Brandon Wood is a Baseball America top-10 prospect. I would be ecstatic if the trade happened, but somehow I doubt it.
in 2005 he hit .321 with 43 home runs at single A. His strikes out a lot and his avg. has hovered around .270 in AA and AAA. He's only 22 and he's from Austin.
do you guys think there is any chance the astros would sign a japanese pitcher? only name i've really heard was Koji Uehara. http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=Koji_Uehara just throwing it out there.
I don't get the question. I think the Astros would sign a pitcher that they thought is worth the value, whether he is Japanese or otherwise. I guess maybe you're asking if there are any Japanese pitchers looking to come over that are MLB-worthy that are in our price range? If that's the question, I'm definitely not the one to answer...but someone may know.
I think what he is referring to is would you be willing to post a bid for a japanese player for the rights to offer him a contract?
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/5259247.html Let the offseason begin! Good first step. Astros' biggest needs are in the outfield defensively and better pitching. A hitting threat at the catcher spot wouldn't hurt either. Torii Hunter and Rowand were my ideal centerfielders for the Astros.
Between this and Wade's comment last week that they had already discussed potential deals, it may be reasonable to assume that a Scott-for-pitching type move is in the works, pending the acquisition of a legitimate starting CF/RF. Rowand has question marks, though. Great seasons in 2007 and 2004... mediocre ones in 2005 and 2006. I guess he's a good investment at a reasonable price, because considering his defense, even the average between his 2007 and 2006 seasons is still very valuable.
Honestly, I think it has more to do with the fact that this is the rare offseason where the CF market is actually better than the corner OF market (well, corner outfielders with the mobility and arm to play RF). The sluggers, for whatever reason, seem to be primarily in center. I think they're perfectly fine with Pence in either place, but want to add a consistent power bat, and odds are more likely this offseason that it would be a CF. The only bit of insight I can provide is that I know the organization has been somewhat frustrated by Scott's inability to stay healthy. He has consistently had a ton of nagging injuries... everything from Achilles to elbow to groin injuries. They didn't ever keep him out for a prolonged stretch last season, but there were several occasions where he was out for 2-7 days. Plus, who knows if it affected him at the plate? He was a walking ice pack after games for most of the season, which for a hitter isn't that common. I always attributed it to random luck, but there definitely are folks within the organization who have concerns as to whether he has the durability to play full seasons. So if they make a serious play for Hunter or Rowand, from what I know it's a lot more of an indictment on what they think of Scott than what they think of Pence in center. (And yes, everyone here knows that I'm personally very high on Luke. I'll emphasize again that this is what I think they're thinking, not my own personal opinion on what I would do if it were my call.)
did anyone hear charlie palilo yesterday report that purpura requested an interview for the St Louis GM position
I'm torn on this, Cat. I think Luke is super streaky. But I can't argue with OPS at the end of the season. And he's far cheaper. But adding a Torii Hunter would make this club far better defensively up the middle. And I inherently TRUST Torri's bat more than Luke's.
Eh, there's a difference in the company line (what sounds good to say) and the actual approach. Pitching is definitely the top priority, but the problem is that pitching isn't really available this offseason, so they're having to deal with the market as it is. Defense is an issue, but I know their concerns last season about infield defense far outweighed the outfield. Signing a Hunter or Rowand would help them defensively, no question. But at the money they're costing, they better bring a consistent low-to-mid .800s OPS while remaining durable for 162 games. I think that's a concern they have about Scott.
