Wow, Surgery for a groin pull. The problem with surgery is that sometimes it heals improperly and it causes more harm then good. See Toni Bosseli. DD
He's gonna have to move to the bullpen if and when he recovers. His body just can't take the starter's role. I really hate that, the guy seems to be a trooper.
I don't think we have enough in the farm system right now to make any major trades. For some reason, in this case, I'd suggest we just sit tight and go with what we got. We can't raid our minor league system every year. We have to let them develop, especially the pitchers. Unfortunately, unless we can trade an outfielder (Biggio) then I think we should sit tight. I doubt we could get good value for Biggio though.
biggio??? no trade clause, not going anywhere ESPN Insider is reporting the astros are now interesting in Sidney Ponson. Looks like Gerry knows Oswalt isn't coming back.
Uhh... has everybody seemed to forgotten 2002??? He was healthy the entire year, and pitched amazingly (except for the end, when the 'stros were out of contention, and he started to press a bit). Everybody seems to think he's always been injured, but he suffered the groin pull TWO years ago, and then it re-occured this year... WHEN HE WAS RUNNING THE BASES!!! (not when he was pitching). Hampton had this injury before he went on to become dominant, and Roy will recover as well. If anything, he will NOT be moving to the bullpen... if you used that logic, then every single starter coming back from Tommy John surgery would be screwed.... but they all (mostly, not Smoltz) end up back as their dominant selfs in the rotation.
Hampton is bigger than Roy. I don't think he has the body to be a consistent dominant power picture. Besides Pedro, there are not to many power pictures of slight build.
This could be a "blessing" in disguise (any form of injury is never really good) in terms of timing. We still lead the NL Central and we have 2 days to the end of trade Deadline. I would love us to acquire to pitchers - one to replace Oswalt and allow him time to recover and the other to replace the inconsistent Tim Redding. In order of preference Sidney Ponson Jeff Weaver (with NY eating a good chunk of his salary) Jarvis (San Diego) Jeff Suppan Benson GerryH you can it. Every other team has been giving away relatively nothing to land spectacular trades so we can do it too. First land Ponson and then add any of the next 4 on my wish list. That said - our bats needs to wake and become consistent. This is driving me crazy. We have had a good chance of winning or at least tieing all of the games we lost recently but our bats went to sleep AGAIN. Too bad we don't play "small ball".
I love power pictures. According to the official site, Hampton is 5-10, 180. Roy is 6-0, 175. Not really much of a difference. Lidge has what can be considered an ideal "power" frame (IMO), and the stuff to match, but he sure can't stay healthy in that role. If we were to move Roy to the bullpen, no way he's anything other than a closer (Smoltz). For that matter, he has a closer mentality, and no doubt would be dominant, but Wagner already is dominant...as are Dotel and Lidge. Nick- Some even come back better...like Matt Morris.
Uh...a shoulder and a groin are two completely different things. Groin injuries do not end careers. They surgery will completly heal the injury. Yes, he'll be done for the season. Yes, there is always some sort of risk with any surgery. However, either he has the surgery to correct the problem or he continues to go on the DL every other month. Dakota, have you ever had a strained groin? Not only does it not just go away, it get worse and eventually causes you to injure other muscles. In my case, it caused me to strain my abdominal muscles because of the way I was running and putting pressure on other muscles. I was also in physical therapy for 4 months and then I still couldn't play (soccer, that is) for another 2 months. If I had the option for surgery to correct the problem and be back on the field in 3 months, I would have done it.
It's too early to move Oswalt to the bullpen next year just because of his groin injuries and small size. The stros should give him another year or two as a starter and see if he can handle it before making him a closer or stopper. Ideally the Astros should go after Ponson because he is the best starter out there but isn't he just a one year rental? I believe Suppan is signed for another year so that would be my ideal guy.
Ponson is a free agent at the year's end. Suppan has a team option for 4.5 million, or a buyout for 500K. Suppan just hasn't done it consistently enough in his career, or has that potential you drool over (Weaver), to warrant the 4.5 mill, IMO, so you could probably consider him a rental as well.
wtf? oswalt to the bullpen? why is there even a discussion about this. when he's healthy he is absolutely at the elite of starting pitchers in all of baseball. as nick has already said, he hurt himself on the BASEPATHS not from pitching. when this thing gets healed completely he should be back to form. i guess everytime pedro gets hurt, which is more than roy btw, they think real hard about sticking him in the pen too.
that's not the point. if you look at his career numbers, his flat-out nasty stuff and his poise you can project that this kid is going to have a very nice career. you don't just stick that in the bullpen.
This is bad news for us...If he doesn't get the right treatment and rest, this will occur all season long...As it already has... I now he must be frustrated, but damn, lay off a couple of weeks and don't do sh*t...
I agree. The most important factor is he does not have arm problems which limit his innings. He has the stuff and more importantly, the mental makeup, of a dominating starting pitcher.
