Hot Stove Thread, Part II

Costanzo's got some good power and a competent glove, but he's a Rob Deer disciple at the plate.

 

Now, that doesn't mean these are great prospects, but this is how they were ranked among the Astros' prospect (Houston does not have a very deep system).

 

Baltimore doesn't really have any infielders in the minors ready to play in the majors (Billy Rowell is still years away), so makes sense to at least get a guy like Costanzo.

 

If you play him at short, where he has become a defensive liability.

18 homers and 80 RBI for 12 million a year? Home run production dropped for the third consecutive year?

I'd have passed.

 

I'll tell you what, though: the Astros have a fairly respectable line-up now with Pence, Berkman, Lee & Tejada. Who would be the table-setters in this one?

EDIT - Crap, forgot about Kaz Matsui. Yeesh. Who else do they have?

 

Fuk-U-dome? Isn't that where the Tampa Bay Rays play?

 

Prospects or not, five players was way too much for Houston to give up. Tejada's not a bad player, but he's still nowhere as dominant as he was with Oakland. The Astros need offense, so the deal make a little bit of sense. But that's quite the contract to inherit, and with no one behind Oswalt, Houston probably should have added a sixth player -- or cash, equipment, sexual favors, whatever -- and did everything they could to get Bedard.

The Astros are still behind the Cubs, Brewers and the Cardinals in the Central.

 

They'll finish ahead of the Cardinals. Hell, they may finish ahead of the Brewers.

 

All that's true, I guess, but Tejada's as good a candidate as anyone to pop 25 or so medium-range fly balls into the Crawford boxes and thus make it appear he's worth the trade. What a joke of a freakin' stadium ...

 

That about covers it. However, you can have all the bats in the league, but if you don't have a deep rotation or a solid bullpen, it won't mean much in terms of wins.

 

... Beginning with a hill in center fucking field.

 

Hey, they don't have Lidge anymore, so leads may be safe now.







Nah, leads still aren't safe.