Could Josh Becket be coming to Houston?

[Roc Paint]

"The Marlins cut Josh Becket's salary by 12 percent, the maximum allowable for a player not eligible for arbitration and free agency.

Becket went from $1.725 million last season to $1.509 million. Worse yet, they have made no attempt to offer him a long-term contract.

So maybe he'll end up joining Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens in Houston, after all."

-Richard Justice
Houston Chronicle


And I thought things couldn't get any better for the Astros starting rotation. :)

[London'sBurning]

Dream come true if that happens. Offer them Doggy or whoever it takes. He's the man.

[yaopao]

Originally posted by London'sBurning
Dream come true if that happens. Offer them Doggy or whoever it takes. He's the man.

I don't think the Marlins are in the mode of adding payroll.

[Nomar]

Originally posted by yaopao
I don't think the Marlins are in the mode of adding payroll.

We would probably have to give up Berkman or Miller plus 2 or 3 high level prospects.

[mateo]

Or we just wait til he's a free agent.

[tierre_brown]

Coming from such a reliable source as the Houston Chronical, this has to be true;)

[MadMax]

it's just speculation at this point...

but this wouldn't happen through a trade...why would the fish trade a guy who can pitch so well for so cheap next season? the implications are for the free agent market next winter. if he feels disrespected, no way he'll be a marlin again. see darryl kile.

[bigtexxx]

If I were a betting man I'd guess that he'd end up in Yankee pinstripes if he's a free agent.

[Uprising]

Houston Chronical hmmmm?:confused:

Anyways, It would be great to get him next season when he is a free agent. Clemens retires (he is only on a 1yr deal right?) and Becket comes in....wow. That would be sweet.

[mateo]

Or Clemens hangs out and mentors him......with Ryan giving him some pointers....oh yeah....

[rockets-#1]

It was a very rare occurence that Drayton actually went out and spent money this offseason. Even when he did, it wasn't until after he traded our closer. As nice as that would be to get Becket, I doubt there's any way we get him unless McLane sells the team first.

[DoitDickau]

the marlins control his rights for a number of years i think. there is no way he goes anywhere for awhile.

[MadMax]

Originally posted by rockets-#1
It was a very rare occurence that Drayton actually went out and spent money this offseason.


yeah...so rare that the last time it happened was a whole year ago when he added jeff kent. selective memory is awesome!

[Chance]

I say we start a campaign to get him here. I already shout him out in the astros song, although it's sneaky and hidden in a round at the end of the song. When we play it live we have a 4 part harmony after the song is over that begs him to come.

Let's make it fashionable for local talen to come home.

Hell maybe it will transcend into collegiate football and some of our boys wll stay here. Make UT, A&M, Tech, UH, etc... the powerhouses they would all be if the locals stayed true.

On Beckett I say everyone start making signage now for Astros home games at the park formerly known as enron (TPFKAE). "COME HOME BECKETT"

That's what the bass head is gonna say when we play out. Are you in???

chance

[rockets-#1]

Originally posted by MadMax
yeah...so rare that the last time it happened was a whole year ago when he added jeff kent. selective memory is awesome!

Haha...well he needs to be more like Mr. Steinbrenner...Besides Kent and Pettite (Roger doesn't really count) he could do a little better. It will be interesting to see how what we do with Oswalt, Miller, Berkman, Dotel, etc.

[edwardc]

Originally posted by mateo
Or we just wait til he's a free agent.
are you saying that the astros get rid of biggio or bagwell to pay his fee.

[Rocket Fan]

chance.. a campaign would be good.. get his name mentioned enough by astros fans in song, radio, signs etc and I'm sure before long you would have his family asking him to come home etc..

[bobrek]

Originally posted by rockets-#1
Haha...well he needs to be more like Mr. Steinbrenner...Besides Kent and Pettite (Roger doesn't really count) he could do a little better. It will be interesting to see how what we do with Oswalt, Miller, Berkman, Dotel, etc.

Why doesn't Clemens count?

[codell]

Originally posted by bobrek
Why doesn't Clemens count?

Because Drayton is a cheapskate ....errrr .....i mean .......Billy Wagner ..........errrrr ................

[MadMax]

Originally posted by bobrek
Why doesn't Clemens count?


because when you really dislike someone you have to discount anything they do.

[Rocket Fan]

I give drayton credit for andy.. but i give the credit for roger coming to andy..

once the fans and media went insane with wanting roger.. the backlash would have been huge if he did not try to sign him..

[Rocket Fan]

by the way the move I give drayton the most credit for this offseason is nolan ryan.. because from what I heard he was the person who contacted nolan and made sure we got him. major props for getting nolan back where he belongs

[franchise?..NOT]

How about Redding and Buchholz for Beckett. Marllins get a one and a three. We add another top of the rotation guy.

[bobrek]

Originally posted by Rocket Fan
I give drayton credit for andy.. but i give the credit for roger coming to andy..

once the fans and media went insane with wanting roger.. the backlash would have been huge if he did not try to sign him..

So how much money exactly is Pettitte paying Clemens?

[Rocket Fan]

drayton is paying him 0 this year.. and I don't think he will own the team much longer so I guess landys is paying him.. just kidding...


roger was a no brainer.. part of his contract is based on attendance.. the extra people in the seats plus jerseys etc more than pays his salary..

i just don't give people a lot of credit for no brainer decisions that anyone would make

[Rocket Fan]

I like drayton.. I have very few issues with him..

the only issues I have with him are

1) saying the astrodome is fine to play in, and then wanting a new stadium or he is leaving. We all disliked Bud, but Drayton and Les threatened to leave just as well.

2) I think he is too smart a businessman to lose money. If he was losing money the team would have been sold long ago. You are entitled to make a profit, I just don't want to hear that you lost money after we built a new stadium for you.

As far as liking owners personally he is my 2nd favorite houston owner. Bob McNair, Drayton, and then Les. I like Les, but I put the other two ahead because they talk to the Houston public. I always hear McNair and Drayton on the radio, but not Les.

[bobrek]

Originally posted by Rocket Fan
drayton is paying him 0 this year.. and I don't think he will own the team much longer so I guess landys is paying him.. just kidding...


roger was a no brainer.. part of his contract is based on attendance.. the extra people in the seats plus jerseys etc more than pays his salary..

i just don't give people a lot of credit for no brainer decisions that anyone would make

Aside from the attendance bonus payout, Clemens will be paid 1.5 million this year (2004), with the remaining 3.5 million payable in 2006.

[Rocket Fan]

bobrek. I apologize then, I had the numbers wrong. I thought I read somewhere that it was up to 5 mil with attendance .. and that it was all paid later. I must have remembered that incorrectly, thanks for the correct numbers

[Smokey]

If I haven't posted this yet, I will here.

Drayton is working his way into Bob McNair, Les Alexander can't question the dedication to win category.

That's as much props I can give him...for now.

[mrpaige]

Originally posted by rockets-#1
Haha...well he needs to be more like Mr. Steinbrenner...Besides Kent and Pettite (Roger doesn't really count) he could do a little better. It will be interesting to see how what we do with Oswalt, Miller, Berkman, Dotel, etc.

Why is Steinbrenner always cited as an example of a good owner? He's traditionally been one of the worst there is. You want Drayton to take losses on the hope that he'll make them up when he sells the team, but Steinbrenner doesn't take losses. He owns the team that almost always has the highest profits in all of MLB.

Steinbrenner can spend money because his team makes far more money than any other team can make. When Drayton spends practically all that the Astros make, he's a cheapskate. When Steinbrenner walks away with tens of millions in profit every year, he's a great owner.

If Steinbrenner owned the Twins, we'd hear nothing but complaints about what a cheapskate he is.

[Rocket Fan]

mrpaige.. and the problem with steinbrener is eventually you have to stop spending money that much... I heard that in order to make a profit he has to make the world series this year. There is a certain limit you reach where if he keeps raising salaries he will lose money. According to the yankee fans I know they jacked up tickets a lot this year..

[mrpaige]

It's just silly that people point to Steinbrenner's spending and say that it proves he puts winning above profit when he's been neck deep in profits for years while other owners spend a greater percentage of their revenues and are called cheapskates who put money ahead of winning.

Would Steinbrenner lose money year after year after year owning the Twins? Probably not, but because he has access to a bigger revenue pie than anyone else, he's lauded as a good owner beause he spends some of it.

Get full revenue sharing in place and see how much the Yankees spend compared to everyone else.

[Oski2005]

The best owner in the Majors isn't Steinbrenner, it's Arte Moreno. He's been cutting prices like crazy and the team has managed to make more money under his first year than they did the year before he arrived. If only he had bought the Astros, we'd be made in the shade.

[rockets688]

Originally posted by bigtexxx
If I were a betting man I'd guess that he'd end up in Yankee pinstripes if he's a free agent.

You said it.

[Roc Paint]

If that's the case the Astros would just have to go after Kerry Wood then.

Don't mess with Texas :)