Just like the title says. Heard it on 610. That sucks . . . I don't mind dumping Alou, but Castilla is worth giving a SHOT at re-upping. He was one of our very best bright spots last year, and he had a great niche with the team. Ward is playing outfield unless we get someone else. Ensberg and Truby will be competing for the starting 3b job.
If Ensberg is any sort of a player, he will have no trouble disposing of Truby. I know that the Rangers need pitching and have 2 stud 3B prospects. Redding for Blalock or Texiera? I think Ward will put up similar offensive numbers to Alou, but I think we have the slowest OF this side of Boston. Either way, it looks like it could be St. Louis' year.
I'll hold out on my outrage until I see who we pursue in the free agent market. If we go after a Damon or someone similar, I'll be OK with this. If we don't, I'll be quite upset. I just hope Alou goes to an AL team. He will absolutely destroy us if not.
You don't mind "dumping" a franchise caliber player in Alou, but are willing to keep a decent platoon role player at best in Castilla??? Oh and then Ward is stuck playing out of position because Bagwell is a fixture here(deservedly so) even though Alou has played better overall. Thank God I am a Yankees fan because the Astros are going nowhere fast!
In his defense, Alou is getting up there, is injury prone, and will command a butt-load of money. Castilla on the other hand, probably won't ask for nearly the amount that Alou will. Plus, our replacement in the OF seems to be better than our potential replacements at third.
maybe its a good thing that we are going nowhere fast,....I'd hate to be a fan of a handful of other teams such as Tamba bay, Montreal, etc.
Well, seeing how the Mets just sold Benny Agbayani to a Japanese team for $1 million, that is a safe bet.
I'm hardly shocked. Ole' Drayton at work again. Hope you guys enjoy Berkman, Oswalt, etc. because they'll be leaving as free agents eventually, too.
I don't think it is far fetched to think that Bagwell could be put in the outfield. I really have no idea about his ability out there, but it has been done before, and he does have a strong arm.
Why? I'm not the biggest fan of Drayton's by any means, but do you really believe that he'd let Alou go if he was 27 and not injury prone? I don't, not only because it would be a horrible decision baseball wise, the public would freak. Oswalt and Berkman are not going anywhere.
I don't think so Sam, ...Berkman and Oswalt, and etc. at least have upside...Drayton has at least showed he is willing to pay for those players that have a future. Alou (mostly) and Castilla don't have big-time futures...So it doesn't make sense to pay top-dollar for what they have done yesterday. As you know players are paid on what they have done in the past.
Considering Bagwell had to have offseason shoulder surgery and has never played the outfield, I think it is very far-fetched that he play there. Bagwell does not have a strong arm (at least, not any more).
Wasn't Hampton 28 when he was traded away (rather than let him leave in free agency the next season)? Coming off an incredible season too, if I'm not mistaken. Kile was 29, wasn't he? I think both showed they "had a future." It's hardly unprecedented for the Stros to let good, young players leave.
Kile was offered $1 million more by the Rockies...a million that he would lose to the state income tax...that's why he's called a traitor. Hampton had problems with Dierker. It wasn't about money with those two.
Kile was offered $1 million more by the Rockies That's called being outbid, my friend. Anyway, it should never have gotten to a bidding contest in the first place. If you lock up your young players to long-term contract before they are free agents, then you don't have to worry about bidding wars. Notice that the Braves just signed Andruw Jones to a long-term deal? Hampton had problems with Dierker. Looking back at it, who didn't? And Bagwell and Biggio obviously had their own problems with Dierker, yet Bags signed an extension. Given the choice between keeping a manager who none of the players respected (and couldn't win in the postseason) or keeping a young pitcher who just went 23-4 or whatever with a miniscule ERA, I'd have kept the pitcher. Now we have neither.
