I'm pretty sure you're overrating Dave Duncan, Nick. Weaver didn't suck with the Dodgers, and he had an ERA over 5.00 with the Cardinals.
http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2006/12/as_spring_train.html Paul Wilson? Richard Hidalgo? Pedro Astacio? I wouldn't mind bringing Doggy back. Or Dawgy? And Albers looks like he's going to be a good one. And...anyone else excited for 2008? C Gimenez 1B Berkman 2B Burke 3B Ensberg SS Everett LF Lee CF Pence RF Scott With a rotation: 1. Oswalt 2. Jennings (hopefully) 3. Williams 4. Albers 5. Patton Now that looks solid.
Paul Wilson is a guy who i wouldnt mind taking a chance on....maybe a 1 yr deal with a team opt for a 2nd....2/3 mill per
I missed this earlier, but looks like the board did as well... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2706661 Bruntlett, Astros agree to one-year contract Associated Press HOUSTON -- Utility infielder Eric Bruntlett and the Houston Astros agreed Friday to a $525,000, one-year contract. up from $365,000 last season. Bruntlett hit .277 with a career-high 33 hits and eight doubles in 2006. He was Houston's top pinch-hitter, with a .412 average. Bruntlett also contributed in the field, playing six positions -- all three outfield spots and every infield position but first base. Bruntlett, 28, was optioned Aug. 2 to Triple-A Round Rock, where he hit .219 with a home run and seven RBI in 22 games. He rejoined the Astros on Aug. 28 and hit .370 in September. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
Well we can finally put the Aubrey Huff talks to rest: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6317476 <i>The Orioles, thwarted in earlier attempts to add a top slugger, are close to signing free agent Aubrey Huff to a three-year contract worth at least $18 million, FOXSports.com has learned. </i> Guess this means it's do or die for Ensberg...
Lamb deserves to be the starter at 3rd. Even during the times when Ensberg is on a hot streak, he sucks in clutch situations. Lambo delivers more often than not.
eh, our defense has gotten worse all around. Lee in LF, Taveras out of CF.. Lamb at 3rd would just add another negative factor. Plus we added a groundball pitcher in Jennings.. though I know he's only every 5th day. Still something..
(also posted w/Huff Thread): Have the (Uncle Drayton) Astros ever 'mid-summer' traded for an expiring contract and then signed the guy in the offseason?
They've attempted to, and they haven't been cheap in their attempts.. (Randy, Carlos)...so it doesn't really matter.
Ha! I had both barrels ready to blaze, bro--because I thought I read, "and they've been cheap in their attempts"... Silly me. Carry on.
randy had no intention of being here. arizona was home and that's where he was going. he was made a very generous offer to stay and pitch. he wasn't remotely interested. carlos played houston hard. he wanted NY money. his agent was baffled he couldn't get the yanks to be a counter-bidder to the Mets...so he used the Astros instead to drive up the Mets offer. in the end, the astros made an extremely generous offer to carlos. i don't believe they gave the offer the time of day. boras steered his client to NY, as he steers most of his clients' offseason moves.
You make it sound like there's some endless list of players we just throw away after acquiring... in reality, its Randy Johnson, Pedro Astacio, Carlos Beltran, and Aubrey Huff. Those are the only mid-season trades that resulted in a player in his contract year... Astacio was garbage, and the case on Randy and Beltran have already been made. I'd have liked them to re-sign Huff, but obviously the club feels like Ensberg is going to turn it around, and you can't have three 3B just sitting around all splitting time.
Didn't we trade for the Pittsburgh closer a few years back too? But he went back to be a closer, so that's understandable. The only real disappointment to me (besides Huff now) was Loretta. That guy was awesome for us (batted 0.400 I think?) and we had SS issues. Would have been nice, though I don't know if they believed he could have played SS full time.
