State of the Stros: Rebuild or Sell Out to Win Now

[Major Malcontent]

As a result of my job I have seen every Astros home game for the better part of 3 seasons. I am starting to feel like we need to inject a little youth and build around Berkman, Oswalt and Burke.

[StupidMoniker]

Trade the Rocket to the Yankees for a couple of mid-level prospects.

[The Cat]

This is absolutely silly.

There's not a chance this team is going to rebuild. Things looked much worse in 2004 at this time than they do now... and they didn't sell then.

Guys, I have a question. Do any of you seriously, actually believe that the Reds are going to make the playoffs? Is that team going to hold up? If you're like 99 percent of the world and answer no... then the Astros are either tied or within 2 games of every serious Wild Card contender. That's right - trailing by two whole games with 65 or so left to play.

We've played about as poorly as we can play... one of our projected best hitters is currently on the DL and hasn't made a significant contribution in more than a month... and we're still within two games. This team is more talented than any of it's primary competitors, and accordingly it has more upside. And there's more than ample time for that upside to take effect.

This team isn't selling. They're going for it, and they're likely going to get it. Pose this question again when we're trailing by 6-7 games and/or to a team other than the Reds.

[JunkyardDwg]

This is absolutely silly.

There's not a chance this team is going to rebuild. Things looked much worse in 2004 at this time than they do now... and they didn't sell then.

Guys, I have a question. Do any of you seriously, actually believe that the Reds are going to make the playoffs? Is that team going to hold up? If you're like 99 percent of the world and answer no... then the Astros are either tied or within 2 games of every serious Wild Card contender. That's right - trailing by two whole games with 65 or so left to play.

We've played about as poorly as we can play... one of our projected best hitters is currently on the DL and hasn't made a significant contribution in more than a month... and we're still within two games. This team is more talented than any of it's primary competitors, and accordingly it has more upside. And there's more than ample time for that upside to take effect.

This team isn't selling. They're going for it, and they're likely going to get it. Pose this question again when we're trailing by 6-7 games and/or to a team other than the Reds.

Couldn't agree more. Team's only 4 games out right now...at this rate, even IF they continue this mediocre play they'd still be in it with a few weeks left. Why the hell would you sell now? Plus, even if they don't make it this season, they do have a good foundation to build upon and tweak.

[toby]

doesnt the fact that we got huff over here mean that we are buying not selling. That was a week ago. Has that much changed since then? Was Timmy just pulling our leg when he said that there was more to come?

Rebuild?

You don't rebuild when you are in the hunt.

[br0ken_shad0w]

It's not like the current teams ahead of us in the WC are actually better. There's a reason why many of them are around .500. Though it does suck that we couldn't take advantage of it for several months. But you just have to chug it through. The only teams that scare me, however, are the Braves (they've played more sloppily than we did and can be much better if they get that good reliever) and the Brewers (especially if their pitching returns to form).

[ryan17wagner]

Trade the Rocket to the Yankees for a couple of mid-level prospects.

Astros don't rebuild. They reload. Yankees and prospects is an oxymoron.

[SwoLy-D]

Should have put BURKE in the lineup and as a starter (f*ck pinch-hittin') a long ass time ago... or maybe his fielding skills weren't that good to begin with? Every time I watch an entire game, Burke comes in to drive some people in, or to hit a big-time base-clearing long ball. :mad:

[Hakeem's Dream]

We need to make sure Burke, Lamb and Berkman are in every single batting lineup from now until the end of the World Series.

[Buck Turgidson]

We need to make sure Burke, Lamb and Berkman are in every single batting lineup from now until the end of the World Series.
Everybody needs days off.

[emjohn]

Weigh your chances of getting to/winning the World Series this year, versus how long it will concievably be if we go into rebuilding mode now.

It's honestly a tough question for me, and I keep wondering if we missed our chance last year.

Evan

[rrj_gamz]

We won't be in the WS if we continue to having mediocre bats and bullpen issues...

Having said that, Miracles do happen and I can see us making a run...Glass Half full...

[eric.81]

Weigh your chances of getting to/winning the World Series this year, versus how long it will concievably be if we go into rebuilding mode now.

It's honestly a tough question for me, and I keep wondering if we missed our chance last year.

Evan


well *bleeping* said... it's a tough feeling. Damn last year was fun huh?

[BMoney]

I am going to echo a suggestion that some people at Orangwhoopass.com have been floating. Let's see what Oswalt could get the team. His trade value will never be higher and I think people should not automatically assume that he will resign with the team. Can you imagine the A+ prospects that a team like the Angels could net us? It's something worth considering.

[BSW]

Oswalt would bring a heck of a lot of prospects and load of the farm system.

If next year is not going well I see them shipping him off to bring some arms in. It has already been said that he is going to test the free agent market.

[Bobby60]

well *bleeping* said... it's a tough feeling. Damn last year was fun huh?
Stick a fork in the Astros - they're done for this year.

I've been a die hard 'Stros fan for years - but they've never been quite as disappointing as they have so far this year.



The offense just plain sucks. Watching them during this current road trip has been excrutiatingly painful. One game with 18 hits, and haven't has that many total in the other 8. Keep getting beat by "no name" rookie pitchers - c.f. tonight's lesson on incompetence against the Mets. Or else they hit the ball right at someone - Valentin in the 7th, Floyd robbong Burke of a HR. Popouts and Ks - we must be leading the League. There's no one in the line-up that an opposing team is afraid of, including Berkman lately.

Pitching has either been horrible (Buckholtz, Pettite, Rodroguez, et al.) or fading from lack of run support (see above) for Oswalt and Clemens. The bull pen is struggling beyond belief. The only guy who's been decent lately is Nieve. Lidge is a basket case, and I think his loss of confidence is affecting the rest of the relievers. Maybe it's time to bring up some of our outstanding minor leaguers and give them some major league experience. Maybe they'd turn the tables on our opponents by winning some of those no name matchups. If a pitcher makes one mistake (e.g. Oswalt against the Cubs the other night), he knows it's highly unlikely that the Astros can push across a big inning to overcome that mistake.

Garner has become both too conservative and too predictable (with exception of Everett's squeeze against the Cubs. Of course he doesn't have a whole hell of a lot to work with off the bench - c.f. Willy Taveras and Orlando Palmeiro as his pinch hitting "power". He can only work with what Pupura and management give him. Our $104 million budget ($85 million and change without Roger) has a very low ROI. If Preston Wilson got paid for either his strikeouts or the bad pitches he all too often swings at, he be worth the $5-6 million he's being paid.
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[TheBigSleep]

I think the Astros need to go out with a bang this year, in other words, we need to go all in

It is very likely Clemens is completely done after this year, and Pettite will likely not be retained.

That is why this Tejada trade will happen I think, managment realizes that after this year they are going into rebuilding mode, and that they want to go out with a bang.

Of course, Drayton is such a cheaparse that he will just let Clemens, Pettite, Huff, Tejada go, and keep Biggio on for no other reason than to get 3000 hits.

[MadMax]

Of course, Drayton is such a cheaparse that he will just let Clemens, Pettite, Huff, Tejada go, and keep Biggio on for no other reason than to get 3000 hits.

here we go again. :rolleyes:

[liamrock]

I think Justice thinks Stros should wave the white flag and shoot for a winner in '07

http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2006/07/time_for_the_as.html

[Ryan Bowen MVP]

I just read that Petitte is thinking about retiring last season. In the article it sounded like he is getting bored playing baseball.

[msn]

I've been a die hard 'Stros fan for years - but they've never been quite as disappointing as they have so far this year.
I feel you bro, but for me '82, '87, '88, and '2000 all sucked a lot harder than this year. No real argument as to why.

[Sishir Chang]

I honestly don't know what to think. After last year's comeback I' told myself to never doubt Garner but after goose eggs like last night its getting harder and harder to believe in this team. I would love to see Biggio, Clemens and Petite retire as Stros, especially Biggio, I don't want to see a repeat of what happened with Hakeem and Earl Cambell of Biggio spending a meaningless last season with some other team. Still it would be nice to see the Stros get back to winning and if the right deals are out there to bring in young talent I would be hard press to turn down a trade.

[MadMax]

I feel you bro, but for me '82, '87, '88, and '2000 all sucked a lot harder than this year. No real argument as to why.

87 and 2000 were awful for me. those were the worst years, to me.

[mateo]

I think 2000 was the worst because I had upgraded from partial season tickets to full season that year....so I watched waaaaay too many crap games.

If I recall, Hidalgo was the only good part of that season. Maybe Elarton?

[gwayneco]

http://www.emusic.com/img/album/108/976/10897609_155_155.jpeg