Astros Major Press Conference at 4:30 (UPDATE: Astros trade 3 for Jason Jennings)

Whatever you say. He only started those games because we were desperate for offense and he was hot at that time. We were, (and will be) weaker on defense with him in center. I have personally seen several balls drop in for hits because he wasn't fast enough to get to them and also seen Willy get to most of those balls. Burke is also terrible at cutting off gappers that Willy T makes look easy.

 

This was a good trade.

The Astros needed a legit #2 starter and got one in Bobby Jennings.

Pitching in the majors is at an all-time premium and you have to give up something to get something in return. I will miss Willy T. due to his speed and he was fun to watch in the outfield. I think Hirsch has a lot of promise and Bucholtz never panned out IMO.

The fact remains that Hirsch and Bucholtz never proved anything yet in the majors and Jennings has proven that he can win in a band box in the thin air and has a great sinkerball that could help induce some double plays.

I hope the Astros make a couple more moves to shore up the bullpen (left hander) and mabe look to sign another starter in case Nieve, Albers or Sampson don't pan out.

 

after sitting on it for a while i'm ok with the trade. i still feel like we should have gotten more, but most of us are probably way off on the market for the 3 we gave up.

i've been saying for a while that we couldn't go into the season starting: biggio, taveras, everett, and ausmus. now we've taken care of one of the four, and hopefully biggio proves me wrong and brings it. we can carry everett and ausmus won't start nearly as many games. willy had a fantastic arm but he wasn't elite defensively, like everett, to justify his bat being so poor.

i don't like given up two pitching prospects that have decent potential but if albers truely has moved ahead of them then it's not so bad. i also like the idea of giving sampson a shot at the rotation. he was great in limited action last season.

i'm not satisfied if we don't make any more moves but for next year atleast we're better then we were two days ago.

forget everything i said if jennings walks next summer. i think he can be good here so it's in our best interest to wrap him up now.

 

I already said Willy T was a good defensive player, and we'll be worse defensively in CF... but c'mon... the guy wasn't Andruw Jones or Jim Edmonds out there.

At the same time, Chris Burke won't be Craig Biggio or Lance Berkman out there either... he'll be adequate in the field, and an upgrade at the plate.

 

I dunno...Willy had a cannon of an arm. How many did he throw out?

 

Had to make this trade.

Really the big issue is how much it is going to cost us without Pettitte and the Clemens factor.

If we are going back to the world series our core was Oswalt, Berkman, Lee, Pettite, Clemens, Wheeler/Lidge

The real thing we have to overcome is losing Clemens. If Roger doesn't play then we lose alot on the field and in the clubhouse when we are going to need it after the all star break.

I think we definately need one more pitcher after this trade, especially if we lose both Pettitte/Clemens.

Can't imagine starting the season with so little depth in the rotation.

Also our season hinges probably on Luke Scott, Mike Lamb, Chris Burke, Jason Lane, Morgan Ensberg coming through big time.

At least 3 of those players has to produce for 162 games.

 

I guess the season is over then...

 

me too. thought about it a while and talked to a close friend of mine who is a big Rockies fan. he says Jennings is the real deal and that he just had a breakout year last year.

need to lock him up, though. sooner rather than later. because if his numbers explode this season he'll be looking for a gigantic payday.

 

If 2-3 of those guys produce (offensively) really well it will keep us in contention.

If I was Uncle Drayton I would throw some serious money at Roger for say a June 1 signing.

I think I would go ahead and work this out asap.

I think Clemens will pitch, the question is does he follow Andy to NY?

That would take care of the rotation.

 

that's great! you need to meet up with me, Buck and RM95 for a night of Astros watching...either at the ballpark or at BW3.

 

I was shocked to see we made this deal when I checked ESPN last night. After giving it some time though it could potentialy be very good, so long as we're able to re-sign Jennings. He's a young guy and pairing him with Oswalt for the next five years would be great to have at the top of the rotation. It was obviously a deal we had to make after losing out on Andy. It just seems like a lot though. Willy could be great if he learns to hit the ball out of the infield, Taylor could end up being a solid 3 or 4 starter down the line, and Hirsch was our best pitching prospect. In the end though you have to give up talent to get talent.

Hopefully we can sign another pitcher because I'm really not ready to rely on Wandy as a our foutrth starter. He wasn't that bad his rookie year, so I think there's some hope, but he absolutely scared the crap out of me everytime he was on the mound last season.

I'm really excited about the lineup though. Let's see what Burke can do when given regular time. If Mo is able to bounce back from the disaster that las year and Scott is consistent, we'll have a pretty potent lineup.

 

I think clemens stays in Houston, but he shouldnt get more than 10 mil for half a year.

 

I agree!

 

Astros starting lineup wil be:

Biggio 2b
Burke CF
Berkman LF
Lee 1B
Ensberg 3B
Scott RF
Everett SS
Ausmus C
P

IMO

 

hell, he was ROY in what? 2002?

he's a great pick-up - he's young and local, so extending him will probably be somewhat easier - i heard on the radio last night he was THRILLED about coming home. plus, i think he's only on the books this year for $5.5M, so they still have some $$ left to go sign huff, maybe... then maybe deal ensberg for some pitching depth...?

oswalt, jennings, williams - certainly better than oswalt, pettitte and wandy, which is what i believe we started the season with last year.

 

wait, he's from dallas. this ain't home for him!

good point. i'd love to add clemens to the mix, again.

 

Yeah his bio says he is from dallas, I thought they said he was from Texas what gives?

 

I like this trade as well. Minute Maid needs pitchers that invite ground balls. Both Hirsh and Buckholz had decent stuff but were both apt to give up long fly balls. They would never be top of the rotation guys. Jennings will most likely be a very good pitcher, especially for this park.

Since the Astros are bound and determined to keep Biggio until he breaks his walker, refuse to get rid of Dal Maxville the second, and will go to war again with one of the worst offensive catchers in major league history, they cannot afford to have a centerfielder who can't get on base. I think Willie T. might improve, but I think we have a team capable of doing damage now and am not willing to wait a couple of more years. I think Drayton feels the same.

I think the plan will be to start Burke in centerfield and at second on Biggio convalescent days and by next year have Pence in center and move Burke to second permanently. Seems like a decent plan to me. People that are calling Purpura an idiot are over-rating 3 guys who really haven't shown much and whose potential is above average at best and underestimating a former rookie of the year who has demonstrated major league success in a very difficult park.

 

Great deal.

Jennings is a 2 who will eat quality innings and he has the upside of a 1 coming down out of Coors Canaveral.

As mentioned he's a groundball pitcher and with his collection of pitches should see the low 3.00's or better.

This allows Burke to play center until Hunter is ready and then on to 2nd.

Clemens comes back at midseason and we make our run at the series again.


And I'm sure he's already locked up.
We contend over the next 5 -6 years no problem.


Great,great move Timmy!

 

For the rockies, you can't really hurtmore when you're already hurting so bad. This team is more than 3 pieces from being contenders. Sadly, they really didn't get 3 pieces here, because at least 1 of them won't really be effective. Remember, Buchholtz and Hirsh are .... flyball pitchers and nothing overpowering to make them underswing and hit weak groundballs. Well, I take that back, Hirsh doesn't. Hirsh relies on changing speed and making people overswing on the slower stuff while Buchholtz throws stuff that could make Pujols stare at the ball forever. They both have a lot to deal with. I'm actually feeling sorry for them that they might have to learn through Colorado....

As for Willy, he's overrated due to his rookie year. He had a good rookie year because third basemen just weren't used to stepping WAY in to the grass. You could see that people are adjusting to it andunless willy learns to hit some line drives, the ML has just caught up to him.