No, you should use common sense and say that a) Beltran never planned on signing with us or b) as a mid-market team, we can't afford to overpay for someone regardless of what he did in the post-season last year. Go root for the Rangers. Actually, I'm guessing that there are far more people on my side of the fence than your's. Reality is, we're the 5th winningest team in the last 10 years. The reason we haven't won a World Series is because of the players' production in the post-season. We've had one season where we weren't contending for a post-season spot. There are fans of probably 20+ teams who'd gladly trade places with us. I'm not an ingrate like you or your twin, so I care to appreciate the joy I've received from the McLane led Astros over the last 10+ years. Ingrate.
You wouldn't be insulting people left and right if you really thought your position was accurate and defendable. You lose.
Beltran and Boras screwed us over this off season. It wasn't Drayton. I do wish we still had Kent etc, I am sure everyone does. It seemed he let him go to allow more money for Beltran, who apparently never intended to come here again as an Astro. I applaud the effort to get him by Drayton, he definetly went after him stronger than I thought he would any player.
and certainly not having the 5th best record over the last 10 years (or however long) with not a single damn NL pennant to show for it.
LMAO. Go root for the inferior organization for all I care. The last winning record the Mets had was in 2001 when they went a whopping a 82-80. The other 3 years they went 75-86, 66-95 and 71-91. During that same stretch the Astros have never had a losing record. Furthermore, this is the same organization that traded a future ace in Scott Kazmir for a freaking 4th starter in Victor Zambrano last July because they thought they were in the race, and proceeded to fall 20 games out afterward. They also have proceeded to play with monopoly money(reportedly way in debt) this offseason and give Pedro Martinez a contract way too long and Carlos Beltran too much money, thus hindering their future finances. Don't forget the overpaying of Kris Benson, and the 20 million or more they have tied up in Piazza, Floyd, and Cameron(who is much less valuable as a RF than in CF). You people who think this is anyway Houston or the Astros fault need to get a reality check and look at the evidence until you figure out what really happened, which is the Astros were the leverage all along. I guess the fact the Mets, not the Astros got a counter offer from Boras on Friday means nothing to you, and the NY media got away with not reporting it until at or after Saturday's deadline. I guess it means nothing to you that the Astros were stonewalled all day Saturday until late in the evening where Boras created new demands out of the blue just for ****s and giggles. I guess it doesn't mean anything to you that it's highly suspicious in hindsight that the NY media was never leaked the actual offers from their teams, but the Astros were all the time. Lastly, if Carlos Beltran wanted to be in Houston and the 7 million from 105 to 112 was so important, then he doesn't let Boras stonewall the Astros all day Saturday. He gets on the phone personally and works this out. This crap about Drayton lowballing him is full of crap, as one good rule of business is you never immediately cave in to demands. That is why it's called negotiation and the Astros upped their offer every time they needed to, the way they needed to. If the 112 mark was such an issue, Drayton would have offered it, but instead Boras was too busy for weeks to get Beltran in touch with Drayton personally or even bother to negotiate, all while not leaking the mets bid, unlike Houston. I'm used to unfounded Drayton McLane bashing by now, but this takes the cake. Scott Boras and Carlos Beltran are the problem here, not Drayton. Those who think otherwise need a reality check, and fast. And don't give me this crap that Drayton McLane isn't committed to winning: He has brought in more significant FA's and trades than seen anytime in Astros history. He also was the one who OK'ed adding Carlos Beltran midseason last year. But obviously, he doesn't want to win because he got played by an evil agent and his devious client, he let a 37 year old 2B who can hit with anyone but cannot field worth a lick go because he would be making almost 9 mil a year, and he declined arbitration on a good young pitcher, but a pitcher who had a history of arm trouble and has not done anything but rest his latest and most serious injury. Now you might not agree with letting Kent and Miller go, but it's pretty simple to understand there is justification for doing so(in Kent's case you had Burke ready, in Miller's you have the fact the organization didn't think he would last the season). Finally, some of these people who are criticizing Drayton now are the same ones who criticized trading Wagner last offseason, and guess what without that trade and the dealing of Dotel to Oakland, they don't have the lights out closer in Brad Lidge that they do now, at 1/10 the cost of wagner. Nevermind that I said then that the risk of handing the ball to either Dotel or Lidge was worth trading a 9 million dollar closer last year, and was proven right.
I'm thinking the sense was (b)...except, we CAN afford to overpay for someone..to a point. And we thought we had an outside shot at getting him for that amount. By all accounts, we did have SOME shot financially..it theoretically could have happened if all the pieces had fallen correctly.
I honestly never liked Drayton that much from the get go. But this time, we just have to choose between the lesser of two evils and it's Boras/Beltran this time. McLane's money is always the bottom line. Can't blame him since he's a businessman first and a baseball owner second. But the players that have come and gone, I felt like it wasn't a team...more of a continuous patchwork to help give fans 'a quick fix' so it looks as though Drayton puts together a winning team every year. But from where I sit, I say it's more luck than anything else. Pettite signing--did he not give the Astros a hometown discount? McLane got lucky here because Pettite was 'generous' enough to take a smaller contract because he wanted to be closer to his family. So now what? Pettite is recovering from his injuries and is still a question mark on whether he can produce or just go back on the DL again. Clemens signing--If Pettite never signed, Clemens would be finished with 6 Cy Youngs and would be on Year Two of retirement. Again, McLane got lucky. What other team could have gotten a Cy Young Winner for so cheap? So now what? Clemens may or may not come back to the Astros after Beltran took more money from elsewhere. Clemens don't have anything to prove. It's just whether or not he has that Michael Jordan competitiveness/stubborness to keep on playing. Kent signing (2 years ago)--Kent was an MVP 2 years removed and it was a buyer's market for FA. Kent's 2/18 mil was, I think, a bargain even for Kent. I dont' remember why or how, but maybe at that time no one needed an aging 2nd baseman who battled with Bud Selig's and MLB's god (Bonds). But again, McLane got lucky. So now what? We lose one of our big bats because we tried to amp up our financial ammo to, later on, misfire at Beltran thus leaving this team without a lot of pieces. Emergence (sp?) of Lance, Roy, Backe, Lidge--Lance and Roy have always been arbitration players. Now I don't know a lot about player contracts, but couldn't McLane lock up Lance and Roy to long contracts last year or even the year before? Why wait until they are close to FA to deal with them? If this can't be done under negotiating rules than forget what I've said. But if it can...makes you wonder. Now we have Backe and Lidge...two guys that prove their worth last year and in the postseason. What will become of them? I don't get mad about losing Alou, the Hampton trade, not resigning Randy Johnson (we had no chance right?) because I always gave Drayton the benefit of the doubt. We dont' have teh same market as the Yanks or the Red Sox, etc. So spending lavishly is not an option. But can't you see what I see? Drayton has always been about the 'quick fix' when it comes to our fans. Outside of Biggio and Bagwell, who else has been signed to a longterm deal (4+ years) with us? And I think if it weren't for what Bidge and Bags meant to this organization, Drayton would have ran them out too. Am I blaming Drayton for the Beltran fiasco? Partially but Boras/Beltran left a more bitter taste in my mouth. Okay they screwed us over but how is Drayton going to respond to it? Just sit there and expect luck or generosity (i.e. like clemens) to keep dropping into his lap? Or is he going to stop treating baseball like a Hertz and keep renting players in hope that patchwork will get him a World Series win? I applaud his and Hunsicker's efforts to get players here that could push us over the top like Johnson, Alou, Kent, Beltran, etc. But what happens when the team fails to win the pennant? Will they continuously be shown the exit door or is Drayton finally going to commit? As for Berkman, I am torn. I hope that he returns in top form and will resign with us. But I also hope that he returns in top form and screws Drayton over by going to another team. Why? Because I'm that much of a traitor or anti-astros? No it's because maybe only then, will Drayton learn that he can't always depend on generosity and luck.
How about the year before 2001...I think they called it the Subway Series if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure the Met fans are just sickened by this huh? he took his 100 + rbis with him i think
Do you even think before you write at this point? The man added a freaking superstar(Beltran) in june last year to try and win a WS even though the team was sucking. And in 1998, he did the same damn thing with Randy Johnson. Of course, I forgot it's his fault the Astros faced Kevin Brown in 1998, and couldn't score runs, and in 2004 it's his fault Andy Pettitte and Wade Miller both were lost for the season to injury. And it's not like anything special was traded pitching wise at the deadline. But fine, proceed with your idiotic rambling about how much Drayton McLane wants to win, I'm sick of arguing with people who refuse to listen or read. I'll just leave you with these names: Doug Drabek Greg Swindell Moises Alou Carl Everett Richard Hidalgo(extension) Jeff Bagwell(extension) Craig Biggio(extension) Billy Wagner(extension) Carlos Beltran Jeff Kent Randy Johnson Pedro Astacio Andy Pettitte Roger Clemens(the toronto deal that fell apart and now)
DV - obviously its YOU that doesnt think before you post. We have a good team for the most part year in and year out...but good doesnt cut it unless you arent trying to win a world series.
I understand we kept kent, but, fact is, we kept Biggio, who can hit, but cant field, and is prolly making close to that, if not more I wish Gerry were still here
Intestesting. For the sake of clarification, are you against trading for Soriano? Younger but still almost 30, same pay, not as good a hitter, terrible fielder.
I said the guy can hit. But his defense cost the Astros many a game as well, and at 8.5 million dollars(what LA offered him) I can understand letting him walk, especially when you have Chris Burke in the organization already. Of course they need to fill his bat somehow, but they have a month/and a half to do that. I'm just saying you people jumping down his throat about letting Kent walk need to realize it's understandable why, just like Wagner last year. Letting Jeff Kent go does not mean he isn't committed to winning by any stretch.
You are right, is doesnt mean he isnt committed to winning, it means he is committed to trimming payroll.
