Hey, lighten up. We're all entitled to opinions, even though we don't personally run the team. That said, I'll take 2 doctors opinions over yours: From today's chronicle.
Yeah true. But you weigh that against Purpura's statement that there's a 50/50 shot that whoever signs him will get an injured pitcher.. so realize that it's not cut-and-dry kaleidosky vs. docs However, I think most of us would be fine with RoyO, Clemens, Pettite, Backe, and ____ for a rotation. If Rocket doesn't sign, I think between his $$ and Wade's $$ saved, we have the money to sign or trade for a #3 starter with less risk than Wade. Or, if he proves his ability...re-sign him.
Carlos Hernandez recieved a "clean bill of health" two years ago, when he came off the 'partially torn rotator cuff--sliding head-first' injury in 2001. He pitched quite a lot in 2002, but everybody knew that something wasn't just right. Eventually, he had the surgery... and 3 years later, we still don't know what we're getting. I wish all the best of luck to Wade.... he's a horse, he's competitive, and he's brough a lot of success to this team. If we are somehow able to keep him, I hope he peforms lights out, cause then he'll be getting a really nice long term contract when he's done, and he won't have to be playing from year to year like he is now.
Sporting News reports Miller's name had surfaced in talks for the Red Sox Dave Roberts. http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3265720 Wish we could have gotten something for him.
Its the right move not tendering him. With Roy O's groin history and Pettitte's elbow, we have enough anatomy to worry about.
Purpura's also a rookie GM who's yet to sign a bigger free agent than Orlando Palmeiro. I'd still take a doctor's word over a lay person's. And to address someone else's comment - Wade Miller was a heck of a lot more established as a pitcher than Carlos Hernandez when he was injured. Miller's a legit #2 guy when healthy, Hernandez was and is a might-have-been and a never-was. Check out the contracts signed this offseason. Miller's much better, career-wise, and stuff-wise, than every free agent starter who's signed other than Pedro (who has his own health issues). Lieber, Clement, Pavano, Wright, all those guys got huge deals starting around 7 mil per season. And guess what - that market's mostly played out, and Oakland is probably done trading away its elite pitching for top prospects (which the Stros don't have to deal anyway). If Clemens chooses not to re-up, the rotation will be Oswalt Pettite Backe ? ? or roughly what we had last season going into the playoffs. Assuming that Pettite's 100%. The only quality pitching left are Millwood and Milton from the Phillies, and I don't think they'll hang around all summer waiting to find out of Clemens is coming back to us. In hindsight, if we weren't going to sign Miller, I really wish we'd used his salary space on a Woody Williams, who signed for 3.5 with the Padres and is from Houston.
We didn't have him last year when we made our run so losing miller is not going to be a back breaker in the deal for Beltran.
Hernandez's injury also involved a torn labrum which is much more serious and often career ending for a pitcher. Even if the rotator cuff needs surgery, for a guy like Miller, I think it's worth keeping him around. I hope that we can re-sign him anyway.
Yeah but if Clemens doesn't come back we still have three strong starters in Petite, Oswalt, and Miller with Backe as a possible 4th, assuming the playoffs were no fluke.
Miller had basically one good season, and hasn't been quite as good as we thought he'd be coming off of that season. He's an average pitcher...#3 guy at best. Astros are smart for not throwing money at him, especially when he's got shoulder problems.
I am going to have to disagree with you on this one. For the money we would have to pay him to keep him here he would not be worth it. His last two years have been mediocre at 14-13 and 7-7 but he did have the injury last year and was out for the whole year basically. The guy has tremendous talent but to pay him a lot of money and not be sure if is going to even pitch well is a big risk to take. He doesn't want to have surgery on the frayed rotator cuff so if he expects time to heal it then we have no real timetable for him. Also if he suffers the injury again or aggrivates it then he will finally be forced to have surgery and he will be out the season again. What good is that to our ballclub? I don't understand why he didn't elect to have surgery on it last year to get it out of the way.
Since he's arbitration eligible, if we tendered him a contract, it would have to be at least 20% more than what he made last year... which is $3.4 million. That's a lot of money for a pitcher who may or may not need surgery eventually, no matter what kind of market your team is in.
Have you seen the kind of money GMs have thrown out to pitchers this offseason? Players like Benson are getting over 7 million a year even with a career losing record and an ERA over 4. We still chose to tender Berkman and we haven't traded Petite and their coming off major injuries too. We could have saved money by not tendering Duckworth, Munro, and the other pitcher who we know are bad pitchers and not major league starting caliber players no matter how healthy they are. Duckworth had an ERA near 7 last season which isn't worthy of a roster spot.
I agree, this was a gamble the 'Stros wern't willing 2 take. Lets just hope we can sign Beltran and keep the Rocket or were gona find our selves in a sticky situation!
Lost in all the doom & gloom over an injured #4 starter is the fact that the 'Stros can re-sign Miller tomorrow if they want. Oh, and Miller wants to come back to Houston. Damn you, fiscal responsibility. The May 1 signing date is for non-tendered free agents, not players who were still under club control. But don't let these pesky facts get in the way of a good rant. THEY'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!
He could still always comeback. Maybe we bring him back by giving him an incentive filled contract that would protect us financially if he doesn't come back full strength. I just don't want us to end up losing a quality pitcher for nothing unless we know he is not going to come back healthy.
The one difference between Pettite and Berkman is that they both took care of their injuries and got it surgically repaired. Pettitte is under contract so that doesn't even match with the deal with Miller. Berkman is someone that doesn't really need speed or anything and is a great hitter and there is no way they would not tender him arbitration. Miller wanted to just rehab his frayed rotator cuff instead of fixing it . There is a lot more risk involved in keeping him as a pitcher.
He could end up a Card. If he ends a Card and Beltran a Cub I don't what I will do. It could get ugly.
I don't think it is a mistake to keep those players and I know where you and a couple of others are coming from about Miller, but I would still like to see him back in Houston. I would love it if it works out that he still gets signed just not for all that guaranteed money. I'm scared that the organization is ready to throw the farm away all for the chance to sign one player.
