Say Aloha to Latroy Hawkins

Every time I see "Zobrist" I think about Charlie Pulilo. (sp?)

 

Whoops - to clarify, he has started 6, and could have started the 7th. He hasn't played C or P.

 

get rid of miggy please, trade away Lee for prospects, hes so over paid its not even funny . resign valverde. get younger for gods sakes, we're not going win next year or the year after

 

If only it were that easy. Lee is essentially untradeable. He has a full no-trade clause and has said he isn't leaving. The only other option would be the Rangers and his short stay there wasn't exactly a happy one. I'd expect Tejada only to be back if he takes a large pay cut. I'd also expect Valverde to be as good as gone. They're not going to pay him $10m.

 

Why not trade him now and give him a chance with a contender while we get another prospect, and then just re-sign him in the offseason? (unless he really wants to stay and will be pissed off if we trade him to a contender)

 

Actually, I take this back. If he's really an A-level free agent, then it would cost us picks to sign him back, right? If so, then it makes sense to just hold on to him.

 

Correct. That would cost the Astros a pick or 2.

 

I've read that Lee's NTC expires after next season. Is this fact or fiction?

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061124&content_id=1745768&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou


Lee's contract will pay him $11 million in 2007, plus a $3 million signing bonus. He will receive $12 million for 2008 and $18.5 million for each of the last four years of the contract, which runs through the 2012 season. The agreement contains a full no-trade clause for the first four years and a limited no-trade clause the final two years, during which Lee and the Astros must agree on which teams he can be dealt to in the event the Astros decide to trade him.

 

From what I can find, that is fact. I think it's limited after 2010. He will be earning $18.5m in each of the last 3 years of his deal (2010, 11, & 12).

 

So a limited NTC could effectively be a NTC?

For example, Lee could pick one team he knows has no interest in him and a deal would never get done.

With a limited NTC, does Lee have to pick at least one team he would go to or could he use it just like a full NTC and pick no teams?

 

It does seem to be that way. From what I've heard in other cases where I've heard "limited no-trade clause", players have to list some number of teams (like 5 or 7 or something like that) where he would accept a trade to. In theory, if he really didn't want to be traded, he could list a bunch of teams like KC and Pittsburgh where we know they wouldn't be interested or able to afford him. But I'm not sure if that's looked down upon or if that's fairly normal procedure.

 

Thanks.

Now that you mention it, I seem to recall something about a minimum number of teams the player with the LNTC must pick.

 

This is true if only if the Astros finish outside the lowest 15 teams.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if its something like 5 teams the first year and 10 teams the next year. He won't pick crappy teams though. He'll list big market teams that might earn him some extra endorsements. Or he may want to go to a former team.

 

If you have a top 15 pick, you lose your second round pick.

 

Hawkins seems to be the perfect guy to offer arbitration too. One of three things happens:

1. He declines and we get free picks.

2. He accepts and negotiates a deal everyone's happy with.

3. He accepts and goes to arbitration and ends up with a 1-yr deal. He's not likely to get a huge payday, but could serve as the Astros interim closer, letting us save Valverde-type money.

 

I think both Hawkins and Valverde will be offered. Valverde mainly because there's no way in hell he'll accept. The 2010 draft could go a long way towards rebuilding the farm system if we end up with 3 first round picks and 2 sandwich picks.

 

I think that would be a good deal. If you can get him for $7M, that frees up $7M to go get a #3 starter.