Hampton and Wright got hit hard today. Hampton: 5 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 HR, 3 BB, 3 SO Wright: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 0 SO
i know it's just one (spring) game, but i tried telling anybody who would listen last season that wesley wright is awful. he had a good start to his tenure here for a couple weeks at the beginning of the season, then he began to show his true colors. as is customary with all their players though, if you have a brief good showing as an astro, that will take you a long long way, as is evidenced by him still being talked up by his manager and a certain clueless beat writer and other reporters throughout the spring.
Agreed. I've noticed that people have this bizarre obsession of acting like Wright is a very good talent. He's not. Average off-speed stuff, spotty control with a FB that tops out at 90 - that spells mediocre lefty long reliever. My theory is that casual fans can't grasp how bad this farm system is, and any time any young player shows anything at all in the majors, they immediately latch onto them as the next big thing (in whatever their role is). Hell, truth be told, Chris Johnson hasn't shown anything at all in his minor league career (or his projected talent) to make you think he will even be an average major-league 3B, but the empty cupboard has some fans convinced he's a stud in waiting.
I agree. Huge problem at 3B right now. But, wow...Hampton got rocked today, too. Hope he's on a very short leash. Same with Ortiz. Just can't blow a season by running out washed up pitchers to the mound until the All-Star break. I hope those two surprise, but I'm not too optimistic about that.
He is a lefty specialist and not long relief. I don't see him as anything better than a one inning guy with an outside chance of maybe becoming a setup man if he can learn to keep the ball in the park against right handed hitters. He's done great against lefties which is what his role with team is. I see him as being very good at his role. Granted, I'd rather have a setup man or a good long reliever as they are more versatile.
Wright was a Rule 5 draft pick. Of course, the casual fan might not know that or even if Wright was fresh up from the minors for that matter. Wright might see AAA this year, if he stinks it up. I strongly suspect that after every team makes their final spring training cuts prior to opening day, the Astros will salvage someone's career and bring him as their backup third baseman.
A short-leash has to have a replacement option. We don't have any pitchers to replace these guys with if they do suck.
Is Inky available? Maybe they will give Johnson a shot. If he stinks it up bad they can just send him down.
so glad there aren't any "should we sign Gary Sheffield?" threads..yet. If it was an NFL player, I think one would already be up for the Texans.
is Dallas McPherson a decent fielder? they are talking about him being shopped on mlbtraderumors. seems like he'd be a guy worth taking a shot with.
I think he's at least decent..never heard about him being a *bad* 3B. I'd def. take a shot at him.. I heard he might hit the wire? What's our priority on there?
I would go after McPherson. All he needs is a shot and he will produce. Geoff Blum as a starter is a joke. He is an average utility player. Keppinger is better than him. McPherson and Keppinger would be solid at 3rd.
Both in the minors and his limited time in the majors, Keppinger has walked more than he's struck out. I like that much about him.
At least there's hope. Based on his career, it seems reasonable for Keppinger to post .850 OPS-ish numbers against lefties. With Blum, maybe you get lucky and you get around .730 OPS-ish against righties (he's been around .710 the last two years)? You still wouldn't be at average 3B production, but if between the two of them they could break the .750 mark, you might not have a black hole -- and that could definitely help. I also like that he can play the Orlando Palmeiro role of contact hitter off the bench -- that's an important one, given this club's annual struggles with situational hitting.
