I agree if you know Hawkins is looking for a multi-year deal and you know he won't accept arbitration, why not offer it. Sure there is always risk but I think the most Hawkins would have gotton in arbitration is like 4 million for 1 year. I don't understand this move.
Absolutely - you either get him for the 1 year you wanted him for, or you get free draft picks. There's no downside, unless the team thought he'd get some crazy salary in arbitration.
I think they got cheap once again. Last year, the Astros declined Doug Brocail's option for $3 million after he had a very solid 2008 season so they could sign him for $2.5 million. Sure Brocail got injured last year but you can't ask a guy to take a paycut after having a good season. I beat you that Ed Wade offered Hawkins the same exact salary he earned last year even though he had a real good year and should at least got a small raise. I still don't undestand why the Astros are so careful spending their money yet picked up Brian Moehler's option for $3 million even though he had a 5.47 ERA last year. I can promise you that nobody in baseball would have paid more than the league minimum for him.
From JJO's twitter... Ortizonbaseball Astros' system has little depth, but SS Jiovanni Mier & SS Enrique Hernandez make Luis Bryan expendable. Bono was in Lexington's deep pool
From Tag's twitter.... brianmctaggart The player to be named later is expected to be Astros' Rule 5 pick from Thursday Sure hope he doesn't turn out to be another Johan Santana lol
As was pointed out earlier, Chris Burke made Ben Zobrist expendable too. Trading people simply because you can is a dumb idea, especially when you are dealing with prospects, who are flaky by nature. If they didn't have a better option staring them in the face (Hawkins), I can understand the deal. But this seems to have just been mismanaged all around. I would love to hear from Ed Wade on why they didn't offer Hawkins arbitration.
Wade said Lindstrom could be closer on Opening Day, but he will try to acquire another closer http://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/status/6513815513
While I agree with you on all your points, Zobrist had one good to great season so lets wait on calling him the real deal till atleast a few seasons of production. May I remind everyone of a certain 3rd baseman who tore up 2005 and then fell off the face of the earth. Saying all that I also agree with the Hawkins assesment, Stros got some explaining to do on that front.
Bryan had ZERO walks in 111 plate appearances last year. He has 11 walks in 283 career plate appearances. Yes, Bryan is only 18, but odds that his batting average declines as he progresses are SIGNIFICANTLY higher than the odds that he learns plate discipline. He is no Zobrist, whose peripherals were always good but who was ignored as a prospect because he was always a little old for how far he had progressed. Yes, Bono had a good season. Yes his ERA was better than Lyles or Seaton. No, he is not a better prospect. First, his 3.20 ERA is good, but the South Atlantic League favors pitchers. He only averaged 4.1 K/9, which decreased from his previous two seasons. Pitchers may be able to succeed on control, but a K rate that low in A level ball doesn't indicate he will become a star in the bigs. Yes, the Rule 5 draft could have netted us the next Johan Santana. However, much more likely it would have gotten us the next Gilbert De la Vara (Astros 2009 Rule 5 selection) or Lincoln Holdzkom (Astros 2007 Rule 5 selection). The most likely scenario by far is that the pick amounts to nothing. The best realistic outcome is another Wesley Wright (Astros 2008 Rule 5 selection). Yes, anything can help, but needless to say, I'm not sweating this. Is Lindstrom a world beater? No, but he is low risk and could potentially reap benefits for reasonable cost. Why do people dream about risky SP reclamation projects like Ben Sheets but immediately scoff at this deal? Any other season and this deal would have been a footnote. The team is in such bad shape that everything Ed Wade does is magnified. Am I an apologist? Not even close. In fact, I'm scared that he still wants to overpay for another reliever even after this deal instead of just going with the kids. Still, this deal is not evidence that the franchise is stupid. Oh, and on Pedro Feliz - He doesn't walk, hits for a low average, and has a little pop. Sounds built for the Astros. I really don't want another low OBP guy on this team. But he is a phenomenal defender, head and shoulders above anything we have right now. He comes out to a major league average third baseman despite his awful offensive splits because of his defense, so at least I can understand why they have interest. A left side of Feliz and Manzella would be very good defensively. And before anyone mentions Chris Johnson, he was 24 last season and struck out once every five plate appearances. That sort of strikeout rate may be forgiven if his power had developed like the organization hoped. His .784 OPS would likely sink like a stone in the majors considering how batting average dependent his OBP is. He's probably a backup at best career-wise, and he probably not as good as Keppinger right now. Maybe his power will improve next season back at AAA, or maybe he will play better than expected in the majors despite mediocre minor league stats (like Maysonet has, although he's had a pretty small sample size). I hope so, but it's not likely. I'd be thrilled if Chris Johnson ever produced as much as Russ Johnson did for the Astros. In any case, 2010 is likely his make or break year, and giving him the reins with the big league club when he isn't ready would increase significantly the odds that his career sinks.
[Fox 26] Astros sign closer Brandon Lyon http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/mlb/091209-astros-reach-deal-lyon It's a three year deal. I hope it's not for more than 4 million per year.
Astros found their closer and he is a good one.... Astros Reach Deal with Brandon Lyon HOUSTON - Major League Baseball sources told FOX 26 Sports Wednesday the Houston Astros have reached an agreement with free agent reliever Brandon Lyon on a three-year contract. The deal will be completed once Lyon passes his physical. Per club policy Astros general manager Ed Wade declined comment to FOX 26. In 2009, in his only season in Detroit, Lyon worked in 65 games, giving up just 56 hits in 78.2 innings and had a sparkling ERA of 2.86. Lyon also had three saves and 15 holds. Prior to playing in Detroit Lyon spent four seasons in Arizona. In 2008 Lyon worked in 61 games for the Diamondbacks and had 26 saves with an ERA OF 4.70. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/mlb/091209-astros-reach-deal-lyon
Good for the Astros. They lose Hawkins and Valverde and pick up Lyon and Lindstrom. How much money is left now?
Well Val and Hawkins would have cost around 14 million next year, Lindstrom will get around 1 million after arb. and Lyons was asking for about 3-4 million per year so probably leaves us at about 10 to 9 million left over.
Edit: I should add, as MLBTR pointed out, interesting that Lyon is getting a 3 year deal when they didnt want to give Hawkins a 2 year deal earlier in the day?
Well he is only 30, ERA of about 2.80, 56 hits in 78 innings and 1.11 whip...Hawk was pretty good but not that good.
From various twitters, Lyon was looking for two years, $9million from the Yankees before Houston got involved. So I think there is a pretty good chance it is in the $4 million per range.
