Every deal signed this off-season is a "bad deal". This isn't the worst one... Soriano having ONE breakout year, and then getting a 8 year deal for a guy who'll be 31 on opening day is worse. The fact that the Cubs are attempting to be SOLD by the Tribune company is what started all this madness. Once again, when things don't make sense in baseball, it invariably has something to do with those north-side blundering idiots.
well done purpura.......he's finally put his stamp on the team.....lets see if he can make some good under the radar moves to bolster the pen ans rotation...
What I like about Lee is that he rarely strikes out and that he knows the division’s pitchers real well. That why I think Huff struggled at times and that I would like to see what Huff could do in a 2nd year in Houston.
Yeah, I thought the astros were offering 6 years 40 something million. Wasn't there somebody going bat-sh*t crazy that the Astros were lowballing like crazy, like only offering a third of the price of a nice car etc.
Timmy P finally gets it done. I wanted Soriano but getting Carlos Lee is a major upgrade. He might hit 40+ homers playing at MMP next season. One more bat would be nice to have. Im hoping we sign Molina but im not holding my breath.
The days of hometown discounts, and "bargain basement signings" are all but over for this team, and the rest of baseball. Maybe if Preston Wilson had had a better year, or Ensberg/Lane weren't so damn inconsistent, Drayton would still feel strongly about doing buisness that way... but that wasn't the case. This team definitely needed a PROVEN, consistent hitter besides Berkman. Lee gives them that. Huff gives them more of that if they choose to re-sign him. Pitching is currently a question mark... but it isn't a dead-end with the possibility of Pettite/Clemens, Woody Williams, Kip Wells, as well as the probable improvement of Hirsh, Albers, Sampson, or Buchholz.
Good, low strikeout hitter to protect Berkman in the lineup. Leftfield at MMP is short, and thats were he will have to stay because I don't want Berkman in the outfield EVER AGAIN. It's his time at first base. Also if he isn't traded - Burke should be the starting 2nd baseman the second Biggio hits 3000. Get Woody Williams and Andy Pettitte, Roger for half a year I guess, and the trade market is still wide open because we didn't have to trade for a bat - now we can trade for a second bat.
HA!!!! Not saying it was a good deal but that is what the marketplace has tagged him at... For about a week i've been getting bashed as to how much he's going to cost the only thing that surprised me wasnt his price tag but that the ASTROS really did it ...... Hope everything turns out well.... Go Stros
I still think at 16 mill a year you can sign a solid, good hitting catcher, a number 2 or 3 starter, bullpen help and maybe even some pop in the infield. Hopefully they'll still do that this offseason
You might get the catcher and the starter for that much. Good relievers are getting about $5 million per right now. Julio Lugo is about the only infielder with anything remotely close to "pop" and he wants about $10 million. This was a move that had to be made. I don't think it precludes them from still persuing Vernon Wells if they're willing to give up Burke at this point. Right now, where's he going to play? LF is taken. Biggio is in at 2b at least until he gets to 3000. They have protected Brooks Conrad and still have Bruntlett. Burke, Willy T, & Patton/Hirsch/Buchholz could get it done. Then sign Woody Williams and get Pettitte to return. Nieve & Hirsch take the 4th & 5th spots...at least until Clemens decides to return in June or July. Molina would be nice, too. Well done Purpura & McClane.
For Carlos Lee to be 6'2" and weigh 240 lbs and still be able to steal 19 bases last season, he has to be a better athlete than most of us here think he is.
I don't think anyone has said he wasn't a good athlete. Unfortunately, that doesn't make him a terrible defensive player. Luckily, Willy T will be next to him to cover some of that ground and Everett will be there for the balls that kick past him off the wall.
Hopefully, Andy and Roger will see this as a commitment by Drayton and decide to come back next season as well. Then, if the rumors out there are true about Woody Williams, I'll be frickin thrilled about next season.
I'd love to get Vernon Wells, if he's on the market (don't think Toronto is going to deal him, personally). I'd make the trade you suggest in a heartbeat, because he brings alot of production with both the bat and the glove. But how can you say Burke has nowhere to play? Between playing 2B on the road (where Biggio is terrible), taking over 2B when 3000 hits is reached, and sharing time at CF (where he's much more productive offensively than is Willy T) I think he'll get plenty of ABs this season. I wouldn't be surprised if he's leading off on opening day. And Brooks Conrad is the same age as Burke (27), long in the tooth for a prospect who has yet to sniff the majors. If we did trade for Wells, I think we'd end up going the free agent route next season for a 2B.
