Chron: Commitment to Biggio has more than been met

I read this this morning.

Im on the fence about this. I don't think Bidge's ego would let him be a reserve, but it would sure be nice him being a super sub/first pinch hitter of the bench for us. He could fill in at the outfield spots, 2B, 1B and catcher. Should be able to get 300 ABs easy that way.

Anyway, I don't think we should totally cut ties with him. Hes had a good year offensively and he can still hold some value for us. Maybe just not as a full time starter.

 

Can anybody say, Nolan Ryan. The dude is on his way to the HOF. Let him play out his career marks here. Otherwise regret it later. This is one of the rare occasions were the player is more important than the championship.

 

Earl Campbell, Hakeem Olajuwon. Great players often switch teams at the end of their careers.

 

I don't know what he's going to cost us, frankly.

I'm assuming we can keep him around for about $2-4 million per season. If he hits again like he did this season, there's value in that, for sure. Obviously, if he's demanding $6 mill per year, you cut ties. But otherwise, I don't see what you'd be giving up by keeping him around.

 

The money the Astros save by buying out Biggio's option for 2005 can be spent on fortifying the bullpen.

Bullpen is not the problem. Offense is and Biggio is one of our best hitters. The starting Astro second baseman next year will likely be Biggio.

 

A great article and right on the money.

They are holding the team back.

They need to leave and let other leaders emerge....

They were both wonderful players but now it is time for a new direction.

The pitchers deserve better defense and offense than either one of them can deliver now.

Let Biggio Walk, retire bags and move on...

Pat them on the back......and say thank you, but go a different direction.

DD

 

I believe the Astros have an conrtact option on Biggio for one more year (and then his contract is up).

 

Because just like Francis had to leave for Yao to emerge, Bags and Biggio have to go for the next generation of leaders to step up.

As long as they are in the clubhouse it will be dominated by them.....

Time to see if Berkman or Beltran can lead.

DD

 

what leaders?? who else??? the astros do not have a ton of young position players ready to step up.

i'm all for a youth movement...but you're not going to have a young stud at EVERY position...not with what our farm system has to offer.

you're making a huge assumption about beltran coming back. frankly, i don't see that happening...and i don't think keeping biggio around is going to affect beltran one way or the other. he's certainly not going to keep beltran out of the lineup. berkman has been a team leader for a couple of years now.

 

I just don't see who is going to take Biggio's spot in the line up. Everrett? He is still a very solid player. If we let him go at least trade him for someone that can help the team not hurt us by saving us money. We have money to keep him and sign Beltran and keep Bagwell. The organization makes you people believe we need to save money in this place or that when we really don't. If we make better decisions we win ball games. We just let our bullpen go to crap this year. We decided to hope that Ensberg had the same type of season. And well lets just say we all knew that Brad Ausmus was going no where when they started mentioning him catching for Pettite and Clemens. We knew Bagwell's shoulder was busted. No one prepared for this and they should have.

 

Max,

Beltran may not come back...I am only pointing out potential leaders.

It could be Roy O who leads.....

My point is that until the old Silver backs leave the pack, no one else will be able to step up.

Roy O could have blasted Bagwell for the petty thing he did in calling him out in the papers.

Roy could have pointed out that Bags can't throw a baseball 40 ft and is less than adequate as a major league hitter now.

He didn't, he took the high road...good for him.

BUT, Bags and Biggio have to be put to pasture to let other leaders emerge, because one thing that B&B have proven is that they can not get it done.

DD

 

again..i think you're overstating what biggio's role on the team is at this point. he's not nearly as vocal as he was before. berkman is usually the talker of the bunch.

i don't think craig biggio at a minimum dollar contract keeps young guys from developing. i don't think he's hindered roy o, at all. i don't think he's held back lance berkman. nor do i think he's holding back carlos beltran.

 

Have you looked at the bullpen lately???

 

Miceli, Weathers, Bullinger, Gallo, Harville??? The bullpen is a major problem. The starting 2nd baseman next year will be Chris Burke

 

The bullpen is a problem, but it is also the easiest problem in MLB to fix. (provided you intend to spend some $$$ to improve it).

Offense and starting pitching, on the other hand, are the hardest things to just go out there and "improve".... you can have the perfect lineup and rotation on paper, and things may just not work out.

 

improving the bullpen, to me, i like playing the lottery. you're dealing primarily with pitchers who aren't good enough to be either starters, closers or set-up men. they rarely have years of success consecutively in middle relief.

so you go out and acquire a guy who you think will lock folks down...but turns out, this isn't his year...because for middle relievers, most years aren't their year.

 

Biggio can become the Bill Spiers of this team easily.