How much money and how many free agents do we need to win in 08?

Adam Everett bats #8 in the lineup, even if he was batting .300 the Astros would not be scoring many more runs. That is the bottom line.

Bruntlett is not much better than Everett with the bat (if at all - he doesn't play everyday, so we don't know). But he is not on the same level as AE on defense - not even close. You need to take off your homer glasses if you think he is. He is a GREAT utility player, but please stop making him out to be something he is not. AE is the BEST defensive SS in baseball, Bruntlett is a bench player who is pretty good at defense. There is a huge difference, whether folks on here want to admit that, or know enough about baseball to recognize that.

AE is going to be starting SS next year. Mark it down. Its absurd to think Bruntlett would start over him.

 

I'd rather lose 1-0 than give up 10+ runs in 3-4 straight games (like they did last week).

People also forget that the offense WILL be (and has been) better than the 05-06 versions... if only because they have Berkman, Lee, Pence... and won't have as much of Biggio/Ausmus.

 

where was all this adam everett talk in my AE thread???? hahaha.

 

Bruntlett is not only a "minor" defensive downgrade to AE. That is a joke.

 

My bad, that wasn't in response to your post xishi.

 

I wish I could edit posts so I didn't have to TRIPLE post.. so sorry about that.

But not "everyone" thinks you need to score runs to win games. Defense is important, like I said.. this isn't fantasy baseball. Defense up the middle is especially important. Getting a defensive hoover at 1B isn't the same as having a guy like that at SS. If we had a 1B who wasn't good at the plate but was amazing in the field, it would be a different story. SS is not a position that is considered essential for offense. If you get that.. great. But out of a SS defense is extremely important, particularly for a team like the Astros that rely on pitching/defense traditionally. If you are looking for a team that is trying to win 10-9 everynight, I think you should cheer for the Rangers.

Like someone said, I'd rather lose 1-0 than give up 10 runs a night.

 

im ready for a change. i wanna see bruntlett get some consistent pt at shortstop. everett can come off the bench.

 

Where have you been the last 2 months when he's been there?

You can't have it both ways... "Bruntlett is better now, but the team is bad because of the pitching....Everett is a good defensive player, but when he's in, there's no hitting."

Clearly, this team needs more pitching REGARDLESS of who's playing SS. Clearly, this team needs Lance Berkman to be Lance, and a leadoff hitter who gets on base more than Biggio does to be a fully dangerous lineup REGARDLESS of who's playing SS.

That leaves me with using defense to evaluate the SS position... and lookee there... I wonder who wins that battle.

 

i love the whole condescending, "people who know baseball agree with me" crap. that's awesome. and by awesome i mean totally sweet.

 

Actually, Adam Everett should have won the last two Gold Gloves, to answer that question.

And Adam Everett is never seen making spectacular, diving plays. Reason being that he is so good he gets to tough balls without having to dive. He has very good instincts, and great positioning.. and makes tough plays look very routine. That is why he gets so little credit. He does his job without looking like Rey Ordonez, who always looked like he was making a spectacular play because he was out of position so much. Yes, there are other SSs out there that are pretty good - but we don't have one nor are we in position to get one.

And I agree - Bruntlett has been playing for a while. Question - have we been winning ballgames???

 

A previous post said about 36M would bring the payroll to 120M. I don't think it would necessarily take this much to make us a contender, but let's suppose Uncle Drayton would go for it.

We need only make one offensive upgrade and that is at catcher. Everette or Bruntlett can fight it out for SS, since either is an adequate no. 8 hitter. It is having so many sub par hitters that kills you. We have already upgraded at 3b, Berkman will bounce back, Loretta should be re-signed to start at 2b with Burke as competition. OF is above average with Lee, Pence, and Scott. With an offensive catcher, we would have a solid lineup 1-7 with Bruntlett and Everette adequate as no. 8's.
If you could get Posada for 24M over 2 years that would be perfect. So let's say 12m for a catcher, leaving 24M for pitching. I would be alright with one ace and one middle of the pack guy, but you might need to settle on 2 middle of the pack guys. A catcher and 2 rotation pitchers in the off-season would make us contenders.

 

Two things.

1.) Adam Everett-level defense is NOT as common as you make it out to be.

2.) How many teams in the National League have hitters appreciably better than Everett at every spot in the lineup? (Hint: the number is low. Approximately, based solely on last night's box scores, two.) Everyone (except the New York Yankees, evidently) would love to have Alex Rodriguez at short, but the simple fact is that relatively few baseball players have the skill required to play shortstop defense at an acceptable level. Fewer still are also good with the bat. So when you find a player with exceptional defense and, let's face it, average bottom-of-the-order production, you put him in the lineup and get your better hitters at positions where it's easier to do so (and where poor defense hurts you less).

 

You're asking the wrong question here. The proper question is in relation to your other options on the team. If you have Derek Jeter as an alternative, Everett needs to produce a lot offensively to not be replaced. If you have Eric Bruntlett as your potential replacement, the bar is really low because Bruntlett is somewhere between a mediocre and bad hitter.

Replacing AE just for the sake of it is pointless.

 

Don't think that's the case. Not sure what the payroll is today, but here's a look at what's coming off the books this offseason:

Ausmus, $4M
Bagwell, $7M
Biggio, $5.15M
Ensberg, $4.35M
Jennings, $5.5M
Lamb, $2.7M
Lane, $1.05M
Loretta, $2.5M
Miller, $1.3M
Palmeiro, $0.95M

Total money expiring: $34.5M.

A couple of guys will get raises in arb: Wiggington, Lidge, Qualls; Lee's contract bumps up a mil...so knock off a few million, let's say 3ish.

So that leaves ~$31M to spend on (in my perceived order of import) SP, SP, C, CF/RF, 2B, RP, bench. And that only brings the payroll back up to it's present $87M range, and there's no reason it wouldn't climb a ~5+ mil if the situation dictates. We'll see what happens.

 

Great. I like your math better. If we have 50m to spend that's even easier to transform us into a contender. I do believe your ratings of our needs is correct, although I would probably put C either 1st or 2nd. I think a more reliable lineup with more consistent run production will help the pitching staff, even the one we have. I do think some of the struggles early in the season came from pitchers trying to be too fine, because they knew if they gave up 2 runs they were toast. A little relaxation can go along way with pitchers. That being said, after catcher, I would spend most my free agent money on pitchers, especially if we re-sign Loretta for 2b and Lamb for the bench.

 

You don't want to spend money for the sake of spending money.

ok, lets spend some money on the bullpen and pray Lidge is 100% back and Qualls will get his head straight for an entire season.

SP,

Roy O
Backe (pray he stays healthy and with a few starts in September and an entire offseason he is 100%)
Patton (lets cross our fingers here)
Sampson
Woody/Wandy

too many what if's but don't go out and get a guy for the sake of getting a player just if there is a reasonable deal to be had.

lineup

cf-Pence
2b-Burke (he should bat 8th but we have AE)
1b-Berkman
Lf-Lee
Rf-Scott
3b-Wigginton
c-Munson
ss-AE
pitcher

lot of what ifs in that lineup and three to four guys who don't start on an elite team.

Just think if it were the Yanks Lee could DH, Berkman would be at first and Pence would get time in the outfield nobody else would even be on the roster let alone starting

This is time to rebuild our farm system so no crazy spending as we plug guys in while we can bring up younger better players over the next 3-4 years so as Berkman/Lee/Oswalt/Lidge all near the end of their contracts (assume Lidge gets one after next season) they can make another run.