Chacon's kind of a tough pitcher to figure out. His numbers have been all over the place from year to year. That 3.44 ERA is pretty deceiving as well. A 1.33 WHIP usually converts to a bit higher ERA. His hit rate was so low that season that there has to be a lot of randomness & luck built into that number. That said, a 1.33 WHIP & 4.50 ERA would be a significant upgrade to what the Astros will currently send out 60-70% of the time this year. Predictably, his two best seasons (2003 & 2005) were the two years that he managed to keep his walk rate below 4 per 9 IP. Even last year, when his hit rate was managable, his HR rate was superb, and his K rate was the best since his rookie season, he still allowed a ton of baserunners (1.49 WHIP) - that sub-4 ERA is an illusion. His control has to be better for him to contribute. All that said, it's a solid signing by the club, which is more an indictment of the current roster and free agent crop than an endorsement of Chacon.
i think we could do a lot worse than shawn chacon 3 weeks b4 p's and c's....i think he is certainly worth a shot...and i dont know if id even consider a guy like him "a big gamble"....i think he falls more in the "potential contributor" category...id love to see us wrap up him or Colon going into spring training
I'm still confused by this thread - some are talking like we've already signed him while others are talking like its an internet rumor. Is there any verification of this that I've missed?
Since I like people to think I'm in the know...I know who the source is and I think it's very reliable.
I'm laughing so hard about people complaining about his ERA around 3.5 I'm not saying he's gonna work out but find me somebody affordable below 4.0!! The average it seems is around 4 and if this guy is below that hell give him a shot.
