Looks like the 'Stros pulled the trigger. Elarton and a player to be named later for Astacio. Mike Williams straight up for Tony McKnight. ------------------ "I'm attempting to dream in a world where not many people dream any more." - "Rocket man" Brian Walker
So Daryle Ward is not gone? Think we got a good deal here. ------------------ "The girls danced, started fondling me, I got aroused, they performed oral sex," Ewing said. "I hung around a little bit and talked to them, then I left."
Two pretty good moves. Glad to see them swing a deal. I actually like McKnight as a decent prospect, but Elarton is dead weight and is about to get a raise. Astacio and Williams should both help, though neither is a great pitcher. I wonder whether Jackson's setup man role has been taken from him, due to the trade and his collapse against the Pirates. ------------------ I'm so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat in me for a month. I am so hip that I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis.
Alright! We trade a guy who won 17 games last year to get a guy who's 6-11 with a 5.49 ERA. Way to go Gerry. Elarton will turn it around next year. Tony McKnight for Mike Williams. Okay...ummmm....we already have Mike Jackson, Dotel, Cruz and Mann -all righties. I thought we needed a lefty in the pen. How about our all righty starting rotation? These moves make little sense. Don't be surprised to see Elarton regain his old form this offseason, then torment us for years. Tony McKnight may just become the next Freddy Garcia. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
I've got two question marks related to this deal. Missing from this deal is Ward, does this mean that Alou is gone and they're holding on to him, or he's going to be involved in another trade later in the day? Now for Williams, since we added another right handed closer, where is Jackson going? Jackson and Ward to the ????? ------------------ In the end there will be no judges...only witnesses to my greatness.
WOW! What a shocker! We get Astacio without having to give up Ward, but that player to be named later scares me a little. It has to be one of our top minor league talents or this deal doesn't make sense from Colorado's standpoint. As for the McKnight trade, I will take a wait-and-see approach. Williams was impressive on Friday night striking out Bagwell and Berkman with the bases loaded in the 9th to preserve the win and notch a save, but are we acquiring another arm in the bullpen. Is there more wrong with Dotel than a tender elbow? Has Villone's recent performances worried the Astros a bit? Anyway it goes, I am glad to see that Hunsicker pulled the trigger on a deal without having to give up Ward since the growing sentiment among everyone is that Alou will not be back next season. Maybe Mike Williams is on his way somewhere else! ------------------
I don't see this deal on the wires. Is it official? ------------------ "For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet
I'm extremely unhappy that the Astros traded away an excellent prospect for a decent reliever when their playoff hopes are shrinking by the day. ------------------ Clutchcity.net... source for all your Rockets, Astros, political, music, humor, and Gordita news.
Found it: Tuesday, July 31 Astros go for arms, land Astacio, Williams -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros appear to be the big players in Tuesday's trade sweepstakes. Houston acquired Pedro Astacio from the Colorado Rockies for Scott Elarton and a player to be named later, ESPN's Peter Gammons reported. The Astros then dealt for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Mike Williams in exchange for pitcher Tony McKnight. Elarton is currently on the Astros' disabled list with biceps tendinitis. The Astros entered the day 4½ games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Williams is 2-4 with 22 saves and a 3.67 ERA as Pittsburgh's closer this season. But the right-hander will team with Octavio Dotel to set up for Astros closer Billy Wagner. Williams, third on Pittsburgh's career saves list with 69, is making $1.2 million this year and is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. McKnight went 9-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 18 starts at Triple-A New Orleans this season. He was the Astros first round selection in 1995 and was 1-0 in three starts for the Astros this season. McKnight was recalled from New Orleans to start the second game of a doubleheader at Pittsburgh on Saturday and allowed two runs in seven innings to get the win. This was the second deal in two days for the Pirates, tied with Cincinnati for last in the NL Central. Pittsburgh traded starter Jason Schmidt and outfielder John Vander Wal to San Francisco on Monday for outfielder Armando Rios and pitching prospect Ryan Vogelsong. http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/0731/1233330.html ------------------ "For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet
Are you people crzy or just dont follow the Astros very closely? NOBODY thinks McKnight is "excellent" prospect. He doesn't throw hard, he doesnt have that grea of stuff, he is basically a Chris Holt John Halama 4/5th starter type. As far as the Astors minor league system McKnight is about the 10th highest rated starting pitching prospect. Him for Williams is a STEAL, since McKnight was never going to pitch in our rotation anyway. ------------------ Now this shirt is chafing me
THANK YOU!! Somebody else knows baseball! ------------------ In the end there will be no judges...only witnesses to my greatness.
Hehe...looks like this news crashed the astrosconnection.com server...And I thought THIS place was fragile! Guess they should come over here for some Astros discussion... ------------------ Mein bratwurst has a first name, it's F-R-I-T-Z Mein bratwurst has a second name, it's S-C-H-N-A-C-K-E-N-P-F-E-F-F-E-R-H-A-U-S-E-N
He already did pitch in the rotation for a bit. However, I agree with you. We have much better pitching "prospects" still. Elarton may turn it around, but who cares. That doesnt mean he would have done it as an Astro. Probably wouldnt have...looked like he was follwoing Lima's path. Beyond that, though, Elarton had excellent run support last year and won 17 games as a result of that, certainly not his high ERA. More than anything, then, this trade says we are going to try and make the playoffs this year and we better start playing like we're suppossed to to get back in this race. ------------------ [This message has been edited by JayZ750 (edited July 31, 2001).]
Maybe we turn around and deal Willaims and Ward? IMHO, I would like to keep all these BP guys, with so many of our pitchers having trouble getting through 6 innings, we need all the arms in the pen we can get. Granted it would be nice to have another lefty, but Williams is a great BP arm....plus we just stole the closer from a division rival who we have to face many more times this year. So who gets the boot from the rotation? I assume Mlicki. Poor Elarton, his stuff going to COORS, he maybe out of baseball in a year. ------------------ Now this shirt is chafing me
Something is up with the "bicep tendonitis" bunk. I think there is possible something a little more to it. At this exact point, I think it is a wash between the two. Both could turn it around, and both could keep pitching the way that they are now. I'd love to have pre-AS break Astacio. The guy can eat innings and get the Ks. He's not the second comming or anything, but I'll take a healthy Elarton (Astacio in this case) over one that seems to be a injured Elarton. ------------------ In the end there will be no judges...only witnesses to my greatness.
I thought injured players can't be traded ? Is Astacio THAT much better then Elarton ? I know Astacio is one of many Astro killers, but we may regret this in a couple of years. Scott has alot of good stuff, I think his problems were mechanical. Oh well, he won't do well in Colorado anyway. ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
Williams will probably bolt next year for a closer's role, but he'll be good for the rest of the season. Astacio is as good as Elarton. Plus he's a veteran so to speak. so I'm ok with the deal, but Elarton did have some potential. Funny thing last night, Colorado and Houston GM's were on the same show, but neither hinted at a deal. In fact, they both gave poker faces when asked the question about astacio to Stros. ------------------ humble, but hungry. [This message has been edited by PhiSlammaJamma (edited July 31, 2001).]
Elarton hasn't had good stuff since before his injury really. His velocity is in the high 80's nowadays. Scott is from Colorado I think so maybe he can turn it around. I love the trades. Astacio throws that hard slider that people beat into the ground. He's not a fly ball pitcher like Elarton. As Ty Webb expertly pointed out, McKnight is not one of our top prospects and it makes you wonder if his choice to pitch that Pittsburgh game was a "showcase" just as much as Mike Williams performance against Houston in that series peaked Hunsicker's interest in him. You can never have enough arms in your bullpen. ------------------ "I'm attempting to dream in a world where not many people dream any more." - "Rocket man" Brian Walker
Let's just agree that they both suck this year. Elarton's problems are partly mechanical, but keep in mind he now throws his fastball at 88 mph tops (mid-90's last year), which is not going to blow away big league hitters. I think Elarton's struggles are a result of Dierker overworking him these last couple of years. At any rate, Astacio absolutely MUST produce if he wants to remain an Astro next year. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
Ty_Webb: I valued McKnight a bit more highly than that. Yeah, he didn't have the stuff of Oswalt or Redding, but he was more talented than Chris Holt. I think the John Halama comparison may be apt... and I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a #3 starter someday. I don't like the idea of giving up a potential #3 starter for a reliever when the odds are against Houston even making the playoffs. We'll see. ------------------ Clutchcity.net... source for all your Rockets, Astros, political, music, humor, and Gordita news.
