Monday, July 31, 2006
Astros Make Right Move, Make No Move
Going into the MLB trade deadline at 3:00 PM CST Monday, the Astros were mentioned in numerous trade rumors.
In the morning, they were supposed to be among the top bidders for Miguel Tejada and Alfonso Soriano. San Diego reliever Scott Linebrink was also mentioned as a possible addition. According to ESPN, Astros' owner Drayton McLane "ordered" GM Tim Purpura to trade Brad Lidge, and 30 minutes later the same source said that Lidge was "not being traded" (which makes you wonder about the credibility of ESPN's sources.) Starting pitcher Roy Oswalt was also rumored to have been included in a possible deal.
But, when 3:00 PM came around, the Astros had not pulled a trigger on a single deal, and that was the best decision made by the front office all year.
Face it Astros fans, but this season is over. It hurts me to say it just as much as it hurts you to read it, but the Astros need to start thinking about 2007 at this instant. If you were watching the disastrous weekend series against Arizona, you will probably agree with me. This team just does not have the heart or the talent to do it. The Astros are worse at the fundamentals then almost any other baseball team I have ever seen. Too many veterans that were key members of last year's World Series team have underachieved.
Getting Soriano for two or three prospects would not have helped. His contract would be up at the end of this season, and with Soriano having no roots in Houston, not to mention the fact that the Astros are never the highest bidder, the chances of him helping in the long run were small.
Miguel Tejada would have had a better chance of helping, but still would have been a shot in the dark. Although he has two seasons remaining on his contract, Tejada has been in the league long enough to where he could demand a trade at the end of this season if he wanted out of Houston. I can not say whether he would demand it or not, but the possibility tells you not to shell out top prospects for what could be a two-month stay on a team that will not be competing in September.
What the Astros need to do is say that next year is here. They need to start working on fixing the problems of this year. We must know what is going on in Brad Lidge's head. Maybe the leak of demanding he be traded will give him a clue that a 5.74 ERA has not; that he needs to get his act together. Morgan Ensberg also has had a disappointing season just one year removed from being named team MVP. The Astros need to make sure he is not a one-hit wonder.
The Astros need to look at some of their younger talent. Starting pitcher Jason Hirsch is 12-2 with a 2.03 ERA at AAA Round Rock. Outfielder Hunter Pence is hitting .296 with 24 home runs, 24 doubles and 79 RBIs. These two prospects need to be brought up and put into Major League games. They could be the future stars of this team. We need to know if they are for real.
The Astros also must sign at least one, if not two, free agent sluggers this offseason. The offense has been anemic the last two seasons. Improvement is needed. Plus, they will most likely be without Roger Clemens', Jeff Bagwell's and Andy Pettitte's contracts after this season. That should leave enough room to make a big splash in the free agent market, maybe for a catcher who can hit his weight or a left fielder who can play a caram off of a wall and not strike out 93 times in 100 games.
It feels weird to say it because it is not something we have had to say about the Astros very much, but the Astros should be playing for 2007. If the 'Stros get some kinks worked out with the rest of this season and make one or two key additions, next season will be a great one.
In the morning, they were supposed to be among the top bidders for Miguel Tejada and Alfonso Soriano. San Diego reliever Scott Linebrink was also mentioned as a possible addition. According to ESPN, Astros' owner Drayton McLane "ordered" GM Tim Purpura to trade Brad Lidge, and 30 minutes later the same source said that Lidge was "not being traded" (which makes you wonder about the credibility of ESPN's sources.) Starting pitcher Roy Oswalt was also rumored to have been included in a possible deal.
But, when 3:00 PM came around, the Astros had not pulled a trigger on a single deal, and that was the best decision made by the front office all year.
Face it Astros fans, but this season is over. It hurts me to say it just as much as it hurts you to read it, but the Astros need to start thinking about 2007 at this instant. If you were watching the disastrous weekend series against Arizona, you will probably agree with me. This team just does not have the heart or the talent to do it. The Astros are worse at the fundamentals then almost any other baseball team I have ever seen. Too many veterans that were key members of last year's World Series team have underachieved.
Getting Soriano for two or three prospects would not have helped. His contract would be up at the end of this season, and with Soriano having no roots in Houston, not to mention the fact that the Astros are never the highest bidder, the chances of him helping in the long run were small.
Miguel Tejada would have had a better chance of helping, but still would have been a shot in the dark. Although he has two seasons remaining on his contract, Tejada has been in the league long enough to where he could demand a trade at the end of this season if he wanted out of Houston. I can not say whether he would demand it or not, but the possibility tells you not to shell out top prospects for what could be a two-month stay on a team that will not be competing in September.
What the Astros need to do is say that next year is here. They need to start working on fixing the problems of this year. We must know what is going on in Brad Lidge's head. Maybe the leak of demanding he be traded will give him a clue that a 5.74 ERA has not; that he needs to get his act together. Morgan Ensberg also has had a disappointing season just one year removed from being named team MVP. The Astros need to make sure he is not a one-hit wonder.
The Astros need to look at some of their younger talent. Starting pitcher Jason Hirsch is 12-2 with a 2.03 ERA at AAA Round Rock. Outfielder Hunter Pence is hitting .296 with 24 home runs, 24 doubles and 79 RBIs. These two prospects need to be brought up and put into Major League games. They could be the future stars of this team. We need to know if they are for real.
The Astros also must sign at least one, if not two, free agent sluggers this offseason. The offense has been anemic the last two seasons. Improvement is needed. Plus, they will most likely be without Roger Clemens', Jeff Bagwell's and Andy Pettitte's contracts after this season. That should leave enough room to make a big splash in the free agent market, maybe for a catcher who can hit his weight or a left fielder who can play a caram off of a wall and not strike out 93 times in 100 games.
It feels weird to say it because it is not something we have had to say about the Astros very much, but the Astros should be playing for 2007. If the 'Stros get some kinks worked out with the rest of this season and make one or two key additions, next season will be a great one.
# posted by Bevo @ 6:38 PM 
