You don't start spending and putting pieces in place until you have some semblance of a core in the ML. They don't have to be in their prime by any means...but at least up there so you know with surrounding talent, they can be good in the coming years. Spending now would mean a guy on a 3 year deal would help reach mediocrity and then leave by the time guys are up who would benefit from having those vets around I don't think Bud is being moved without a really solid haul
Methinks the Astros need more _MLB ready_ starters. If Luhnow can accept another 100+ loss season, the Astros internally will not have any trouble finding starters.
I think they are MLB ready. They just aren't Roy Oswalt good. We need 2 guys to slot into the 1-2 spots so everyone else could fall into position.
Anyone familiar with Alex Gillingham have a feeling how he stacks up (i.e., where he'd rank) among our pitching prospects right now?
He's probably on the lower end of all the pitchers that the Astros have acquired in 2012. I would probably slot him alongside David Rollins and Blair Walters. Gillingham doesn't have strikeout stuff, but he limits his damage by keeping the ball down. He seems to have good command of his pitches, as he basically walked 2 batters per 9 innings this season. His 5.4% walk rate was well below the South Atlantic League average of 9.2%. I don't know if he'll be able to continue working as a starter in the Astros' system, but he could do a pretty decent job in Lancaster (which is where I imagine he starts next year) if he's able to keep that 60% groundball rate he had this past season. As I've said before, his home park in Low-A was the biggest hitters' park in the South Atlantic League, but he found some success nonetheless because of his groundball rate. Here's an excerpt on Gillingham from a comment left by a Rockies fan on the Crawfish Boxes:
Alex White is in the rotation per Luhnow via Tags Twitter the other day. Tags later said it wasn't guaranteed, and that somebody could beat him out for his spot if he doesn't perform well. Then today, his depth chart shows Alex White as 6th in the rotation.
Honestly any depth chart right now is kind of pointless. They will have quite a few of these guys battle it out in the spring for the final 2 or 3 rotation spots. It won't be until March when this sorts itself out. I for one think the trade for White has the potential to work out really well.
