Astros

[shof]

Yes, I know this is a cajuns site; but I couldn't help myself (and its slow right now!). I know there are many Astro fans in south Louisiana so just wanted to see what some of you thought about this off-season's moves so far. Just saw that they now have Miguel Tejada (in trade with Balt). This line-up just keeps getting better and better 1-8. Still have Adam Everret and Chris Burke (I think) also; so looks like they could make more moves to shore up the pitching. Thoughts?
Shof

[rhineaux]

_ Yes, I know this is a cajuns site; but I couldn't help myself (and its slow right now!). I know there are many Astro fans in south Louisiana so just wanted to see what some of you thought about this off-season's moves so far. Just saw that they now have Miguel Tejada (in trade with Balt). This line-up just keeps getting better and better 1-8. Still have Adam Everret and Chris Burke (I think) also; so looks like they could make more moves to shore up the pitching. Thoughts?
Shof _

Being that they just traded away Costanza to get Tejada, then I think that you'll have Tejada, Everett, and Wigginton playing those three spots. I know that MT has been playing SS, but there was question about his ability to have move well enough to still play there. I also don't know if Wiggington can play SS, but if he can't, and MT can't play there anymore, and/or is better at 3B, then you still have the problem of having to keep Everett's bat in the lineup

Second, burke will have a small role on the team this year, being they just signed Matsui.

I wish they'd have given up Micheal Borne in the deal, instead they included Luke scott. But I think that Costanza was a bigger prospect, so that's probably why he was in it. Now, you'll have Lee, Bourne, and Pence in LF, C, and RF.

Ausmus will still catch a good bit this year, likely the final of his career, but J.R. Towles will get groomed and get plenty of needed experience as well.

They traded away three pitchers in this deal, including Albers who was somewhat successful last year, his first year being in a true rotation. going into next year, their starting pitching will be atrocious, except for Oswalt of course, and considering they don't make anymore moves.

I don't really look for them to compete for a WS very much over the next few years unless they make some serious moves on the mound.

[AstroCajun]

Yes, I know this is a cajuns site; but I couldn't help myself (and its slow right now!). I know there are many Astro fans in south Louisiana so just wanted to see what some of you thought about this off-season's moves so far. Just saw that they now have Miguel Tejada (in trade with Balt). This line-up just keeps getting better and better 1-8. Still have Adam Everret and Chris Burke (I think) also; so looks like they could make more moves to shore up the pitching. Thoughts?
Shof

5-1 for a declining Tejada is steep, imho AND it could be an absolute disaster if Tejada's name is on the Mitchell List. But sometimes a change in locale does a player good.

I'm not sorry to see Scott gone, he's been to inconsistent at the plate and was given enough of a chance. I just wish we could have kept either Albers or Patton (my pref was Albers)

The real question is how is AE's rehab going. He was a damn fine defensive player (which in my book makes up for his lack of stick). Now, we add Tejada, who didn't appear happy to play the hot corner for the O's.

Biggest need left to fill? A genuine No.2 starter to Complement Roy O the problem is there ain't enough FA's and PTBNL's left in the franchise to get that quality No.2.

[Turner]

I do not like the idea of trading all our young pitching.

[shof]

_ Being that they just traded away Costanza to get Tejada, then I think that you'll have Tejada, Everett, and Wigginton playing those three spots. I know that MT has been playing SS, but there was question about his ability to have move well enough to still play there. I also don't know if Wiggington can play SS, but if he can't, and MT can't play there anymore, and/or is better at 3B, then you still have the problem of having to keep Everett's bat in the lineup

I don't really look for them to compete for a WS very much over the next few years unless they make some serious moves on the mound. _

Costanza was a 3B prospect; but I agree that Tejada "could" be used in a way similar to how the Yankees did with A-Rod (moving from SS to 3B). Will be interesting to see how the rest of the off-season plays out.
Pitching is a BIG "if" right now; but I still see them better off today then they were at the end of the season; which means they are capable of competing for the division.

[CajunT]

"Being that they just traded away Costanza to get Tejada, then I think that you'll have Tejada, Everett, and Wigginton playing those three spots. I know that MT has been playing SS, but there was question about his ability to have move well enough to still play there. I also don't know if Wiggington can play SS, but if he can't, and MT can't play there anymore, and/or is better at 3B, then you still have the problem of having to keep Everett's bat in the lineup

Second, burke will have a small role on the team this year, being they just signed Matsui.

I wish they'd have given up Micheal Borne in the deal, instead they included Luke scott. But I think that Costanza was a bigger prospect, so that's probably why he was in it. Now, you'll have Lee, Bourne, and Pence in LF, C, and RF.

Ausmus will still catch a good bit this year, likely the final of his career, but J.R. Towles will get groomed and get plenty of needed experience as well.

They traded away three pitchers in this deal, including Albers who was somewhat successful last year, his first year being in a true rotation. going into next year, their starting pitching will be atrocious, except for Oswalt of course, and considering they don't make anymore moves.

I don't really look for them to compete for a WS very much over the next few years unless they make some serious moves on the mound."

Every trade is going to have some risk. First, there is no guarantee the Everetts' leg will heal and still have the range he once did. Everett without the range, is a poor major league player. What you lose in runs saved from Everett, you gain by adding 100 RBI's to the Houston lineup. Tejada only played in 133 games last year do to injury, so he still projects over 20 hrs and 100 rbis.

Baltimore wanted Bourne, Paulino and Patten. They only received one of the prospects that they wanted. The Astros gave up Patton, projects to be a #3, Scott who is a average major league player at 29 yrs old, Safratte which they claimed on waivers and Albers that had 5.63 ERA in the majors and 4.50 ERS in the minors, and Costanza a prospect that made close to 30 errors and 123 SO's in AA ball last year. So, who did Baltimore get besides Patton?

The only way this deal turns bad, is if Tejada is injured or is on Mitchells report. The Astros now can at least compete in a very weak Central Division. They will still need help with another starting arm, but the bats will be good.

BTW, the Astros tried to trade Everett and Burke and had no takers. What does that tell you about their value to other clubs?

[TuffGuy84]

As an astros fan, I'm neither angry or happy with the trade. The only peice of the puzzle that I'm even remotely dissapointed in losing is Patton, he had some good stuff, but even then, in his time in the majors last year, I didn't see anything overpowering about any of hist stuff. We traded an often injured scott, a good but not great releiver in sarafate, an unkown who we just received a few weeks ago in costanza, and 2 "potential" pitchers. Albers, I like his stuff, and he has the stuff to be top of the rotation, but his control problems pushed me off of him.

On the flipside, Tejada is an aging SS with a strong bat, but with that said, his numbers should jump up in Houston next year. While Adam Everett had great range, he is coming off an injury which puts his range in question. Combine that with the fact that he has the 5th lowest batting average in the NL amognst players who play every day and you're getting an improvement.

Overall the outlook on the baseball season for the astros just got alot better. Face it, we won't be getting any decent pitching in free agent, and albers and patton werent going to improve us dramatically. With Tejada we now have one of, if not the most potent offenses in the NL and that will change Oswalt from a 15 game winner to a 20+ game winner, and so on down the line with all of our pitchers. BTW, I think Wandy will have a career year next year because he is getting to where it is startin to make sense. He had a sub 2 ERA at home last year, if he translates some of that to the road, he will win a 15-18 game winner, and Backe will be back at full strength and I always thought that he had a very high ceiling. I expect the astros to compete for the playoffs, but they probably won't win in the playoffs.

Tuffguy

[shof]

Good assessment. I think they will compete for the central; but not enough quality pitching to advance in the playoffs right now. Still, they should be fun to watch!

[Cajunsmike]

Good assessment. I think they will compete for the central; but not enough quality pitching to advance in the playoffs right now. Still, they should be fun to watch!

According to the Astros website, Everett will be released tomorrow allowing him to become a free agent.

[TuffGuy84]

According to the Astros website, Everett will be released tomorrow allowing him to become a free agent.

I knew that was happening. The rumor is that Everett lost his mobility not only to his leg injury, but also his back. Tejada doesn't have Everetts range but he will make up for it by hitting around .300, drive in 90+, and between 25-30 HR's. I hope Everett proves me wrong and signs with someone, hits .250 and maintains his range because I really liked him, but for the time being, I'm still not to dissapointed in this trade.

Tuffguy

[CajunDreDog]

I do not like the idea of trading all our young pitching.

I don't either. They gave up their #1 overall prospect ((Troy Patton) who was likely to be the #5 starter this year) for a guy who is in his down years now! Tejada didn't even bat .300 last year, with under 20 HR, and 80 something RBI....I only hope he can return to his pre-2007 ways!


OVERALL: STUPID TRADE!!!

[TuffGuy84]

I don't either. They gave up their #1 overall prospect ((Troy Patton) who was likely to be the #5 starter this year) for a guy who is in his down years now! Tejada didn't even bat .300 last year, with under 20 HR, and 80 something RBI....I only hope he can return to his pre-2007 ways!


OVERALL: STUPID TRADE!!!

I don't know about that. Troy Patton would have been our #5, and while he had great command, his stuff was kind of iffy. Albers had big time stuff, but no command. Keep in mind, the astros still have Nieve (coming off injury though), Felipe Paulino, and Juan Guttierez, and I think guttierez will fill in the #5 spot as well, if not better than patton. The difference between Albers, Patton, Paulino, and Guttierez is very minimal. Tejada didnt hit .300 last year because he was frustrated with his situation and he got injured, add in the fact that he's gonna be in the midst of a good lineup and have the crawford boxes to send some extra dingers into, his production is gonna go up alot which will counteract the minimal impact that patton would have provided next year.

Tuffguy