I've also heard we've come to terms in a deal with Alou. Definitely would be a great bat to get back in our line-up. -Nick-
I'm wondering if signing Alou is just a pre-cursor for eventually dropping out of the Beltran race (or having been told that Carolos really wants to go to NY). Regardless... Alou's probably got one, maybe two, productive years left... after that, who knows. Also, what happens to Jason Lane? Are they serious about having him play CF (or if we do get Beltran, are we gently phasing out Bagwell... by moving Lance to 1st?) So many questions... and only 1 hour to discuss them.
I'm hoping a signing of Alou would only help our chances of getting Beltran, to show we're adding back pieces to our line-up and will remain a contender, despite losing Kent. I guess this can be looked at either way... -Nick-
I wouldn't be surprised if Alou is back in our lineup ...face it he had one of his most productive years last year and he can plain hit. With losing Kent in the heart of the Order we have to get someone to pick up that slack. This also works in favor of keeping Beltran becuase we are showing him that we are trying to keep a contending team and are not losing everyone. He wants to stay with a team that can contend and i think this will be a good step in that direction.
If we can resign Beltran. Remember that we'll probably be without Berkman for the first month or so, so without Beltran, our opening day OF would consist of Lane/Biggio/Alou? Not a huge fan of an Alou signing, mainly due to him being 38. This team needs to be getting younger, not older. But if he can recreate the numbers he posted here from 1998-2001, you'll hear no complaints from me.
On further analysis: If its Alou signing, then he's just basically replacing what we were going to expect from Kent next season (or two years). They're almost carbon copies of each other... similiar in age, production, amount of time spent with the organization (he won't need to 'adjust'), and the amount of viable years left. Actually, Alou might be a slight bonus because a.) he's a better clubhouse guy (best friends with bagwell)... b.) he's a good latino influence, if Beltran is looking for more friends to relate with, and c.) it gets Biggio out of the OF no matter what. BTW... Berkman will be ready by opening day... his rehab is going spectacularly (and I'm willing to take bets on this).
Its was on KRIV ch 26. Berkman's trainer said at the pace Berkman is on he will be 100% by the start of April.
He was also interviewed by channel 2 last wednesday, and said so himself. Rehabbing in the "off-season" can definitely be a speedier recovery, since the athletes normally aren't distracted by the ongoing season... where they're constantly keeping tabs with the team, attending a few games here and there, making appearences, etc. Right now, he's got nothing else to focus on except getting healthy before April... and its amazing how fast these athletes recover now-a-days from achilles and ACL tears... long thought to be "career-threatening", they're now as routine of a procedure as there are in sports.
Considering last year was the first year he'd reached either of those numbers since he left Houston, and he's only had 25-100 seasons in 4 out of 13...
