Houston Astros: The Worst Situation In Baseball

[CajunDreDog]

This is from an ESPN Insider article posted yesterday.
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Pirates and Royals fans think they have it bad, and their long-term history of losing seasons is worthy of their misery, but if one were to take a snapshot right now, and ignore the past, no team in baseball has a more bleak future than the Houston Astros.

By now, we know the big league squad is the worst combination of both bad and aging, but once one combines that with one of, if not the worst system in baseball, it's difficult to project anything but years of ineptitude ahead.

Even the one player who was expected to help in 2010, catcher Jason Castro, likely will not be ready anytime soon. The 2008 first-round pick ended up more than a bit overrated coming into the year, based on a somewhat fortunate showing at the high-octane environment of Lancaster in the California League. During the second half of 2009, his lack of true power was exposed, and that trend has continued into 2010, as he's batting a strange .260/.389/.298 for Round Rock. Plate discipline has always been a strong point, but he has no above-average tools. Like all catchers, Castro is not a runner, but his line-drive swing has led to just four extra-base hits in 30 games for the Express, all of them doubles, and scouts don't see him hitting more than 10-12 homers per season long term, while his defense, like the rest of his game, is solid, yet unspectacular.

When J.R. Towles bombed out in the big leagues (again), the Astros were hoping that a hot Castro would be ready to bring some youth to the team. Instead, they turned to Kevin Cash. That's the Astros in a nutshell.

[adam bolin]

If the Saints could do what they did I'll hang with the Astros

[CajunDreDog]

If the Saints could do what they did I'll hang with the Astros

in baseball though it's all about what you have waiting in the farm system. The Astros have almost nothing!!! McLane sold the farm system during 2003-06 trying to build a winner at the trade deadline each year. He also sold the system in bad trades like Jason Jennings, Miguel tejada, Carlos beltran, etc.


igeaux.mobi