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

Backe as your #2 pitcher is a joke. This team needs 2 SPs in the worst way. I'd pony up whatever it takes to get them.

And no way do we go through a rebuilding phase with Oswalt, Lee, and Berkman in their primes. If you're going to rebuild, then you trade those guys plus Lidge for whatever prospects you can get. But I'd rather see them fill the holes in the staff and work on returning to competitive baseball next season.

 

How do you really feel about it?

For this one argument Max...you and I both know quite a bit about baseball...we just disagree on this one point.

No big deal.

 

What I would do with the 40 mil?

1st Sign Eckstein for 3yr/18 mil
2nd Sign Schilling for 2yr/20 mil
3rd Sign Freddy Garcia for 1mil + 7 mil in insentives
4th Sign Eric Gagne 3yr/24mil or Jason Isringhausen 2yr/16mil or Francisco Cordero 3yr/14mil to be closer

SP
Oswalt
Schilling
Garcia
Sampson/Backe
Williams

Long Relief
Wandy
Sampson/Backe

RP
Qualls
Lidge
Closer

Lineup
Eckstein
Pence
Berkman
Lee
Scott
Wigginton
JR Tolls/Munson
Burke

 

You would never get Schilling or Garcia for those amounts. Lidge is your closer and probably will end up better than any of the other 3 at less cost. Catcher would be a much better place to upgrade offensively than short. Everette batting 8th is ok. A re-signed Loretta should start at 2b next year. By doing all this you have upgraded your offense at 2b, 3b, and catcher. Pence will start from the beginning which is also an upgrade. Spend your money on free agent starting pitching and a catcher, unless you have a chance at something really special like cabrerra or a-rod or tori hunter.

 

eckstein isn't much better than everett.
schilling is old... astros already have woody williams... another 40 yr old pitcher with a weak bullpen = trainwreck
garcia is having a bad year not to mention injuries.
i'd take lidge over gagne/izzy/cordero as closer any day.

 

I think Drayton will only do 10-15mil so your not going to get any top FA's. Once again you have to find a vet./mid range guy and hope he has a great season.

Plus the free agent class is not very strong other than the top 1-3 everything else is blah so it maybe wise to hold off and let the kids play and see what we really have...

 

to be clear, that comment wasn't directed at you. you didn't say that.

 

True...but it is worth noting that we are the two most knowledgeable baseball men I know.

 

hey, those who disagree with me really don't even know baseball, so it's all good.

 

My point was to not spend like crazy this offseason on the starting rotation.

I am throwing in the towel on 2008, so I will figure out who is gonna be in the rotation with Roy. Patton/Backe/Sampson get a year to see if they can pitch/stay healthy(Backe). So I spend money on the pen and look to improve my every day lineup and bench. Then going into 2009 I know what I got and I would have a better idea of what the farm system is looking like.

At this point I make my move on serious starting pitching.

 

it's August 8, 2007. classic.

 

While we're at it, I am giving up the 2045 season.

 

Its all about 2011.

Lance will be 36, Roy will be 35, Carlos will be 34... and the final four will be in Houston!

 

I'm the one who posted the 36 million mark to get to 120 million. If you read my post, you would understand that it was mostly to debunk a previous post that had the Astros spending 150 million. I was throwing away tons of money just because I could. I was also trying to give people a starting point when it comes to how much money there really is to spend.

As far as your numbers. Your leaving out Carlos Lee's 1 million dollar raise next season. And I think raises in arbitration is going to be more than 3 million. It's a heck of a lot closer than the 15 million I threw away... ridiculous I know... but it served it's point then. lol

But I do find it funny that I was throwing money away and your riding the line... the difference ends up being 5 million bucks. Which happens to be the exact difference in starting points. According to what I understand the player salary is 83 million. You said it was 88 million. Where did you get this number?

Shrugs... I guess all that matters is we all seem to agree the Astros are going to spend 30+ million in FA alone...

 

Got the OD payroll & individual #s here: http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/houston-astros.html

The only arb guys they have to deal with are Qualls (400K to prolly 1.5Mish); Wiggington (2.7 to 3.5ish); Lidge (6.3 to around 7M); AE (2.8 to low 3's) & guys like Bruntlett, Backe, Munson who will get minimal raises. 3.5-4M for the arb raises & Lee's salary bump seems realistic to me.

Regardless, they'll have some cash to spend & holes to fill. Should be interesting.

 

Yep, it's almost 2/3s of the game for opposing pitchers. Everett/Ausmus/Pitcher.