i heard Granato say the other morning that Clemens AND Pettitte are both talking about coming back next season. i was shocked. but it goes to show you how good Roger knows he has it with this deal to play at home.
I'm fairly sure that Wells is to be a free agent this offseason. He has turned down repeated offers to sign an extension with the Jays. He has also spoken openly about returning to Texas. He is a Dallas boy. The assumption was that the Rangers would let Lee go and go hard after Wells. I think he is a much better fit for the Astros, too. EDIT: I just found that he is in fact signed through 2007, but that the Jays would probably want to trade him if they can't get him to the table after the season. I'd be more than willing to give up some prospects if they want them.
i agree, to an extent. i think garner/purpura's biggest failing has been their lack of urgency. lane wasted away the first half - scott had long-since earned his promotion; ensberg was given way too much rope; so, too, was lidge. wandy as well (they'll regret, if one or both leave, not letting hirsh spend 4 days a week sandwiched between pettitte and clemens). at the same time, they showed patience with taveras and it looks like it may pay-off, and they still have a decent nucleus that can be greatly augmented by lee and huff. i'd love to see this line-up next year: taveras, cf scott, rf berkman, 1b lee, lf huff, 3b biggio/burke, 2b everett, ss ausmus, c
Well, all it takes is one to influence the other. Pettite never has seemed like a guy to go after the money (unless he could play at home as well)... and the only place I could see him going back to is the Yankees... but then you have to realize that he chose to leave the Yankees and come back here (way before Roger did), and he also reportedly turned down a huge last-ditch attempt offer by Steinbrenner at the 11th hour. That is why there was so much "retirement" talk with Andy... I honestly don't think he'll want to go to a completely new team at this point in his career, and I don't think he was ever all that comfortable in NY to warrant going back there. Thus, if the Astros chose not to work on a new contract with him (which isn't out of the realm... they have to get Oswalt locked up, and get another bat)... he'd likely call it quits. I don't think Roger would stick around if Andy wasn't here... but if Pettite were here, its basically the same thing as this past season. Whether or not its fair to expect Drayton to offer him the same contract is up for debate.
His play on the road has been just atrocious, though, going on 2 years now. The MMP-Crawford Box-Factor does not completely explain it. They need to have a quasi-home/road platoon with Burke next year. 2B - Biggio/Burke (H/R - Burke also gives OF depth & 3rd SS) LF - Luke 1B - Berzerkman CF - Vernon Wells 3B - Huff (Lamb @ 3rd, Huff in RF against certain RHP) RF - Pence C - Molina (2 year deal, + mutual option if needed) SS - AE C/1B - House (can be optioned at will for stretches where you might need a 7th bullpen arm) C - Ausmus UTIF/OF - Bruntlett 1B/3B - Lamb OF - Lane (spell Scott against certain LHP) Oswalt Pettitte Hirsh PitcherX (veteran FA, Lidle/Armas/Meche/Padilla) Albers/Buchholz/Sampson (one of Albers/Buch/Patton would have to be part of the Wells deal) Wheeler Qualls Lidge PitcherY (for Ensberg) Nieve Miller (or other if PitcherY is LH) [/dreamcasting]
That's fine, but not at the price Roger's going to want. 22 million just isn't worth it, especially if we're talking about a 45 year old pitching the entire season. He has proven that he can't hold up once the calander turns to September. I still think he's one of the best in the game, but I'd only want him back at a much lower price tag...same goes for Pettitte. He's going to have to take half or less than half of what he's getting this season. I want them both back. I just don't want to handcuff another potential large bat to do it.
You honestly think this team is better off with adding a Carlos Lee/Soriano, but losing both Pettite and Clemens?? Maybe if Patton was ready by next year... or if one of Wandy/Zeke/Buchholz/Backe could be counted on to deliver a bunch of quality starts next year... but that is simply not the case. In the ballpark this team plays in, quality pitching is a must. Ideally, you'd like to see them be able to get both (and I do think Drayton will evaluate Clemens/Pettite's situation separately from the needs of the lineup)... but if you have to choose one or the other, you have to go with pitching every single freaking time.
He's from Shreveport, iirc, went to school in Dallas. And he & his family have said he'd like to come back to Texas eventually. The reports that Wells said he wouldn't sign an extension - made by former Baseball Prospectus writer-turned Jays front office number cruncher-turned espn hack Keith Law - were pretty much completely shot down by Wells & Ricciardi: "The conversation never happened," Wells said, curtly, following last night's game. "It's a complete fabrication." and "He's become a writer," Ricciardi said of the Harvard-educated Law. "It doesn't take long. Keith Law is officially an idiot." http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...931&call_pageid=969907739730&col=970081600908 Be interesting to see what happens with him....
A. Because Wells plays Gold Glove CF B. Because Carlos Lee just signed on with Scott Boras C. Because Carlos Lee may not be able to play the OF much longer D. Because Carlos Lee just signed on with Scott Boras
toronto has a solid team; if they did trade wells, they'd be dealing their best player. so what do you think they'd ask for in return? it wouldn't be low-level prospects but either guys who are, or who are ready to be productive ML'ers. my guess is that it'll start with luke scott, likey then go to chris burke, then jason hirsh. are you willing to gut our future just to avoid boras, who's client may very well want to play here anyway?
lololol. ric buddy, you are a child. simple as that. my broken arguments and shattered premises? i love the defensiveness you resort to when you know you just got put in your place. sucks being wrong, dont it? is that what you do on your crappy texans bbs as well? no wonder nobody posts there. it is ok for them to stay on the team if winning isnt your goal. if you want to improve the team, they need to be removed like any player who cannot hit major league pitching should. keep grasping at straws buddy.
As people start talking about Lee / Wells, two things to consider: Wells is having, by far, a career year. If you trade for him this offseason, you're likely trading for a guy who will never perform at that level again. Lee, for being a power hitting LF, has never had an OPS over 0.900. He also is essentially having a career year (though he has had one similar). Last year, his numbers were worse than Jason Lane's last year. Is that really worth the $8-$10MM that he'll likely command?
If they can't sign him & feel they *have* to deal him, his trade value goes down. This is all theoretical at this point, we'll see how it shakes out. Are you willing to gut the future in a different way - namely by overpaying Lee, which is inevitible when dealing with Boras? Are you willing to play his games, waiting until the end of the offseason? Do you remember how he handled the Beltran negotiations (another client who had at least *some* desire to play here, by all accounts), how he actively steered his client away from Houston - for less contract money, but more endorsement cash - and offered an 11th hour deal to the Yankees? I don't see any way the Stros deal with him here, and I don't see any way that Boras allows his premiere client this offseason to sign with a smaller market club. Boras makes $ off the players' endorsements too, ya know. He'll be in Chicago unfortunately, if I had to venture a guess. There's only one reason players hire Boras - to maximize their paychecks. Carlos Lee will not be able to do that with the Astros.
Wells's career numbers through age 27 are very, very comparable to Carlos Beltran's (minus the stolen bases). He's in his prime, and is 3 years younger than Lee. I don't think there's any way that Lee makes $8-10M with Boras leading the negotiations. Someone will overpay, they always do, I'm hoping it's not the Astros.
riiiiight, and i'm the one who got defensive...? you've been asked, but i'll ask again: if this team sucks because of ausmus, everett and biggio, how do you explain two pertinent facts that cannot, despite your best efforts, be so casually dismissed: 1) they've been to the playoffs two years in a row with all three playing prominent roles; 2) their offense has actually been better this year than it was last year when they went to the WS; again, w/ all three playing prominent roles. you've yet to answer, refute or really even acknowledge those queries. but sure, feel free to call me defensive while insulting me. ok... again - how do explain 2004 and 2005? very simple question. they were all 3 on the team; the team won. who's grasping at straws?
major, once again, what the hell kind of drugs are you on?? they would be "likely trading for a guy who will never perform at that level again"???? based on what?? that he's only 27 years old? or that he has been performing at this level for the past 5 seasons? some of you people need to think before you type, or just not post at all. so major...keep ausmus, biggio, and everett, don't consider trading for wells or carlos lee. great ideas. wait....are you tim purpura?
If I were the astros owner, i wouldn't bring back clemens or pettite, time for a new start, get some young guys in there and start moving forward & save some money. RIP
I thought this needed to be mentioned again. Carlos Lee is officially out of the running to be a Houston Astro. Hitch your wagon to another FA, Ric.
