Well, I STILL ain’t had no real good suggestions from yall bout what Big Bat should we get.
SO, since yall can’t come up with anything there, maybe let’s talk about should we get a FA pitcher – let’s assume for this discussion that Roger isn’t coming back – (maybe we shouldn’t necessarily assume this – click to read story)

So of course, the big money guy is AJ Burnett – the guy who is good. And lousy. One of thos guys who has “great stuff” but don’t live up to his “potential” (determined by someone else of course…) And I hear tell somebody gonna offer him a 5 year contract. I hafta laugh, I really do. Because the owners are always crying bout the terrible mean players who are driving them into the poorhouse, but they the ones doing dumb stuff like offering a 3o year old pitcher a 5 year contract. And NO they do NOT hafta – remember last year with Kevin Millwood – didn’t nobody offer him 5 years. Which is why he signed with Cleveland.

Which reminds me, of course, Millwood, RHP, is a FA again. I STILL don’t think he gonna get any 5 years, or even 4 years, but if he too rich for Cleveland, he gonna go to Boston or NY or maybe even back to Philly. Remember, he was the ERA leader in the AL, even though he had a losing record. He’s been inconsistant from year to year – and he MIGHT could wanna go back to Baltimore to be with his old pitching coach, Leo Mazzone. Also, his agent is Scott Bore-Ass – I have this feeling McLane ain’t gonna deal with that guy no more. And Milwood gonna get $$$$$$$ – WAAAAAYYYY too much for McLane’s liking…

Jarrod Washburn, LHP, basically a #3 guy, barely above league average, gonna get a nice fat contract.

And of course, he not really a FA, but I hear tell Carl Pavano might could want out of NY (sorry, hafta laugh – guess money ain’t everything…) but of course, they’ve gotta WANT to trade him and I would guess they might could thing bout getting a CF for him since they ain’t got the stones to move Mr Gold Glove (sorry – it’s just HILARIOUS he got a Gold Glove TWICE) in CF where he really WOULD be a GG fielder. So maybe they might could send him back to the Marlins for Juan Pierre, seeing as how Jeffrey Loria seems determined to get rid of every good player he got (except Miguel Cabrera – he’s still cheap. Cabrera, I mean…) to get even with the Miami/Florida taxpayers for preferring to spend what tax money they got fixing up the damage from, what, like eight hurricanes, a zillion dollars of damage to property and crops, roads and schools, feeding and sheltering the homeless instead of forking over kazillions to a spoilt billionaire for a new stadium.

And Javier Vasquez has requested a trade from the Phoenix, Arizona Diamondbax to a team closer to his Puerto Rico parents – like say, Chicago or St. Louis or Cleveland – MUCH closer. (And I’m SURE Houston is much closer, too…) He, like AJ Burnett, was good or lousy last year, not much in between – he hasn’t been the same guy since he left the Expos for the Yanks 2 years ago. But you know, seems that a whole lots of teams all desperate and I’m sure someone (NOT the Yanks) will fork over…

So anyhow, here’s the rest of what’s left:
- Anderson, Brian LHP – KC – Can you believe he was a first rounder in 93??? 13 yeat vet, gonna be 34. Has thrown over 200 innings twice and threw 197.2 in 03. Has done TERRIBLE with KC for 2 years. Last year, started 6 games, pitched 30 innings and had an OPS+ of 64. Minor league contract type guy. Never pitched at the Box.
- Armas, Tony- RHP, WSH – more fragile than Larry Luchino’s ego. One year only he wasn’t hurt. Started 19 games last year, 16 the year before with an 80, 84 ERA+ – of course, he’s still relatively young. He MIGHT could be worth a 1 year contract.
- Astacio, Pedro, RHP – SD – sucked with the Rangers (except when he faced us in May) went to the enormous Petco Park and did decent. And we don’t exactly have a real pitchers park here I don’t care WHAT the park factor here was last year – 3 of our pitchers were in the top 10 in the NL in stats and we had 2 very good relievers. (At the Box, he’s 2-2 in 5 GS over 35 IP WITH A 4.11 ERA and a .246 BAA)
- Brown, Kevin, RHP – NYY – was good years ago – had a bad back, a bad attitude and no good anymore
- Byrd, Paul, RHP – LAA – gonna be 35 – he’s a fly ball pitcher – says he wants to stay in LA – he’s not bad neither, LAA was offering him only 1 year, but there’s hear tell that a few other clubs are offering multi-year contracts, including Atlanta. Had TJ surgery in 03, has had ERA+ of 110, 112 since he came back – pitched 114, 204 innings since he came back. He gonna cost moren we willing to spend, anyhow. But I could sure see giving him a 2 year contract.
- Dreifort, Darren – LAD – got paid 55 mill to not pitch. I want that job. He’s had so many operations, don’t know how he moves his arm at all…
- Elarton, Scott, RHP – CLE – He was out #1 draft pick in 1994 and our Opening Day starter in 2000. We traded him to the Rocks in 01 and he spent a lot of time on the DL with back problems (he IS 6’7″ and i KNOW he weigh a LOT more than the 240 he say he do – men lie too, you know…) Anyhow, got released early last year and Cleveland picked him up and he started 21 games and had a 100 ERA+ This year, he started 31 games, went 11 – 9 (his first winning year since 2000) with a 4.61 ERA (89 EA+). We don’t want him back…
- Estes, Shawn, LHP -ARI – yet ANOTHER former first rounder, by the Mariners in 91 – gonna be 33 in Feb. Has a reputation as a wimp. I guess cuz he didn’t try to hit Roger Clemens in the head in 02 to get “revenge” for the Mike Piazza beaning in 00 when Estes wasn’t even on the same team as Piazza. Anyhow, he’s not exactly a real good pitcher – ERA+ the past 4 years has been 74, 74, 86 and 92. He was (giggle) the Rocks Opening Day starter in 04. Need I say more. Anyhow, he was hurt part of last year and only pitched 123.2 innings. I don’t think we need him and he sure won’t get more than a year. (At the Box, 3-2 in 5 GS over 27 IP with a 6.67 ERA, .306 BAA and SIX HRs – who he think he is – Jose Lima???)
- Glavine, Tom, LHP – NYM – Club option for 2006- He’s gonna be 40 – can you believe it – had a pretty good last year – ERA+ of 119. And with all theND and losses he’s had because of the bad bullpen (yeah, I’m lookin at you, Run Fairy) and lousy run support, the Mets owe him. Guy’s only averaged 11 W a year for the past 3 years – he’d have had at LEAST 15 more if he’d stayed in Atlanta…Poor Glavine – took one for the Union and it’s probably cost him his shot at 300 wins… You know this guy hasn’t been on the DL once since he came up in 87? Freaking awesome for a guy who is supposed to be 6′ – so much for the little guys breaking down… If they don’t want him, I’d take him. (At the Box – he’s 1-1 in 3 GS with a 3.92 ERA over 20 IP – and he’s kicked our butts in the postseason, too.)
- Helling, Rick, RHP – MIL – well, he looked decent for the 6 weeks he was with the Brewers. But he had, um, sucked for many years before that, so as far as I’m concerned, they can keep him. And by golly they just did.
- Johnson, Jason, RHP -DET – Just turned 32. Signed by the Pirates an an amatuer FA in 1992. Started pitching as a starter for the Orioles in 99, signed to a 2 year contract by the Tigers in 04. Never seen him pitch, but ERA+ over the past 4 years – 94, 104, 88, 94. Meh. But you betcha he gonna go SOMEwhere cuz he DID start 33 games a year for the past 3 years, going 189,196 and 210 IP.
- Kim, Byung-Hyun, RHP – COL – Believe it or not, he only gonna be 27. Remember how so many Red Sawx fans were SOOOO happy when they got him from the Dbax for Shea Hillenbrand. Until. of course, they found out that he STILL freaked out every time he saw a Yankee? Well he was on the DL for most all of 04 and kinda floated until he got a starting job with the Rocks. And he didn’t do too bad. Sometimes. Of course, that’s kinda true of ALL the Rocks pitches, but I digress. He did GREAT as a reliever (until he went to Boston) but last year for the Rocks, he started 22 games, pitched 148 innings and had a ERA+ of 97. It’s not like they overflowing with pitchers who ROOL out there and I’m surprised they didn’t re-sign him. I don’t know if any other team gonna want to sign him to start. And you KNOW he sin’t going to the AL East (giggle…)
- Leiter, Al, LHP – NYY – he really is cooked. Time to run for office Or do BBTN. Or something besides pitch.
- Lima, Jose, RHP – KC – um, he was lousy. And he freaks when he LOOKS at the Box – he’s 5-10 in 23 GS and 3 in relief over 133 IP with a 7.51 ERA, .329 BAA and 34 HR over 133 IP
- Loaiza, Esteban, RHP – WSH – Mutual option for 2006 – well, I would bet he gonna decline his option because he pitched OK last year – 34 GS, 217 IP and a 105 ERA+ and he gonna want a multi-year deal. And even though he 35 years old, he gonna get one too, the market being as thin as it is. But you can bet it won’t be with the Yankees… Or us.
- Mays, Joe, RHP – MIN – Club declined option for 2006 (gonna be 31 – he sucked for the past 3 years – ERA+ 83, 82, 78)
- Moehler, Brian, RHP – FLA – he WAS an Astro a few years ago. Bad attitude and he sucked BIG time. He ain’t coming here. And I’m glad, too – he (how does Larry Dierker’s expression go) he like a turd in a punchbowl.
- Morris, Matt, RHP – STL – another 1st rounder back in 95 – a 3rd or 4th guy these days- he ain’t staying there and he ain’t coming here – not for the money and years he supposedly wants. And you know who his agent is, right??? Anyhow, ERA+ over the past 4 years – 114, 111, 89, 104. Has onlt missed a few starts since coming back from TJ surgery 5 years ago. Over the past four years, has pitched 210, 172, 202, 192 innings. His best stat is that he doesn’t walk very many guys. (at the Box he’s 5-5 in 10 GS and 1 in relief over 66.1 IP with a 3.53 ERA with 8 HR, 21 BB and 55 K)
- Moyer, Jamie, LHP – SEA – The pitcher stat geeks hate cuz he disproves their theory bout don’t nobody get better after he turns 27 cuz it’s all downhill from there… He 43 years old – pitches slow, slower and slowest. Refused any trade to leave Seattle this trading deadline, so if Seattle don’t re-sign him, I’d bet he retires.
- Ortiz, Ramon, RHP – CIN – Club declined option for 2006 – don’t blame them and we don’t want him neither. I’m remembering when the media was calling this guy lil pedro (snicker…)
- Rogers, Kenny, LHP – TEX – another Scott Bore-Ass client. And after he did his thing to that cameraman this July, McLane wouldn’t touch him with a 10′ pole. Even if he was free.
- Rueter, Kirk, LHP – SF – was good for a long long time, but his time is ovah. besides, we have Kirk jr – his name is Wandy… Now if he has any sense, he’ll try to find work as a LOOGY. Cuz you KNOW he get signed SOMEwhere…
- Tomko, Bret, RHP- SF – not very good. He’ll get a job somewhere. But not here. He IS a workhorse – he’s averaged 204 IP/ year since he got called up in 97, but average ERA+ is 94 (shudder) – over the past 4 years, 85, 79, 110, 92. Meh. Could be #5 SOMEwhere. Remember he was one of the guys got traded for Junior Griffey?
- Valdez, Ismael, RHP – FLA – age 32, hurt most of the year – and it was just as well. Hasn’t been good for a long long time… Not good, not durable.
- Weaver, Jeff , RHP- LAD – age 29, 1st rounder by Detroit in 98. Shoulda stayed there. ERA+ over the past 4 years – 121 (mostly from Detroit) 73, 103, 96 (and the last 2 are in Dodger Stadium, mind). However, he’s never been hurt – last 4 years, innings pitched – 199, 159 (relief, remember) 220, 224. Yet ANOTHER Bore-Ass guy. Weaver’s a 4th or 5th guy and he’ll be holding out for the kind of money Boras thinks he worth. Good luck there, boy.
- Williams, Woody, RHP – SD -Club option for 2006 – he’s 39, was hurt most of the year and did lousy the rest of it – ERA+ 79. You know he a Houston boy who wants to pitch here – if he dirt cheap and desperate, he just might could get his wish. And I actually hope he does. But It’s just silliness on my part cuz he’s been hurt an AWFUL lot over the past 5 years… (At the Box he’s 8-3 in 12 GS over 68.1 IP with 11 KR, 4.61 EA and a .280 BAA – UGH – I take it back…)
- Wright, Jamey, RHP – COL – another 1st rounder – Colorado in1993. He’s not good, or real too durable. Pitched 25 good innigs for KC in 03, 78 innings of 123 ERA+ ball for Colorado in 04 and came back to earth this year – ERA+ of 87 over 171 IP. And that was the most innings he’d pitched since 01 with Milwaukee – had an ERA+ of 90. But you KNOW he’ll get a job SOMEwhere… But not here…

OK yall, there it is.
I would bet that we are not even looking to add any ML starter. For reasons I am NOT understanding, the Organization thinks that Astacio is an ace ???!!! and so I would guess that Nieve, Hirsh or Buchholz is gonna get called up if anything happens to any of our guys or if Astacio keeps giving up HRs like Lima.

I read that we were talking to Scott Eyre, who, by the way, is NOT bettern Mike Gallo. Waste of money. We SHOULD be lookin for at LEAST one bat…

Tags: Houston Astros, MLB

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 20th, 2005 at 7:38 pm and is filed under Brian Moehler, MLB, Pitchers, Woody Williams. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.