According to the Chronicle this morning, Oswalt isn't eligible to be a free agent until after the 2007 season. They might work out a long term deal, but there is no rush to. Even if the arbitrator were to rule in favor of Oswalt, $7.8 million is worth it.
Agreed... but if they plan on working out a long term deal, it would have to be by next year at the latest. Otherwise, you risk Oswalt actually getting to a "last year before FA" year (2006), and then the enticement and lure of unrestricted free agency may be just too much for him. Thus, you probably wait to see how he does again next year (see if he can put two healthy years together... shouldn't really be a problem), and then lock him up long-term after 2005.
No question he should be signed to a long term deal. The good thing is that there is no pressure to do it this season. Give him what he wants for this year and see if he makes it through 2 straight seasons of injury free ball. If so, lock him up with a 5 year deal for $10 million per after the 2005 season.
Waiting to sign him can also lead to having to pay him a lot more money if he has another season like he had last year...I would have figured we learned our lesson when we didn't lock up Berkman a couple years back.
Definitely try to work out a long term deal. All I'm saying is that there is no pressure. Would it be in Oswalt's best interest to do it now? He could be thinking the same thing as you. Either way, he will be signed long term at some point. It just doesn't have to be this offseason. BTW, they did sign Berkman to a 3 year deal when they didn't have to.
it doesn't...except to the extent that richard justice wants to write more articles about how poorly treated berkman has been by this organization.
Berkman certainly does, he seems more loyal to Houston and only demanded 11 million instead of going Roger Clemens on us.
Well, he's pretty optimistic about staying as an astro, according to today's chronicle... and contrary to Richard Justice's beliefs. Maybe, the show of good faith by Drayton in giving him a 3 year deal when he didn't have to is paying off... also, the fact that they weren't very far apart on the arbitration #'s makes signing him long-term even more likely.
Here's a prediction...no matter what Uncle Dreighton does in regards to Oswalt, a very vocal group of ingrates will bash him.
he only demanded 11 million because he has one working leg right now and he realizes that there isn't a chance in hell that he would be awarded some ungodly sum of money if it went to arbitration....that being said, we should sign him to a 4 or 5 yr deal right now at 11 or 12 per because you will all find out how "loyal" he is if he has a monster season during his walk year and decides to test the market since the Astros didnt feel like locking him up 2 years prior.
Here's a prediction...no matter what Uncle Dreighton fails to do in regards to resigning our core players (or anyone else for that matter), a very vocal group of optimists will praise him for his efforts
optimistic - your choice..more power to you thankful - for what? bitter - we lose our 3 best hitters to contract issues and injury...maybe we should coordinate those losses with fan appreciation day next year ingrateful - you mean UNgrateful? Yeah, I'm sorry i seem like such a brat ... I mean he DID sign Duckworth and Burba
NJRocket -- just curious...how long have you been a fan of this team? growing up with this franchise, i'm immensely thankful for the way it has become competitive, year in and year out. do i want a championship...absolutely. but i think on more than one occasion, McLane has fielded a team that's capable of winning a title. i guess my "thankfulness" is relative to what this franchise was before McLane. do I wish we were the Yankees/Red Sox? sure..but i'm also realistic enough to recognize we don't have those kinds of revenues.
since i was about 9...late 70's I love the fact that we have been competitive for as many years as we have...but as a fan, I certainly have been upset with the team at times and now is one of those times. Why is this so hard to understand? You and others think I should take the "golly gee whilikers i sure hope we compete now that we look like we are on a crash course with 4th place in the division" view. It aint happenin...and this recent rant I have been on has NOTHING to do with the past 20 something years so dont turn in into that. If it was, I'd be just as thankful as any other Astros fan out there for our accomplishments and opportunities to compete. This has to do with our CURRENT state of affairs....which at the moment, isn't very promising.
I'm not trying to turn it into anything, NJ. In the Beltran thing it came out to, who is more likely to be lying...McLane or Boras?? I gotta tell ya, I'm taking Boras in that wager, and I don't think many are going the other way. We got played. I'm not sure you believe that...but from all accounts, other than Scott, that seems to be the way it went down. The national media is beginning to pick up on it as well. As for other things...Plan B, X, Y Z..whatever...this group has put together a competitive team year in and year out. I'm confident they'll do so again. You want to condmen them before the season starts...before the offseason is through. It's an incomplete record, NJ. And we've seen that they've been willing to bring in players in season to help out. Finally...I know you think this team will suck. That's fine. I still contend they have the best rotation in the division, assuming Clemens comes back. That keeps us "in it." We'll see what moves are made...and we'll see if someone like Burke or Lane surprises the hell out of us this year the way Backe did last year.
