Here’s the list of 40 man roster and non-roster invitees freezing their butts off in freezing Florida:
Catchers:
- 40 man
Brad Ausmus, age 37 (turns 38 in April), RH (we ALL know he’s a lousy hitter and a great game caller. Maybe he’ll just catch 1 or 2 guys this year, since both Roger and Andy are gone.) He supposedly has a sore shoulder, so he might could just catch Roy. Actually, he should just catch Wandy, who needs all the help he can get.
Humberto Quintero, age 27, RH – an unimpressive career 64 ML games (translation – OPS lower than Brad Ausmus), but had a good year at AAA last year – .298 BA; .352 OBP; .425 SLG; .777 OPS. Hit .302 and slugged .475 in winter ball this year. Has a rocket arm. NO idea how good he is at blocking pitches or calling games. Built like Raul Chavez, unfortunately…
Hector Giminez, age 24, switch – had a .720 OPS last year at AAA. Hit .302 and slugged .527 in winter ball this year.
- NRI
Kevin Davidson, age 26 RH – drafted by us in 2002, just finished AA, hit .203, SLG .279. Need I say more?
Eric Munson, age 29, LH ( the very definition of a AAAA player. His lefty bat isn’t really needed this year. FORTUNATELY.)
Louis Santangelo, age (almost) 24, RH – just finished his rookie year. Hit well – .855 OPS. Looks like Piazza compared to the rest of these guys….
OK
Let’s be real here. Davidson and Santangelo aren’t gonna make the big club any more than I will. And I hopehopehope Munson won’t neither, because we actually NEED a new main catcher, as Brad, well, he can’t hit, and we don’t exactly have a AL East lineup that can afford a Brad Ausmus average. I have no idea how well either Quintero or Gimenez calls games, or how good a defender Giminez is. Hopefully, this will sort itself out over the next 6 weeks.
Tomorrow, starters report…
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
Shouldn’t you say ‘we need a new catcher if we are going to continue to carry Everrett and Biggio in the lineup’?
Everett is not that bad – after all, he DID have the second most RBIs on the entire team. Yeah, I know. he won’t never be a great hitter, but truth is that because we had Willy at leadoff (who was even worse than Adam) we really had FOUR poor bats in a row. I actually think that poor ol Jimy Williams had the best idea of how to use Adam – batting second. but then again, Jimy expected to have 4-5 excellent bats in his lineup. This year, Mo Ensberg may be batting second.
Anyhow, I look at Adam this way – dude is without question the best defensive SS in the majors. Pitchers pitch better when they are confident that GB will be caught. Bats are a good thing, yeah, but you hafta have some gloves out there because pitchers just can’t strike everyone out. Think about a defensive IF of Berkman, Loretta, Bruntlett and Lamb. If YOU were a GB pitcher, how would YOU like that? And remember your OF is Lee, Burke and Scott (probably.) It affects a pitcher’ mind because he’ll go up on the mound feeling like he has to K everyone, and he’ll get clobbered. ESPECIALLY Wandy (and Sampson, who I HOPE will be in the rotation.)
Or if you disbelieve in the power of confidence, look at Adam this way – say he saves one run a week – well, actually he’s bettern that, but say it’s just one run. Now suppose he was just league average, but he gets one more hit a week instead, even just a single. That boosts his average from .240 to .285 – more than acceptable, and I’m not even counting any extra runs scored or RBIs.
As for Biggio, he usually starts out the year strong and tires out, so hopefully, he’ll get to his 3000 hits by the ASB, then he can split time with Loretta. Yes, I know Loretta has a bad glove, but with Adam Everett playing short (remember, defense???) there may not be too many extra hits. Last year, believe it or not, Biggio was at least a league average glove…
Lisa
Humberto Quintero was Davis Wells’ favorite target when he pitched in San Diego last. The guy can block plate and throw to second quite accurately. He just can’t hit at the time. Looks like he got his bat going with the Astros’s AAA. Hope he’ll carry that bat with him. I think he’ll be a good backup to Brad Ausmus.
As far as Biggio, I hope he hits .350+ the first two months so he can get the history out of the way. Then, Loretta and Brooks Conrad can split time at 2B. Brooks can play other IF, right? Gaslampball had an interview with DePodesta and asked him about Conrad. DePodesta said that Brooks Conrad would have been a great Rule V draftee.
I like Loretta but I just don’t see him hitting for power anymore. He does hit for average very well. He was very good with the Padres, but now he’s older.
Hope all is well, Lisa.
hi didi!!!
Humberto Quintero was Davis Wells’ favorite target when he pitched in San Diego last. The guy can block plate and throw to second quite accurately. He just can’t hit at the time. Looks like he got his bat going with the Astros’s AAA. Hope he’ll carry that bat with him. I think he’ll be a good backup to Brad Ausmus.
- well, haven’t watched Q much – seemed to me his pitch calling was NOT good, but his arm is outstanding – watched him throw someone out at first like yadi molina. i think he really got screwed with having to miss important time when he had his appendectomy in 05 – his bat looked decent, but he never could seem to regain whatever he lost when he got back in september. also, for some reason, roy oswalt didn’t want to throw to him.
As far as Biggio, I hope he hits .350+ the first two months so he can get the history out of the way. Then, Loretta and Brooks Conrad can split time at 2B. Brooks can play other IF, right? Gaslampball had an interview with DePodesta and asked him about Conrad. DePodesta said that Brooks Conrad would have been a great Rule V draftee. I like Loretta but I just don’t see him hitting for power anymore. He does hit for average very well. He was very good with the Padres, but now he’s older.
- agree 100%. i was surprised and disappointed that he didn’t even get an invite to ST. i’d rather see him than that worthless A ball pitcher Paulino Del Guidice. More than 1 guy is gonna hafta get hurt for him to see any time in the majors. I’m not that high on loretta neither. but we’ll see…
Hope all is well, Lisa.
you too didi!!!
Craig Biggio is the heart and soul of the Astros. Obviously, he isn’t the player he once was, but he is a leader and an inspiration. Craig could have left the team for much more money a few years ago but, due to his sense of loyalty not only to the team but to the community, he opted to stay.
Houston and the Astros both are better because Biggio is here. Get off his butt and be glad he’s here.
hi burle!!!
the point is not complaining that biggio is on the team at all, but that he is old and needs a LOT more rest than phil was willing to give him last year. him reaching 3000 hits should not be more important than the team winning. i am not sure that loretta is gonna be that much better, anyhow. he’s only a few years younger, his glove is lead and he hasn’t hit well for 2 years.
and me i am tired of hearing about all that a ballplayer does “for the community” whatever the heck that is. whose community you talking about? the filthy rich people in the gated community he lives in? please do tell me what he has done for the city of houston besides play baseball and host a charity thingy for specially selected kids. i can tell you he ain’t done spit for MY district.
if you got ANY evidence that any team would have given biggio a better deal after 2003, i sure would like to see it. and yes i DO know he could have gone somewhere else, probably for more money when he was much younger. and yes i DO know that if he had the exact same stats on an east coast team, the *(%&@#! sportswriters would have the respect for his career that they should have. yes i DO think that he has no argument about it had a HOF career and he would have if he had retired after the 04 season.
but this is not to justify letting him hit where he wants to in the lineup and letting him play cuz he wants to when he really needs days off. it hurts the team more than it helps.
lisa