http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/5296411.html Nov. 13, 2007, 6:45AM COMMENTARY This week could tell Astros' fate Wade's deals (or lack of moves) will shape the outlook for 2008 By RICHARD JUSTICE Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Go ahead and be cynical about the 2008 Astros if it makes you feel better. Some of us see the glass as half full. Regardless, we'll know more by the end of the week. For the sake of argument, let's think positively. Baseball's free-agent supermarket opens for business today, and Astros general manager Ed Wade apparently will be making offers to closer Francisco Cordero, second baseman Luis Castillo, pitcher Randy Wolf and several others. Wade won't say how much money he has to spend. He'll just say that he has enough to do the things he needs to do. Hearing this, I wanted to ask if Drayton McLane still owned the Astros. But Wade is new in town, and with us still being on speaking terms and all, I asked if he'd had the special at Irma's. Besides, they say people can change, and maybe McLane has decided he likes spending money. Or maybe he has decided he doesn't like the way Minute Maid Park looks when it's empty in October. Looking on the bright side For the sake of argument, let's say Wade signs Cordero, Castillo and Wolf. He'll be making offers to around a half-dozen more free agents, but he'd probably be thrilled to have those three. He'd then have the flexibility to package Luke Scott, Chris Burke and someone else to get a pitcher. What would you think of your 2008 Astros then? They'd have a middle of the order — Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence — as good as any. They'd have one of the five best starting pitchers at the top of the rotation in Roy Oswalt and a nice mix of youth and experience behind him. They'd have a decent closer at the back of the bullpen. Would they be a perfect team? No. Then again, the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Phillies weren't perfect teams last season. Change can come quickly There are no perfect teams in the National League. That's why there have been nine different champions the last 10 seasons and why this year's four playoff teams hadn't been to the postseason in four years or longer. The point is that things can change quickly in a sport that now has more top-to-bottom parity than any other. In the last two seasons, 15 of the majors' 30 teams have been to the playoffs. If you think that's too much uncertainty to feel good about your local hardball team, you're right. That's actually just the beginning. Michael Bourn, J.R. Towles and Troy Patton are just getting started. If they're all on the fast track to stardom, the Astros could sprint back to the playoffs. If not, well, you're probably watching too much sports on television anyway. There are no sure things. The Yankees tried putting an All-Star at every position and couldn't get out of the first round. Spending more money helps but, in the end, guarantees nothing. The Red Sox had a $143 million payroll, but they probably couldn't have won the World Series without Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester, all making close to the minimum. It's risky to count on kids, but kids add energy and enthusiasm that's invaluable. And you can't find it anywhere else. You can't buy it or fake it. That's why the Astros need Bourn, Towles, Patton and Pence. Wade's free-agent strategy is smart and simple. He'll aggressively pursue more than one player at each area of need and sign the one who's ready to make a deal. "Multiple offers, multiple positions," he said. "We're going to send a message that we're prepared to move forward and do deals sooner rather than later." His list apparently includes Tadahito Iguchi, Scott Linebrink, Kaz Matsui, Jason Jennings, Jon Lieber and others. I asked Wade if he was nervous. At the moment, his club has questions up and down the roster. If things break right this week, the Astros could begin to feel cautiously confident about next season. Or Wade could get turned down so many times that he's forced to do something dumb. "I'm excited," he said. "It's the time of the year you can go out on different fronts and get better. Coming into this job, I really believed we had good pieces in place. I still believe that." Can the Astros contend in 2008? "The reality is that it's four months before the start of a six-month season," Wade said. "All you can do is try and put the most competitive team on the field and let it play out." Listen to Richard Justice weekdays from 10 a.m.-noon on 1560 AM.
Yeah, this week, anyway. What's that sound I heard when I started reading this post? Oh, it was that slappy sound of a freshly flipped hotcake cooking on the side for a spell. I've come to the conclusion that Dick just likes the feeling of his tongue wagging. Or else he'd think about the obvious myriad of actual facts before regurgitating this drivel again and again. After all the money McLane has spent, does anyone in the conscious world, with an IQ above, say, 55, still actually believe he's "cheap"? Go back to school, Richard. Your wit is sharp and prose is fluid, but there's more to journalism than wordsmithery. Like knowing a damn thing about your subject matter before opening your mouth.
sadly, yes. the lidge deal was viewed by many as a cost-cutting move. the best part was his throwaway line about wade and him still being on speaking terms. tick tock...
Of course it was a cost-cutting move. But only the myopic among us don't see that we're cutting the cost of, say, our satellite TV so we can go with, say, digital cable *and* high-speed Internet.
There are a ton of posters here who will tell you everyday and twice on Sunday that Drayton is cheap. That line has been thrown out there for a long time now.
people are dug in; it amazes me how anyone can still believe it, as well, but then, i spend most of my day in threads about how awesome vince young is, so...
yeah 4 years would be a bit much. hopefully club options or minimum requirements like games played and such.. I think Randy Wolf is a good person to go for if he comes cheap. He was pitching pretty well early last year before the injury.
Put me in the camp that says that Uncle Drayton is not cheap. That does not mean he spends his millions on worthwhile minyans. My complaints about McLane's spending are that he misspends and that he has spent too much time telling us how much he spends. Now, I am spent on this issue.
i somewhat agree; but then, if there's a vocal group still crying "cheap," it makes sense for him to go on the offensive, especially when the local paper's lead columnist, who the owner does not speak to, is beating the "drayton is cheap" drum over and over and over and over again. all owners are going to make mistakes. but still calling drayton cheap...?
My problem with McLane isnt that he doesnt spend. Its that he trys to be the GM when he isnt supposed to be. But so far Wade has made it clear that he is building the team and McLane is not gonna build. McLane builds Fan Favorite teams. But thats not always the best team someone could put on the field.
Signing Linebrink and Iguchi would be a good start. I like the Bourne trade for his defense, speed and leadoff capabilities. I guess Everett is our SS. Better sign Lamb and Loretta to back up 1st, 2nd, 3rd and short. Take a chance on Wolf for a good price. Scott and Burke for whatever pitching we can get. What about Freddy Garcia? Or just sign Cordero, Lowell and Eckstein. Hmmm... Bourne Iguchi Pence Berkman Lee Lowell or Wiggington/Lamb Towles Eckstein or Everett/Loretta Linebrink, Qualls, Cordero sounds like a good way to close out a game.
If they are going to invest 4 years into a second baseman, they ought to get one that's a better hitter. If Castillo loses his speed as he gets older, he'd essentially be useless. Also, I'm not sure sure if Randy Wolf is deserving of anything more than a minor league contract and a spring training invite. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to have another arm to compete for a spot in the rotation.
Astros To Make Offers To Cordero, Castillo, Wolf So far, Ed Wade's list of targets for the Astros is as follows: Jeremy Affeldt Luis Castillo Francisco Cordero Tom Glavine Tadahito Iguchi Jason Jennings Troy Percival Jon Lieber Scott Linebrink Kaz Matsui Dontrelle Willis Randy Wolf According to the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice, Wade will be making offers today to Cordero, Castillo, Wolf, and more. Wade plans to toss out "multiple offers at multiple positions" until each hole is filled with some kind of warm free agent body. It seems like a strange way to build a team. Sounds like the Astros intend to sign a second baseman, closer, and starting pitcher or two. this is from mlbtraderumors.com
Good Point, Espn is ripping castillo yet ranks him higher than iguchi. Im antsy for a signing by wade. I find it strange that matsui isnt in the espn top 50 free agents yet jose valentin is.
The more I think about it, the more I prefer Iguchi to Castillo. With Bourn already on the team, I'd rather not have another slap/singles hitter, like Castillo, in the two hole. Iguchi offers a lot more pop, and won't cost us a draft pick if we sign him.
I wish the Astros would take a look at Carlos Silva. He's a pretty decent control pitcher, and has potential to be a #2 pitcher.
