I miss baseball tremendously... this week off between NFL games just made it painfully obvious, and I can't imagine what life will be like from February 5th till the first spring training game.
Aside from Clemens rumors and Bags recriminations, what do you foresee as Astro storylines between February 1 and Opening Day?
Supposedly SD has offered Roberts and Williams for Wells but Bosox have said 'no deal', then got themselves breakfast cereal. Why wouldn't the Good Guys involve themselves for a discounted Williams and/or Roberts and/or Dunn. After all Reds and Bosox have supposedly discussed being a third in a Wells deal. Let's get a four handed party together for some good old fashioned rotisserie/hot stove Februarying?
This is for all you "Burke at SS" guys. It looks like they are feeling more confident in letting him have a shot at spot starting there. It's interesting that his arm strength improved after playing LF. Link Around the Horn: Middle infielders 02/01/2006 10:00 AM ET By Alyson Footer / MLB.com Following is the fifth in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com examining each Major League club, position-by-position. Each Wednesday until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position. Today: Middle infielders. HOUSTON -- The middle of the Houston Astros' infield remains intact, with two familiar faces manning that area of the diamond: shortstop Adam Everett and second baseman Craig Biggio. However, Chris Burke can expect to see playing time at those positions, also. The Astros expect him to spend some time at shortstop during Spring Training, and he'll likely spell Biggio at second when the 19-year veteran needs a day off. Asking Burke to take grounders at short during workouts in Kissimmee, Fla., does not mean he's in line to bump Everett from his starting job. The Astros are simply finding ways to work Burke into the lineup, one that has no vacancies at second or left, the two spots Burke played last year when he joined the club as it went on its run to the playoffs. Burke hasn't played short since college. He made the transition to second after he was drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2001, and at the time he was considered the heir apparent to Biggio. But Biggio will likely remain with the club until he reaches 3,000 hits, which will likely happen in April or May of 2007. That means Burke, a top-of-the-order gap hitter with terrific speed, will have to find somewhere else to play in the meantime. Assuming the Astros don't deal Burke -- and they've given no indications that they're looking to trade him -- Burke will likely receive playing time at a number of positions. Shortstop could be one of them. "[Shortstop] is obviously not a position he's played at the big-league level," general manager Tim Purpura said. "But he hadn't played outfield at the big-league level, either." A big issue is arm strength. Burke was moved to second from short when it became obvious early in his professional career that his arm was better suited for shorter throws. However, the Astros feel that Burke's playing time in left field in 2005 helped build his arm strength, which could translate into more success at short. "That's something we'll take a look at this spring," Purpura said. "[Manager] Phil [Garner] and I talked a lot about it in the offseason. Here's a guy who was drafted as a shortstop. I'm sure we could give him some opportunities in Spring Training, certainly from a workout point of view." The starting job at short, however, belongs to Everett, who is among the top defenders at his position in the National League. Offensively, there is room for improvement -- he hit .248 during the regular season with an on-base percentage of .290. He batted .226 in September and had a rough postseason, going 1-for-15 in the World Series. Purpura planned to talk to Everett about a variety of topics this week at the Nolan Ryan Elite Camp at Minute Maid Park. "To me, it's getting back to some of what he did when he was in the Minor Leagues," Purpura said. "He did use the whole field a little bit more. I do think he can be a very productive Major League hitter, but the key to that is going to be being more selective and getting on base more, and using his speed. He's got great speed. When you have a Willy [Taveras] and a guy like him in the lineup, you can generate speed. Those are weapons Gar likes to use a lot." But in many ways, what Everett contributes at the plate is a bonus. He's here for his defense, and in that respect, he's living up to projections made while he was a farmhand in the Red Sox system. In those years, scouts predicted he would be the smoothest-fielding shortstop of his era. "Offensively, we talk about runs created," Purpura said. "But defensively, we don't talk about runs saved. That's where his strong suit is, saving runs defensively."
1st part wrong, 2nd part right. CB started out as a SS at Michigan in 2001. He was a full-time 2B the next season in Round Rock.
Yep, Funny how all of the sudden he "might" be able to play SS...... If he is successful, they should make Adam Everett the utility guy and late inning defensive replacement. DD
you're right...but that's in his first big league season. i'm not sure there's anyone who would tell you that Everett is Burke's equal as a hitter, overall. and you won't find anyone who'll tell you that burke is everett's equal defensively. i'd just like to see it with my own eyes.
If they're serious about attempting to give Burke a shot at SS, I would desperatly try to get something for Adam Everett NOW, while he still has a glimmer of value, and some arbitration years left. On a team that needs offense, like the Astros, his biggest asset is essentially meaningless (his stellar defense)... but on a team with a bunch of hitters, he would fill a tremendous role. Hell, a team like the Cardinals would be all over Adam Everett... esp. since they could move Eckstein to 2B... but I would be hesitant to trade within our division.
? His biggest asset is of the same value on any team - the amount of runs he prevents by playing a good defensive shortstop.
We can never quantify that... and we already are using that logic for another player in our everyday lineup (Ausmus). If Everett was our only gaping hole in this lineup, I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of a relatively young, inexpensive, gold-glove potential SS.... but that's not the case on this team. Hell, Taveras (minus the infield single) is the worst hitter on this club.... and he's batting leadoff.
