Drayton needs to commit to the farm, give Ed Wade a budget, then step away and let him handle things.
that was 2007. i said 2004. yes, the 'stros have made mistakes...but your whole schtick here is to ignore anything positive and focus entirely on the negative. if you're going to criticize for bringing in free agents that didn't work out, you have to give credit for those that did.
I wasn't ever comfortable with his meddling, but it did work out, obviously. I am much more skeptical of things working out now, especially without someone like Hunsicker. Are you ok with his spending on the farm and meddling with the GM's decisons the past few years?
no, i'm not. and it's why i'm baffled at the suggestions here that we should be out there spending a bunch on free agents right now when i keep hearing over and over again they'd rather see money spent on the farm system and young guys given a shot at key roles.
so getting to the NLCS in 04 and winning the first pennant in franchise history in 05 were ultimately bad things, huh? keep digging that hole!
No, trading for Jason Jennings, Trading for Tejada, signing Carlos Lee tied them up, and will continue to. You look at the past, because they have no future, not without Starting Pitching, no playoffs in 4 years, that's not gonna change anytime soon
I agree that the people who criticize Drayton are criticizing the wrong things. Drayton obviously spends money. I just wish he would just let Wade make all the decisions. I think Wade wanted Acta, and Drayton passed him up because of 1 extra year on the contract. That's the kind of stuff I don't like.
This is right on. Drayton is what I like to call penny-wise and dollar-stupid. He continues to meddle into player personnel when he has a general manager to take care of that. His meddling is what drove Hunsicker away, which IMO was huge loss for this organization. The biggest blunder that McLane has made to date IMO is to cheap out on the farm system. Its not just failure to sign draft picks, but the closing of the Venezuelan academy, waiting a couple of years to scout the Pacific Rim, drafting players that will sign for "slot money" instead of drafting based on talent. IMO the turning point for the Astros was when they decided to sign Carlos Lee to an albatross contract (losing their 1st round pick) and signing Woody Williams to a bad contract (losing their 2nd round pick). They didn't sign their 3rd, 4th, 8th or 13th round picks that year and spent under a million dollars on the entire draft. Losing that many possible players severely cripples a farm system. Ed Wade mentioned it when he was hired that one bad draft will set your farm system back three years. Although its hindsight, the players that were chosen with the picks above were Derek Dietrich (All-American SS @ GTech), Brett Eibner (OF and SP for Arkansas, considered a top 100 player), Chad Bettis (RP for Texas Tech, considered a first or second round pick) and Chad Jones (OF and RP for LSU, considered an all around player). There is no doubt that McLane spends money, but the problem I have is the meddling, the cheaping out on developing the farm system and constantly complaining about losing money while owing the team. The guy is a billionaire businessman who got a sweetheart deal on a new stadium thats a cash cow, and wants to continue talking about losing money. He promised to opent he books and when the time came, he reneged saying that the commissioner would frown on such a move. Give me a break. That being said, I believe that having Bobby Heck and Ed Wade running the draft and rebuilding the farm system, the Astros will get back to contention in a few years, thats if McLane quits meddling and doesn't cheap out on the lifeblood of the organization --- player development.
I hope so. I actually have liked a lot of what Ed Wade has done, and I have heard only good things about Bobby Heck. I'm hoping the Acta decision is not a sign that Drayton doesn't "get it."
you're criticizing the past at well. the moves you talk about in my post above were at least 3 years back. you look at ONLY the negative in the past and willfully fail to see the positive.
None of the players that were traded to obtain Tejada would have been significant upgrades over what we have now.
Astros + Smoltz = not happening http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/...t_id=7680158&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10399504/Sources:-Braves-finding-it-tough-to-shop-Lowe Braves are trying to trade Derek Lowe. How about Derek Lowe for Carlos Lee? Lowe is guaranteed $15 million in each of the next three seasons which is a little less than Carlos Lee is due to earn the final three years of his contract. Braves really need a right hitting outfielder and Lee fits that bill. Astros need pitching and Lowe is a solid starting pitcher. Carlos Lee has said he will not waive his no trade clause but I think this trade would be good for both teams and make them better.
