuck with someone worse (!!) than Brad Ausmus next year.
Other than that, not too much to report. The Kaz Ishii - Jason Phillips trade went through; now that I think about it, Phillips might not be that great: he's 28, already at the age when many catchers start to decline, and Tim Redding still has some potential. I'd like to see them try and trade him for bullpen help now - Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler both pitched well today, but Franco / Harville has sucked, leaving us with 3 solid relievers: Lidge, Qualls, Wheeler. You'd sure like to have more than that. Redding + ? = Urbina? As far as catchers go, I made a post a while back about possible free agents, and the only really good one this coming offseason is Ramon Hernandez, whom the Padres are trying to sign to an extension. Hope they don't, or we may be stuck with someone worse (!!) than Brad Ausmus next year.
More Berkman analysis:
Apparently Lance gets 10.5 million this year, and 14.5 million for the next 5 years. This all adds up to a total of 83 million. So, a 6 year / 83 million dollar deal. Here's how it compares to a few other contracts AT THE TIME they were given:
Player Ages Years Cost Position Injury (last 3 OPS+'s) RangeFactor
Lance 29-34 6 83 RF Knee 152,137,161 1.74
Vladi 28-32 5 70 RF Back 133,162,144 2.03
Mags 31-37 7 100 RF Knee 135,152,142 2.10
So I stand by my statement yesterday - this signing is somewhere in-between the incredible value that was Vladi's contract and the abomination that was Mags's deal. A few things to note: Lance has been slightly better offensively than both Vladi and Mags, but his defense is noticeably worse, which is why I think it's likely he'll eventually move to 1B. This move will make him less valuable, as a 1000 OPS is rarer for a RF than it is for a 1B. However, there aren't any comparable OF's to Berkman that will be free agents in '06, and he's a popular player. I said at the beginning of the offseason that my main recommendation for the organization was to sign Berkman and Oswalt to long-term deals. Well, they got 6 year and 3 year deals, respectively. I've got nothing to complain about today - we have our two best players locked up for a few years.
Luke Scott hit his 3rd HR of the spring last year in a 7-4 loss to the Blue Jays, and Morgan Ensberg drew three walks. A few of our #5 hopefuls pitched poorly:
Carlos Hernandez: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB/ 1 K - Like he has all spring, Carlos walked more than he struck out, and he's been very hittable. At this point, he's just not a big-league pitcher.
Tim Redding: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB / 1 K - According to a report I read yesterday, there were numerous scouts from other teams in attendance, and our announcers were saying that a trade is basically a lock. This means that once Redding is gone (unfortunately, I have to say good riddance), it looks like the #5 job is down to Brandon Duckworth and Ezequiel Astacio. Count me in the Duckworth corner - with our bullpen looking pretty rough these days, Astacio could help out there, and getting a young pitching prospect experience out of the bullpen before just throwing him in to a starting job has worked wonders in the past (Roy Oswalt?), and not just for the Astros. It's a big step from AA to #5 starter, which is what Astacio would be doing. I think we should ease him in to his eventual role.
My last concern this spring is that Biggio is still starting just about every game at 2nd base. I'm pretty angry about this. If Biggio starts the season at 2nd, that means our OF will be some combination of Lane / Taveras / Scott / Palmeiro, and while Scott and Taveras have had good springs, BURKE IS OUR BEST PROSPECT!! HE PUT UP AN 893 OPS IN A PITCHER'S PARK LAST YEAR!! HE'S ALREADY 25; IT'S TIME TO LET HIM PLAY!! Yeah, Biggio, I'm sure you would rather play 2nd, but too bad. Get thee back to left field.
I'd then set up our 25-man roster like-a so: (starters come first)
OF: Biggio / Lane / Scott / Palmeiro / Taveras (Taveras or Scott to AAA when Lance returns)
IF: Ensberg / Everett / Burke / Bagwell / Lamb / Vizcaino / Bruntlett
C: Ausmus / Chavez
SP: Oswalt / Clemens / Backe / Pettitte / Duckworth / Astacio
RP: Lidge / Qualls / Wheeler / Harville / Franco / Springer
That's a pretty powerless backup IF after Lamb, and that back of the bullpen is AWFUL. Just AWFUL. Probably my biggest disappointment this offseason, even more than losing Beltran, was Purpura's absolute failure to sign any decent, proven reliever (Chris Hammond, Steve Reed, Jeff Nelson, Antonio Osuna, etc.), and instead sign Turk Wendell, John Franco, and Dave Burba (combined age: 119). Last I heard, the Tigers were still looking to move Ugueth Urbina; think they'd be interested in Tim Redding or Luke Scott or...anyone? At this point, our bullpen is a catastrophe waiting to happen. If Urbina would consent to being the 8th inning guy (which is what he'd be with the Tigers anyway), that would be a godsend to our bullpen, allowing everyone to drop down in the depth chart, and giving either Franco or Springer the big ol' boot.
Apparently Lance gets 10.5 million this year, and 14.5 million for the next 5 years. This all adds up to a total of 83 million. So, a 6 year / 83 million dollar deal. Here's how it compares to a few other contracts AT THE TIME they were given:
Player Ages Years Cost Position Injury (last 3 OPS+'s) RangeFactor
Lance 29-34 6 83 RF Knee 152,137,161 1.74
Vladi 28-32 5 70 RF Back 133,162,144 2.03
Mags 31-37 7 100 RF Knee 135,152,142 2.10
So I stand by my statement yesterday - this signing is somewhere in-between the incredible value that was Vladi's contract and the abomination that was Mags's deal. A few things to note: Lance has been slightly better offensively than both Vladi and Mags, but his defense is noticeably worse, which is why I think it's likely he'll eventually move to 1B. This move will make him less valuable, as a 1000 OPS is rarer for a RF than it is for a 1B. However, there aren't any comparable OF's to Berkman that will be free agents in '06, and he's a popular player. I said at the beginning of the offseason that my main recommendation for the organization was to sign Berkman and Oswalt to long-term deals. Well, they got 6 year and 3 year deals, respectively. I've got nothing to complain about today - we have our two best players locked up for a few years.
Luke Scott hit his 3rd HR of the spring last year in a 7-4 loss to the Blue Jays, and Morgan Ensberg drew three walks. A few of our #5 hopefuls pitched poorly:
Carlos Hernandez: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB/ 1 K - Like he has all spring, Carlos walked more than he struck out, and he's been very hittable. At this point, he's just not a big-league pitcher.
Tim Redding: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB / 1 K - According to a report I read yesterday, there were numerous scouts from other teams in attendance, and our announcers were saying that a trade is basically a lock. This means that once Redding is gone (unfortunately, I have to say good riddance), it looks like the #5 job is down to Brandon Duckworth and Ezequiel Astacio. Count me in the Duckworth corner - with our bullpen looking pretty rough these days, Astacio could help out there, and getting a young pitching prospect experience out of the bullpen before just throwing him in to a starting job has worked wonders in the past (Roy Oswalt?), and not just for the Astros. It's a big step from AA to #5 starter, which is what Astacio would be doing. I think we should ease him in to his eventual role.
My last concern this spring is that Biggio is still starting just about every game at 2nd base. I'm pretty angry about this. If Biggio starts the season at 2nd, that means our OF will be some combination of Lane / Taveras / Scott / Palmeiro, and while Scott and Taveras have had good springs, BURKE IS OUR BEST PROSPECT!! HE PUT UP AN 893 OPS IN A PITCHER'S PARK LAST YEAR!! HE'S ALREADY 25; IT'S TIME TO LET HIM PLAY!! Yeah, Biggio, I'm sure you would rather play 2nd, but too bad. Get thee back to left field.
I'd then set up our 25-man roster like-a so: (starters come first)
OF: Biggio / Lane / Scott / Palmeiro / Taveras (Taveras or Scott to AAA when Lance returns)
IF: Ensberg / Everett / Burke / Bagwell / Lamb / Vizcaino / Bruntlett
C: Ausmus / Chavez
SP: Oswalt / Clemens / Backe / Pettitte / Duckworth / Astacio
RP: Lidge / Qualls / Wheeler / Harville / Franco / Springer
That's a pretty powerless backup IF after Lamb, and that back of the bullpen is AWFUL. Just AWFUL. Probably my biggest disappointment this offseason, even more than losing Beltran, was Purpura's absolute failure to sign any decent, proven reliever (Chris Hammond, Steve Reed, Jeff Nelson, Antonio Osuna, etc.), and instead sign Turk Wendell, John Franco, and Dave Burba (combined age: 119). Last I heard, the Tigers were still looking to move Ugueth Urbina; think they'd be interested in Tim Redding or Luke Scott or...anyone? At this point, our bullpen is a catastrophe waiting to happen. If Urbina would consent to being the 8th inning guy (which is what he'd be with the Tigers anyway), that would be a godsend to our bullpen, allowing everyone to drop down in the depth chart, and giving either Franco or Springer the big ol' boot.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
BREAKING NEWS: Lance Berkman signs a 5 year / 85 million dollar deal with the 'Stros.
EDIT: Actually, apparently, the 85 million INCLUDES the 1 year / 10.5 million dollar deal, making the final contract a 6 year / 85 million dollar deal. Even better! Please...stay....healthy....
No contract specifics, but it works out to about 14 mil / year. It's hard to know which contract to compare this to:
Vladi's 5 year / 70 million dollar contract last offseason (what a bargain!), because Vladi, like Lance, had some injury concerns (back), although they were more severe concerns....
or Magglio's 7 year / 100 million dollar deal (NOT a bargain). Lance has been better than Magglio pretty much every year since he came into the league.
My thoughts on the contract are that it's a pretty good one, particularly if Lance's knee fully heals. It seems like this was the minimum amount it would take to sign Lance; he may well have commanded more on the open market. Berkman is an excellent hitter; here are his OPS from the past 5 years:
929
1051
982
927
1016
That's an elite offensive player. His defense has been steady in both LF and RF, and he even managed to not embarrass himself playing CF. I think he's likely to move to 1B after '06 when Bagwell leaves, unless Todd Self starts hitting for power.
Again, this contract really hinges on how Lance returns from his knee. I hope he's healed in May, because he's a great, popular player, on a team that will probably need all the offense it can get the next few years as we work in our prospects.
So, here's how I see our team shaping up the next few years:
LF Jason Lane
CF ?
RF Lance Berkman / Luke Scott
3B Morgan Ensberg
SS Adam Everett
2B Chris Burke
1B Todd Self / Lance Berkman
C ?
SP Roy Oswalt
SP Brandon Backe
SP Ezequiel Astacio
SP ?
SP ?
CL Brad Lidge
RP Chad Qualls
RP ?
RP ?
RP ?
RP ?
Bench
OF Willy Taveras
OF Luke Scott
IF Brooks Conrad
IF Mitch Einerston
SP Fernando Nieve
SP Carlos Hernandez
That's not too bad a base to build off of the next few years. The most gaping holes are catcher, center field, 2 starting pitcher slots, and the bullpen.
With that in mind, there is a rumor that the Dodgers - Mets are finalizing a Kaz Ishii - Jason Phillips trade. To which I say: CRAP! The Mets need a #5 starter with Trachsel out; this seems like the perfect opportunity to get rid of Tim Redding, AND Jason Phillips can play catcher! Phillips was incredibly bad last year (624 OPS), but he had an 815 OPS in '03, is 28, and is an average defender. He'd be a perfectly acceptable stopgap for a year or two until Hector Gimenez is ready or we realize he's not the answer and we sign a free agent.
Summary of today: good job with the Berkman signing, start looking towards the future, and trade for a catcher!
EDIT: Actually, apparently, the 85 million INCLUDES the 1 year / 10.5 million dollar deal, making the final contract a 6 year / 85 million dollar deal. Even better! Please...stay....healthy....
No contract specifics, but it works out to about 14 mil / year. It's hard to know which contract to compare this to:
Vladi's 5 year / 70 million dollar contract last offseason (what a bargain!), because Vladi, like Lance, had some injury concerns (back), although they were more severe concerns....
or Magglio's 7 year / 100 million dollar deal (NOT a bargain). Lance has been better than Magglio pretty much every year since he came into the league.
My thoughts on the contract are that it's a pretty good one, particularly if Lance's knee fully heals. It seems like this was the minimum amount it would take to sign Lance; he may well have commanded more on the open market. Berkman is an excellent hitter; here are his OPS from the past 5 years:
929
1051
982
927
1016
That's an elite offensive player. His defense has been steady in both LF and RF, and he even managed to not embarrass himself playing CF. I think he's likely to move to 1B after '06 when Bagwell leaves, unless Todd Self starts hitting for power.
Again, this contract really hinges on how Lance returns from his knee. I hope he's healed in May, because he's a great, popular player, on a team that will probably need all the offense it can get the next few years as we work in our prospects.
So, here's how I see our team shaping up the next few years:
LF Jason Lane
CF ?
RF Lance Berkman / Luke Scott
3B Morgan Ensberg
SS Adam Everett
2B Chris Burke
1B Todd Self / Lance Berkman
C ?
SP Roy Oswalt
SP Brandon Backe
SP Ezequiel Astacio
SP ?
SP ?
CL Brad Lidge
RP Chad Qualls
RP ?
RP ?
RP ?
RP ?
Bench
OF Willy Taveras
OF Luke Scott
IF Brooks Conrad
IF Mitch Einerston
SP Fernando Nieve
SP Carlos Hernandez
That's not too bad a base to build off of the next few years. The most gaping holes are catcher, center field, 2 starting pitcher slots, and the bullpen.
With that in mind, there is a rumor that the Dodgers - Mets are finalizing a Kaz Ishii - Jason Phillips trade. To which I say: CRAP! The Mets need a #5 starter with Trachsel out; this seems like the perfect opportunity to get rid of Tim Redding, AND Jason Phillips can play catcher! Phillips was incredibly bad last year (624 OPS), but he had an 815 OPS in '03, is 28, and is an average defender. He'd be a perfectly acceptable stopgap for a year or two until Hector Gimenez is ready or we realize he's not the answer and we sign a free agent.
Summary of today: good job with the Berkman signing, start looking towards the future, and trade for a catcher!
Friday, March 18, 2005
Spring training stats don't matter...
but they're still fun to talk about. Particularly for players trying to make the team. I'm not too concerned about how Biggio / Bagwell / Ausmus / Oswalt are doing, because they have an established level of performance. But the youngsters; well, that's another story. With that in mind, here are some interesting stats from a few of the young guys:
Jason Lane: 6 extra base hits, slugging .700, in 30 AB's. His defense might never be suited to CF, but he can hit for power. I'm hoping for a .280 / .350 / .500 line.
Adam Everett / Willy Taveras: hitting .276 and .308, respectively, with 7 SB and 0 CS.....but they've combined for 2 extra base hits in 55 AB's. Ouch. Still, no one really expected them to hit for power. But both of them + Ausmus in a lineup is a lot of guys that can't slug .400
Chris Burke: the bad? He's hitting .261. The good? He's slugging .522. I still don't understand why the Astros seem so set on having Biggio start at 2B when we have our TOP PROSPECT ready to go at that position.
Morgan Ensberg: well, he's not really young, but he's got 3 doubles and a HR in only 22 AB's, so maybe he's rediscovering his power stroke. I'll take an average of '03 and '04, which would put him at .280 / .370 / .450 or so. He'd make a fine #2 hitter, in my opinion.
Luke Scott: He's slugging .667, and he's left handed. He and
Carlos Rivera: have been a powerful combination (Rivera is slugging .824). I hope at least one of these guys makes the team, as we have one truly dangerous left handed hitter (Mike Lamb) at the moment.
Tim Redding / Brandon Duckworth both have solid BB/K ratios (2/6 and 2/7, respectively), which I like to see.
Carlos Hernandez, on the other hand, has SUCKED. A lot. 3 HR, 6 ER, and 5 walks in 5 innings. He's not close to being ready. Send him down to AAA and hope he finds his missing velocity sometime.
Chad Qualls should be our 8th inning set-up guy. 6 IP, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K's? Pretty solid, Mr. Qualls.
John Franco. 6 hits. 6 walks. 3.2 innings. And the Mets got Beltran.
Chad Harville has been almost as bad as Franco. 7 hits and 3 walks in 3 innings. Yuck.
Ezequiel Astacio: 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K's, 0 runs in 3.1 innings. That's pretty good.
Summary:
Well, based on all this, here's my Opening Day Lineup:
Biggio LF
Ensberg 3B
Bagwell 1B
Lane CF
Scott RF
Burke 2B
Everett SS
Ausmus C
Oswalt SP
Clemens SP
Backe SP
Pettitte SP
Brandon Duckworth / Tim Redding SP (other one gets traded)
Brad Lidge
Chad Qualls
Dan Wheeler
Chad Harville
John Franco / Mike Gallo
Ezequiel Astacio
but they're still fun to talk about. Particularly for players trying to make the team. I'm not too concerned about how Biggio / Bagwell / Ausmus / Oswalt are doing, because they have an established level of performance. But the youngsters; well, that's another story. With that in mind, here are some interesting stats from a few of the young guys:
Jason Lane: 6 extra base hits, slugging .700, in 30 AB's. His defense might never be suited to CF, but he can hit for power. I'm hoping for a .280 / .350 / .500 line.
Adam Everett / Willy Taveras: hitting .276 and .308, respectively, with 7 SB and 0 CS.....but they've combined for 2 extra base hits in 55 AB's. Ouch. Still, no one really expected them to hit for power. But both of them + Ausmus in a lineup is a lot of guys that can't slug .400
Chris Burke: the bad? He's hitting .261. The good? He's slugging .522. I still don't understand why the Astros seem so set on having Biggio start at 2B when we have our TOP PROSPECT ready to go at that position.
Morgan Ensberg: well, he's not really young, but he's got 3 doubles and a HR in only 22 AB's, so maybe he's rediscovering his power stroke. I'll take an average of '03 and '04, which would put him at .280 / .370 / .450 or so. He'd make a fine #2 hitter, in my opinion.
Luke Scott: He's slugging .667, and he's left handed. He and
Carlos Rivera: have been a powerful combination (Rivera is slugging .824). I hope at least one of these guys makes the team, as we have one truly dangerous left handed hitter (Mike Lamb) at the moment.
Tim Redding / Brandon Duckworth both have solid BB/K ratios (2/6 and 2/7, respectively), which I like to see.
Carlos Hernandez, on the other hand, has SUCKED. A lot. 3 HR, 6 ER, and 5 walks in 5 innings. He's not close to being ready. Send him down to AAA and hope he finds his missing velocity sometime.
Chad Qualls should be our 8th inning set-up guy. 6 IP, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K's? Pretty solid, Mr. Qualls.
John Franco. 6 hits. 6 walks. 3.2 innings. And the Mets got Beltran.
Chad Harville has been almost as bad as Franco. 7 hits and 3 walks in 3 innings. Yuck.
Ezequiel Astacio: 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K's, 0 runs in 3.1 innings. That's pretty good.
Summary:
Well, based on all this, here's my Opening Day Lineup:
Biggio LF
Ensberg 3B
Bagwell 1B
Lane CF
Scott RF
Burke 2B
Everett SS
Ausmus C
Oswalt SP
Clemens SP
Backe SP
Pettitte SP
Brandon Duckworth / Tim Redding SP (other one gets traded)
Brad Lidge
Chad Qualls
Dan Wheeler
Chad Harville
John Franco / Mike Gallo
Ezequiel Astacio
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Before I talk about the Astros, did anyone see my alma mater, Vanderbilt, beat Indiana IN Bloomington 67-60 in the first round of the NIT last night? The 'Dores lead the whole way, with a matchup zone defense and Corey Smith's 22 points or so leading the charge. A great win for Vandy, and it might just get Mike Davis fired. I think Vandy can definitely win a few more games in the NIT.
Ok, Astros time:
You probably already saw that the Stros let Pete Munro go yesterday.Garner is hinting that the race is between Ezequiel & Burba for the 5th spot. Have you been following Ausmus' batting stats this spring?--they're ridiculous. 2 for 2 again yesterday with a homer. Apparently he's added a leg kick to his swing. How much would he need to raise his BA over last year's to actually become an offensive asset?On the other hand, how many more runners would he have to throw out compared to last year to actually become a defensive asset?
- Dad
I saw a bit surprised (but not disappointed) when I saw the Astros released Pete Munro. We need to start eliminating 5th starter options, and Munro has the least potential of any possible #5 starter, and had a bad spring so far to boot. I like the move. I didn't know that Garner had narrowed it down to Astacio and Burba - if that's true, I hope Redding has another good spring start so we can get decent value from him in a trade, and I also think Duckworth is out of options. I'd still like to see Duckworth or Redding get the #5 starter position, since otherwise we'll have to release them, and give Astacio a little time in a middle relief role or at AAA. Dave Burba is, well, old, and I don't think he has too much left.
Ausmus is indeed having a crazy spring training, as are Luke Scott and Carlos Rivera. I did read that Ausmus added a leg kick to his swing, which appears to be helping, but I still trust his career batting average of .255 over 4730 AB's over a hot spring. Still, we've got no better options, so any improvement over last year's .248 / .306 / .325 would be really, really nice. Luke Scott has been great this spring; I'm pulling for him to make the team as a backup OF and get a few AB's while Berkman is hurt. He's a lefty power bat on a team that currently has one (Mike Lamb) while Lance is out. If Lamb starts, and you need a late inning pinch-hitter against a righty, your options would be Orlando Palmeiro or Jose Vizcaino if you're looking for a lefty batter. Similar comments would apply to Carlos Rivera, who's going crazy this spring. Unfortunately, he plays 1B, where Bagwell / Lamb / Lane might have him covered, but if he can learn an OF position that'd be great.
I just read Scott Barzilla's column on AstrosDaily (link in the upper left), and it's excellent. Check it out ASAP. Gotta run.
Ok, Astros time:
You probably already saw that the Stros let Pete Munro go yesterday.Garner is hinting that the race is between Ezequiel & Burba for the 5th spot. Have you been following Ausmus' batting stats this spring?--they're ridiculous. 2 for 2 again yesterday with a homer. Apparently he's added a leg kick to his swing. How much would he need to raise his BA over last year's to actually become an offensive asset?On the other hand, how many more runners would he have to throw out compared to last year to actually become a defensive asset?
- Dad
I saw a bit surprised (but not disappointed) when I saw the Astros released Pete Munro. We need to start eliminating 5th starter options, and Munro has the least potential of any possible #5 starter, and had a bad spring so far to boot. I like the move. I didn't know that Garner had narrowed it down to Astacio and Burba - if that's true, I hope Redding has another good spring start so we can get decent value from him in a trade, and I also think Duckworth is out of options. I'd still like to see Duckworth or Redding get the #5 starter position, since otherwise we'll have to release them, and give Astacio a little time in a middle relief role or at AAA. Dave Burba is, well, old, and I don't think he has too much left.
Ausmus is indeed having a crazy spring training, as are Luke Scott and Carlos Rivera. I did read that Ausmus added a leg kick to his swing, which appears to be helping, but I still trust his career batting average of .255 over 4730 AB's over a hot spring. Still, we've got no better options, so any improvement over last year's .248 / .306 / .325 would be really, really nice. Luke Scott has been great this spring; I'm pulling for him to make the team as a backup OF and get a few AB's while Berkman is hurt. He's a lefty power bat on a team that currently has one (Mike Lamb) while Lance is out. If Lamb starts, and you need a late inning pinch-hitter against a righty, your options would be Orlando Palmeiro or Jose Vizcaino if you're looking for a lefty batter. Similar comments would apply to Carlos Rivera, who's going crazy this spring. Unfortunately, he plays 1B, where Bagwell / Lamb / Lane might have him covered, but if he can learn an OF position that'd be great.
I just read Scott Barzilla's column on AstrosDaily (link in the upper left), and it's excellent. Check it out ASAP. Gotta run.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Fantasy baseball ramblings: You'd better get a top-4 pick in your fantasy baseball draft. A-Rod, Beltran, Pujols and Vladi are light years ahead of everyone else. If you have the fifth pick, who the heck do you take? Barry? Johan? Manny? Randy? Tom Berenger?
I've been noticing that third base is STACKED. There are at least a dozen third basemen with 30-homer potential: A-Rod, Rolen, Beltre, Ramirez, Chavez, Blalock, Huff, Mora, Chipper, Lowell, Glaus, Blake. Not to mention Vinny, David Wright, Koskie, Boone, Mueller, Bellhorn...
The middle infield positions are down though. Big time. Second base especially, where six of the top players (Soriano, Kent, Boone, Giles, Reyes, Vidro) have declined drastically the past year or so, mostly due to age or injury. Shortstop is not the coveted position it once was ever since A-Rod left. After Tejada, Jeter's going downhill and Nomar's anything but a sure thing. I want to put Michael Young ahead of both of them. Still, there are a ton of second-tier players, but none are going to save your team: Renteria, Cabrera, Rollins, Furcal... A big question mark is Carlos Guillen.
Well that's all for now. Maybe I'll come out with some sleeper picks or something. I bet Lane will be up there.
I've been noticing that third base is STACKED. There are at least a dozen third basemen with 30-homer potential: A-Rod, Rolen, Beltre, Ramirez, Chavez, Blalock, Huff, Mora, Chipper, Lowell, Glaus, Blake. Not to mention Vinny, David Wright, Koskie, Boone, Mueller, Bellhorn...
The middle infield positions are down though. Big time. Second base especially, where six of the top players (Soriano, Kent, Boone, Giles, Reyes, Vidro) have declined drastically the past year or so, mostly due to age or injury. Shortstop is not the coveted position it once was ever since A-Rod left. After Tejada, Jeter's going downhill and Nomar's anything but a sure thing. I want to put Michael Young ahead of both of them. Still, there are a ton of second-tier players, but none are going to save your team: Renteria, Cabrera, Rollins, Furcal... A big question mark is Carlos Guillen.
Well that's all for now. Maybe I'll come out with some sleeper picks or something. I bet Lane will be up there.
Rumors are still circulating that we're looking to acquire a "true centerfielder" before the season starts. The Tigers released Alex Sanchez today, but I feel dirty even mentioning his name. He has 68 walks in 1351 career ABs. But his .364 SLG is somehow better than Palmeiro's.
I say we take another look at Marlon Byrd. I forgot all about him until I read today that he's hitting 10-for-24 for the Spring. He's 27, and hit a decent .303/.366/.418 in 2003. He has the potential to be a contributor but right now is blocked by old man Lofton. And the Phillies suffered through his horrendous 2004 campaign, so probably won't want much for him.
I'm not sure how Lane is progressing as a centerfielder, but my instincts tell me not good. He's built to be a corner outfielder. If we do acquire a Marlon Byrd or a Randy Winn or a Mike Cameron, we'd be crowding our starters. But we'd be assured of a decent lineup until Berkman returns:
Biggio LF
Burke 2B
Bagwell 1B
Lane RF
Ensberg 3B
Byrd CF
Everett SS
Ausmus C
When Berkman comes back, we'll have to cut the playing time of either Byrd or Burke. Or hell, maybe even Biggio.
I was relieved to see that Pettitte was scratched from his start because of a mild ankle sprain he suffered when he fell down some steps. Thank God it wasn't his elbow. It's a bad time of year to be a Cubs fan. Prior and Wood are both nursing mild injuries. Not a good sign for them.
I say we take another look at Marlon Byrd. I forgot all about him until I read today that he's hitting 10-for-24 for the Spring. He's 27, and hit a decent .303/.366/.418 in 2003. He has the potential to be a contributor but right now is blocked by old man Lofton. And the Phillies suffered through his horrendous 2004 campaign, so probably won't want much for him.
I'm not sure how Lane is progressing as a centerfielder, but my instincts tell me not good. He's built to be a corner outfielder. If we do acquire a Marlon Byrd or a Randy Winn or a Mike Cameron, we'd be crowding our starters. But we'd be assured of a decent lineup until Berkman returns:
Biggio LF
Burke 2B
Bagwell 1B
Lane RF
Ensberg 3B
Byrd CF
Everett SS
Ausmus C
When Berkman comes back, we'll have to cut the playing time of either Byrd or Burke. Or hell, maybe even Biggio.
I was relieved to see that Pettitte was scratched from his start because of a mild ankle sprain he suffered when he fell down some steps. Thank God it wasn't his elbow. It's a bad time of year to be a Cubs fan. Prior and Wood are both nursing mild injuries. Not a good sign for them.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
A short Yahoo paragraph has me thinking...which would you rather have to start the season:
Option 1
Biggio LF
Taveras CF
Lane RF
Burke 2B
Option 2
Biggio LF
Lane CF
Palmeiro RF
Burke 2B
Option 3
Lane LF
Taveras CF
Palmeiro RF
Biggio 2B
Basically, you're choosing 2 of Taveras, Burke, and Palmeiro for the month or so until Berkman returns. The easy way out is to say Burke is a much better prospect than Taveras (he is), so we go with Option 1 or 2. Then I'd say I would rather see Taveras get a shot than Palmeiro, so I like Option 1. This would give us a probable Opening Day lineup of something like:
Biggio LF
Everett 2B
Bagwell 1B
Lane RF
Ensberg 3B
Burke 2B
Taveras CF
Ausmus C
Maybe you switch Everett and Taveras, or bat Taveras leadoff; it doesn't really matter that much.
The only thing is, the Yahoo report seemed to assume that it would come down to EITHER Taveras or Burke winning a starting job, because the Astros would "like to shift Biggio back to 2nd if Taveras wins the CF job to start the season." Well, frankly, that sucks, and it means we'd be going with Option 2, and essentially be choosing Palmeiro over Burke for a starting position. I've said it before, and I've said it again: Craig Biggio has said many times in the past that he's a team player, that he'll do what the team needs to do, etc., etc. Well, it's time to pay up, Bidge, and play outfield - at the very least until Lance comes back. Otherwise our Opening Day starting RF will have a career .348 SLG%.
Oh, and Notre Dame got screwed. Northern Iowa???? What crap.
Option 1
Biggio LF
Taveras CF
Lane RF
Burke 2B
Option 2
Biggio LF
Lane CF
Palmeiro RF
Burke 2B
Option 3
Lane LF
Taveras CF
Palmeiro RF
Biggio 2B
Basically, you're choosing 2 of Taveras, Burke, and Palmeiro for the month or so until Berkman returns. The easy way out is to say Burke is a much better prospect than Taveras (he is), so we go with Option 1 or 2. Then I'd say I would rather see Taveras get a shot than Palmeiro, so I like Option 1. This would give us a probable Opening Day lineup of something like:
Biggio LF
Everett 2B
Bagwell 1B
Lane RF
Ensberg 3B
Burke 2B
Taveras CF
Ausmus C
Maybe you switch Everett and Taveras, or bat Taveras leadoff; it doesn't really matter that much.
The only thing is, the Yahoo report seemed to assume that it would come down to EITHER Taveras or Burke winning a starting job, because the Astros would "like to shift Biggio back to 2nd if Taveras wins the CF job to start the season." Well, frankly, that sucks, and it means we'd be going with Option 2, and essentially be choosing Palmeiro over Burke for a starting position. I've said it before, and I've said it again: Craig Biggio has said many times in the past that he's a team player, that he'll do what the team needs to do, etc., etc. Well, it's time to pay up, Bidge, and play outfield - at the very least until Lance comes back. Otherwise our Opening Day starting RF will have a career .348 SLG%.
Oh, and Notre Dame got screwed. Northern Iowa???? What crap.
So the Astros scratched Andy Pettitte from a start (not good news, and does Phil Garner really expect Pettitte to be 100% for our 2nd game?) and replaced him with Tim Redding, who promptly gave up 1 hit, 1 walk, and 2 HBP's and had 6 K's in 4 innings. Before you get too excited, 4 of those strikeouts were called, and Redding himself said the umpire was being "generous" against lefties. Redding does still have the most talent of any of our 5th starter options, but all things equal, I'd like us to look to trade him after a good showing like this. Brandon Duckworth has also pitched fairly well (6.2 IP, 2 BB, 7 K, 4.05 ERA), so we might have a 5th starter or trade bait.
Andy, I'm not that mad that Biggio is PLAYING 2nd base this spring - I'm mad that he's STARTING at 2nd base. Biggio is going to make the team no matter what, and we know about what to expect. Chris Burke needs all the playing time against major leaguers that he can get, but he's coming off the bench every day. That's what I don't like.
Andy, I'm not that mad that Biggio is PLAYING 2nd base this spring - I'm mad that he's STARTING at 2nd base. Biggio is going to make the team no matter what, and we know about what to expect. Chris Burke needs all the playing time against major leaguers that he can get, but he's coming off the bench every day. That's what I don't like.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Good news from today's 8-7 win over the Braves:
Jason Lane had 2 HR's and 5 RBI's.
Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls pitched well.
We won a game.
Bad news:
Craig Biggio started at 2nd base. Again.
Roy Oswalt struggled a bit, but honestly, he's proven himself enough, and he still had 4 K's / 3 innings.
Adam Everett batted 2nd again, basically assuring us (if our Opening Day Lineup starts off with Biggio / Everett) of 2 of our worst OBP's at the top of the lineup. I'm resigned to Biggio, but I'd much rather see Ensberg or Burke bat 2nd.
Russ Springer gave up 4 hits and 3 runs in 1 inning.
Honestly, it seems like a bad dream to me that we are considering all of the following guys to help our bullpen (ages on right):
Dave Burba 38
Russ Springer 36
John Franco 44
Turk Wendell 37
I mean, DAMN. Seriously, why not give a prospect a chance over has-beens? If Qualls / Harville / Wheeler / Astacio don't make the team over some of those guys, we suck.
Jason Lane had 2 HR's and 5 RBI's.
Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls pitched well.
We won a game.
Bad news:
Craig Biggio started at 2nd base. Again.
Roy Oswalt struggled a bit, but honestly, he's proven himself enough, and he still had 4 K's / 3 innings.
Adam Everett batted 2nd again, basically assuring us (if our Opening Day Lineup starts off with Biggio / Everett) of 2 of our worst OBP's at the top of the lineup. I'm resigned to Biggio, but I'd much rather see Ensberg or Burke bat 2nd.
Russ Springer gave up 4 hits and 3 runs in 1 inning.
Honestly, it seems like a bad dream to me that we are considering all of the following guys to help our bullpen (ages on right):
Dave Burba 38
Russ Springer 36
John Franco 44
Turk Wendell 37
I mean, DAMN. Seriously, why not give a prospect a chance over has-beens? If Qualls / Harville / Wheeler / Astacio don't make the team over some of those guys, we suck.
Roy Oswalt was named our Opening Day Starter today. I hate to say this but it's probably the best news I've heard this winter. Oswalt should get the nod; although Clemens was arguably the better pitcher last year, he's also 42, so I like Oswalt more. What I can't say I completely agree with is having Pettitte pitch 2nd in the rotation. Yeah, yeah, you have to go righty-lefty-righy, but Pettitte is still recovering, and I don't know if he'll be 100%. If he is, fine, but I wouldn't mind seeing Oswalt - Clemens - Backe - Pettitte. Maybe I'm wrong, and hopefully Pettitte will be fine, but he is coming off a pretty serious injury.
WHERE THE HECK IS MY BASEBALL PROSPECTUS 2005???
We lost to the Cards 4-2 in our last ST game; Backe pitched well to start but then walked 3 batters in a row to give up a few runs. Then, in the most encouraging news this spring, Ezequiel Astacio came in a pitched 3 scoreless innings. I'm not sure if I want him thrown into starting right away, but if he keeps pitching like this, it'll be hard to stop him.
WHERE THE HECK IS MY BASEBALL PROSPECTUS 2005???
We lost to the Cards 4-2 in our last ST game; Backe pitched well to start but then walked 3 batters in a row to give up a few runs. Then, in the most encouraging news this spring, Ezequiel Astacio came in a pitched 3 scoreless innings. I'm not sure if I want him thrown into starting right away, but if he keeps pitching like this, it'll be hard to stop him.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Ugly, ugly game yesterday. I'm sure it made Drew happy, though. John Franco walked 4 batters and hit a batter in limited action AND he sucks against righties, so I'm not looking forward to a year of him. Dave Burba, who I thought was a decent risk as a spot starter / dark horse 5th starter, got ripped. Turk Wendell was also terrible, so it looks like our Old Guys Triumvirate of Franco / Burba / Wendell might not turn out so well. Oops.
Baseball Prospectus had a few notes on the Astros today:
They like Chad Qualls to be the 8th inning set-up guy for Brad Lidge, essentially because a) Harville is too wild b) Franco is too old and c) Dan Wheeler isn't as good as he showed late last year. I agree, and think that Qualls might be a bright spot for the Astros this year, with a possibility of 70-80 innings of ~3.00-3.50 ERA.
They also say that one of the first signs of how the season will go will come early, when the Astros decide between Vizcaino, Biggio, and Burke at 2B. If we fall into the "proven veteran" trap and start Viz or Biggio, we're likely to expect to contend all year and make one last run with Biggio / Clemens / Berkman / Ausmus. If we do the correct thing and start Burke, it means we realize we're not likely to be as good as the Cubs or Cardinals barring a lot of things going right, and that it's more important right now to get our top prospects (Lane, Burke, Astacio?) playing time. I also agree here, and can't even stomach the thought of Vizcaino instead of Burke starting at 2B. At least Biggio has been good to the Astros in the past.
JT and Andy were both right and Peter Gammons was wrong: Carlos Hernandez is not out of options. So look for him to go back to AAA, and it's likely one of Redding / Munro / Duckworth will get the #5 spot, and two will be released / traded.
Baseball Prospectus had a few notes on the Astros today:
They like Chad Qualls to be the 8th inning set-up guy for Brad Lidge, essentially because a) Harville is too wild b) Franco is too old and c) Dan Wheeler isn't as good as he showed late last year. I agree, and think that Qualls might be a bright spot for the Astros this year, with a possibility of 70-80 innings of ~3.00-3.50 ERA.
They also say that one of the first signs of how the season will go will come early, when the Astros decide between Vizcaino, Biggio, and Burke at 2B. If we fall into the "proven veteran" trap and start Viz or Biggio, we're likely to expect to contend all year and make one last run with Biggio / Clemens / Berkman / Ausmus. If we do the correct thing and start Burke, it means we realize we're not likely to be as good as the Cubs or Cardinals barring a lot of things going right, and that it's more important right now to get our top prospects (Lane, Burke, Astacio?) playing time. I also agree here, and can't even stomach the thought of Vizcaino instead of Burke starting at 2B. At least Biggio has been good to the Astros in the past.
JT and Andy were both right and Peter Gammons was wrong: Carlos Hernandez is not out of options. So look for him to go back to AAA, and it's likely one of Redding / Munro / Duckworth will get the #5 spot, and two will be released / traded.
I think we may have found three new Dan Miceli's.
Old fogies Burba, Franco and Wendell combined to give up 17 runs on Tuesday against our 2000 opening-day starter, Scott Elarton. We lost 21-4. Good thing these games don't count.
Some more bad news: Lidge gave up 2 runs, Burke went 0-for-3, Biggio committed an error at second base, and Orlando Palmeiro actually drove in a run. Hope he doesn't have a good spring and earn some playing time.
Good news (if there is any): Bagwell went 2-for-2 and drove in a run, Qualls and Springer pitched great, and Astacio got a brief look, although he only faced three batters (Two reached base, the other struck out).
I haven't heard much about Bagwell's new stance this spring. I read somehwere that Garner said he'd be happy if Bagwell hit 10 homers this year, as long as he ket driving in runs. I hope we get a few more dingers than that.
Clemens starts tomorrow night against Atlanta. Let's hope we keep them under double digits.
Old fogies Burba, Franco and Wendell combined to give up 17 runs on Tuesday against our 2000 opening-day starter, Scott Elarton. We lost 21-4. Good thing these games don't count.
Some more bad news: Lidge gave up 2 runs, Burke went 0-for-3, Biggio committed an error at second base, and Orlando Palmeiro actually drove in a run. Hope he doesn't have a good spring and earn some playing time.
Good news (if there is any): Bagwell went 2-for-2 and drove in a run, Qualls and Springer pitched great, and Astacio got a brief look, although he only faced three batters (Two reached base, the other struck out).
I haven't heard much about Bagwell's new stance this spring. I read somehwere that Garner said he'd be happy if Bagwell hit 10 homers this year, as long as he ket driving in runs. I hope we get a few more dingers than that.
Clemens starts tomorrow night against Atlanta. Let's hope we keep them under double digits.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
I dunno, Andy. I think that I saw that same blurb that you mentioned - Beane wants Chris Burke.
The latest Gammons column has some pretty interesting Astros tidbits:
The Astros keep pestering the Mets about Mike Cameron, but it is looking less and less likely that New York will move Cameron because they have to get a strong corner bat in return, and right now there may not be any on the market." One possibility for Houston is Terrmel Sledge, as Washington is looking for a bopper and will move Sledge and/or Endy Chavez. Right now, if Craig Biggio moves back to second base, as he would like to do, then until Lance Berkman comes back, the 'Stros outfielders are Jason Lane, Willy Taveras (who has temporarily given up switch-hitting), possibly Chris Burke and Orlando Palmeiro.
Houston has four bubble pitchers out of options: Tim Redding, Carlos Hernandez, Peter Munro and Brandon Duckworth. … Oh yes. On Friday, the first four Houston pitchers were Clemens, 42, John Franco, 44, Dave Burba, 38 and youngster Russ Springer, 36.
It's too bad that Biggio is so intent on playing 2nd. I see why Hunsicker may have resigned in protest of the re-signing of Biggio; he's just complicating things now. I'm glad we're still pestering the Mets about Cameron, but if they want a strong corner bat for a guy coming off wrist surgery then fugheddaboutit. The Termell Sledge rumor interests me a lot - here's a 27 year old LH bat who put up a 799 OPS last year during his first big league stint (399 AB's) and can handle all 3 outfield positions. Plus the Nationals GM, Jim Bowden, is awful - he signed Cristian Guzman and Vinny Castilla to multi-year deals. Maybe two of our "out of options" pitchers could get Sledge in return. Redding and Duckworth for Sledge? Man, I'd love that.
So, in conclusion: don't trade Burke. Biggio needs to suck it up and be an OF or utility guy. Trade for Termell Sledge. Our #5 starters (Redding, Hernandez, Munro, Duckworth) are all pitching terribly at the moment. Luke Scott is ripping the ball. An OF of Biggio / Sledge / Lane / Scott / Palmeiro, with Taveras getting a full year in AAA? My choice for #5 starter (assuming we trade Redding) is probably Carlos Hernandez - we can't send him back to the minors and he still has some potential unlike, say, Pete Munro. I say give him one last look, and if not, maybe Ezequiel Astacio can step in.
The latest Gammons column has some pretty interesting Astros tidbits:
The Astros keep pestering the Mets about Mike Cameron, but it is looking less and less likely that New York will move Cameron because they have to get a strong corner bat in return, and right now there may not be any on the market." One possibility for Houston is Terrmel Sledge, as Washington is looking for a bopper and will move Sledge and/or Endy Chavez. Right now, if Craig Biggio moves back to second base, as he would like to do, then until Lance Berkman comes back, the 'Stros outfielders are Jason Lane, Willy Taveras (who has temporarily given up switch-hitting), possibly Chris Burke and Orlando Palmeiro.
Houston has four bubble pitchers out of options: Tim Redding, Carlos Hernandez, Peter Munro and Brandon Duckworth. … Oh yes. On Friday, the first four Houston pitchers were Clemens, 42, John Franco, 44, Dave Burba, 38 and youngster Russ Springer, 36.
It's too bad that Biggio is so intent on playing 2nd. I see why Hunsicker may have resigned in protest of the re-signing of Biggio; he's just complicating things now. I'm glad we're still pestering the Mets about Cameron, but if they want a strong corner bat for a guy coming off wrist surgery then fugheddaboutit. The Termell Sledge rumor interests me a lot - here's a 27 year old LH bat who put up a 799 OPS last year during his first big league stint (399 AB's) and can handle all 3 outfield positions. Plus the Nationals GM, Jim Bowden, is awful - he signed Cristian Guzman and Vinny Castilla to multi-year deals. Maybe two of our "out of options" pitchers could get Sledge in return. Redding and Duckworth for Sledge? Man, I'd love that.
So, in conclusion: don't trade Burke. Biggio needs to suck it up and be an OF or utility guy. Trade for Termell Sledge. Our #5 starters (Redding, Hernandez, Munro, Duckworth) are all pitching terribly at the moment. Luke Scott is ripping the ball. An OF of Biggio / Sledge / Lane / Scott / Palmeiro, with Taveras getting a full year in AAA? My choice for #5 starter (assuming we trade Redding) is probably Carlos Hernandez - we can't send him back to the minors and he still has some potential unlike, say, Pete Munro. I say give him one last look, and if not, maybe Ezequiel Astacio can step in.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Billy Beane is apparently enamored with our boy Chris Burke. Apparently he really wanted to take Burke straight out of Tennessee a few years ago, when he broke most of Todd Helton's school records (!). But Beane drafted Crosby instead. Beane usually has a keen eye for talent, especially when it comes to young players.
Would we want to consider a trade with Oakland? They're still trying to get rid of Byrnes, either to the Mets or the Pirates. We could get Cameron in CF and move Biggio to full time 2B. And keep in mind we have another solid middle infield prospect in Brooks Conrad for the future.
Any takers?
Would we want to consider a trade with Oakland? They're still trying to get rid of Byrnes, either to the Mets or the Pirates. We could get Cameron in CF and move Biggio to full time 2B. And keep in mind we have another solid middle infield prospect in Brooks Conrad for the future.
Any takers?
Sunday, March 06, 2005
You know I haven't posted in a while when Drew Sanders gets on my case about it. This is the guy who wrote 2 Tournament of Uber-Toughness updates and then left us all hanging when he got to the semifinals. And HE'S telling me that I need to post more often. Wow.
Anyway, Drew is pretty excited about the Indians this year, with good reason:
Their projected lineup:
Coco Crisp, CF
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Travis Hafner, DH
Juan Gonzalez, RF
Victor Martienz, C
Ben Broussard, 1B
Aaron Boone / Jose Hernandez, 3B
Jody Gerut / Casey Blake, LF
Alex Cora / Jhonny Peralta, 2B
and their projected rotation:
C.C. Sabathia
Kevin Millwood
Jake Westbrook
Cliff Lee
Scott Elarton
and their bullpen:
Bob Wickman
Bob Howry
David Riske
Rafael Betancourt
Jason Davis
Arthur Rhodes
Scott Sauerbeck
That's a hell of a roster. It's hard to pick against a team with Johan Santana (who Drew apparently thinks was a fluke this year, to which I say ARE YOU INSANE!!??), but I think the Indians might just do it this year. And if they get Martinez / Hafner / Broussard / Peralta / Sabathia / Lee signed to 3 or 4 year deals, watch out for a mid-90's revival of the Indians franchise, when at one time or another they had the following players on offense:
Kenny Lofton
Roberto Alomar (back when he was really good)
Manny Ramirez
Jim Thome
David Justice
Travis Fryman
Richie Sexson
Brian Giles
Sandy Alomar Jr.
probably some other beasts, too, but that's enough.
Not too much Astros news lately. All our possible #5 starters sucked in our first ST game; each gave up 2 runs in 2 innings. Yay. Then Roy Oswalt dominated yesterday, and Brandon Backe looked good today, and Jason Lane and Luke Scott homered. I like Scott as a darkhorse to make the team and get a few AB's while Berkman is hurt. Biggio started at 2B the other day, too, which makes me hurt all over.
I'm still waiting for BP2005. Damn you, Amazon!
Anyway, Drew is pretty excited about the Indians this year, with good reason:
Their projected lineup:
Coco Crisp, CF
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Travis Hafner, DH
Juan Gonzalez, RF
Victor Martienz, C
Ben Broussard, 1B
Aaron Boone / Jose Hernandez, 3B
Jody Gerut / Casey Blake, LF
Alex Cora / Jhonny Peralta, 2B
and their projected rotation:
C.C. Sabathia
Kevin Millwood
Jake Westbrook
Cliff Lee
Scott Elarton
and their bullpen:
Bob Wickman
Bob Howry
David Riske
Rafael Betancourt
Jason Davis
Arthur Rhodes
Scott Sauerbeck
That's a hell of a roster. It's hard to pick against a team with Johan Santana (who Drew apparently thinks was a fluke this year, to which I say ARE YOU INSANE!!??), but I think the Indians might just do it this year. And if they get Martinez / Hafner / Broussard / Peralta / Sabathia / Lee signed to 3 or 4 year deals, watch out for a mid-90's revival of the Indians franchise, when at one time or another they had the following players on offense:
Kenny Lofton
Roberto Alomar (back when he was really good)
Manny Ramirez
Jim Thome
David Justice
Travis Fryman
Richie Sexson
Brian Giles
Sandy Alomar Jr.
probably some other beasts, too, but that's enough.
Not too much Astros news lately. All our possible #5 starters sucked in our first ST game; each gave up 2 runs in 2 innings. Yay. Then Roy Oswalt dominated yesterday, and Brandon Backe looked good today, and Jason Lane and Luke Scott homered. I like Scott as a darkhorse to make the team and get a few AB's while Berkman is hurt. Biggio started at 2B the other day, too, which makes me hurt all over.
I'm still waiting for BP2005. Damn you, Amazon!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
I'm still waiting for my copy of BP2005, even though ThrowsLikeAGirl got her a few days ago. What the heck? I want to read insults about Viz and Ausmus, too. From what I've read BP is also including Most Comparable Players on their Player Cards. Inspired by a recent post by Aaron Gleeman, here is our starting lineup and rotation, based on Most Comparable Players that you might have heard of at that age:
C Bob Boone (Ausmus)
1B Frank Thomas (Bagwell)
2B Chris Burke (not enough playing time for a comp.)
SS Ray Boone (Everett)
3B Matt LeCroy (Ensberg)
RF Tim Salmon / Magglio Ordonez (Berkman)
CF Jason Lane (see Burke note)
LF Lou Whitaker (Biggio)
SP Mike Mussina (Roy Oswalt)
SP Tom Seaver (Roger Clemens)
SP Jack McDowell (Andy Pettitte)
SP Cliff Politte (Brandon Backe)
SP Elmer Dessens (Pete Munro)
CL Todd Jones (Brad Lidge) note: Mariano Rivera is also n that list, so don't freak out yet.
Bench
CI Chris Singleton (Mike Lamb)
MI Rey Sanchez (Jose Vizcaino)
OF Jerry Hairston (Orlando Palmeiro) note: Jerry Hairston's Jr.'s dad
So, we've got the Boone brothers, 2 Hall of Famers in Frank Thomas and Lou Whitaker, an excellent RF in Salmon or Ordonez, and a big front 3 in Mussina, Seaver, and Jack McDowell.
Pretty much what you'd expect, I guess, and it's too bad Bagwell / Biggio / Clemens are so old.
C Bob Boone (Ausmus)
1B Frank Thomas (Bagwell)
2B Chris Burke (not enough playing time for a comp.)
SS Ray Boone (Everett)
3B Matt LeCroy (Ensberg)
RF Tim Salmon / Magglio Ordonez (Berkman)
CF Jason Lane (see Burke note)
LF Lou Whitaker (Biggio)
SP Mike Mussina (Roy Oswalt)
SP Tom Seaver (Roger Clemens)
SP Jack McDowell (Andy Pettitte)
SP Cliff Politte (Brandon Backe)
SP Elmer Dessens (Pete Munro)
CL Todd Jones (Brad Lidge) note: Mariano Rivera is also n that list, so don't freak out yet.
Bench
CI Chris Singleton (Mike Lamb)
MI Rey Sanchez (Jose Vizcaino)
OF Jerry Hairston (Orlando Palmeiro) note: Jerry Hairston's Jr.'s dad
So, we've got the Boone brothers, 2 Hall of Famers in Frank Thomas and Lou Whitaker, an excellent RF in Salmon or Ordonez, and a big front 3 in Mussina, Seaver, and Jack McDowell.
Pretty much what you'd expect, I guess, and it's too bad Bagwell / Biggio / Clemens are so old.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
From Rotoworld:
Morgan Ensberg said his slow start last season was due in part to an elbow injury. This season, he's healthy, and manager Phil Garner plans to use him in the meat of the order.
"He needs to hit doubles and home runs, because that's the way you drive in runs," Garner said. "We need him to be a big run producer, and he's swinging the bat good this spring." It's not inconceivable that Ensberg could even open the season as Houston's cleanup hitter behind Jeff Bagwell with Lance Berkman injured.
The cleanup spot? Maybe. I like Lane there right now. But we'll see.
Morgan Ensberg said his slow start last season was due in part to an elbow injury. This season, he's healthy, and manager Phil Garner plans to use him in the meat of the order.
"He needs to hit doubles and home runs, because that's the way you drive in runs," Garner said. "We need him to be a big run producer, and he's swinging the bat good this spring." It's not inconceivable that Ensberg could even open the season as Houston's cleanup hitter behind Jeff Bagwell with Lance Berkman injured.
The cleanup spot? Maybe. I like Lane there right now. But we'll see.
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