There was still a chance the Stros could have kept him, but the Cubs took him back yesterday & sent him to their AAA team.
Decent little article on NRI's by Jim Molony, with a couple of Astros mentioned. Under 5 NRI's to watch: Rick White, Astros. The Astros are looking for someone to take over the role held by Russ Springer last year. White could be the situational right-hander with experience to fill the bill and has impressed the staff this spring. There is an obligatory Hunter Pence blurb as well. http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/...content_id=1840053&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp Mohler has also looked good this spring.
Rich White will make the team IMO. He is a decent pitcher who is can pitch 2 innings something Springer couldn't do. If Moheler pitches like he did last game, he also could make the team as a reliever. I don't see him the rotation because the rotation seems to already filled with Nieve and Wandy at the end. If the Stros carry 12 pitchers, I think they Jennings, Lidge, Miller, Nieve, Oswalt, Qualls, Rodriguez, Sampson, Wheeler, White, and Williams will be locks. That leaves one spot for Borkowski, Albers, Estrada, McLemore, and Sauerbeck. Borkowski may have the edge because of last year but he is easily replaceable with Sampson and White. Estrada and Albers are better served in the minors where they will get consist innings, and Sauerbeck has been horrible this ST. That leaves it between McLemore and Moheler. Garner said he would like a 2nd lefty in the pen and McLemore fits the bill and he has good stuff but it always injured. Moheler was horrible last year but was coming back from Tommy John.
My guess at the 12 pitchers is : Starting Oswalt Jennings Williams Rodriguez Nieve Short Relief Lidge Wheeler Qualls Miller Long Relief Sampson Moheler White
Tonight's lineup SHOULD be our opening day lineup (if all goes to form)... Biggio Burke Berkman Lee Ensberg Scott Everett Ausmus Oswalt Again, game is on FSN... but you have to listen to the Braves announcers (talk non-stop about how optimistic they are about every single braves player).
This is my first look at the Stros this season and I like seeing Carlos Lee in the uni. He hit a nice RBI double in the 1st. Oswalt also looks pretty strong. Nice triple by Luke also. Good the see the good guys on the tube again.
This is the first time I've gotten to see Pence in action...I like this guy, but I'm still betting it's better to put him in AAA to start the season because barring injury Burke will be in CF and most likely Scott in rf; but you can bet Pence will be brought up before the season is over. I'm guessin if not sooner (should Scott or Burke falter), he'll be brought up to play cf after Biggio reaches 3,000 (and if he fades).
Here's a thought... if Pence is truly ready (which is still a huge assumption)... what could the $100 million could have bought us had we not given it to Carlos Lee? I guess it's just short-sighted thinking since Pence is the CF at the latest by next year... and they'd still need another OF if they didn't have Lee and Burke moves to 2B... but its still interesting to ponder.
Yes, I know that in spring training, pitchers work on their pitches...but damn, I'd like for Lidge not to give up a run every time he steps on that mound. I hate that guy.
Went to the Cardinals spring training complex and saw a couple games this week....wanted to go to the Astros but it was just too far. I'll tell ya...if you have never been to Roger Dean Stadium (its in Jupiter Fla and they actually share it with the Marlins)...its a great place. They've got tickets on sale for the "berm" on game day...its a grassy knoll (similar to the one on the Zepruder films) where they rope off the front section for kids under 12 only. My kid got to sit on the edge of the wall in right field directly behind the bench where the bullpen pitchers sit and they all sign autographs in between innings. He was wearing an Astros hat and his Lidge jersey so guess who was the first guy to come up to him.....Springer! Anyway...got lots of sigs and 3 or 4 balls that the players toss up to the kids...a lot of fun even if it was the Cards.
