2008 Baseball FA

[WoodlandsBoy]

Now that it looks like we won't be getting anything special at the Trade deadline.

In my opion we need a C, 2B, SS, CF or RF, #2 SP.

Here is this offseasons FA list. Who should we get?

First Basemen
Sean Casey DET
Tony Clark ARZ
Jeff Conine PHI
Julio Franco ATL
Kevin Millar * BAL
Olmedo Saenz LAD
Mark Sweeney SF
Mike Sweeney KC

Second Basemen
Marlon Anderson LAD
Craig Biggio HOU
Luis Castillo NYM
Damion Easley NYM
Mark Ellis * OAK
Marcus Giles * SD
Tony Graffanino MIL
Mark Grudzielanek* KC
Tadahito Iguchi PHI (if not signed to extension)
Jeff Kent * LAD
Kaz Matsui COL (if not signed to extension)
Luis Rivas CLE
Jose Valentin NYM

Shortstops
David Eckstein STL
Cesar Izturis * PIT
Ramon E Martinez* LAD
John McDonald TOR
Neifi Perez DET
Juan Uribe * CHW
Omar Vizquel SF

Third Basemen
Russell Branyan SD
Corey Koskie * MIL
Mike Lamb HOU
Mike Lowell BOS
Greg Norton * TB
Abraham O. Nunez PHI
Alex Rodriguez NYY (may void after 2007)

Catchers
Brad Ausmus HOU
Paul Bako BAL
Michael Barrett SD
Gary Bennett * STL
Ramon Castro NYM
Wiki Gonzalez WAS
Jason Kendall CHC
Jason LaRue KC
Paul Lo Duca NYM
Damian Miller MIL
Chad Moeller CIN
Jose Molina NYY
Josh Paul TB
Jorge Posada NYY
Ivan Rodriguez * DET
Yorvit Torrealba COL
Javier Valentin * CIN

Outfielders
Bobby Abreu * NYY
Moises Alou * NYM
Milton Bradley SD
Eric Byrnes ARZ
Mike Cameron SD
Brady Clark BOS
Jeff DaVanon ARZ
Adam Dunn * CIN
Jermaine Dye CWS
Darin Erstad * CWS
Kosuke Fukudome, Chunichi, Japan
Luis Gonzalez LAD
Shawn Green* NYM
Eric Hinske BOS
Torii Hunter MIN
Geoff Jenkins * MIL
Andruw Jones ATL
Bobby Kielty OAK
Rob Mackowiak * CWS
Orlando Palmeiro HOU
Corey Patterson BAL
Aaron Rowand PHI
Reggie Sanders KC
Brad Wilkerson TEX

Starting Pitchers
Kris Benson * BAL
Paul Byrd * CLE
Shawn Chacon PIT
Matt Clement BOS
Bartolo Colon LAA
Scott Elarton KC
Josh Fogg COL
Casey Fossum * TB
Freddy Garcia PHI
Livan Hernandez ARZ
Jason Jennings HOU
Brian Lawrence * COL
Jon Lieber PHI
Kyle Lohse PHI
Rodrigo Lopez COL
Wade Miller CHC
Eric Milton CIN
Odalis Perez * KC
Joel Pineiro * BOS
Kenny Rogers DET
Curt Schilling BOS
Carlos Silva MIN
Julian Tavarez * BOS
Brett Tomko * LAD
Kip Wells STL
Randy Wolf * LAD
Jaret Wright BAL
Carlos Zambrano CHC
Victor Zambrano NYM

Relief Pitchers
Jeremy Affeldt COL
Armando Benitez FLA
Hector Carrasco * LAA
Francisco Cordero MIL
Rheal Cormier CIN
Vic Darensbourg DET
Elmer Dessens MIL
Scott Eyre * CHC
Trevor Hoffman * SD
Jason Isringhausen* STL
Todd Jones DET
Jorge Julio COL
Joe Kennedy OAK
Byung-Hyun Kim FLA
Scott Linebrink MIL
Ron Mahay TEX
Trever Miller HOU
Mike Myers NYY
Joe Nathan * MIN
Joel Pineiro * BOS
Chris Reitsma SEA
Mariano Rivera NYY
Rudy Seanez SD
Mike Timlin BOS
Mike Venafro MIN
Luis Vizcaino NYY
Bob Wickman ATL
Scott Williamson BAL
Jay Witasick TB
Kerry Wood CHC

[Nick]

No team is ever going to fill all their needs entirely thru free agency... unless you expect them to have a $150 million dollar payroll.

There will be player development assessment, as well as possible off-season trades that will land pieces... not simply "lets sign a free agent that's available for every need."

I see them using FA money on starting pitching, and an outfielder. I see them using in-house players for bullpen pitchers, potential catchers, and utility men.

[Aceshigh7]

Pitching is the most important need by far. I'd like us to sign Freddy Garcia cheap and also swing a trade for another SP.

[A-Train]

I hear that Craig Biggio guy is pretty good...

[Joe Joe]

I see them using FA money on starting pitching, and an outfielder.

I agree that the Astros will try to use FA money on starting pitching. They'll also try to address another position as well through FA, but don't think they'll limit it to the OF. It will depend on what's out there for what price.

[Master Baiter]

If we bring back Brad Ausmus as a player next year, I will be super pissed.

[BenignDMD]

What do the *'s mean?

[WoodlandsBoy]

What do the *'s mean?

Player Option

I see them using FA money on starting pitching, and an outfielder

I agree that the Astros will try to use FA money on starting pitching. They'll also try to address another position as well through FA

Who do you want them sign as the SP & Position Player and at what price?

[No Worries]

If we bring back Brad Ausmus as a player next year, I will be super pissed.
Be prepared to be very pissed.

[htownbball]

2B isnt really a need...we have burke and the astros believe he is the starting 2B next year. what we need is burke to produce like we know he can.

SS, again, not a need since management is hung up on adam everett as the starter, and i really have no problem with that as long as they upgrade at other positions like catcher

CF/RF coulda been solved with qualls for bourn, but purpura doesnt wanna take chances on young players and philly was reluctant to give him up. Aaron Rowand should be a target.

SP market is gonna be thin, we're prolly gonna resign Jennings anyway to save face on the trade.

C is gonna be really hard to come by in FA. we need to trade for kelly shoppach IMO. reminds me of John Buck, wont hit for a real high average and will K more than you'd like, but should hit close to 20 homers and is very good defensively.

2B Burke
RF Pence
1B Berkman
LF Lee
3B Wiggy
CF Rowand
C Shoppach
SS Everett

Oswalt
Sampson
Jennings
Wandy
Woody/Backe/Albers/Patton/Gutierrez

im not sure why the organization treats sampson like a 2nd class citizen. he throws strikes and is very efficient. he's what they were hoping Jennings was gonna be. he's more of a 3 type starter, but he keeps us in games and his efficiency allows him to eat up innings. if wandy can figure out his away problems, we could really have something. until then, he's our 4th starter.

[htownhustla]

PLease for the love of god, no more woody :mad: . I am hopin our starter include oswalt, sampson, backe and maybe wandy if he can learn to pitch the way he does at home everywhere. I would love to pick up carlos zambrano, but i highly doubt that is even possible.

[htownhustla]

i wouldnt mind them bring patton up this year to see what he's made of.

[Nick]

i wouldnt mind them bring patton up this year to see what he's made of.

Is there really much upside to that? (besides some 3-day hype in an otherwise lackluster remainder of the season).

At a best case scenario, he blows away all expectations to close the season, and we get really excited about our prognosis next year...even though we're basing it all on simply a couple of months of performance from a pitcher which the league never saw before, and who most likely didn't have to face teams a 2nd or 3rd time... (when the book starts to get out on him).

The bad scenarios far outweigh:
a.) he's not ready, and he bombs
b.) he overcompensates by trying to impress (for next year)... which often causes mechanical issues/poor performance/injury.
c.) he simply doesn't have the stuff to be a rotation starter in Houston... and the team has to grapple whether or not to assess his 2 month run as something he can build on, or as a reflection of what his future will be like (this last one is a little extreme, given his young young age... but had he been 3 years older, it would be a carbon copy of what they had to go thru with Jason Hirsh this off-season).

The main thing holding him back is what holds most pitchers back... their age, and the fact that their arms are still developing/in-training to turn into every 4th-day big league starters. Most of the youngins who come (i'm talking the 19, 20, 21 year olds) invariably have some arm issues... something that the 23 and 24 year olds aren't as plagued with.

Patton is, however, being fast-tracked like no other pitcher in the organization before him (not even Oswalt... who wasn't straight out of HS)... so maybe they do roll the dice this year.

If it were up to me, I'd closely watch how he approaches the more experienced/veteran hitters the rest of the season at AAA, and if all goes well, give him every chance in spring training to make this club as a starter.

[htownhustla]

Nick,
I never thought bout it like that. I guess a bad outing would hinder his progress. I just thought it was kinda like bball. where the more experience against the better players would prepare him better. Let him get his feet wet and see what he can do ya know? Good points though

[conquistador#11]

I can't believe we are already looking to the 2008 class of free agents,when we should be enjoying another 29 game hitting streak by willy t :(

the downfall of the 'yanquis' was that in their pursuit of free agents, they neglected their own farm system. Money does not buy happiness, i mean victories. But i do like freddy garcia and carlos silva also :)

[Joe Joe]

Who do you want them sign as the SP & Position Player and at what price?

I'd start by looking at Zambrano since he's good and plays within the division. I don't have dollar figures in mind since MLB prices seem to change every year. He'll probably be way too expensive and the Astros will try to get two SPs like Jennings and Wells.

[jev5555]

Kosuke Fukudome

[Zac D]

I honestly think we go into next year with this lineup:

2B Burke
CF Pence
1B Berkman
LF Lee
3B Wigginton
RF Scott
C Munson
SS Everett

Throw A-Rod money* at Zambrano.

* denotes exaggeration

[Creepy Crawl]

If thats our line-up next year .......... we'll be in for another long year .

[Zac D]

If thats our line-up next year .......... we'll be in for another long year .

Maybe. Unless Burke hits like he showed he can in '06, Scott hits consistently like he has on occasion, Wigginton hits toward the high side of his career numbers, and the pitching staff is improved via FA or trade.

[The Cat]

If thats our line-up next year .......... we'll be in for another long year .

Offense isn't the problem for this team right now, and it especially won't be when they replace Biggio and Ausmus with (hopefully) league average caliber players. That lineup is more than adequate; imo, the resources need to be spent on the rotation.

[Zac D]

If Burke is the starting second baseman next year, that will indicate at least in part a desire by the Astros to give him a shot in the role he's considered most suited for - i.e. playing second and leading off.

That eliminates the search for a speedy leadoff-type outfielder.

That means the only reason to go after an outfielder would be to improve upon Luke Scott - who seems to have proven that he can hit at least as well as a league-average corner OF.

If you then buy that Ty Wigginton was acquired to stabilize third base, and bearing in mind that the organization ain't moving Adam Everett, the only position that they could in their wildest dreams think of signing a free agent for is catcher. Eric Munson doesn't even have to hit as well as he has this year to be league-average offensively there, although he's less "proven" than Scott is.

So yeah - if Burke is going to start at second next year, I think the pitching staff and mayyyyyyyybe catcher are the only positions they'll look to upgrade via free agency.

If they indicate that they don't think Burke is capable of starting (and assuming Wigginton isn't moved over to second) - that sort of opens the tricklegates, since then they could go after their speedy leadoff outfielder (replacing Scott) AND a second baseman who can hit somewhere in the middle of the order.

Either way, here's hoping we see a much more stable lineup next year.

[Creepy Crawl]

Maybe. Unless Burke hits like he showed he can in '06, Scott hits consistently like he has on occasion, Wigginton hits toward the high side of his career numbers, and the pitching staff is improved via FA or trade.


I see your point . IF we improve the pitching staff it maybe adequate enough to get us by .