I hear somewhere between 16-20 games were lost in the 8th & 9th innings when the Astros had the lead. Winning half of those games would put the Stros in the wild card race most year (obviously a divisional title this year and certainly the wild card if the Cards had not folded). Above average: top 3 starters defense Average: bullpen bottom 2 starters Below average: offense The Stros in the offseason will have to address the replacing / resigning AP and RC, as well as the offense. Whether or not the Stros resign Aubrey Huff will be interesting. Whether Ensberg or Lane can bounce back or even given the chance will be interesting. Whether Luke Scott can put together a full year of succeess is also in question.
Positives: Berkman, not only probably the best hitter in Astros history, but one of the best in the game right now. Roy-O is now probably in the top 5 pitchers in the game. Cy Young in his near future. Willy T base stealing, hit streak, and defense. He is going to only get better. Roger is still Roger. Everett's defense seems to have actually gotten better. Is that possible? Luke Scott, period. Playing for something all the way until the end. Negatives: Brad Lidge's terrible season. Pettitte's inconsistency. Ensberg. Lane. Complete lack of clutch hitting. Every opposing CF making ridiculous diving plays against us. May through mid-Sept. Offseason to do's: Tell Brad Lidge to go to a non-baseball playing country and stay there until spring training. He needs to clear his head. Re-sign Huff Find a Right fielder. Carlos Lee is not the answer. Release Palmiero and trade Ensberg for some prospects. Sign a more offensive minded catcher. Sign Roger somewhere around June 15th. Sign Pettitte for cheap. If not less than $8 million, let him go. Have Mike Lamb watch that Tom Emansky defensive drill video over and over so he can play every day. I can't say this enough. Stay away from Carlos Lee. All he did with the Rangers was get fat and not produce anything but a larger waist size. He's asking for $11 million or more and he couldn't even produce in a contract year in a hitter's park? Just say no to CL. All in all, it was an interesting year. Started off like a house on fire only to revert back to the offensive (in mean that in the negative way) ways of last season. There was just no way the baseball gods were going to allow another record setting season ending kick to get in the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. It's always great to have your team playing for something at all the way to the end. It's just sucks when it's coming off a WS appearance and you don't even make the playoffs for only the 3rd time in a decade. Assuming the Cards stick to their stingy ways, I think the Astros will be back in the playoffs as the division champion.
The Carlos Lee thing scares me a little bit, too. Unfortunately I just don't know that much about him.
Don't listen to the b.s. out of Dallas. Carlos Lee, 2006: Mil: .286/.347/.549 Arl: .322/.369/.525 = a whopping -.002 difference in OPS. There *are* questions about his size & his ability to competently play LF long-term, but you can't use his performance in Arlington to downgrade him.
Daryle Ward never stole 19 bases in 21 tries. Lee's a very good athlete, and a really professional hitter. Reminds me a lot of Alou. Dude does not strike out - something like 60ish in 600 ABs this season. I'd be more concerned with playing Scott or Huff in RF than Lee in left, especially with half the games in MMP.
how about: 1B - Berkman 2B - Biggio SS - Everett 3B - Huff LF - Lee CF - Taveras RF - Scott C- ???? ausmus????
Buck Turdigson, Good idea to have a thread like this. I think Carlos Lee will join uo with the Houston AStros. I also think CArlos Lee will hit 40 homeruns in MNP. I heard Charlie Pillow on sports radio saying we will get Carlos Lee. We also need to get Carl Crawford. CArl Crawford is from Houston and would join the AStros for a discount, and I think CArl Crawford will hit 30 homeruns and steal 30 bases. BUCK TURDIGSON I KNOW ME AND YOU DONT GET ALONG, BUT I DO ENJOY DISCUSING HOUSTON SPORTS ON CLUTCHFANS
Nice. I haven't followed him very closely, so thanks for the #'s. Help me understand the fascination with Huff--I know he had solid #s in Tampa--was the half-season in Houston a fluke? Because I was tremendously disappointed with him in Houston. I want more RBI's and about .20 more points BA from a guy in his part of the lineup. I guess my ? is twofold: 1) Were he to sign with Houston, would we see 2002-2004 Aubrey Huff or late 2005 pile-of-turd Aubrey Huff? 2) How is it a foregone conclusion that he would even sign in Houston? Will the Astros be able to make an attractive enough offer (and is he worth it)?
i don't think you ever know for sure what you'll get. but huff at least has a track record. it's not a foregone conclusion...but he's commented that he's happy here. he's a texan, to being with.
If there's a way (financially) to bring back MoBerg & Huff, that's my ideal. At worst, it's a platoon, and Huff's insurance against Scott failing as the Opening Day RF. Pence also fits in here. I'd dangle Lamb to an AL team for lefty relief help. 1 middle of the rotation starter & a middle of the order RH bat are priorities 1A & 1B. If Pettitte doesn't come back, make that 2 starters. Gil Meche, Jeff Suppan, Vic Padilla & Woody Williams, in that order, look to be the best out there. Catcher & bullpen help is priority 3A & 3B. Bengie Molina sure would look nice in the Blood 'n Mud. Doubtful though. C - Ausmus, (Giminez, Q, FA) IF - Berk, Biggio, AE, MoBerg IF/OF - Burke, Huff, Bruntlett OF - (Lee, Soriano), Willy, Scott, OP Rotation: Roy, AP, PitcherX, Hirsh, Sampson/Albers/Buchholz/please god not Wandy Bully: Wheels, Lidge, Qualls, Miller (frikken *great* signing by Purp), Nieve, swingman (Albers/Sampson/Bork-ish pitcher), situational lefty. Me likey.
I think rest will do wonders for Lidge; we all saw how better he played toward the tail end of the season when he wasn't being used as much as he was in the previous years. He needs to take a long vacation and not even think baseball until Spring Training. If Carlos Lee is not the answer in the outfield, then who do you suggest is? Why on earth would the team choose to release Palmeiro when he has been the most clutch pinch hitter for this team. He may not have a lot of power but he makes contact. I think this team still needs Ensberg; what happens if Huff doesn't play to his level? If somehow we could package him, Lane and some others in a deal for a quality #3 pitcher, I wouln't be opposed though. Signing Pettite is huge. If he wants to come back this team needs to get it done. He's not gonna ask for Clemen's type of money, so I think whatever he wants, the needs to give it to him. Even if Mike Lamb could play as solid defense as any starting 3rd basemen, I still don't quite see him as an everyday starter. He's a journeyman player I think best suited for a super utility role.
Liked his approach & how he looked at the plate (except against certain lefties, which is why I'd bring MoBerg back instead of Lamb). I saw, and Garner & the TV crew commented on it several times, Huff absolutely crush a couple dozen balls that were either right at guys, had great plays made on them, or were foul. Crap like that happens, and if a few of those break the other way (there's your .20+ in BA), we're not talking about Huff as a disappointment (and we're probably talking about the playoffs). To borrow a Garnerism...he just looks hitterish.
ever been to arlington? the stadium was built for rafael palmiero, meaning it favors LH'ed hitters. carlos lee is RH. i wouldn't read too much into any perceived drop-off. besides, lee certainly wouldn't be the first ranger who's numbers suffered slightly under the intense august heat in north texas. yesterday exposed one of the team's biggest weaknesses, and thus needs - too many LH sticks in the middle of the order. the team has to find a way to throw a RH bat into the mix of lamb, berkman, scott and huff. lee would be an ideal candidate. buck, agree, btw, on lamb - he could possibly fetch you a decent arm of some kind. his value will never be higher and i think he'll struggle to duplicate his '06 numbers. he's simply not this good. so deal now while the iron is hot. palmiero remains a capable PH and i think lane remains a decent 4th OF. huff hit .250 in 224 ABs as an astro. give him FIVE seeing-eye singles and/or infield bleeders - just 5 - and he would have hit .272; there ya go. so don't sweat the average. he had to adjust to a new park that favors RH'ed hitters. but overall, as an astro, his OPS was .819. career OPS? .819. he was as advertised. he hits the ball very, Very, VERY hard. as for resigning him, consider this: he's averaged 604 ABs in the previous 3 years. on his astro-only pace, had he gotten 604 ABs this year, he would have finished: .250/35/102/.819. would you take that? as a point of comparison, ensberg finished .283/36/101/.945 last year. if aubrey huff is your third best bat, your offense will be OK. but yes, i would agree, he better not be your second best bat. hence, the need to get a carlo lee. the only problem with that that line-up: one of the worst defensive teams in baseball. which means, yes, everett and taveras are MUSTS. i'd love to see: taveras scott lee berkman huff biggio/burke everett ausmus speaking of ensberg, he's under club control, so he WILL be back, barring a decent trade offer. i'd make 3B and RF available in ST and tell scott, huff and ensberg: may the best man (or men) win.
One answer...Alfonso Soriano in LF. Move Scott to RF. Palmiero was definitely a large part of the run at the end of the season. Where was he from April to mid Sept? He was terrible for a large majority of the season. I think we can get by without him. If Huff is at 3rd, then Lamb is his insurance. I'd be very suprised if Ensberg is on the Astros next season...assuming they sign Huff. I certainly think they should keep Andy. I just don't think they need to overpay. The fact is that he's got issues with his elbow and he's now in his mid 30's. Not the greatest combination. His slow start this year was a big contribution to the team's prolonged slump. Pre-Roger, they really needed him to be another stopper and he didn't perform. He has always said that if he's striking out a lot of people, something might be wrong. He's a ground ball pitcher and this year he gave up a career high hr's. You're probably right, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be listening to Fred McGriff and learn to play better defense.
Would Soriano want to A) come to Houston and B) continue to play the outfield ...plus how much money would he command. Just seems that we'd have a better chance at Lee...though landing either one would be good.
Having a power bat that puts the ball in play is just what the doctor ordered for the Astros. I hope Lee signs with us.
