As the hours count down until the kickoff of the Superbowl from Arizona, here are the latest little Astros rumor tidbits:
According to mlbtraderumors.com, the Astros are interested in Bartolo Colon. They have sent a few scouts to watch him pitch in the Dominican Republic. While a signing isn’t imminent, I think would qualify as a low risk/ high reward type-signing. If they were able to sign him to a very low guaranteed-money salary, with a high incentive base, I think it could be a good signing, especially if the Astros can get a bunch of innings out of Colon. However, considering that his velocity has been very low, and he’s had a history of injuries, I would balk at any multi-year deal.

I still stand by the idea of signing Livan Hernandez. I find him a more stable presence (at least 200 IP a year for the past decade) and a healthier candidate for the rotation than Colon. If we could ink him to a multi-year deal, then I think that could really bolster the Astros rotation in terms of experience and endurance. However, I haven’t heard of any rumors of the Astros interest in Hernandez. If I do stumble on one, I’ll be sure to post it here.

So who do you guys like for the Super Bowl today? And by how much? Enjoy the game and stay safe, everyone.

Bartolo Colon

A lot of people have been hagging on the Astros for their lack of depth after Roy Oswalt in the starting rotation. (Including Larry Dobrow of sportsline.com, whose article I find just an attempt at trashing the Astros rather than an actual analysis of the team. Save this Franchise)
Everyone knows that “pitching wins championships” and the 2005 Astros were a team that proved to us that pitching was a key to winning the pennant and advancing to the World Series. I thought about the recent teams that have made it to the Big Show, the Boston Red Sox, and interestingly enough, the Colorado Rockies. While the Red Sox were a team that was complete all the way around, the Rockies starting staff was far from dominant. In fact, not one starter on the team has a sub-3.00 ERA. So here goes, a little comparison between the Rockies and Astros.

Colorado Rockies:
Jeff Francis (4.22 ERA, 17-9 record, 34 GS, 215.1 IP, 165 K’s)
Aaron Cook (4.12 ERA, 8-7 record, 25 GS, 166.0 IP, 61 K’s)
Josh Fogg (4.94 ERA, 10-9 record, 29 GS, 165.2 IP, 94 K’s)
Jason Hirsh (4.81 ERA, 5-7 record, 19 GS, 112.1 IP, 75 K’s)
Ubaldo Jimenez (4.28 ERA, 4-4 record, 82 IP, 68 K’s)
Rodrigo Lopez (4.42 ERA, 5-4 record, 79.1 IP, 43 K’s)

Also making starts: Taylor Buchholz, Mark Redman, Franklin Morales, Elmer Dessens and Denny Batista

Houston Astros (I’ll leave out players who have left the Astros this offseason)
Roy Oswalt (3.18 ERA, 14-7 record, 32 GS, 212 IP, 154 K’s)
Wandy Rodriguez (4.58 ERA, 9-13 record, 31 GS, 182.2 IP, 158 K’s)
Woody Williams (5.27 ERA, 8-15 record, 31 GS, 188 IP, 101 K’s)
Chris Sampson (4.59 ERA, 7-8 record, 19 GS, 121.2 IP, 51 K’s)
Brandon Backe (3.77 ERA, 3-1 record, 5 GS, 28.2 IP, 11 K’s)

Also making starts: (Felipe Paulino, Juan Guiterrez)
Note: Jason Jennings, Matt Albers, Troy Patton all made starts last season, but aren’t on the roster for ’08, so they aren’t included.

While I notice that the stats are really inconsistent (mostly since Backe only pitched in 5 games) there are a few things that I think can really factor into the 2008 season for the Astros. Notice that the Astros’ starters combined record is 41-44 (using the 5 starters above) and the average ERA is 4.27. For the Rockies, their combined starters record is 49-40, and average ERA is 4.47. These stats are very raw, and not very consistent since so many pitchers have left the Astros, but I think they speak one truth to baseball fans. The starting rotation doesn’t have to be filled with stars. In the Rockies case, their ace had an ERA in the low 4′s, which isn’t anything too special. Their rotation from front to back was filled with guys who had ERA’s that varied in the 4 range, and the Rockies only had one guy that notched above 100 K’s (Francis), while the Astros had 3 (Roy, Wandy and Woody, surprisingly).

Here is one last note I’d like to enter in. The Astros of 2007 did not have a very good offense at all, compared to the Rockies who had two outfielders with over 100 RBI’s (Hawpe and Holliday) However, in ’08, the Astros lineup is packed with stars, and looks to be formidable on paper. That in itself would make the Astros pitchers’ records MUCH better, since they won’t have to rely on 3-4 runs a game of offense to pull off a victory. For all the nay-sayers that claim that the Astros starters can’t do the job, I point at the 2007 Rockies. They weren’t anything special, but they got the job done. So if the Astros could see a little improvement from Wandy Rodriguez and Woody Williams, I could easily see them surprising guys like Larry Dobrow and making a run at the Central.

That’s all for tonight. Until next time.

Jeff Francis

Roy Oswalt

Ok, this is a completely unrelated- to- baseball post, but I have to mention that my Ags beat the **** outta T.U. (a common Aggie abbreviation for Texas University, otherwise know as the University of Texas) in basketball tonight, 80-63. The crowd at Reed Arena was awesome; the student section was the rowdiest it’s ever been, and I’m sure that was a major factor in the game. A&M led by as many as 22 points, and never lost the lead the whole game. It was a really great game, and I hope some of you were able to watch it on TV. I’ll include a link to the recap below. Gig ‘em Aggies!!
Aggies beat Longhorns

It’s been about 24 hours since the Johan Santana trade was completed, leaving about 48 more hours for the Mets to work out an extension with their new ace. Rumors have it that he wants a contract for 6 years and 130 million, and I’m sure that the Mets won’t let Santana get away after only one year. But their window is open until 5 pm on Friday, so stay tuned to see if/when Santana gets signed.
Pre-Santana, the New York Mets were rumored to be in contact with a few free agent pitchers, including Livan Hernandez and Kyle Lohse. With the Santana trade, the Mets will obviously not be pursuing any more free agents. So where can they go? Alyson Footer – Astros Beat Reporter for astros.com mentioned that the Astros could pick up another veteran starter if they went unsigned. (Alyson Footer)

However, Ed Wade sounds comfortable going into the new season with the staff currently the way it is. And while I think that starting pitching won’t be nearly as big a problem as many think, I wouldn’t mind having a guy like Livan Hernandez in the rotation for stability, especially if guys like Woody Williams and Felipe Paulino don’t pan out this season. (Ed Wade)

What do you think? Would you pay the money to bring Livan Hernandez to Houston?

Livan Hernandez

Livan’s career stats: Stats

I just got on the computer and went to mlbtraderumors.com and discovered that Johan Santana was traded to the Mets for Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber, and Kevin Mulvey. To check it out for yourselves, just click on the link to the site on the left hand column of the blog. One interesting note is that no extension has been reached. I’m sure the Mets will be working hard soon to ink Santana long term, in the department of 7 years. I’m anxious to see how much money he gets.
This is big news. Not only is Johan Santana on the move, but he’s now in the National League. Could this help the Mets reclaim the NL East crown?

Johan Santana

I know, I know. It’s something that has been getting way too much attention in the media. I know that a lot of baseball fans are sick of hearing about Roger Clemens, steroids, the Mitchell Report, etc. And personally, so am I. But before I close the door on steroids, I just wanted to blog about my thoughts on this whole issue, so here goes nothing.
As a native Houstonian (and subject to the local media), I’ve seen more of Roger Clemens on the nightly news than I have ever wanted. It’s turned into some sort of soap opera between himself, Congress, Brian McNamee (his trainer) and the media. It seems like there is always some else who is coming out with something to say about the issue. Recently, Koby Clemens was asked his thoughts on the issue while participating in the Elite Camp held by Jeff Bagwell and Nolan Ryan at Minute Maid Park for young Astros farmhands. I’ll include a link to the article, if any of you can fathom more Clemens-related media. (Koby Clemens)

And through all the drama that has been Roger Clemens, everyone has to make the decision…Is he guilty? Did he really do steroids, as McNamee claims. Or is Clemens telling the truth? If you were to ask me, I’ve been convinced that he’s innocent. It’s not that I’m a guy that hates to see a former Astro tainted in the steriod witch-hunt, but it’s just the way he’s responded to the whole situation. Most of the “guilty” steroid users have a typical reaction to an accusation; lay low and not really say much to the media, etc. They seem to accept the ridicule that is thrown at them by the public, therefore just reinforcing the idea that they did in fact use steroids. But Clemens has been different. He’s fought. And he’s fought hard. Did any watch the press conference he held in Houston? He was angry. Really angry. If you haven’t seen it, I’d recommend to go onto YouTube and watch it. But just the ferocity that he’s responded to the whole situation has made me question the validity of the report. Was McNamee lying? The phone interview that Clemens played for the media sure made him sound like a shaky witness. I guess we’ll know more after Clemens scheduled Congress hearing on February 13th. But if I was betting on the issue, I’d have to put my money on Clemens. He’s worked hard over his career, and I just don’t think that a guy who has honestly used steroids would fight this hard to prove otherwise.

Let’s switch gears from Clemens to Tejada, the other big name guy that appeared on the report. Now everyone knows the Miguel Tejada was traded to the Astros on December 12 from the Orioles for a bunch of prospect players. The date is curious, as it was one day before the release of the Mitchell Report. However, Tejada was accused of purchasing steroids in the report, even though he said that he’s never taken steroids when questioned by the Congressional Panel earlier in ’05. Tejada was also accused by former teammate Rafael Palmeiro of giving him “tainted” B-12 vitamins when he tested positive for steroids.

So the question is asked again. Did Tejada do steroids? Looking at his numbers, he’s fallen off the in ’07.
Tejada Stats But other than that, he’s had a solid career. So could you base a steriod allegation on that? Certainly not. But the jury is still out on this one. I sure hope for the sake of the Astros that he doesn’t get deported or sent to jail. But then again, the same argument comes around. Can you trust the Mitchell Report’s sources? Are they credible enough? Is hearsay an acceptable (or condemnable) form of evidence?

Here is one thing that I do think should happen: MLB and Congress should stop this witch-hunt for past steroid users. It’s a waste of time, money, and effort. I agree with Lance Berkman’s calling for blood tests. They should start developing tests now, and use the money to prevent FUTURE steroid use, and get Major League Baseball out of this steroid rut. Punishing a few players for what may or may not have happened half a decade ago isn’t smart. Not only are you missing dozens of players who also did it during this time, but you are alienating a few of baseball’s best from the game. Will we ever know for sure if they did steroids? Maybe. But until we have factual evidence, it’s all speculation. Is that worth it?

(Berkman’s Article)

So that’s it for the steroids blog. I plan on not writing much at all on the subject again, unless a breaking news story surfaces, but until then, I want to get away from it.

Tomorrow is a big day: it’s the first of two meetings between Texas A&M and Texas NCAA basketball teams here in College Station. I’ll be there at Reed Arena to cheer on the guys, and hopefully they can continue the winning ways against a good Texas team. Saw ‘em off!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about future post subjects you’d like to see, then be sure to leave a comment below! Have a safe week, everyone. ‘Til next time!

Miguel Tejada

Roger Clemens

Gig ‘em Aggies!

Howdy Astros fans,
My name is Chris, and I’m currently a student at Texas A&M University studying Aerospace Engineering. However, one of my biggest passions in life is the Astros, the team I’ve grown up with since I could recognize what I was watching on TV. I was a Dome Child; going to almost all of my games as a kid in the friendly indoor confines of the Astrodome. Since then, it’s been the cozy Juicebox that’s been my home away from home for the summer. I’ve had season and mini-season tickets for the past three seasons, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Watching Craig Biggio notch his 3,000th hit will be one memory that I’ll never be able to forget, as will be his final game. He was truly one of the classiest, hard-working and caring individuals to put on a baseball uniform. I hope he will be able to contribute these qualities to the team from another position, whether it be in the clubhouse or front-office soon.

But enough about me. Let’s talk Houston Astros baseball.

It’s been one crazy offseason. Once Ed Wade was designated the new General Manager of the Astros, I knew changes were in place, as Wade is the type of manager who has the reputation of being aggressive on the trade market and free agent front. Going into the offseason, I figured that we’d be very active on the starting pitching front, since our rotation after Roy Oswalt is pretty much up for grabs. (Read John Donovan’s article at Sports Illustrated.com, I’ll post a link below. He points out the Astros rotation as second on the list of team’s biggest gaping holes.)

SI.com

However, the 2007 Astros, as everyone knows, were just not very good in any respect. Offense, defense, pitching, relief…Nothing seemed to work for the Good Guys last season. With Wade at the helm, I was confident that something would be done, and Wade sure did deliver.

Wade and Tim Purpura are almost polar opposites of each other. Purpura, who worked in the Astros minor league system before becoming GM, was very, VERY conservative. Since he watched most of our young prospects develop, he gave them way too many chances to crack the lineup/rotation, and was very reluctant to deal anyone away. Wade came in with no ties or commitments, and quickly cleaned house. Perhaps the most unexpected trade came early in the offseason, when Wade sent Brad Lidge to the Phillies for Mike Costanzo, Michael Bourn and Geoff Geary. Now, all Astros know Lidge as the promising young closer with a nasty slider whose stock was soaring up until the fateful day in October of 2005, when he gave up a game-changing home run to Albert Pujols. Since then, he was just never the same, blowing saves, losing games and frustrating fans. I was glad to see Lidge go, not just for the sanity of Astros fans, but for Lidge himself. Hopefully, a change of scenery is what he needs, although I wouldn’t mind the Astros getting some lost games back at the hands of Lidge.

The Astros weren’t done. Since 2005, the Astros have been actively interested in acquiring Miguel Tejada to upgrade the offense at shortstop. However, under Tim Purpura, the Astros were never able to seal a deal with the Orioles for their star shortstop. Ed Wade pulled off a controversial trade with the Orioles, sending Matt Albers, Luke Scott, Troy Patton, Mike Costanzo and Dennis Safarte to Baltimore for Tejada. This trade came the day before the infamous Mitchell Report was due to come out, but more on that in a later post. The Astros finally had the shortstop they had longed coveted. But for how long, and at what price?

The Astros also pulled off deals with reliever Doug Brocail, second-baseman Kaz Matsui, and traded Josh Anderson away for Oscar Villareal. But perhaps the most important deal was the acquistion of Jose Valverde for a combination of Chad Qualls and Chris Burke, giving the Astros a solid closer that they have lacked for a few seasons.

A busy offseason indeed. Remember the 2005 NL Champion Astros? Lance Berkman and Brad Ausmus are the only returning starters from Houston’s first pennant-winning team. The entire Astros roster has been overhauled, and in my opinion, it’s all for the better. While many of us fell in love with the underdog Astros in ’05, they just weren’t cutting it in the following seasons, and enough was enough. THe Astros have vastly improved in offense, defense and speed. While the rotation is questionable after Roy Oswalt, there is reason for hope. Brandon Backe, who spent the past two seasons on the DL with Elbow problems and in rehab for Tommy John Surgery, is back and ready to go. Wandy Rodriguez, who posted an impressive 1.42 ERA at home last season, is a year older and more experienced. Woody Williams, well…We’ll reserve judgment for later, but I have a hard time believing he’ll be as bad as he was in ’07. And that leaves us with a few choices for the last rotation spot. One young arm I like a lot is Felipe Paulino, who has had his fastball velocity clocked at 102 MPH, according to Baseball America. (link here: Baseball America ). Thanks to MLB Trade Rumors for that story. But the Astros also have Chris Sampson fresh off his first season on the staff. So there are options. And figure this into the equation: The Astros improved offense will take a lot of pressure off the pitchers to be perfect. Roy Oswalt admitted in an interview that he felt “mentally-fatigued” by the lack of run support, knowing that he had to be perfect to notch a win. Maybe with an effective offense, he could earn that Cy Young that he so well deserves.

The Astros are shaping up for 2007, and even though there are still some holes and to-be-seens on the team, I’m very excited at the new chance we have in ’07 to do what everyone in Houston wants, get back to the World Series and win it. Thanks for reading my first post, guys, and I’ll make sure to post frequently to keep new material up. I’ll be discussing Tejada and Clemens in the next post, so check back again in the next few days for that. As for now, have a great weekend, and stay safe.

Felipe Paulino

Chris Sampson

Wandy Rodriguez

Brandon Backe